Hearts of Iron IV (2016)

[Mark-x]

 A prolonged development cycle is sometimes cause for concern but in the case of Hearts of Iron IV, it was a sign that Paradox were paying close attention to feedback and ensuring that their fourth WWII era strategy game was the best and most accessible in the series. Few games take such a broad and detailed approach not just to a war but to the political situation before, during and after that war. This is strategy on a truly global scale, allowing players to rewrite not just the history of the war itself, but the events that led to it, and the shape of the world afterwards.

New systems for managing fronts and large-scale invasions and maneuvers make the actual military campaigning simpler and more elegant than in any of the previous installments, and while there are still a few too many complications to recommend HOI IV to those whose first taste of Paradox came with the character-based history of Crusader Kings II, it’s easier than ever before to tackle this complex slice of history, and the rewards are greater than ever as well.