1. Orctownorc

   10

   This game gets a 10 to show that I don't have a special hatred of Paradox interactive. It's worth a 9, but we go to 10 to make the point. While this is NOT the best WWII game ever. It is possibly the best grand strategy WWII game. The best WWII game BY FAR is CCV (Invasion Normandy) modded version Gold Juno Sword, played versus a human opponent. HOI2 meanwhile is still a great game, and far more accessible, functional and user friendly than its bloated decendent HOI3. HOI2 has a far better balance of detail and playability. HOI2 has a much more accessible and enjoyable research system. HOI2 has such obviously useful tools as a way to find units by type, which inexplicably disappeared in the latest game. The only problem with this game is that it needs to be patched or modded with new graphics options so that it can scale properly on present-day monitors. Paradox should swallow their pride and stop making expansions for the HOI3 turkey until they have rebuilt and improved this older but far superior game. Reading the reviews its hard to stop laughing at how seriously Paradox fans take themselves. There is nothing hard, deep, or intellectually challenging about this game. It's easy. It's fun. And it was designed by guys who want to imagine that the Germans could have and should have won the war, which should be a hint as to which faction you want to choose if you want to enjoy yourself. Enjoy yourself. this is a great game. And unlike most Paradox strategy sausage machines you don't have to cheat to win.… Expand

   • Helpful? 2 of 2 users said Yes.
2. krasnyoktya

   10

   This game is not flashy, but the combination of historical accuracy and strong online community can turn this game into anything you want it to be. Out of the box, it is difficult to get the hang of, but after a few games you will really feel like you can conquer the world. If the vanilla game gets boring, there are numerous different patches and alterations made by the community to make it more difficult or more realistic. The community adds leaders, events and countless other features. Everything about this game is great, and there are relatively few bugs for such a huge game.… Expand

   • Helpful? 2 of 2 users said Yes.
3. Sajer

   8

   The game by which all past, present and future Grand Strategic scale games will be judged. FPS and RTS fans need not apply.

   • Helpful? 1 of 1 users said Yes.
4. PatrickS.

   2

   Hearts of Iron 2 seems more of an attempt to make a historical model program rather than a "game". After going through the very awkwardly done and inadequqte "tutorial", i found the gaphics, the structure, and the game play itselt to be very dull. Yes, there are photos of every cabinet member and general. But so what, if the game isn't fun to play? Hearts of Iron manages to provide monumental levels of detail but at the same time fails to synthesize them into a worthwhile abstraction for command, control, and play. Notions such as "being able to play any country" seem interesting for reviewers to note, but in real terms, does anyone really want to play an entire game of WWII as Argentina or Tasmania? There's no point to such mechanics as far as gaming goes, though if one is making some kind of modeling software to the conflict, then i suppose one has that. But i don't buy games to use them as encyclopedias. I buy them to play. And for play, Hearts of Iron is a complete dud. Unless you're a detail-driven simulation-holic, avoid this one!… Expand

   • Helpful? 2 of 7 users said Yes.

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