Hearts of Iron
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| Hearts of Iron | |
|---|---|
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| Developer(s) | Paradox Interactive |
| Publisher(s) | Strategy First |
| Release date(s) | 2002 |
| Genre(s) | Strategy |
| Mode(s) | Single player |
| Rating(s) | ESRB: E (Everyone) USK: 12+ |
| Platform(s) | Microsoft Windows |
| Media | 1 CD-ROM |
| System requirements | 64 MB RAM, 4X CD-ROM drive, DirectX 8.1, Windows 95 |
| Input | Keyboard, mouse |
Hearts of Iron (HoI) is a grand strategy computer game developed by Paradox Entertainment and Strategy First, set in the years 1936-1948. In the game you can control any one nation as World War II unfolds. It was released for Windows-compatible PCs in 2002. A Macintosh version is available from Virtual Programming.[1] The lead game programmer was Johan Andersson. A sequel to Hearts of Iron, Hearts of Iron II, was created and released with lots of changes in the tech tree and gameplay.
[edit] Gameplay
Hearts of Iron is based on Paradox's successful Europa Universalis game engine, but has many changes:
- a very detailed tech tree divided in 14 sections (infantry/artillery/industry/armoured units/navy/etc.) with dozens of researchable technologies in each section and the ability to customize some units
- an economic model based on 4 natural resources: coal, steel, rubber and oil on which your army and industry will depend
- you can select military and political leaders
- dozens of military units, from colonial militia to ICBMs
- a weather model, affecting movement and combat efficiency of your units and supply lines
Gameplay revolves around surviving (either before or during) World War II, and the player may cause or witness events different from how they historically occurred. Hearts of Iron is considered an alternate history game.
There are three main alliances in the game, the Allies, the Axis, and the Comintern (Communist International) that the player can either participate in or stay out of. The game ends when there is only one alliance left standing, though that hardly happens. The game also ends on midnight of December 30, 1947, and the winning alliance is determined through a victory point system, giving points to alliances controlling key regions or cities.
[edit] Controversy
The game was banned in the People's Republic of China because the game depicts Tibet, Sinkiang, and Manchuria as independent countries, and Taiwan under Japanese control.[2] Paradox Interactive maintains that the game is historically accurate, and that it represents the "rough times" that China endured, as well as the incredible odds that the Communist Party of China overcame in order to win the Chinese Civil War.[3]
[edit] External links
| Paradox Interactive games | |
|---|---|
| EU line | Europa Universalis | Europa Universalis II | Europa Universalis II: Asian Chapters | Europa Universalis III |
| HOI line | Hearts of Iron | Hearts of Iron II | Hearts of Iron II: Doomsday |
| Victoria line | Victoria: An Empire Under the Sun | Victoria: Revolutions |
| Other | Crusader Kings | Crown of the North | Two Thrones |
| Third party titles | Galactic Civilizations II: Dread Lords (Europe) | Knights of Honor | Rush for Berlin | Heart of Empire - Rome | Take Command: 2nd Manassas | Perimeter: Emperor’s Testament | Silent Heroes | Sword of the Stars |
