Hearts of Iron IV

 PC
User Score
7.7

Generally favorable reviews- based on 968 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 688 out of 968
  2. Mixed: 149 out of 968
  3. Negative: 131 out of 968

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  1. vvmax
    Dec 26, 2018
    8
    The game was quite good but not as good as Crusader Kings 2. The game is about World War 2, which there are a hell lot of games about, making Hearts of Iron 4 very cliche, the game has a huge learning curve, which can make a lot of players quit. But other than that, Hearts Of Iron 4 is a brillian game.
  2. bastobasto
    Apr 15, 2018
    8
    I love HOI4. Really. But there are some things that are extremely frustating, especially the AI. and sometime lack of logic Atleast the mods are funny and well done. It is a good WW2 strategy game with amusing gameplay, but should have some corrections. ( And have Paradox stop milking money off the DLCS )

    For all of those crying that HOI3 is better : This is HOI4 we are criticing, not HOI3.
  3. Vesar
    Dec 18, 2022
    8
    I spent 250+ hours in Hearts of Iron IV, I can say this isn't the best game created by Paradox Interactive, but it has a lot of potential with mods, multiplayer role plays and e-sport. I really enjoyed playing it and Im still playing HoI to this day.

    PROS: -Good Graphics -Intuitive UI -Great models used for troops -A lot of free mods (wide modder community) CONS: -It needs a good    I spent 250+ hours in Hearts of Iron IV, I can say this isn't the best game created by Paradox Interactive, but it has a lot of potential with mods, multiplayer role plays and e-sport. I really enjoyed playing it and Im still playing HoI to this day.

    PROS:
    -Good Graphics -Intuitive UI
    -Great models used for troops
    -A lot of free mods (wide modder community)

    CONS:
    -It needs a good pc to play at decent speed after 1943/45
    -DLC's are of cours really overpriced, most
    content is blocked by a paywall
    -You need a lot of time to undestand complex mechanics like a where to build railroads for the best supply, what templates to create, what meta is in MP etc.

    Still HoI4 is one of my favourites grand strategy games!    … Expand
  4. poplo220
    Nov 28, 2018
    8
    De los mejores juegos de estrategia bélica en el mercado actualmente,
    Pese a que el juego base viene un poco flojo de contenido, la comunidad modder te permite jugar una infinidad de tiempo a este juego gracias a los mods que desarrollan.
    El juego cumple su función, entretiene y te ofrece un gran abanico de oportunidades a la hora de actuar. El encanto de este juego reside claramente    De los mejores juegos de estrategia bélica en el mercado actualmente,
    Pese a que el juego base viene un poco flojo de contenido, la comunidad modder te permite jugar una infinidad de tiempo a este juego gracias a los mods que desarrollan.

    El juego cumple su función, entretiene y te ofrece un gran abanico de oportunidades a la hora de actuar. El encanto de este juego reside claramente en esa posibilidad de poder coger cualquier país y llevarlo a lo más alto siendo un líder nato.

    La simualción es decente y la IA está currada, aunque eso no quita que sea predeciblem incluso en los niveles de dificultad más altos.

    El principal problema de esta entrega reside en la carencia de contenido en las civilizaciones, de 100 que puede llegar a haber ni 10 tiene una rama personalizada, algo que se ha intentado arreglar con los sucesivos DLC's que han ido sacando.

    Es un juego muy entretenido que cumple su función, pero en cuanto a estrategia es superado por Stellaris y EU4 sinceramente, si te gusta la segunda guerra mundial y la estrategia sin lugar a dudas este es tu juego.    … Expand
  5. didopalqka
    May 7, 2019
    8
    The game is really cool but whitout mods the game will be very boring. It is great game.
  6. glomman
    Feb 3, 2021
    8
    I personally love this game, havong "only" spent about 500 hours in it, I can say that this is one of the best World War 2 and/or strategy games I've ever played. Everything from Infantry management to politics is represented with comparably deep gameplay.
    There's also a vast modding community which led to World War One, Alternate History in general, and even Fallout finding a place in    I personally love this game, havong "only" spent about 500 hours in it, I can say that this is one of the best World War 2 and/or strategy games I've ever played. Everything from Infantry management to politics is represented with comparably deep gameplay.
    There's also a vast modding community which led to World War One, Alternate History in general, and even Fallout finding a place in Hearts of Iron.
    Things that irritate a lot of people are the DLC policy imposed by the developers, where few is sold for much and some bugs, especially in the new launcher, occuring frequently.
    Regardless I had a ton of fun in my 500 hours of playing this game and I'm not done, HOI is one of those games you can play for hours without realising how much time really passed, few games do that these days, at least for me.    … Expand
  7. Didok
    Oct 10, 2019
    8
    I have been playing since 2017, I am very pleased with the game, but there are some problems that can be fixed from the very release of the game and not for the purchase of DLS. But still, I recommend this game for purchase.
  8. TEYLIFE
    Nov 4, 2019
    8
    buen juego, aunque es agobiante durante las primeras horas debido a la gran cantidad de informacion a manejar luego se convierte en una delicia, para mi ese es precisamente el problema demasiada informacion y un tutorial que da mucho que desear, aparte de eso no le encontrado algun fallo mayor, bueno a ecxepcion de la mala autogestion que tiene el juego sobre los suministros, que enbuen juego, aunque es agobiante durante las primeras horas debido a la gran cantidad de informacion a manejar luego se convierte en una delicia, para mi ese es precisamente el problema demasiada informacion y un tutorial que da mucho que desear, aparte de eso no le encontrado algun fallo mayor, bueno a ecxepcion de la mala autogestion que tiene el juego sobre los suministros, que en partidas avanzadas llegan a ser un problema, y que estos suministros no se pueden gestionar manualmente… Expand
  9. JeikZim
    Dec 7, 2019
    8
    Та самая игра, покупая которую, вам нужно докупить ,желательно, все DLC. Без дополнений игра не то, что пустая - она не играбельна.
  10. vanzan100
    Dec 24, 2019
    8
    One of my favorites game... but they have to expensive DLCs with some content that should be on the base game
  11. tomaszrock22
    Jan 5, 2020
    8
    The game is very immersive and fun. Although some mechanics are hard to learn. I still recommend this game very much!
  12. Potatoes953
    Feb 2, 2020
    8
    Is a pretty good grand strategy game. It really is a helpful educational tool along with being fun. Avoid this game if you do not have hours of time to just sit in a computer chair killing millions of soviets as Hitler. Seriously I have lost countless hours do to this games kind of addicting game-play that to somebody who isn't playing may seem boring. A lot of the fun comes from if youIs a pretty good grand strategy game. It really is a helpful educational tool along with being fun. Avoid this game if you do not have hours of time to just sit in a computer chair killing millions of soviets as Hitler. Seriously I have lost countless hours do to this games kind of addicting game-play that to somebody who isn't playing may seem boring. A lot of the fun comes from if you know how the mess with the AI. "ah yes Stalin keep slapping your human wall at me in the middle of winter." One thing that I think needs to change with this game (and frankly all paradox games) is paradox not rolling out free patches for stuff that is integral to the enjoyment of the game.
    Another bad thing about this game is that it's not newcomer friendly. The tutorial is tart, the game gives you no hints as to what might be the best option in the focus trees, how to win a war, how to do a peace conference, how to make orders or anything really. It just says lets play as Italy and give you giant blocks of text to read.
    Another good thing about this game is that it has a massive and active modding community making mods like Kaiseriech and the old world blues mod and adding stuff that should be in the game now and for free like: focus trees, a world war 1 scenario, post-game, espionage, and the league of nations/UN.
    Overall it needs a lot of work but is still pretty good especially with mods.    … Expand
  13. Sheleshka
    Apr 23, 2020
    8
    After 600 hours of playing, I realized that this game is one of the best in paradox. It has a lot of advantages: the historical era, the mechanics of war, and so on. The additions expand the possibilities for the countries and mechanics of the game. The game is worth your attention.
  14. YigidOx2
    Feb 17, 2021
    8
    Even though the countries where you can play are a few, the trees are generally thought of and big, quite big. It is really nice to see and play with each country turning towards different ideologies.
  15. Bad_Reviewer
    Jan 4, 2022
    8
    This game is really close to being mediocre due to the bs DLC strategy Paradox uses but, I can't bring myself to give it a seven. I've sunk many hours into this game that I have to. This game sucks you in and forces you to like it.
  16. Sceleton
    Jul 12, 2020
    8
    Это одна из первых моих стратегий, в ней я наиграл почти 500 часов

    Плюсы: Игра интересная, радует куча хороших модификаций на любой вкус. Довольно лёгкая игра, если разобраться в ней. Можно играть по сети, за одну страну, разные, устроить мировую войну между игроками. Игра выглядит визуально приятно. Минусы: Очень плохая оптимизация, году в 42 начинает сильно лагать, а в 45 вообще не    Это одна из первых моих стратегий, в ней я наиграл почти 500 часов

    Плюсы: Игра интересная, радует куча хороших модификаций на любой вкус. Довольно лёгкая игра, если разобраться в ней. Можно играть по сети, за одну страну, разные, устроить мировую войну между игроками. Игра выглядит визуально приятно.
    Минусы: Очень плохая оптимизация, году в 42 начинает сильно лагать, а в 45 вообще не возможно играть. Без DLC за 400+ рублей играть скучно, советую ждать распродажи и брать намного дешевле. Можно "спиратить" , но тогда не получится играть по сети. Когда игра только вышла она было действительно ужасна, но сейчас после многих обновлений и DLC игра стала лучше.

    Всё же я советую эту игру    … Expand
  17. freenik
    Mar 26, 2021
    8
    I like almost everything about this game. The sheer number of possible historical outcomes is amazing.
    However the AI is really not cool... If you have ever countered primary school kids in games, say FPS games and tried to anticipate their moves like you would for regular players, you'd get the exact feeling facing the AI in this game.
  18. alexdestructor5
    Jul 31, 2020
    8
    The game is very good and funny. But the bad has a lot dlcs very expensive.
  19. Gorbunov2004
    Mar 27, 2021
    8
    Очень клёвая игра можно создать свою танковую армию и завоевать весь мир. Но есть множество нюансов которые надо учитывать. В игре на более поздних годах время идёт очень долго.
  20. ZeFox
    Nov 12, 2020
    8
    [Graphics]
    ☐ Masterpiece
    ☐ Beautiful ☑ Good ☐ Decent ☐ Will do ☐ Bad ☐ Awful [Gameplay] ☐ very very very good ☐ Very good ☑ Good ☐ Bad ☐ Just don't [Difficulity] ☐ Very easy ☐ Easy ☐ Significant brain usage ☐ Easy to learn / hard to master ☐ Not so easy ☑ Difficult ☐ Dark Souls [Bugs] ☐ Never had any ☑ Minor bugs ☐ Few bugs ☐ Can get annoying ☐ Ruining the    [Graphics]
    ☐ Masterpiece
    ☐ Beautiful
    ☑ Good
    ☐ Decent
    ☐ Will do
    ☐ Bad
    ☐ Awful

    [Gameplay]
    ☐ very very very good
    ☐ Very good
    ☑ Good
    ☐ Bad
    ☐ Just don't

    [Difficulity]
    ☐ Very easy
    ☐ Easy
    ☐ Significant brain usage
    ☐ Easy to learn / hard to master
    ☐ Not so easy
    ☑ Difficult
    ☐ Dark Souls

    [Bugs]
    ☐ Never had any
    ☑ Minor bugs
    ☐ Few bugs
    ☐ Can get annoying
    ☐ Ruining the game
    ☐ The game itself is a big terrarium for bugs    … Expand
  21. Gokarty
    Dec 11, 2020
    8
    Very good strategy, politics, economy, World War 2, a lot of mods and DLC..
  22. UnbiasedSalt
    Dec 13, 2020
    8
    This is the game that introduced me to RTS games. Positives: The UI looks better and cleaner compared to other Paradox games; It is very very very addicting (I can never stop playing); Literally thousands of posibilities with historical AI turned off, DLCs and of course the huge amount of mods! Negatives: The game gets boring if you don't have DLCs, but there are mods so it balances itThis is the game that introduced me to RTS games. Positives: The UI looks better and cleaner compared to other Paradox games; It is very very very addicting (I can never stop playing); Literally thousands of posibilities with historical AI turned off, DLCs and of course the huge amount of mods! Negatives: The game gets boring if you don't have DLCs, but there are mods so it balances it out; The game gets boring after the 1945 mark; This game isn't that well optimised; AI can sometimes be retarded. In conclusion, it's not bad, it's not amazing either, it's just addicting for some reason for me.… Expand
  23. JanuszekPLY
    Sep 2, 2021
    8
    Hearts of Iron 4 - opinion.
    Great Things:
    Strategy aspect of using army, navy, flying forces.
    Good graphic
    Historic aspect of game
    Good mods
    Bad things:
    Without dlc, dont play. You will waste your time.
    Multiplayer servers connection are broken.
    Sometimes its glichy
  24. enro
    Feb 18, 2021
    8
    A good game that can be fun only with friends or with the countless DLCs installed
  25. hungarianball
    Jun 8, 2021
    8
    The game is actually good, but your AI is trash. Like if you create a frontline, it probably become a problem to you. Because frontline AI always makes mistakes and always makes one tile empty.
  26. vanyarobot08
    Jul 22, 2021
    8
    After 500 hours of playing and still not even remotely understanding HOI4, i must say that i love almost everything about it. the only thing that is a problem is the costs for the game and DLC's. i cant afford to buy all and i know that there are a lot of people like me.
  27. The_Senate
    Dec 22, 2022
    8
    I rarely play strategy games, much less grand strategy, but this game just works for me. Almost everything about this game works for me, but nothing really is outstanding. I like the focus tree, research, and division mechanics especially. This game is at it's best when you're playing a viable country, which kind of exposes then main flaw in the game. If you don't buys dlc's you experienceI rarely play strategy games, much less grand strategy, but this game just works for me. Almost everything about this game works for me, but nothing really is outstanding. I like the focus tree, research, and division mechanics especially. This game is at it's best when you're playing a viable country, which kind of exposes then main flaw in the game. If you don't buys dlc's you experience with the game is really dumbed down. I don't mind buying dlc's but fi you don't your handicapping yourself greatly. If you don't have any dlc's about half of the countries a hindered useless. For this one reason this game is held back from greatness.… Expand
  28. ThatOneHaloGuy
    Dec 19, 2021
    8
    It's a really good game but very hard to get into ( I have almost 200 hours and still have no idea what I'm doing really ), the base game is really good if you have the dlcs, and the mods are amazing, the dedication some people put into mods for this game is very impressive. Overall 8/10 for being a bit too expensive if you're trying to get the best experience by buying the dlcs, just waitIt's a really good game but very hard to get into ( I have almost 200 hours and still have no idea what I'm doing really ), the base game is really good if you have the dlcs, and the mods are amazing, the dedication some people put into mods for this game is very impressive. Overall 8/10 for being a bit too expensive if you're trying to get the best experience by buying the dlcs, just wait for a sale if you want it… Expand
  29. Motoritz
    Feb 5, 2022
    8
    Quite what you'd expect from Paradox: A great historical strategy game. Can become boring after some games, but hey, there are overpriced DLCs!
  30. Saadthelegend
    Apr 13, 2023
    8
    أسهل لعبة من بين بقية ألعاب شركة بارادوكس الصعبة مثل كروسيدر كينقز 3 أو يوروبا يونفرساليس 4

    واللعبة طبعا لعبة إستراتيجية ومع المودات حقتها تصير رهيبة
    لكنها صعبة التعلم نوعاً ما
  31. Sogwas03
    Mar 5, 2022
    8
    My nemesis of games… The game has a steeper learning curve than inflation as of March 2022. The game is very difficult to learn but is a good experience after watching tutorials and spending time learning how it works. Biggest downside is the millions of DLC that are not very cheap and necessary to play the game
  32. diesesphil
    Jun 8, 2022
    8
    The Base Game is already really fun and supported very well by the Developers, even tho, they make many for good gameplay essential DLC's.
    The best Part is the modding Community wich is greatly supported
  33. ProsteNicolas
    May 28, 2023
    8
    Hearts of Iron IV is the best strategic ww2 game ever created, you can play as everyone as you want. In this game there is a lot of things. I have 400 hours and i still doesnt know some things. Absolutely fun game, but in these game are few minuses. The AI is literally stupid. And when you want to enjoy the game more you need to buy some DLCs, One DLC is cost 10$, every DLC have some newHearts of Iron IV is the best strategic ww2 game ever created, you can play as everyone as you want. In this game there is a lot of things. I have 400 hours and i still doesnt know some things. Absolutely fun game, but in these game are few minuses. The AI is literally stupid. And when you want to enjoy the game more you need to buy some DLCs, One DLC is cost 10$, every DLC have some new Focus Trees for some new countries, but when you want to buy all DLCs the cost will be 100$ minimum.… Expand
  34. Marinusf
    Sep 3, 2022
    8
    Good AI, good graphics and repetitive gameplay. Especially in 'research' most players choose the same options over and over again because the other options are rubbish. The fact that the game has a certain meta makes it repetitive. The base game is dull and you need mods to make it playable.
  35. pikachu713
    Sep 5, 2022
    8
    it is hard game, but if you understend how to play this game. it became very interesting strategy. it is war strategy. it mean all what you do you do for war. ALL (fabrics, railways, ports, ideology and others...)
  36. BayernRalle
    Oct 13, 2022
    8
    Yes, it's unfortunate that you must pay a little extra to get the DLCs if you want the whole experience, but in my opinion, it's worth it. This game is all about the strategies and techniques you employ, but it's also a lot of fun.
  37. GamerLandherr
    Dec 17, 2022
    8
    Game compared to the old ones like 3
    is much more mediocre going by the point that this game was to attract new public he gives very well, since different from the old he is very beautiful in the simple UI with beautiful graphics and anyone can conquer the world playing the first time bringing much more dopamine to brain of course at launch was a game broken up too much more today already    Game compared to the old ones like 3
    is much more mediocre going by the point that this game was to attract new public he gives very well, since different from the old he is very beautiful in the simple UI with beautiful graphics and anyone can conquer the world playing the first time bringing much more dopamine to brain of course at launch was a game broken up too much more today already much better
    OBS: O if you want to play it really want to give it a chance I would say go for the mods    … Expand
  38. Cowman17
    Feb 11, 2023
    8
    Good strategy game after a while gets repetitive but fun to play with friends
  39. VOLODEI
    Jun 8, 2023
    8
    Hearts of Iron 4-игра основанная на 2ой мировой войне,игра которая отражает самую кровопролитную войну в истории человечества.Можно рассмотреть игру по несколькими критериям:
    ГРАФИКА:графика в этой игре вообще не главное ,но и при этом она не мозолит глаза,при этом игра вообще не требует сильного железа
    ГЕЙМПЛЕЙ:стратегии от Paradox Interactive всегда выделялись огромным количеством    Hearts of Iron 4-игра основанная на 2ой мировой войне,игра которая отражает самую кровопролитную войну в истории человечества.Можно рассмотреть игру по несколькими критериям:
    ГРАФИКА:графика в этой игре вообще не главное ,но и при этом она не мозолит глаза,при этом игра вообще не требует сильного железа
    ГЕЙМПЛЕЙ:стратегии от Paradox Interactive всегда выделялись огромным количеством механики,но и при этом это одна из самых лёгких в обучении для начинающих среди игр от Paradox.Тут можно выделить то,что при огромном количестве механик и стратегий,в этой игре нет стратегии,которая сломает игру и выиграть будет легче лёгкого.Геймплей сложный,но и при этом очень интересный в изучении
    ВЫВОД:игра великолепна в своём жанре,но при этом поставить 10 из 10 просто не получается.Почему?Дело в том что огромное количество контента станет доступно только с приобретением DLS.DLS добавляют фокусы на страны,механики(например шпионаж иди управлением доминионов).К плюсами можно выделить мастерскую в Steam.Там есть работы,которые не просто добавляют играбельность той или иной стране,но и также меняют ситуации и время в игре.В общем игра хороша,но на DLS и их цену прям больно смотреть,поэтому только 8    … Expand
  40. thethethe4
    Jun 2, 2023
    8
    Hoi4 is truly one of the greats strategy games out there, the game gives you the ability to to manage your airforce, navy and your army. The game is fun, it's the best game out there for WW2 strategy. The navy is irritating to use but after a few hundred hours you will get the hang of it. The DLCs are the real problem though, like most Paradox games you get one half of the game when youHoi4 is truly one of the greats strategy games out there, the game gives you the ability to to manage your airforce, navy and your army. The game is fun, it's the best game out there for WW2 strategy. The navy is irritating to use but after a few hundred hours you will get the hang of it. The DLCs are the real problem though, like most Paradox games you get one half of the game when you buy it and the other half once you buy all the DLCs. The game is still enjoyable without them though and if you really want to you can use mods as the game is very mod friendly. If you like strategy games then this game is a must have for you. if you aren’t then it the game is probably still very enjoyable for you, but you might want to do a little more research do make sure the game is for you.… Expand
  41. Karl_Maks
    Jun 8, 2023
    8
    Despite being my first Paradox Title I bought, I very much looked forwards to playing it. I already knew the basic mechanics as I had already watched youtubers such as ISP, Bokoen1 and Marvolo playing this game. Despite this, there was, and still is after a lot of hours, a lot for me to learn. And that is despite me having nobody to play multiplayer with, as that is an entirely differentDespite being my first Paradox Title I bought, I very much looked forwards to playing it. I already knew the basic mechanics as I had already watched youtubers such as ISP, Bokoen1 and Marvolo playing this game. Despite this, there was, and still is after a lot of hours, a lot for me to learn. And that is despite me having nobody to play multiplayer with, as that is an entirely different beast. There are also a lot of mods that have tons of lore for people to explore. Generally, fantastic game, but not perfect. There is no tutorial so if you are new and looking how to play, go look it up online.… Expand
  42. GentlemanHunter
    Jul 16, 2023
    8
    Things I liked:
    - The gameplay relating to wars is PEAK grand strategy
    - Pretty good soundtrack - Non-Linear for the most part - The game is very replayable - The game has probably one of if not the best modding communities as of me writing this review (look at Kaiserreich, Old World Blues, and The New Order) Things I disliked: - Bad Optimization - Inconsistent AI - The game    Things I liked:
    - The gameplay relating to wars is PEAK grand strategy
    - Pretty good soundtrack
    - Non-Linear for the most part
    - The game is very replayable
    - The game has probably one of if not the best modding communities as of me writing this review (look at Kaiserreich, Old World Blues, and The New Order)

    Things I disliked:
    - Bad Optimization
    - Inconsistent AI
    - The game doesn't really feel complete without DLC
    - Community that has a Nazi Bar Problem
    - Diplomacy can feel a bit too simplistic
    - Economic Management

    Conclusion: Although the game certainly has its flaws, those flaws either aren't deal-breakers or can be solved with mods. This game is probably the best WW2 strategy game on the market today, although I'd wait until it's on sale w/DLC    … Expand
  43. JanDadan
    Jul 7, 2016
    7
    Meatgrinder deluxe.
    This is 200% hardcore gaming.
    Strategy at its best. Nothing for the faint-hearted.
    Still it is somehow simplified compared to HO3.

    Overall, a recommendation from me.

    - JanDadan Gaming
  44. Filaton
    Jun 7, 2016
    7
    Pros:
    -Good graphics.
    -Good art. -The production system is pretty compact, doesn't give you an instant headache like HoI3. -I like the idea behind the war planning and frontiers. Cons: -The AI is kind of flunky and the frontier system is just plain frustrating at times. -Diplomacy is very dry. -Classic Paradox problems like **** optimization and bewildering UI. -Tech tree is    Pros:
    -Good graphics.
    -Good art.
    -The production system is pretty compact, doesn't give you an instant headache like HoI3.
    -I like the idea behind the war planning and frontiers.

    Cons:
    -The AI is kind of flunky and the frontier system is just plain frustrating at times.
    -Diplomacy is very dry.
    -Classic Paradox problems like **** optimization and bewildering UI.
    -Tech tree is maybe just a little too streamlined(why would I build Light Tanks when I can build Light Tank IIs just a few months later?).

    Honestly it's less immersive than HoI3. My guess is that the audience for HoI3's complexity was just too small, even by PDX standards, that they had to try and make this somehow more casual friendly. That doesn't necessarily make it a bad game, its just kind of meant to reach a different, bigger audience this time around.    … Expand
  45. Gambit8
    Feb 17, 2017
    7
    A great game for sure, but there are clear drawbacks to this game that can ruin the experience in my personal opinion. Firstly, I would like to mention that this has to be one of the most fun WWII strategy ever made and the choice of going historical or deviating off to more extreme alternate reality is exciting. I also cannot fault the wartime mechanics, even before the improvements itA great game for sure, but there are clear drawbacks to this game that can ruin the experience in my personal opinion. Firstly, I would like to mention that this has to be one of the most fun WWII strategy ever made and the choice of going historical or deviating off to more extreme alternate reality is exciting. I also cannot fault the wartime mechanics, even before the improvements it was fun. However once you hit around ~1942 or even after 1945 the border gore is horrendous and if the war is finally finished you will have some of the weirdest land distribution ever created - not to mention the land is essentially useless thanks to the non-core penalties. Clarity on how wars will work (ie. who will join wars and how they are merged as well as whether than country will insta-join Axis or Allies) would be a great improvements as lack of clarity can really ruin a play through, especially when playing as a neutral small nation trying to get big.
    Speaking of which, one of my personal favourite things of paradox games is getting a small nation and making them huge, however, in this game this is nearly impossible thanks to the penalties. The most notable one being the 99.8% penalty on manpower, which is not only unrealistic but also a tad harsh. Foreign conscription was a thing and although I do not disagree with a 99.8% penalty to begin with, I do think a monthly tick of -0.1% to the penalty would make the game feel more rewarding rather than playing a small county for 3 years before hitting the impassable wall of no manpower.
    Supply needs to be fixed or redesigned, perhaps even allow the player to customise their supply if the game picks an unusual or impassable route. When attacking Russia from the south I ran into an issue where supply simply would not reach my front lines despite having a clear passing from my capital to front lines simply because the game chose an odd supply route. Needless to say despite beating back Russia and Germany I had to abandon the campaign because my entire frontline was on the verge of collapsing. I still keep the save in case they fix this though.

    Overall, despite be being heavily critical of the game, it is really fun and I can imagine it to be even better with friends. However, attempting anything unorthodox such as world conquest with Saudi Arabia or forming your own faction as France and taking on everyone will make you run into a few of the issues I mentioned above. Clearly the game was meant to be played as the major countries in the historical way, this way you avoid the clarity of war issues, the manpower penalty becomes a historic challenge and supply in hotspot areas are more clear. I would still recommend the game to anyone, however I do hope for more improvements on the game - and the most recent expansion although an improvement does not feel like improvements in the right area, as well as this the features added are not worth the price, one of the few Paradox expansions I feel is overpriced since the features introduced are actually found in mods and are done better at times in those mods.    … Expand
  46. NZAnimeManga
    Aug 31, 2017
    7
    Fun WWII real-time strategy game, the pacing is a bit slow, but the mods make it incredibly fun! Not bought any of the DLC and am a bit disappointed by the lack of base-game minor country focus trees (literally only Poland). 7/10.
  47. olegigor
    Feb 1, 2021
    7
    Don't pay attention to whining HOI3 veterans. The game has enough disadvantages and it's not about casualness at all (AI still sucks, primitive diplomacy, performance problems especially in multiplayer, majority of interesting game mechanics are in the paid DLC)
    The biggest plus of the game is its community and modders who are constantly making interesting content for the game. There    Don't pay attention to whining HOI3 veterans. The game has enough disadvantages and it's not about casualness at all (AI still sucks, primitive diplomacy, performance problems especially in multiplayer, majority of interesting game mechanics are in the paid DLC)
    The biggest plus of the game is its community and modders who are constantly making interesting content for the game. There are thousands of mods in the Steam Workshop that can change the game completely. Very good to play with friends    … Expand
  48. AvtoS
    Aug 15, 2020
    7
    I mostly like this game even though i don't understand it fully.it takes a lot of time to get into the game and most gaming sessions consist of me waiting for stuff to happen.It's fun but it get's repetitive soon and you have to wait a lot.
  49. Verbal_cz563
    Oct 20, 2020
    7
    You will always cherish your 1st one wont you. It isnt as complex as HOI3 but its still a great game. But PDX's dlc system just cant let me give the game higher rating than 7. Yes, all the expansions give a lot of new content and are generally fun, but they are surely not worth 20 euros
  50. TheBoyWhoRates
    Nov 25, 2020
    7
    The game is awesome to be honest, except the amount of DLC they use for normal game mechanics that should already be in the vanilla game is outrageous!
  51. Pramolinein
    Dec 6, 2020
    7
    Игра очень интересная про 2 мировую но есть небольшие проблемы с музыкой и обучении. Музыка быстро надоедает спасают только моды. Обучение есть но оно для тех кто умеет читать
  52. KevLooney
    Feb 28, 2021
    7
    The game is too obtuse, I didn't know up from down. I lost and I didn't know why i was losing. I know it means I am bad at the game, but I shouldn't be bored at the same time.
  53. marijn2112
    May 10, 2021
    7
    Paradox pushing every major expansion including overhauls of already existing features and simple mechanics into DLC instead if as an update makes the value of this game much worse, as you may have to spend 200€ for the full game and many of the DLC also include poor focus trees which youll be forced to have if you enable the DLC for important features like stopping your ships from sailingParadox pushing every major expansion including overhauls of already existing features and simple mechanics into DLC instead if as an update makes the value of this game much worse, as you may have to spend 200€ for the full game and many of the DLC also include poor focus trees which youll be forced to have if you enable the DLC for important features like stopping your ships from sailing through an enemy-occupied channel… Expand
  54. dastankz
    Nov 16, 2021
    7
    quite good, though I'm a little sorry about wasting a lot of time and squeezing out a lot of tears
  55. LambdaLocator
    Jul 21, 2023
    7
    A grand strategy game that makes me want to recreate the USSR and invade Poland again.
  56. Killer726Rogue
    Mar 26, 2023
    7
    This game is well-made, definitely a piece in the respective genre. But I was shocked to find some Historical inaccuracies in the game like Subhas Chandra Bose being labelled as a "Fascist".

    However, it has managed to beautifully represent the various details and aspects of the Second World War, as compared to most other such games.
  57. Helmenkalastaja
    Sep 22, 2018
    6
    Not the best Hoi for me to play. I liked graphics alot but game seems to be too simplified when comparing to older games in serie. Vanilla version is just missing key factors that are included in DLC so you have to buy more if you wan't more satisfying playing experience. AI is quite terrible, making lot of simply mistakes and trying to take advantage from annoying playing styles ( allNot the best Hoi for me to play. I liked graphics alot but game seems to be too simplified when comparing to older games in serie. Vanilla version is just missing key factors that are included in DLC so you have to buy more if you wan't more satisfying playing experience. AI is quite terrible, making lot of simply mistakes and trying to take advantage from annoying playing styles ( all airforce on same area for example ).… Expand
  58. Koblihozrout
    Jun 7, 2016
    6
    Disappointment :(.

    AI is retarded. For instance Germany declared war on Poland (+UK, France), after a month it declared on USSR, yeah didn't work out very well. Why would you teach AI to evaluate national focuses, unnecessary! If you are at war with half the world and got focus to declare war on another country, you should immediately execute! On other hand, is France and UK loosing    Disappointment :(.

    AI is retarded. For instance Germany declared war on Poland (+UK, France), after a month it declared on USSR, yeah didn't work out very well. Why would you teach AI to evaluate national focuses, unnecessary! If you are at war with half the world and got focus to declare war on another country, you should immediately execute! On other hand, is France and UK loosing badly? Well let's guarantee Greece independence so we can get into more wars... In other words diplomacy is dumbed down to national focuses and insane behavior. Oh and it has "improve relations" option, so if you are in Axis, and anti communist treaty with Germany, you are fighting war together, got relations maxed out, it's still gonna make ultimatums to Czechoslovakia (cause national focus..), sadly it can't declare war, it would be nice finishing touch :)

    OOB gone, not much to talk about here, no HQ, no nothing. No division commanders either.

    Research gone, practical knowledge? Theoretical knowledge? Don't be ridiculous you just conquered your first ports, why couldn't you go into carriers with same speed as USA? There is no specialization you can get what you want.

    Buying licenses gone.

    Trading resources? Well remember that anti communist pact? You can still buy anything in USSR... When i say buy, i don't mean like there is a market and prices, don't be ridicules. You can't stockpile and plan for war either.

    Custom divisions, yeah put in there whatever you want, no combined arms or anything so have division full of infantry, or have many smaller ones with one infantry each, nobody cares. Let's not pretend like there are actual effective and non effective ways to wage war, since WWI it's common knowledge that modern war is about putting whatever you have on the front, and if your soldiers have enough courage you shall prevail! Upside is you can't really go wrong. A tank division with hospital and support (non self propelled) arty? Sure why not.

    On the upside equipment production and units training are done in more realistic and better way. But than again planes, tanks, civil factories don't consume fuel or any other resource now, so you can safely spam those.

    Air combat is better, but still not very impactfull. Wings don't have commanders or experience, i don't know why there is a button for day/night or both missions, since you don't care about any of that, your planes don't loose any organization flying non efficient night missions, so you should always have both day and night on.

    Battle plans and AI troop command that's a clear improvement. Not perfect but better in every way.

    Hadn't had any crushes or bugs of that sort. Graphics are better i guess, but there was nothing wrong with hoi3 graphics either. UI is OK. The game gives impression that it's not a successor to previous games but like it's a new game from different dev. It takes it's own approach on one or two mechanics, and makes them better, and it dumbs down and ignores everything we love. I heard on stream devs to say, that Vicky2 was perfect and they can't improve it, i actually start to believe it now. Will the game be fixed by DLC's? It'll be improved, but hardly fixed. Disappointment :(.    … Expand
  59. inkblowout
    Oct 3, 2020
    6
    This will probably be my most controversial score as I love this game to death. (Have over 1700+ hours at the point.)

    But the reason why I'm giving it such a meh score is due to Paradox's incompetence in developing this game. HOI4 was originally supposed to be a WW2 strategy simulator with a heavy focus in combat compared to Victoria 2/EU4 and CK2. But over time they seem to go for an    This will probably be my most controversial score as I love this game to death. (Have over 1700+ hours at the point.)

    But the reason why I'm giving it such a meh score is due to Paradox's incompetence in developing this game. HOI4 was originally supposed to be a WW2 strategy simulator with a heavy focus in combat compared to Victoria 2/EU4 and CK2. But over time they seem to go for an alternate History route with making countries more fun which is great.

    But the problem with this is that over the 2 years since I got this game, no changes in the AI have been made whatsoever. And this AI isn't good at all, the problem is that the AI doesn't know what to do with divisions so they either oversupply their fronts, continue attacking fronts until they are drained completely or god forbid abandon their fronts. Like really? 4 years and this hasn't been fixed... but hey let's put a couple of new focuses on Portgual, a country that is neutral during WW2.

    Also, the DLC is the problem, the problem is that these DLC usually add some new focuses to the country to give them usually more options and alt. history options. These are basically recommended if you enjoy the alt. history portions of HOI4 so expect to shell out $100+ in DLC if you are looking to get the best possible experience. Not only that, but DLC also includes gameplay mechanics that base game holders aren't even allowed to get access to unless you shell out $15-$20. (AKA the boat design in Man the Guns DLC isn't included if you have the base game.) But the thing is that these should have been included in the base game, which gives players an excuse to buy these overpriced DLC. Also as stated before they tend to focus on different things for DLCs than for ones that really need an overhaul (IE Italy and USSR, which they have stuck the same since the game's release.)

    Overall it seems that Paradox just seems to have conflicting plans on what to do for this game. Do they want to make it a WW2 war strat. game or do they want to make this an Alt. history clusterf**k that pointless countries that were neutral in WW2 are updated but some of the most important countries are ignored? It seems that a lot of HOI4 mods like Engsieg/Road to 56 does a better job in both the gameplay department and the content department. If Paradox refined their HOI3 gameplay and made it easier to understand for the general public like with a proper tutorial or have a more simplified UI. (HOI4's current tutorial is just pointless as it doesn't teach you anything.) This game would be a lot better.    … Expand
  60. buranya
    Mar 25, 2017
    6
    If you want a casualized, easy Hearts of Iron game, this is made for you. If you expect hard situations, rigorous historical aspects and an IA made only to face WW2 as it should be, then go back and return to Hearts of Iron III.

    The game itself is nice, beautifully made. The map is way more simple than what we have seen on HOI3, and the building system is very intuitive. There's no    If you want a casualized, easy Hearts of Iron game, this is made for you. If you expect hard situations, rigorous historical aspects and an IA made only to face WW2 as it should be, then go back and return to Hearts of Iron III.

    The game itself is nice, beautifully made. The map is way more simple than what we have seen on HOI3, and the building system is very intuitive. There's no currency necessary to build, buy or craft. The system to build divisions has completely lost the meaning it had on HOI3. In this HOI game, you directly build a Division, you can't choose the composition of batalions, and the technologies are handled in a very deficient way. ¡The Theatre system is an absolute failure compared to it's predecessor! Another negative aspect is that some interesting countries lack content. the generical names, no sprites for units, and the focus system is a completely mess for some very important countries that faced WWII.

    But not all of this game is a failure. The naval system is well implemented, maintaining some good aspects of HOI franchise. The new aviation system is not bad at all, making more easy to face the air missions. The way to prepare some battle plans is quite interesting and the possibility to create your own factions add some new possibilities to the game.

    I give a 6 to this game thanks to the modifications you may do to it. Thank's god that some mod's teams are modding it, and trying to revive the game to what it should have been.    … Expand
  61. LaDix
    Dec 15, 2020
    6
    200+ hourse and I still sucks at this game, it is a paradox game so ofc there is WAY to many DLC's and over price just like total war games.

    The game is good with mods with out it is sh*t with it can be fun, there is not that much more to say about the game beside that.

    F*CK NAZIS
  62. rezo_21
    Oct 1, 2022
    6
    ====================IIIIIIIIII GAME SCORE : 63 IIIIIIIIII====================
  63. erdogfu96
    Feb 8, 2020
    6
    Better graphics but worse optimization. Good price. In depth gameplay and we'll made gameplay but confusing menus like every other paradox games. But it gives enjoy to play this game on that period. You can free to rule your country in many sides.
  64. Hiro016
    Sep 2, 2023
    6
    É um bom jogo pra vc que gosta de estratégia e ww2
    Mas eles funcionam igual uma EA da vida
    Lançar um jogo e fazer ele durar um bom tempo só com dlcs(que normalmente não mudam muita coisa)
  65. Izoeros
    May 10, 2022
    6
    qqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqq
  66. Krutou
    Oct 11, 2022
    6
    the game is quite exciting, the only sad thing is that you won't play for a long time because over time it starts to lag fiercely
  67. agq
    Jul 28, 2023
    6
    This is definitely the easiest to learn Paradox game for new players, however it has many issues and these mainly stem from the publishers choices. This game feels VERY incomplete without the DLCs. Many of the DLCs add very needed content updates to keep the game fresh, however these are small enough to where they could be considered updates, no where near big enough to be DLCs. AnotherThis is definitely the easiest to learn Paradox game for new players, however it has many issues and these mainly stem from the publishers choices. This game feels VERY incomplete without the DLCs. Many of the DLCs add very needed content updates to keep the game fresh, however these are small enough to where they could be considered updates, no where near big enough to be DLCs. Another problem also is how streamlined it is compared to Darkest Hour and HOI3, it feels simpler than those games which for many can be a positive but due to it feels like its too simplified in certain areas of game-play. Overall, I cannot recommend this game to strategy fans, go play Darkest Hour or HOI3 if a game like this interests you.

    Note: The modding community, for me, puts this game at a 6 due to how many playable mods there are which add new interesting content and elements to the game,    … Expand
  68. johnrj6
    Apr 15, 2017
    5
    This game drives me crazy. I have been playing as the Germans and have forced Russia to surrender. I got Mongolia out of the deal and made Greece a puppet. Russian empire joined my war against china. i have 174 top notch divisions. When I quit to main, understand that I destroyed the Soviet army and captured most of the soviet union. The Russian empire took over all of the Soviet landThis game drives me crazy. I have been playing as the Germans and have forced Russia to surrender. I got Mongolia out of the deal and made Greece a puppet. Russian empire joined my war against china. i have 174 top notch divisions. When I quit to main, understand that I destroyed the Soviet army and captured most of the soviet union. The Russian empire took over all of the Soviet land including all that I had conquered and their army score is 3x mine. I have also not been able to make the big army attacks. every time I set a starting line ll of my troops just go to one Provence and sit there, the don't cover the starting line. And I can never actually get them to jump off on the attach so I have to micromanage the sh it out of the battles which worked out well as I continually encircled the soviets and destroyed many divisions that way.

    Anyway the game needs much work but I do see promise. The scoring is terrible though.    … Expand
  69. Dedmosh
    Jun 25, 2016
    5
    This game is abysmal. Not because of the fundamentals. The foundation is great. However, the A.I is so bad and the campaign goes so far away from not just history but from REALITY that it is mind boggling.

    Do not under any circumstances buy this game until at minimum late December. The developers working on this are extremely lazy and have been dragging their feet nonstop throughout    This game is abysmal. Not because of the fundamentals. The foundation is great. However, the A.I is so bad and the campaign goes so far away from not just history but from REALITY that it is mind boggling.

    Do not under any circumstances buy this game until at minimum late December. The developers working on this are extremely lazy and have been dragging their feet nonstop throughout development and have only gotten lazier after release.

    The game is so beyond broken and yet they are going on a month long vacation! That means a month before these issues even BEGIN to get resolved.

    I know modders who have found and fixed more bugs in a couple weeks than podcat (team leader Daniel Lind) has fixed in TWO YEARS.

    Biggest disappointment since Hoi3, IMO its worse because it will take even longer to get fixed.

    Do not buy!    … Expand
  70. Smula
    Aug 1, 2016
    5
    Pro:
    -I like the new skill tree
    -Graphics Con: -PERFORMANCE... unplayable after 1943 -Army Structure and diplomacy etc, is gone. But Perfomance weight heavy for me, because I simply cant play the game. And I cant understand the reviews of gaming magazines: They write stuff like "Even with I7 stuttering..." But they gave it a 8+ out of 10? In my Eyes the game is only 5 points    Pro:
    -I like the new skill tree
    -Graphics
    Con:
    -PERFORMANCE... unplayable after 1943
    -Army Structure and diplomacy etc, is gone.

    But Perfomance weight heavy for me, because I simply cant play the game.
    And I cant understand the reviews of gaming magazines:
    They write stuff like "Even with I7 stuttering..."
    But they gave it a 8+ out of 10? In my Eyes the game is only 5 points worth, because only half part is playable for me.
    (I5 3570K, 8GB Ram, 3GB Graphic card, installed on SSD)    … Expand
  71. Adar1
    Aug 25, 2016
    5
    After more than 300 hours play, I can state that Hearts of Iron IV is a degraded version of Hearts of Iron III.

    I f you like the way it is, go for it and enjoy.
  72. Jyadaus
    Jan 24, 2020
    5
    Its my first Paradox game. I tried to play EU3 and HoI3 but they are to hard. When HoI4 come out, i download it and i just learn this game in 30 hours.

    - AI is very bad. They like dumb. (After updates AI is improved, but they are still idiot.) - It is impossible to play the game after 1943. - There is no revolts. (Its coming with new update, but its to late.) - Peace-conferences...    Its my first Paradox game. I tried to play EU3 and HoI3 but they are to hard. When HoI4 come out, i download it and i just learn this game in 30 hours.

    - AI is very bad. They like dumb. (After updates AI is improved, but they are still idiot.)
    - It is impossible to play the game after 1943.
    - There is no revolts. (Its coming with new update, but its to late.)
    - Peace-conferences...
    - You could assign 40 million soldiers to 1 general. Even this was corrected later.

    Also, wanna hear a funny thing? A HoI4 mod, Kaiserreich is way better than original game. The mod adds special military units. Also, the mod has more special focus trees than the special focus trees in the game.    … Expand
  73. YigitErenYilmaz
    Jan 21, 2019
    5
    If you have bad pc, the game is not playable for you

    If you have bad pc, the game is not playable for you

    69/100
  74. Rnoviok
    Dec 4, 2021
    5
    I have 380 hours in this game, but I'm still a weak, if not very weak player
    The DLC policy raises mixed feelings
    this game is incomplete without the add-ons
  75. eblan1
    Sep 3, 2022
    5
    Hearts of Iron 4, terrible strategy, there are no interesting mechanics in the game, there is no diplomacy, you can’t even start a negotiation process, but hoi4 is a great sandbox, you can make any state great, you can think of anything with the help of mods but without it in the game there is nothing, it is ahead of other games of the studio, such as Europa Universalis IV or Victoria II.Hearts of Iron 4, terrible strategy, there are no interesting mechanics in the game, there is no diplomacy, you can’t even start a negotiation process, but hoi4 is a great sandbox, you can make any state great, you can think of anything with the help of mods but without it in the game there is nothing, it is ahead of other games of the studio, such as Europa Universalis IV or Victoria II.

    Hearts of Iron 4, ужасная стратегия, в игре нет интересных механник, нету дипломатии, ты даже не можешь начать переговорный процесс, но hoi4 это отличная песочница, ты можешь сделать любое государство великим, можешь придумать что угодно с помощью модов но без этого в игре ничего нету, её опережают другие игры студии, такие как Europa Universalis IV или Victoria II.    … Expand
  76. coso132
    Oct 16, 2022
    5
    Once i got over the first hundreds of hours of addiction, and after playing some other grand strategy games, i noticed how this game is an awfully clunky, and incomplete mess which just doesnt compare to games like crusader kings or europa universalis
    Its only fun for the period you are addicted to it, and when you stop finding cool mods to try
  77. Crimson9
    Dec 13, 2022
    5
    How can you have a war game with a brain dead AI?

    As complexity increases in strategy games, so too must the resources expended to make the AI reasonably capable. In a game like CK2, the AI doesn't need to do too much. HOI4 is much more complex, but the AI is simply not up to it. Which makes single player, regardless of how much content there is and the quality of it, completely    How can you have a war game with a brain dead AI?

    As complexity increases in strategy games, so too must the resources expended to make the AI reasonably capable. In a game like CK2, the AI doesn't need to do too much. HOI4 is much more complex, but the AI is simply not up to it. Which makes single player, regardless of how much content there is and the quality of it, completely irrelevant. The AI is brain dead.

    For multiplayer, this is a fantastic game with a lot of elements that work really well and simulate World War 2 in a wonderful way.    … Expand
  78. Mikimax
    Aug 8, 2016
    4
    I Loved HOI 2 and 3 but this! I can't even find out how to play this crap. Spent whole day trying to ''play'' it just to end up in huge mess.
    Disappointing.
  79. Maugly
    Jun 7, 2016
    4
    The new Hearts of Iron 4 is awful. Hearts of Iron: The Casual, I call it.

    The army organization structure was simplified, compared to HoI3 and HoI2. Now you can just take few random division, assign commander to it, and call it an 'Army'. It does not matter what's the distance between those divisions, even if one of them is in Siberia, and the other is fighting in southern Spain. You    The new Hearts of Iron 4 is awful. Hearts of Iron: The Casual, I call it.

    The army organization structure was simplified, compared to HoI3 and HoI2. Now you can just take few random division, assign commander to it, and call it an 'Army'. It does not matter what's the distance between those divisions, even if one of them is in Siberia, and the other is fighting in southern Spain.
    You can now draw the fronts and battle plans. A good idea poorly implemented. AI will move army division around the front so much, they will never be 'ready' for an offensive action. I guess the remedy is to use separate armies for a defence and offence, but what's the point then? Eventually, you'll end up doing good old microcontrol.
    I am not sure if it's a battle system, or just AI is so bad, but every, and I mean - every - nationalists failure in Spanish Civil war ended up with their division being pocketed - by an infantry - and destroyed.
    The combat is unnaturally long, a light tank division fought with infantry on plains for 40 days. It won, eventually.

    The political map was changed. Instead of painting maps with certain color, only borders are now colored. This looks cute, but it is absolutely useless, especially with large countries such as USSR.
    Division markers are very tiny, you can not really see what units are standing there.

    The research was dumbed down just as military structure was. Now you just research 'the next infantry division', 'the next fighter', 'the next tank', etc. The research time is always the same, there are no research teams like in HoI2, or country proficiency like in HoI3. It can be halved by national focus, though.

    National focus is pretty much old-fascioned national decisions - it takes some time and 'political points' to get some research time reduced, or add factories, or ... get political points. Many of these focuses are just that - get political points. Other than attaining focuses, political points are used to change ministers or national policies. And initially, no ministers are hired.
    Only basic events are implemented, like in HoI3, I guess. For example, when Spanish Civil War breaks out, there is no event for USSR to help Republicans. You can, of cause, send volunteers and materiel to the country manually; but you won't get any rewards if Republicans win, like you did in HoI2.

    Production was improved, though. The annoying system of HoI2 and HoI3 where you distributed your production points between different needs were abandoned. Now you directly assign your factories to build military equipment, ships, or more factories.
    Apparently, you armies does not require upkeep/supplies anymore, or they are just masterfully hidden from player's sight. A big loss, I'd say. Supplies was a big deal in HoI2, and a huge headache in HoI3.

    All in all, the game looks super casual. If you're looking for some in-depth strategy game, you should probably sit this out. If you're looking for a casual strategy game, you should probably look up something on facebook, I guess there are 3 or 4 lying around.    … Expand
  80. Teleman
    Jun 7, 2016
    4
    AI is written by a 10 yr old who has just learned how to write "if" in visual basic. You have fronts where the opponent either completely abandons or puts everything it has got. Units move on their own after they execute your commands which results in either no bonuses for attack or defense OR bonuses but very annoying control behaviour. Focus system and diplomacy are a joke. Research isAI is written by a 10 yr old who has just learned how to write "if" in visual basic. You have fronts where the opponent either completely abandons or puts everything it has got. Units move on their own after they execute your commands which results in either no bonuses for attack or defense OR bonuses but very annoying control behaviour. Focus system and diplomacy are a joke. Research is dumbed down for idiots. Gameplay is virtually non existent. I need to be paid to "play" this game just like that guy on the paradox stream...

    P.S. I am a HOI2 fan.    … Expand
  81. Babinski
    Jun 25, 2016
    4
    Paradox has been recently traveling one-way road. Don't shoot your own feet Paradox. If you mess Victoria III like you did with these 2 last releases your fanbase is not going to forgive you.
  82. deathmachinept
    Aug 2, 2017
    4
    A very hit and miss game some steps forward but many backwards, been a fan of HoI series since HoI 2 got everything from there, contrary to HoI III that had a very strong foundation design wise allowing for great DLC and mods, in tank terms HoI III is a Panzer IV Chassis while HoI IV is a PZ III Chassis.

    The worst offender is national focus/event trees this makes the game extremely    A very hit and miss game some steps forward but many backwards, been a fan of HoI series since HoI 2 got everything from there, contrary to HoI III that had a very strong foundation design wise allowing for great DLC and mods, in tank terms HoI III is a Panzer IV Chassis while HoI IV is a PZ III Chassis.

    The worst offender is national focus/event trees this makes the game extremely arcade, dumb, detach from reality, bland and makes it harder to play historical because each of this "events" requires researching for 70 days ?? xD
    The HoI 3 Events especially on BlackIce mod were refreshing, taught history and immerse you in WW2

    Pros
    - Easier to plan paradrops, invasions for your own AI to execute and enemy AI is more capable as well.
    - Production of equipment offers a cool feature although it should had more depth
    - More manageable and impactful air war especially on ground support.
    - Generals can finally be generated and gain traits and experiences according to battles
    - 2D Art is great in most parts of the game but some icons are a miss like rocket engine and night equipment.
    - Naval and carrier Combat seems improved

    Cons
    - No way to know where there are battle going on or if the enemy nearly surrounded your units or if you lost a battle. ( The battle list on the top right screen has been completely removed)
    - Trade (or lack of anything)
    - Economy
    - Removal of resources and their stockpile, a big design mistake making the game very arcade
    - Airplanes can't attack ground units if these are not in a ground battle
    - no Faction cooperation like sharing technologies and blueprints
    - UI interface is not a evolution of HoI 3 so you will have to relearn how to interact with the game
    - No detail information or data , you can't know how much equipment you loose per battle or the enemy is losing, how many convoys did you destroy or how planes or tank are performing against the enemy
    - No air Supply
    - You can't no longer quickly understand the values of attack and defense of your units in battles
    - No way to see weather data and plan to avoid it.. it also seems not to affect the game.
    ...

    Point is what was lacking on HoI was a more a immersive game with more meaningful events, seeing the impact of battles, conquer territories maybe even listen to radio segments or have a way to see or command units like in Total War, HoI III was going towards and ideal HoI just need some more polish and redesign of some of it's features this is more of a reinterpretation of a Hearts of Iron game.    … Expand
  83. LockeJohn
    Feb 4, 2017
    4
    I love Paradox Studio and respect their work. That being said, the Hearts of Iron IV is a step in the wrong direction. The interface is horrific, especially when you have to use HORIZONTAL scroll to go through national focuses. Some aspects of the game are unnecessarily complicated (production lines and separation of military and civilian factories), while other parts are overly simplifiedI love Paradox Studio and respect their work. That being said, the Hearts of Iron IV is a step in the wrong direction. The interface is horrific, especially when you have to use HORIZONTAL scroll to go through national focuses. Some aspects of the game are unnecessarily complicated (production lines and separation of military and civilian factories), while other parts are overly simplified (diplomacy, intelligence).

    The graphics are nicer, but it's almost in every way inferior to its predecessor.    … Expand
  84. Crescent_Star
    Aug 25, 2022
    4
    The game is honestly such a dumbed down version of the gold paradox makes it's sad. It has great concepts and does keep me coming back but I feel it's just because we're in a desert of good grand strategy content. The devs have a skeleton crew working on balancing and fixing it which falls hardcore behind on content with each patch. Moders do more with a small group of free developmentThe game is honestly such a dumbed down version of the gold paradox makes it's sad. It has great concepts and does keep me coming back but I feel it's just because we're in a desert of good grand strategy content. The devs have a skeleton crew working on balancing and fixing it which falls hardcore behind on content with each patch. Moders do more with a small group of free development then the core team can. Even still it can be fun at times even if pdx hates players with the random rolls.

    Do not buy this game! I say this simply because it costs over $200 to get the full experience.    … Expand
  85. dave12
    Jun 7, 2016
    4
    Everything that made HOI3 the truly great game it is was abandoned in HOI4. Why?? It looks better, sure, but that's about it. For HOI-veterans it's just too simplified, for the average newcomer it's still too demanding and unstructured. The simple truth is: You can't turn a game like HoI into a game that suits the needs of the average casual player. HOI 3 was demanding, true, but it wasEverything that made HOI3 the truly great game it is was abandoned in HOI4. Why?? It looks better, sure, but that's about it. For HOI-veterans it's just too simplified, for the average newcomer it's still too demanding and unstructured. The simple truth is: You can't turn a game like HoI into a game that suits the needs of the average casual player. HOI 3 was demanding, true, but it was rewarding as well, once you found your way through the complexity. HOI4 however offers no such degree of complexity. Building your army, for instance, is nothing but assigning divisions to a commander. That's it. You command them by drawing lines on a map, a so called battle plan. Once you activate your plan, you have to wait till it's completed (or failed). Before that you cant do anything to react to changing situations. The game plays as boring as this review reads.

    Air combat, which was ok in HOI3, is now degraded to assigning randomly put together squadrons (size doesn't matter) to a region (like for instance "Northern France", thats how big these regions are!) and wait for your enemies to be shot down. Nice idea, actually, but you don't get any feedback at all without clicking through three screens. And you can't demand air support for a specific part of the front where battle is at a critical point. Your bombers just fly over said region and bombard all enemy units in combat at the same rate.

    IN HOI4 you just don't get the level of immersion and presence which HOI3 offered. Everything feels detached and not really important. Your armies march according to pre-drawn lines, while your commanders make nonsensical decisions which you cannot undo before it's too late. Tech trees are apallingly linear and boring. The only good bit is the "national achievement" thing where you can unlock some bonuses for your country. But even they become boring after having it played twice.

    HOI4 should have been a milestone. Unfortunately, it's just a very expensive version of a free-to-play browser game.    … Expand
  86. HoneHeke
    Jun 8, 2016
    4
    Am struggling 4 hours on. Not a HOI vets game as others have said. Missing the detail in moving/creating/organising units. Feels too EU and not not enough HOI (have played both extensively). Too much abstraction and simplification, at a loss for words. When 4 was announced was thinking an uplifted version of HOI3 a game which I spent many years/hours playing over and over. This has echoesAm struggling 4 hours on. Not a HOI vets game as others have said. Missing the detail in moving/creating/organising units. Feels too EU and not not enough HOI (have played both extensively). Too much abstraction and simplification, at a loss for words. When 4 was announced was thinking an uplifted version of HOI3 a game which I spent many years/hours playing over and over. This has echoes of TW Rome 2 i.e. step back not forward.....will wait for the mods and dlc improvements to come out methinks. You are losing your vets Paradox.… Expand
  87. gstruckman
    Jun 11, 2016
    4
    I have been playing HOI games since 2003 and was eagerly awaiting HOI 4.Very disappointed with the initial release.Almost unplayable despite the "simplification".Horrid ai,horrid map,horrid sprite/counter combo,confusing air force combat,non-stop naval invasions,confusing battle plans.....

    Really I think the only positive I can think of is the new production system,I love that aspect.
  88. MightyPleb
    Jun 12, 2016
    4
    At the current moment it is not a good game. I don't know what all the development time went in to. Here are the pros and cons

    PROS- -Good graphics -Easy to use UI -Excellent naval battles -National focus trees -Excellent 2D and 3D art NEUTRAL- -Less micromanagement -No order of battle -Equal nations (Bhutan gets nukes when Germany does) CONS- -Air Zones are WAY too    At the current moment it is not a good game. I don't know what all the development time went in to. Here are the pros and cons

    PROS-
    -Good graphics
    -Easy to use UI
    -Excellent naval battles
    -National focus trees
    -Excellent 2D and 3D art

    NEUTRAL-
    -Less micromanagement
    -No order of battle
    -Equal nations (Bhutan gets nukes when Germany does)

    CONS-
    -Air Zones are WAY too large
    -Lack of division types
    -Watered down tech tree
    -Fascist is the only good ideology
    -Lack of achievements even though there was an amazing achievement idea forum thread
    -No Ship 2D Art
    -No jet 2D or 3D art
    -Nothing to do once war ends
    -Terrible Trade system
    -No fuel system for tanks or ships
    -Absolutely braindead AI
    -You can win a war by making tentacles to victory points
    -Focus trees run out way too fast
    -Peace system is broken

    Overall the game is a let down. It is not a terrible do-not-buy game but it definitely does not live up to the hype. It is way too casual. In 2 years it will be good but only due to DLC. Try playing EU4 without DLC, it's the paradox formula to flood us with DLC. So it will be good if you're willing to shell out $200. But no game should make you do that.
    -    … Expand
  89. petertel123
    Jun 23, 2018
    4
    This game has a lot of potential, but at the moment it's a bit of a mess.
    The most fun part is the period leading up to the war. This is the time in which you can decide the side you will fight on and you have time to find allies and build up your country. once the war starts the game just becomes a mess though. Countries join weird alliances, countries declare war when they're already    This game has a lot of potential, but at the moment it's a bit of a mess.
    The most fun part is the period leading up to the war. This is the time in which you can decide the side you will fight on and you have time to find allies and build up your country. once the war starts the game just becomes a mess though. Countries join weird alliances, countries declare war when they're already losing etc. If you actually manage to ignore this and get to the peace conference you're in for a treat, because you've never seen a map that looks more ridiculous. Add to this some dumb shenanigans related to the focus tree (for example; America declaring war on communist Germany to "destroy the fascist threat") and what you get is a bad experience every single time.
    The game has so much potential that you keep coming back after every patch, hoping it's good now, but it continues to be a mess to this day. I've never played a game of HoI 4 that I actually enjoyed in hindsight.
    The great tragedy is that paradox will inevitable create so much DLC that by the time this game is any good it will cost more than a 100 dollars to get a full experience, by which time it's too expensive to recommend.    … Expand
  90. I_love_ps4
    Apr 9, 2020
    4
    my god...... paradox what are you doing. the worst, easy and boring game of this studio. In eu 4 you can play 5 years (real time) because all countries are interesting. Here only 2 - 5 party...
  91. Dsznyd
    Apr 9, 2022
    4
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. 6uuuhhhh-hhhhbhgggtttttttttttttjrjhrjrjrjdjdjdjdjdjdjdjdjdhdhdhdhdjdjdjdjdjdjdjd… Expand
  92. erfunfazli
    Jul 21, 2023
    4
    A real bad game like all Paradox Interactive other game.
    Full of bad and useless and confusing mechanism.
  93. batuoferrum
    Jun 8, 2016
    3
    Terrible game. I liked all other iterations of this series. All they had to do to make HOI4 "good" was to improve the graphics, mapping, accuracy and inventory of research and vehicles, weapons, etc. as well as shorten the time it took to research technologies. Another point they should have improved on was to allow players to play on beyond 1946 or 1948, to well into the cold war, sayTerrible game. I liked all other iterations of this series. All they had to do to make HOI4 "good" was to improve the graphics, mapping, accuracy and inventory of research and vehicles, weapons, etc. as well as shorten the time it took to research technologies. Another point they should have improved on was to allow players to play on beyond 1946 or 1948, to well into the cold war, say the 1960's perhaps.

    But no. As many other reviewers have stated more eloquently than I Paradox dumbed down this game to point of it being a dud.    … Expand
  94. NAYKEN
    Jun 28, 2021
    3
    The most disgraceful strategy game ever, don't spend your money on a game without geological, tactical intervention and gameplay mechanics, especially if you are a user who loves strategy games.
  95. SirFlankBoring
    Feb 4, 2023
    3
    I understand that some games are necessarily difficult to beat. Dark Souls is a game franchise where you use your head and prepare for each scenario or battle. And, even though it was extremely difficult to finish Dark Souls, the whole time the game pushed me to finish it; I feel none of that with Hearts of Iron IV.

    The way things work just doesn't match anything. You can't declare war,    I understand that some games are necessarily difficult to beat. Dark Souls is a game franchise where you use your head and prepare for each scenario or battle. And, even though it was extremely difficult to finish Dark Souls, the whole time the game pushed me to finish it; I feel none of that with Hearts of Iron IV.

    The way things work just doesn't match anything. You can't declare war, you have to wait an insane amount of time for things to happen. The tutorial is so long that I spent almost two hours on it alone. As I said before: I understand that some games are like that complicated, the original Deus EX franchise is extremely difficult for me for example, but it's not boring. I really dedicate myself to some games, but even if I put in the time and effort, I will never be able to enjoy this game.

    Regardless of what happens, I hope you understand that this is a niche game, which limits all your actions, but which could be much better if it were less complex or at least explained things well in the tutorial.    … Expand
  96. BadIdeas
    May 11, 2023
    2
    A grand strategy game for idiots. If you are brain dead you will fully appreciate how this game operates on your level. The tech tree is so simplified, that it is nonsensical. 1 upgrade doubles the power of your unit. This kind of scaling is really bad, because a single tech advance makes your troops go from parity to overwhelmingly powerful. I actually wanted to play the game because IA grand strategy game for idiots. If you are brain dead you will fully appreciate how this game operates on your level. The tech tree is so simplified, that it is nonsensical. 1 upgrade doubles the power of your unit. This kind of scaling is really bad, because a single tech advance makes your troops go from parity to overwhelmingly powerful. I actually wanted to play the game because I saw the ship customization, and thought it was really cool. Only that is not in the base game, that is an expansion you have to pay for and without it the navel upgrade system is non-existent. Literally, you can not upgrade existing ships without purchasing the naval expansion. So you have tech upgrades where a single tech upgrade makes everything before it obsolete, and then you can't upgrade your existing naval units, so every time you get one tech upgrade you have to build a whole new set of warships.

    I can't speak about the AI, because I did not play the game enough to find out how bad it was. I played enough to realize the tech tree had been "streamlined" into completely broken, and gave up on the game when i realized I had to rebuild my Navy with every upgrade, which was incredibly impractical, or buy the DLC that made it work. At that point I realized the whole game would be like that, where it is completely broken in the base game, with a paid for DLC that fixes it.

    It is incredibly greedy to sell a broken shell of a game, and then sell the fixes as DLC. In the past Paradox at least had a good base game, that they updated, and then sold options and increased complexity as DLC. That no longer seems to be the case.    … Expand
  97. Tytos
    Jun 7, 2016
    2
    The good:

    - Better graphics then other paradox games, The bad: - Performance (it's unplayable past 1943-44 thanks to the engine only using 1 CPU core) - No partisan activity, no revolts - Diplomacy dumbed down for 4 year olds - Peace-conferences after the war are plain broken (pick Luxemburg, dont do anything in the war, get half of Germany after it in the peace conference) -    The good:

    - Better graphics then other paradox games,

    The bad:

    - Performance (it's unplayable past 1943-44 thanks to the engine only using 1 CPU core)
    - No partisan activity, no revolts
    - Diplomacy dumbed down for 4 year olds
    - Peace-conferences after the war are plain broken (pick Luxemburg, dont do anything in the war, get half of Germany after it in the peace conference)
    - Soundtrack is very mediocre
    - AI can't handle the scope of the game, braindead retarded AI
    - Interface overcomplicated with too many important buttons hidden
    - trade??? wtf is this?
    - Price, this is not worth 40€, wait for a 90% sale and 2 years of patchfixing the game before getting it    … Expand
  98. Inductionist
    Jun 10, 2016
    2
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. Total letdown and dumb-down of what used to be a great WW2 simulation. Now its on par with a browser strategy game. Refunded my purchase after 2 hours.… Expand
  99. Stellen
    Jun 20, 2016
    2
    Compared to HoI2 and HoI3, the game has had a lot of its complexity and appeal removed. While there has been some improvement in unit production, every other aspect of the game has been streamlined and automated to death, to the point where the game is designed to be played by the AI on your behalf. When you attempt the take control back, you'll find only the most basic options from theCompared to HoI2 and HoI3, the game has had a lot of its complexity and appeal removed. While there has been some improvement in unit production, every other aspect of the game has been streamlined and automated to death, to the point where the game is designed to be played by the AI on your behalf. When you attempt the take control back, you'll find only the most basic options from the previous games are left.

    At the moment there are so many other issues. The AI is so terrible that it has no idea how to fight a war. It constantly gifts you victories by not defending vital provinces and allowing units to be cut off and destroyed without any attempt to rescue them. The simplified air combat and logistics, the reduced choice of using either AI control or direct control, the research options which take away a lot of the choices from HoI3 and which mean you can end up with nothing left to research by the early 1942. The completely unrealistic coups and civil wars which you can spark in other countries to distract them. That every major country in the world has the exact same research capacity, and the minor countries have almost as much.

    In previous HoI games, there were some rough patches at launch, but the core mechanics were there and it was immediately obvious that there was a good game underneath, despite the issues. I'm not seeing it yet for HoI4.    … Expand
  100. 91killer
    Jul 17, 2016
    2
    This game pales in comparison to HOI3. Everything is changed, and it is worse. I have been a fan since the first HOI and I am not sure how Paradox messed HOI4 up so badly. They took everything that was great and replaced it with a watered down version or just removed it all together. Long story short, if you like grand strategy games or any of the previous HOI games, then don't buy this one.
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Awards & Rankings

47
#47 Best PC Game of 2016
22
#22 Most Discussed PC Game of 2016
66
#66 Most Shared PC Game of 2016

Critic Reviews

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Metascore
83

Generally favorable reviews - based on 37 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 33 out of 37
  2. Mixed: 4 out of 37
  3. Negative: 0 out of 37
  1. Cubed3
    Mar 20, 2018
    50
    The complexity and slow speed of how things evolve take the fun down notches lower than it otherwise would deserve. Endless clicking through menus, and a glacial speed, ruin what could have been a pretty slick overall experience.
    Read full review
  2. Pelit (Finland)
    Sep 28, 2016
    85
    Hearts of Iron 4 successfully streamlines a complex strategy game while still retaining the feel of total industrial warfare. AI difficulties persist, however, and some revamped mechanics still need a bit of polishing. [Aug 2016]
  3. LEVEL (Czech Republic)
    Sep 14, 2016
    80
    Excellent revival of a rusty brand with improved accessibility to a wider audience. Paradox studio has rocked in recent years and proof of this is the best episode of the series Hearts of Iron. [Issue#266]
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