Hearts of Iron IV is a downloadable game – the fourth installment of an extremely popular series of strategy games that tell the story of the military struggles during World War II. The player assumes the role of a ruler of the chosen state, and his task is to become a skillful diplomat and politic. The game takes place in a time span from the period before World War II, 1936, until 1948. The style of diplomacy, whether it is one that puts stress on peaceful efforts or one that favors a show of strength, depends only on the choice of the player. The studio behind the game is Swedish Paradox Development Studio, known mainly from the titles with historical strategy themes such as Europa Universalis or Crusader Kings. Hearts of Iron IV was released on June 6, 2016, and is available exclusively on PCs running Windows.
How to Download Hearts of Iron IV
The game from Paradox Interactive can be downloaded via Steam. The price of Hearts of Iron IV is around 40 dollars or euros.
The Storyline
Hearts of Iron IV relates the fate of the world powers and their struggle for domination in Europe. The story has been loosely based on historical events, but it will be mainly your decisions and your style of play that will affect the events that will take place during the game. Playing Hearts of Iron IV you will meet many historical figures from different countries, for example the American politicians: Franklin Delano Roosevelt, Harry S. Truman Marshal, Alf Landon, Italy’s Benito Mussolini, Adolf Hitler, Heinrich Himmler, Hermann Göring and Konrad Adenauer from Germany, Joseph Stalin and Leon Trotsky from Russia, Winston Churchill and Stanley Baldwin from Great Britain Józef Piłsudzki and Roman Dmowski or Philippe Pétain and Charles de Gaulle From France. Actually, each country on the map has their own real heroes.
Realism was also sought after as far as military equipment goes and economic and military development. Real historical events are interwoven into the plot in the form of mini-missions, for which you receive points of political power.
The Mechanics of the Game
The game mechanics in Hearts of Iron IV are a mix of those known for classic strategy games. Compared to the previous parts of the game, the control of the army was greatly simplified and reduced to issuing orders to divisions and armies. Also, an abstract unit called the theater of war has been introduced. In practice, this translates into a simpler commanding and more efficient management of the army. The game got more tactical as it is now possible to prepare a series of guidelines for the armies before the fight begins. You can draw front lines, set the direction for the attack and automatically issue orders to your generals. The game also introduces the cycle of day and night as well as the changing seasons. This is yet another important aspect to consider when planning an attack.
The Graphics in Hearts of Iron IV
The game is presented on a schematic map of Europe, which you observe from a bird’s eye view. You see the area controlled by your state, the level of urban development and the deployment of your troops. Graphically, the game looks elegant and is pleasing to the eye. The character models that represent your units are made in 3D technology with attention to historical details of uniforms and armaments. Hearts of Iron IV is reminiscent of the other studio productions and it’s obvious that many things have been done in a similar fashion.
