Hearts of Iron IV

Hearts of Iron IV is a grand strategy computer wargame developed by Paradox Development Studio and published by Paradox Interactive. It was released worldwide on 6 June 2016.[1] It is the sequel to 2009's Hearts of Iron III and the fourth main installment in the Hearts of Iron series. Like previous games in the series, Hearts of Iron IV is a grand strategy wargame that focuses on World War II. The player may take control of any nation in the world in either 1936 or 1939 and lead them to victory or defeat against other countries.

Hearts of Iron IV
Developer(s)Paradox Development Studio
Publisher(s)Paradox Interactive
Director(s)Dan Lind
SeriesHearts of Iron
EngineClausewitz Engine
Platform(s)Microsoft Windows, macOS, Linux
Release
  • WW: 6 June 2016
Genre(s)Grand strategy wargame
Mode(s)Single-player, multiplayer

Hearts of Iron IV was a commercial success, with sales above 1 million units by 2018.

Gameplay

Hearts of Iron IV is a grand strategy wargame that primarily revolves around World War II. The player may play as any nation in the world in the 1936 or 1939 start dates in singleplayer or multiplayer, although the game is not designed to go beyond 1950. A nation's military is divided between naval forces, aerial forces, and ground forces. For the ground forces, the player may train, customize, and command divisions consisting of various types of infantry, tanks, and other units. These divisions require equipment and manpower to fight properly. The navy and air force also require men and equipment, including the actual warships and warplanes that are used in combat. Equipment is produced by military factories, while ships are built by dockyards. These military factories and dockyards are, in turn, constructed by civilian factories, which also construct a variety of other buildings, produce consumer goods for the civilian population, and oversee commerce with other nations. Most nations are initially forced to devote a significant number of their civilian factories to producing consumer goods, but as the nation becomes increasingly mobilized, more factories will be freed up for other purposes. Mobilization is represented as a "policy" that the player may adjust with the proper amount of political power, an abstract "resource" that is also used to appoint new ministers and change other facets of the nation's government. In addition to mobilization, there are other policies, including the nation's stance on conscription and commerce.[2]

Land in Hearts of Iron IV is divided into tiny regions known as provinces, which are grouped together to form states. Each state has a certain amount of building slots, factory slots, and 10 infrastructure slots. The major seas and oceans (for warships) and the sky (for warplanes) are similarly divided into different regions. These provinces each have a type of terrain assigned to them that determines how well different types of units will perform in combat there. Divisions are placed in provinces and can attack enemy units in adjacent provinces. How well divisions perform in combat depends on various factors, such as the quality of their equipment, the weather, the type of terrain, the skill and traits of the general commanding the divisions, and the morale of both sides. Technologies can be researched to improve equipment and learn new military doctrines, among other things, which often means that a more technologically advanced nation will have an edge in combat. If a division (or a group of divisions) successfully overwhelms an enemy province, they may occupy it. Some provinces may have victory points, which can push a nation closer towards capitulation if occupied. Occupying key provinces within a state allows the occupying power to access the enemy's factories and natural resources in that state. Resistance to occupation within a state can hamper the occupying power's control over it. Late in the game, nations may develop nuclear bombs if they have the proper technology, which can be used to devastate enemy provinces and states.[3]

Hearts of Iron IV also attempts to recreate the complex diplomatic relationships of the day. Nations may undertake a variety of diplomatic actions; they may sign non-aggression pacts, guarantee the independence of other nations, and offer or request military access, amongst other things. Another key feature of diplomacy is the ability to create a faction or invite other nations to an existing one. Factions represent the main alliances of the era, like the Axis and Allies (for gameplay purposes, real-world factions like the Axis and Allies are split into numerous smaller factions, like the Comintern, the Chinese United Front, and the Co-Prosperity Sphere). Faction members may assist each other in wars, making faction members precious assets. Some more clandestine diplomatic actions are also available. For example, the player may justify war against other nations, spread their ideology abroad, or stage a coup. Countries in the game may be democratic, fascist, communist, or non-aligned. Each of the four ideologies has advantages and disadvantages; for example, fascist nations can go to war with other countries easily, but other nations are not as willing to trade with them as they are with democratic countries. If a different ideology becomes too popular in a country, a referendum may be held that will peacefully convert the nation to the most popular ideology. Otherwise, ideologies may come to power violently through coups, civil wars, or forced subjugation by a foreign power.[4]

This diplomacy is further expanded through the addition of espionage in La Résistance which extends gameplay in the management of occupied territories which is done differently according to player choices and ideology. Furthermore, the operation of spy networks allows for nations to steal technology, gather information on an opponents' military, and engage in other espionage efforts.[5]

While Hearts of Iron IV does feature some scripted events, the game features a "national focus" system that makes fixed events less necessary than in previous installments in the series. Each country in the game has a "focus tree" with various "national focuses" that grant certain effects or trigger events. For example, for the Anschluss to occur, Germany must first complete the focus that is related to it. Other focuses can grant special bonuses, like faster research times for certain technologies or extra factories. While some bonuses (like extra factories) are very tangible, others (like improvements to morale) are more abstract. These abstract bonuses are represented by "national spirits" that can be temporary or permanent. Not all national spirits are granted by focuses, and not all spirits are entirely beneficial in nature. Focuses are completed over time; only one focus may be worked on at once, and working on one consumes some political power. Initially, only a handful of key nations, like Nazi Germany, the United Kingdom, the Soviet Union, and the United States, had unique focus trees; all other nations shared a generic one. Subsequent updates and DLCs have added focus trees to other nations as well.[6]

Hearts of Iron IV also introduces the concept of "world tension," an abstract representation of how close the world is to war on a scale from 0 to 100. Aggressive actions by any nation can increase world tension, while peaceful actions can decrease it. Depending on the circumstances of a nation, like their ideology, a certain level of world tension may be necessary to perform certain actions, like justifying war against another country.[7]

Expansions and mods

Expansions
Name Release date Description
Together for Victory[8] 15 December 2016 Together for Victory adds content to multiple nations within the British Empire: Canada, Australia, New Zealand, South Africa, and the British Raj. It also expands the gameplay mechanics between puppet states and their masters, with a special autonomy system that determines a subject nation's degree of independence. Features like an expanded Lend-Lease system and the sharing of technology are also added.[9]
Death or Dishonor[10] 14 June 2017 Death or Dishonor adds content to several minor powers in Central Europe and the Balkans, which include Yugoslavia, Romania, Czechoslovakia, and Hungary, while also featuring the ability to license military equipment to other countries.[11] If Together for Victory is not owned, the expansion also adds limited puppet levels to the game. Following the release of the 1.10 "Collie" patch, content for Yugoslavia and Romania was reworked.[12]
Waking the Tiger[13] 8 March 2018 Waking the Tiger fleshes out the Second Sino-Japanese War with new content for Japanese-controlled Manchukuo, as well as Nationalist and Communist China, and a shared focus tree for the Chinese warlords of Guangxi, Yunnan, Ma, Shanxi, and Sinkiang. The expansion also adds new opportunities for alternate history within the focus trees of Germany and Japan, which were expanded, and a number of new formable nations were added. In addition, special projects and policies can be enacted with unique decisions, and several changes to the managing of generals are present in the expansion.[14]
Man the Guns[15] 28 February 2019 Man the Guns improves the naval combat aspect of the game, although numerous other changes and new features are also present in the expansion, such as adding content for the Netherlands and Mexico, and also including new alternate history paths for the United States and the United Kingdom. The expansion also adds fuel as a resource separate from oil, and government-in-exile mechanics.[16]
La Résistance[5] 25 February 2020 La Résistance adds espionage and occupation mechanics. Intelligence is greatly expanded, while occupation and resistance are completely reworked. The expansion also includes a revamped focus tree for France (Both Free and Vichy), a new one for Portugal, and two focus trees for the different sides of the Spanish Civil War, one for the Nationalists and one for the Republicans. It also allows the civil war to spiral into a much bigger conflict.[5]
Battle for the Bosporus[17] 15 October 2020 Battle for the Bosporus added content for minor Balkan Countries such as Greece,[18] Bulgaria,[19] and Turkey.[20]

Mods

Hearts of Iron IV was developed to be more open-ended than previous games in the series. Partially as a result of this, the game can be more readily modded than its predecessors.[21] According to game director Dan Lind, 64% of Hearts of Iron IV players use mods.[22] Many mods do not change the gameplay experience drastically, and as such have become mainstays of the community: for example 'Player-Led Peace Conferences', which gives the player more control over the outcome of the game. Also, a number of total conversion mods that dramatically change the game have been developed and released in many places, like the Steam Workshop. Some mods have been successful enough to attract attention from the media, including the following:

  • Kaiserreich: Legacy of the Weltkrieg, a mod set in a world where the Central Powers won World War I. Kaiserreich is considered the largest and most in-depth Hearts of Iron IV mod by many community members.[23][24]
  • Old World Blues, a mod set in the Fallout universe. This mod has been praised for its effective portrayal of the Fallout series within a grand strategy setting.[25][26]
  • The New Order: Last Days of Europe, a mod set in a world where the Axis Powers won the Second World War.[27] The mod has received praise for its rich storytelling.[27]

Some mods have also attracted controversy for racist and fascist overtones, such as Deus Vult, a mod that adds the Knights Templar to the game and allows them to commit various atrocities.[28]

Development

Hearts of Iron IV was announced in 2014 and was originally slated for a late 2015 release.[29] At E3 2015, creative director Johan Andersson confirmed that the game would be pushed back from its original release window, with the new release date being scheduled for the first quarter of 2016. This was an attempt to resolve several issues encountered with the game.[30] In March 2016, it was announced that the game, built with the Clausewitz Engine, would be released on 6 June 2016, which was the 72nd anniversary of the Normandy landings.[1]

Reception

Hearts of Iron IV was a commercial success.[35] It sold more than 200,000 units within two weeks of its launch, which made it the fastest-selling historically-themed Paradox title by that time, ahead of Crusader Kings II and Europa Universalis IV.[36] The game's sales surpassed 500,000 units in February 2017,[37] and 1 million units in May 2018. It was the first Hearts of Iron game to reach the million mark, and the third Paradox title to do so.[35] The game received "generally favorable reviews" from critics, according to the review aggregator Metacritic.[31]

GameSpot gave the game a positive review, writing that "Hearts of Iron IV embodies the hard truths about all-consuming war and the international politics that guide it." It argued that the tutorial was the only weak point, and that "for the dedicated, Hearts of Iron IV could end up being the best grand strategy game in some time."[32]

It was also reviewed in Kotaku, with the reviewer writing it was "overwhelming in both its depth and, more importantly, its complexity," and arguing that some players unfamiliar with the franchise might find the game interface too complex to navigate easily.[38]

IGN wrote a positive review, describing it as "an incredibly complex World War II simulation that will require potentially hundreds of hours to master, both in-game and pouring over wiki articles that read like an economics textbook," but writing that "the payoff is brilliant for those willing to put in the time to learn." The review praised the layout, writing "thanks to an unusually striking look and clean, easily navigable interface, the biggest challenges Hearts of Iron 4 presents us with are the good kind: strategic planning, division composition, and fine-tuning economic and political policies." IGN went on to conclude that Hearts of Iron IV "is a strong contender for the title of ultimate armchair-general game. The biggest problems I can point to are almost all performance-related, putting a slow, frustrating finale on what is otherwise an ingeniously detailed strategic stimulation of just about every aspect of 20th-century global warfare."[33]

A review in PC Gamer described it as a "unique, beautiful, thrilling wargame", specifically praising the game’s frontline system and production mechanics, but also criticising the ideology system for being too bland, and finding that combat was somewhat unintuitive, writing "while I found a number of flaws when I stood close to the tapestry, it's important to remember that Hearts of Iron 4 exists to encompass the whole sweep of the war."[34]

Polygon praised the openness of the game, writing that "Hearts of Iron 4 goes a step further, allowing players to take control of nearly every single nation-state in the world during the same time period. If you want to play as Eleazar López Contreras, a Venezuelan fascist with two army divisions and 12 fighter planes to his name, you can give it a go."[39]

See also

References
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  2. Apolon (June 29, 2016). "'Hearts Of Iron 4' Beginner's Guide: Tips, Tricks and Strategies For Mastering The Basics". Player.One. Retrieved January 8, 2019.
  3. JAFalcon (March 18, 2016). "Hearts of Iron IV developer diary talks about nuclear weapons". GameWatcher. Retrieved February 20, 2019.
  4. Hannley, Sean (June 7, 2016). "Review: Hearts of Iron IV". Hardcore Gamer. Retrieved February 20, 2019.
  5. Hafer, T.J. (October 19, 2019). "Hearts of Iron IV: La Resistance announced, adds spies and commandos". PC Gamer. Retrieved 2019-10-19.
  6. Dumitrescu, Andrei (October 4, 2015). "Hearts of Iron IV Details Italy, National Focuses and Initial Setup". Softpedia. Retrieved February 20, 2019.
  7. Priest, Simon (May 8, 2015). "World Tension and neutrality in new Hearts of Iron IV dev diary". GameWatcher. Retrieved February 20, 2019.
  8. Parrish, Peter (November 1, 2016). "Hearts of Iron IV: Together for Victory DLC to expand Commonwealth". PC Invasion. Retrieved July 31, 2020.
  9. Brown, Fraser (December 16, 2016). "Hearts of Iron IV: Together for Victory review". Rock, Paper, Shotgun. Retrieved February 27, 2019.
  10. O'Connor, Alice (April 26, 2017). "Hearts of Iron 4: Death or Dishonor announced". Rock, Paper, Shotgun. Retrieved July 31, 2020.
  11. Cobb, James (June 14, 2017). "Review: Hearts of Iron IV: Death or Dishonor". Wargamer. Retrieved February 27, 2019.
  12. "HOI4 Dev Diary - Yugoslavia and Romania". Paradox Interactive Forums. Retrieved 2021-01-22.
  13. O'Connor, Alice (November 16, 2017). "Hearts of Iron IV prods China in Waking The Tiger". Retrieved July 31, 2020.
  14. Robinson, Joe (March 19, 2018). "Review: Hearts of Iron 4: Waking the Tiger". Wargamer. Retrieved February 27, 2019.
  15. Donnelly, Joe (May 19, 2018). "Hearts of Iron 4: Man the Guns expansion grows its naval game". PC Gamer. Retrieved July 31, 2020.
  16. Donnelly, Joe (May 19, 2018). "Hearts of Iron 4: Man the Guns expansion grows its naval game". PC Gamer. Retrieved February 27, 2019.
  17. "https://twitter.com/hoi_game/status/1308738954221498368". Twitter. Retrieved 2020-09-23. External link in |title= (help)
  18. "HOI4 Dev Diary - Greece". Paradox Interactive Forums. Retrieved 2020-09-09.
  19. "HOI4 Dev Diary - Bulgaria". Paradox Interactive Forums. Retrieved 2020-09-16.
  20. "HoI4 Dev Diary - Turkey". Paradox Interactive Forums. Retrieved 2020-09-23.
  21. Haas, Pete (23 January 2014). "Hearts Of Iron 4 Coming In Early 2015". Cinema Blend. Retrieved 29 April 2019.
  22. https://www.pcgamesn.com/hearts-of-iron-4/modding-community
  23. Borsilli, Timothy (May 19, 2020). "Why Kaiserreich is (Still) the Ultimate Hearts of Iron 4 Mod". Wargamer. Retrieved June 1, 2020.
  24. Plunkett, Luke (October 3, 2020). "Kaiserreich, The Mod That Changes The World". Kotaku. Retrieved August 25, 2020.
  25. Ryan, Denis (May 18, 2018). "Old World Blues translates Fallout to grand strategy". Rock, Paper, Shotgun. Retrieved July 12, 2020.
  26. Klepek, Patrick (February 27, 2018). "Ambitious 'Hearts of Iron IV' Mod Transforms WWII into the Fallout Universe". Vice. Retrieved August 25, 2020.
  27. Borsilli, Timothy (August 17, 2020). "The New Order Is a More Narrative Driven Hearts of Iron 4 Mod Experience That's Both Compelling and Bleak". Wargamer. Retrieved August 17, 2020.
  28. Winkie, Luke (June 6, 2018). "The Struggle Over Gamers Who Use Mods To Create Racist Alternate Histories". Kotaku. Retrieved February 27, 2019.
  29. Frank, Allegra (March 15, 2016). "Hearts of Iron 4 launches this 'D-Day'". Polygon. Retrieved February 12, 2019.
  30. Hafer, Todd (13 June 2015). "Kicking Hitler Repeatedly in the Kidneys in Hearts of Iron 4". IGN. Retrieved 19 June 2015.
  31. "Hearts of Iron IV PC". Metacritic. Retrieved September 9, 2016.
  32. Starkey, Daniel (2016-06-08). "Hearts of Iron 4 Review". GameSpot. Retrieved 2019-02-24.
  33. Hafer, T.J. (June 6, 2016). "Hearts of Iron IV review". IGN. Imagine Games Network. Retrieved September 9, 2016.
  34. Zacny, Rob (June 9, 2016). "Hearts of Iron 4 Review". PC Gamer. Retrieved September 9, 2016.
  35. Valentine, Rebekah (May 21, 2018). "Hearts of Iron IV sells one million copies". GamesIndustry.biz. Archived from the original on August 23, 2018.
  36. Francis, Bryant (June 21, 2016). "Hearts of Iron IV becomes Paradox's fastest-selling historical game". Gamasutra. Archived from the original on October 25, 2020.
  37. Grubb, Jeff (February 20, 2017). "Paradox sells over 500,000 copies of WWII grand strategy game Hearts of Iron IV". VentureBeat. Archived from the original on August 3, 2018.
  38. Plunkett, Luke (June 6, 2016). "Hearts Of Iron IV". Kotaku. Retrieved September 9, 2016.
  39. Hall, Charlie (July 19, 2016). "Hearts of Iron 4 review". Polygon. Retrieved 2019-09-07.
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