Special thanks to the Stellaris OT for showing how I should design this OT, and Noaloha for the title.
Site | Price: £34.99/$39.99/€39.99 [Colonel Edition: £41.99/$49.99/€49.99 / Field Marshal Edition: £67.99/$89.99/€89.99] | Steam, Humble, GMG | Trailers: Soviet Struggle, Britain's Downfall, Reveal
Reviews thread | Multiplayer thread
From Paradox Development Studios, the team behind Crusader Kings, Europa Universalis and the Stellaris series, comes Hearts of Iron IV, a grand strategy game set during the most destructive war in human history,
World War II.
Take charge of any nation, and utilise all their resources to conquer your foes, crush your ideological enemies, defend your allies or just survive the gathering storm. Leverage your war economy to it's fullest to squeeze out
every advantage in this total war, trading and negotiating with others to secure access to the goods you need. Fight on land, at sea and in the air, commanding the most powerful forces the world has ever seen, with some of
the most famous (or infamous) leaders implementing your strategic vision and forging your path to victory.
Fight in a truly global conflict, from the deserts of North Africa, the farthest reaches of the Pacific, to the streets and bunkers of Berlin. Your truly massive armies will cross oceans and continents, changing the fate of world
through their victories and defeats. Design and customise your divisions to focus on whatever military doctrine you desire, putting the most powerful weapons under the command of well trained forces, or handing a rifle to
everyone in the defence of your homeland.
Your forces will be led by some of WW2's most famous and infamous figures, their careers and skills growing during the war, gaining expertise in desert warfare, sieges or armoured conflict. Mobilize your soldiers into armies
and theatres, and issue them warplans, from small maneuvers to grand strategic plans that will change the course of the war.
A war on a scale this massive won't be won with skill at arms alone. Amateurs may focus on tactics, but professionals concentrate on logistics, and every sinew of the nation's resources will have to be carefully managed to
give your armies a fighting chance. Producing the right weapons in numbers large enough to make a difference, and having them arrive at the battlefield in time will be key to your nation's survival.
Chart your nation's path through national focuses, representing a wide array of differing political, economic, technological and diplomatic options available. Appoint ministers and favour industrial concerns to give your nation
unique bonuses. Trade with other powers for the resources you need to drive your goals, and engage in all manner of diplomacy with them, improving relations, guaranteeing their independence, staging coups, sending
volunteer forces and inviting them to your faction, tying your nations fates together, to the death.
Your nation's scientists and military theorists will also be vital to maximising your chances. Develop new weapons and fighting equipment to give your soldiers on the front lines a chance. Develop new tactics and doctrines
to secure air and naval supremacy. Modify and adapt your forces to the changing battlefield, exploiting enemy weaknesses and nullifying their strengths. Discover entirely new wonder weapons, rocketry, jet engines, finally
harnessing the power of the atom to usher in the atomic age and change the world forever.
Frequently Asked Questions
What scenario start dates does Heart of Iron IV have?
Hearts of Iron IV has both a 1st January 1936 and a 14th August 1939 start date. The latter start date is more for players who just wish to fight out a more historical WW2, while the former allows for more sandboxy
developments, potentially changing the game in a-historical ways. There is also an option for the AI to focus on taking historical paths, if you want a more historical game from 1936.
Just how historical will the game be, really?
100% Historically Accurate.
Which countries can you choose?
There are seven major powers: France, Germany, Italy, Japan, Soviet Union, United Kingdom and the United States, but you aren't limited to them. You can pick any country that existed during the time period, so if
you want to conquer the world as Luxembourg, you can do it. Or try at least!
Only the seven major powers and Poland have a unique national focus tree at launch, with all other countries having a shared generic one. It's highly likely that we'll see more countries get unique trees as time passes.
This game looks complicated, help!
That's not a question, but I can understand. Grand Strategy Games can often be a bit overwhelming to start with, but thankfully Paradox have improved the usability of their games quite a bit recently.
(If you understand Hearts of Iron III's supply system, you're a liar)
There is a tutorial included in Hearts of Iron IV, and Paradox have been uploading some beginner focused tutorials on their ParadoxExtra account on YouTube. You can see one on Battle Plans here. There's also a
small industry of YouTubers out there with lets play's of their campaigns, Quill18 is one I'd recommend for beginners, as he's good at explaining what's going on.
On which platforms will Hearts of Iron IV be available?
Windows PC, Mac OS and Linux.
What about multiplayer?
Up to 32 players, with co-operative multiplayer in place to let players run the same country.
What's in the different versions of the game?
The Cadet version has the base game, the Polish national focus DLC and the three pre-order bonuses if you pre-order, namely an Axis and Allies music pack, and a choose your own adventure game book.
The Colonel version has the base game, the Polish national focus DLC, the pre-order bonuses, cosmetic unit packs for French, German, Soviet, UK and US tanks, along with heavy cruisers, a set of wallpapers
made from game art, and some exclusive icons for the Paradox forum.
The Field Marshal version has all of the above, as well as the first two expansion DLCs for the game, along with all related content.
Is the German version of the game different?
It's illegal to distribute certain materials in Germany. As such, the following changes are made to the game within Germany.
Multiplayer is unaffected.
Achievements?
You can see a list here. You'll need Ironman Mode to be enabled to obtain them, which limits you to one save file at a time.
How do I keep updated on Hearts of Iron IV?
Here's a link to a post on Paradox's forum, which keeps links to all the development diaries and video updates Paradox make for Hearts of Iron IV.
Hearts of Iron IV has both a 1st January 1936 and a 14th August 1939 start date. The latter start date is more for players who just wish to fight out a more historical WW2, while the former allows for more sandboxy
developments, potentially changing the game in a-historical ways. There is also an option for the AI to focus on taking historical paths, if you want a more historical game from 1936.
Just how historical will the game be, really?
100% Historically Accurate.
Which countries can you choose?
There are seven major powers: France, Germany, Italy, Japan, Soviet Union, United Kingdom and the United States, but you aren't limited to them. You can pick any country that existed during the time period, so if
you want to conquer the world as Luxembourg, you can do it. Or try at least!
Only the seven major powers and Poland have a unique national focus tree at launch, with all other countries having a shared generic one. It's highly likely that we'll see more countries get unique trees as time passes.
This game looks complicated, help!
That's not a question, but I can understand. Grand Strategy Games can often be a bit overwhelming to start with, but thankfully Paradox have improved the usability of their games quite a bit recently.
(If you understand Hearts of Iron III's supply system, you're a liar)
There is a tutorial included in Hearts of Iron IV, and Paradox have been uploading some beginner focused tutorials on their ParadoxExtra account on YouTube. You can see one on Battle Plans here. There's also a
small industry of YouTubers out there with lets play's of their campaigns, Quill18 is one I'd recommend for beginners, as he's good at explaining what's going on.
On which platforms will Hearts of Iron IV be available?
Windows PC, Mac OS and Linux.
What about multiplayer?
Up to 32 players, with co-operative multiplayer in place to let players run the same country.
What's in the different versions of the game?
The Cadet version has the base game, the Polish national focus DLC and the three pre-order bonuses if you pre-order, namely an Axis and Allies music pack, and a choose your own adventure game book.
The Colonel version has the base game, the Polish national focus DLC, the pre-order bonuses, cosmetic unit packs for French, German, Soviet, UK and US tanks, along with heavy cruisers, a set of wallpapers
made from game art, and some exclusive icons for the Paradox forum.
The Field Marshal version has all of the above, as well as the first two expansion DLCs for the game, along with all related content.
Is the German version of the game different?
It's illegal to distribute certain materials in Germany. As such, the following changes are made to the game within Germany.
The German version lacks a certain DLC component which results in the following:
1) a bunch of prominent nazis is displayed as dark silhouettes instead of a colored portrait.
2) some speeches in events are different
3) SS generals have no skulls on their caps
4) event pictures with hitler and stuff from point 1 are different
1) a bunch of prominent nazis is displayed as dark silhouettes instead of a colored portrait.
2) some speeches in events are different
3) SS generals have no skulls on their caps
4) event pictures with hitler and stuff from point 1 are different
Multiplayer is unaffected.
Achievements?
You can see a list here. You'll need Ironman Mode to be enabled to obtain them, which limits you to one save file at a time.
How do I keep updated on Hearts of Iron IV?
Here's a link to a post on Paradox's forum, which keeps links to all the development diaries and video updates Paradox make for Hearts of Iron IV.
