Hearts of Iron II: Doomsday

The superb strategic game just got better. [May 2006]

We’d be tempted to give the game another editor’s choice award, actually, but what holds us back most is that the expanded timeline and the cataclysmic war between the Allies and Warsaw Pact is really only for those who love the burden of taking on such a massive conflict.

If you enjoyed any of the Hearts of Iron games then you will love this expansion pack. Just like the other games it has huge replay value and you definitely get a lot of "bang" for your buck.

Another solid, old school war strategy simulator - a war gamers ice cream sundae.

In all, Hearts of Iron II may attract a few new players – the price is right, and it does allow for a longer campaign which alleviates some of the abruptness inherent in the original. However, for those who just couldn’t handle the original, this expansion isn’t going to cut them any slack either.

This stand-alone expansion delivers extended gameplay and adds nuclear strategies to one of the most detailed WWII games on the market. Great for fans of the series who wanted just a few more years to complete their world conquests.

Hearts of Iron 2 acolytes will dig Doomsday; I just hope its scope doesn't scare off new players. [Aug 2006, p.50]

If you like complicated war games with Everest-sized learning curves, then this is the game for you.

Adding the nuclear arms race and using more modern forces adds to the fun of this well made RTS.

It feels a bit too much like its big brother, but all of the speculative history, nuclear tension, and Cold War spice make it a great addition to Paradox's stable of strategy games. It's also a great bargain when you consider the sheer amount of game you get here for less than $20 and the extra hours you'll get out of what modders will undoubtedly create with the scenario editor.

But if you get your kicks closing howzatwork-gaps or scribbling 10-page After Action Reports (AARs) novellas on message boards, Doomsday's probably a $20 bargain-basement ticket.

No matter what you decide, Hearts of Iron II and Doomsday represent some of the best turn-based strategy you’ll ever play.

Arguably the finest HOI game to date, as an expansion pack it’s probably best left to the hardcore fans and genre fanatics.

With Doomsday, you get the original game along with the improved mechanics and the extended Doomsday campaign. To top it all off, the game is bargain-priced and definitely packs a lot of play for your dollar.

Doomsday is a lot of game for 20 bucks. [Sept. 2006, p.71]

Be wary, though, as Doomsday, like its predecessor, can suck away hours to no end. And in the final analysis, that’s not a bad thing at all.

In the end I must say this game does a great job of simulating the experience of Axis and Allies the board game, just updated and enhanced with the power of a computer.

This game is most definitely not one for the faint-hearted; the sheer scale of the beast is truly something to behold. [May 2006, p.97]

A huge disappointment.

This Swedish smorgasbord doesn't have enough meat. [June 2006, p.93]