"Fun and Well-done!...just not for everyone..."

I decided to write this review, because I found it shameful that there were none here on GameFAQs, and really, not many online, aside from the fairly heavily biased one on Gamespot... So here we go.

Hearts of Iron is a Strategy game set during (well, before and after too) World War II. You can start in either 1936, 1939, or 1941. All 3 scenarios, while starting with different technology and states of affairs, end on December 30, 1948.

So far, this sounds like pretty standard fare, right? Wrong. You don't just pick Axis or Allies. While all the major countires (Germany, France, Italy, UK, USA, Japan, China, et. al) are in the game, so are MANY minor nations. Want to try and win the war as Luxembourg? Go for it. Prefer to wait to enter the war when you're ready, or just not get involved in it much at all? Start somewhere in South America. If the country existed during WWII, you can most likely play as them in Hearts of Iron

Gameplay: Gameplay is a toss up. If you don't mind a game that involves more than just pumping out one type of unit while harvesting a never ending supply of ore/minerals/gold/food, and you don't mind wading through menus to do it, then you'll love the gameplay. If you want glitzy explosions and headlong rushes into enemy lines without thought, you should probably pass HoI by.

Rating: 7.5

Story: Um... It's WWII... Not really sure how to rate story for Hearts of Iron. I'll go with historical accuracy. Hearts of Iron sticks to historical events in great detail... most of the time. Every once in awhile, something changes, either through your intervention, or just because the game decided to give you something new.

Rating: We'll say 9, for the sake of historical accuracy.

Graphics: Here is where HoI caught so much flak in the Gamespot review. Sure, the graphics are like playing Risk. You have a map, you have either little sprites or NATO icons representing your different types of troops. That and the menus are about it. However, I feel that is all you really need. Add much more, and you are hurting it more than helping it. Hearts of Iron really isn't for those who need the reinforcement of explosions and banzai charges. They simply need the satisfaction of knowing they won a battle based on superior firepower/numbers/strategy/dumb luck.

Rating: 6 (I didn't say they were great. I just said they worked)

Sound: Ah, the sound... The musical score is great, consisting of all European classical music. Two of the most notable are Wagner's Ride of the Valkyries and Tchaikovsky's 1812 Overture . The battle sounds are fine, even though it is just a looped clip of machine gun fire/cannon fire/fighter engines. Really though, you hear the music more than the battle sounds, and the music is top notch.

Rating: 9.5

Replayability: With no real story to speak of (it is hard to build suspense based on events that have already happened), the game relies heavily on addictive gameplay to bring you back. I know it did that for me. With a large number of selectable nations, you never really run out of angles to play from. You can take a superpower and try to go another direction. It would take you a long, long, LONG time to run through everything you can do in this game.

Rating: 8

Gameplay: 7.5
Story: 9
Graphics: 6
Sound: 9.5
Replay value: 8

Overall: 8

Final Recommendation: If you're a strategy buff, and you like historically accurate games, or just the battles of World War II, this is for you. Buy it now. If you just want to blow stuff up, or if you are just a Warcraft/Starcraft/AoE player, this probably isn't. Your wall of infantry will fall to a superior force eventually. ;)

Reviewer's Score: 8/10, Originally Posted: 11/29/03