You still have some freedom in what you do, but I noticed it’s all in the uninteresting aspects at the expense of more engaging options which are unceremoniously de-emphasised and stripped down. How you go about accomplishing this all relies on your management, but what exactly you spend time managing depends on which game you play: in Crusader Kings you manage the drama of lords and ladies, in Stellaris you wrestle with resources and policy, and Hearts of Iron you’ll be tinkering with your war machine.įrom the first whistle, me and this shift in focus started butting heads. In classic Paradox format, you once again take control of one of the nations of the big dance to leave your distinctive mark on both your nation’s progression and the fates of the countries around you, this time in the WWII era.

Yet, at the core of Hearts of Iron IV, for the first time, I felt my ambitions caged in.īeing unacquainted with the Hearts of Iron franchise, the best frame of reference I have is Europa Universalis IV, and sadly that is not a favorable comparison for Hearts of Iron IV. The game and the systems in place had rules but would not hinder your imagination too much. At the heart of Paradox Interactive titles is freedom.įreedom to give every lord in Italy syphilis, to conquer the known galaxy with an army of enslaved fungus, to kill every man, woman and baby that stands between you and the Hungarian throne.