Iron Cross and Darkest Hour Announced by Paradox Interactive

Paradox Interactive, the publisher of such grand strategy titles like Europa Universalis and Hearts of Iron, has announced that it will be publishing two new strategy titles that will use the older Europa Engine to deliver more focused experiences to gamers.

Europa Universalis, Europa Universalis II, Victoria, Hearts of Iron and Hearts of Iron II were also created by Paradox itself on the Europa Engine and, having created better tech to power its new generation of titles, the publisher is allowing smaller teams access to its older engine so that they can created new gaming experiences.

Darkest Hour is created by a team of modders, led by MartinBG, lead programmer of the HoI2 Armageddon Patch Project, and Gormadoc, leader of the Community Database Cleanup Project.

The new game will arrive in late 2011 or early next year via digital distribution.

The game will be stand alone and will allow players to experience a variety of campaigns taking place from the beginning of the Great World War I to the initial stages of the Cold War.

Darkest Hour aims to create a new Artificial Intelligence that is more capable of going toe to toe with the player and will also improve the detail of Hearts of Iron 2 on both the strategic and the tactical level.

A better diplomatic system is also included.

Iron Cross is created by Irshappa and is an actual expansion for Hearts of Iron II which will include more than 4,000 new provinces in a completely redone map, with new scenarios and a game time that goes from 1933 all the way to 1964.

The team is also creating 6,000 events, 800 new technologies in a revamped tree, new mechanics to accommodate special forces actions.

There's also talk of a better Artificial Intelligence and of a more in depth combat system.

Iron Cross will also be launched late this year or early in 2011.