Weekend Reading: Hearts of Iron 3 - An Early Appreciation

On Friday, Paradox Interactive released Hearts of Iron 3, a new grand strategy title allowing players to take the reins of any country in the world and guide it through the turmoil of World War II.

The game was eagerly expected by fans of the series and those who have played other Paradox Interactive titles, like Europa Universalis or Victoria.

I played the demo, which gives four months of playtime starting in September 1939, for three days and then the official release, which comes with a day 0 patch, for a few hours. And I have to say that all those interested in re-making World War II according to their own will need to play this game as soon as possible.

You should understand that Hearts of Iron 3 is hard to get. The tutorials offered, which are mostly text-based and use a weird little guy with a penchant for painting and a love of Germany, are not a lot of help, especially when it comes to actual military operations, which are the heart of the game. Good knowledge of Hearts of Iron 2 is not a precondition for success either, as the game mechanics have changed a lot.

Where HoI 2 relied on independent divisions, command limits and some time oversized stacks of troops breaking down the enemy front and beginning envelopments, Hearts of Iron 3 introduces a full command chain, going down from full theater command of the OKH and OKW to the army corps, armies and divisions, which are made up of whatever brigades you choose for them. This reliance on command structure and the effects that trickle down from the various commanders make it much more tactical than before.

Couple this with the vastly increased number of provinces, which open up more strategic possibilities, and the game increased the complexity of the military simulation alone by a factor of ten. Even with the addition of the helpful ledger in the right hand corner, I found myself only running the game at half the speed I got used to from the previous title.

The official forums are ablaze with gamers who are upset about the way the new 3D map looks, the lack of auto sliders and the inconsistencies of the world map, some of them pretty glaring. But if you have ever wondered what America would have done if it had entered the war in '39, how the French could have survived the Nazi assault or how Germany could have taken the Soviet Union out, do yourself a favor and at least download the demo of Hearts of Iron 3 if not get the whole game right now.