Rating: 
Summary: Awesome for the enthusiast but weak AI
Review: If you love intense strategy games and history, Hearts of Iron is for you. It is not for the gamer who doesn't want more complexity than Risk-type games. This is without a doubt the closest I have ever seen to the all-encompassing, grand strategic simulation of WW2. There isn't a board game that comes close to it's scope. Paradox deserves kudos just for the attempt; also for the results.I played it for several hours using the 1936 scenario (HOI also has 1939 and 1941 scenarios). I accepted the default options which I believe were all set to 'easy'. I got up to 1940 as Germany and had annexed Austria (due to Event), Sudeten Czech (due to Event), Poland, Lithuania, Latvia, Estonia, Romania, Yugoslavia, Albania and conquered Northern France, Holland, Luxembourg, Belgium, Greece. I brought Hungary and Bulgaria into the Axis. I think this was all too easy (maybe this will be much harder at the higher complexity settings). After declaring war on Poland, the UK made a few bombing runs into Germany then they disappeared for the balance of the game!!! France didn't do anything until I invaded her later and was easily beaten. Italy had invaded France from the south and France let Italy take 3/4 of her territory and used all her effort to stop Germany. Still France fell in about a month. The AI is weak. I did all this using version 1.00 of the code. There is now a patch out that supposedly improves the AI. The gameflow was about as smooth as I would expect given the level of complexity. There is an awesome integration between resources, industry, technology and ultimately, combat effectiveness. Another reviewer on Amazon didn't like the tech tree. I loved it. It could have been simpler but that would have greatly undermined the scope of this game and it's historical reality. Technological improvement in WW2 didn't happen in huge leaps (ala Sid Meier's Civilization) but in a myriad of small improvements allowing for continued, incremental improvements in industry, military, etc. HOI does this wonderfully. I wish HOI had a tech tree chart to explain their tech tree better because it is hard to manage. I love the leaders too. If you want to know about the games features read some of the many in-depth reviews that are on-line. Strengths
Game Flow - Given the complexity, Very Good
Control, composition and organization of military units - well done
Integration of Technology, Industry, Military - Excellent
Tech tree - Awesome!
Military Units - incredible variety (icons could be improved however)
Military Leaders - Many with varied capabilites
Tutorials - Do a good job of getting you going
Music - Thematic classical Fair
Graphics - OK, not special Weaknesses
Robustness of Interface - Need more help to run your country (especially territorial improvements)
AI - As usual with Strategy games (except Age of Kings) HOI is by itself in the world of RTS gaming for WW2, weaknesses notwithstanding. It sets a new, and very high standard in this realm.
Rating:
Summary: Wow! Finally a strategy game I can enjoy.
Review: Tired of RTS games that tend to be light on strategy and just a long clickfest? Tired of games that promise the world but only allow you to operate tiny bits of it? Then grab this game. Hearts of Iron is a strategic simulation of World War II (Europa Unviersalis I & II cover earlier time periods). You can be ANY nation you want during the period of 1936-48. Of course if you pick Bolivia you should realize that you're going to be stuck with Bolivia in the mid 20th century, which means that creating an atomic bomb before the US might be out of your reach. After all, this is a simulation of a real event, not scifi! Still, anything is possible and you're welcome to try out any strategy for world domination that you like. The economic and political models go deep and your choices are plenty. Some have noted that there isn't time to research it all. That is true but it's not a design flaw, it's realism. Nations during World War 2 often had to make choices as to what they would build and devote time and energy to research. Most nations simply were not wealthy enough to do everything (the British abandoned work on the A-Bomb after realizing they simply couldn't afford to continue). This is true in the game as well and it forces you to make choices as you guide your nation through the war. That's the fun of a strategy game though, making hard choices and pursuing a strategy to victory. The military model is also good. Individual carriers, battleships, and cruisers are depicted for the navy, individual divisions for the army, and wings for the air forces. All of these units can be grouped into higher command structures to make issuing orders easier while still preserving much historical realism. Individual leaders are represented, both political and military. Don't like one of them? You can replace them with someone else (be careful replacing the popular ones, the citizens might become upset). If they please you however you can promote them up the ladder to greater positions. This game is as good as people are saying about it and more, if World War 2 on a strategic level interests you at all, this is the game!
Rating:
Summary: very addictive
Review: i had to run from store to store because it was sold out, but i was lucky enough to get it the day before thanksgiving (and the closed stores). it really is quite an awesome game. buy it if you are like me and will disregard the outside world to send panthers and tigers deep into russia.
Rating:
Summary: excellent ww2 game
Review: i've actually been playing the game, unlike most of the other reviewers. it is very good, and will keep you glued to the computer.
Rating: 
Summary: Bugs, Crash and more. Dont they playtest this first?
Review: This game has a lot of depth and I would recommend that you get it. A nice feature is the large and in depth technology tree and nice graphics. I am going to keep this game just because it has such potential. However, I will highlight just a few of the problems I have encountered in the last 24 hours, THAT THE MOST RECENT PATCH DOES NOT FIX. (11-26 patch) The game has crashes at least 4-5 times an hour. Whats upsetting is the fact that some of the bugs could have been fixed with some iota of playtesting by the developer. For example, if you try and upgrade a military unit of a country you are allied with the game crashes. The resource management sounds good but I have 99999 of each resource after a few years. Therefore the resource management is worthless. The bottom line is this: its a great game that was rushed to the market and is LOADED with technical glitches and bugs.
Rating:
Summary: Awesome game in need of refinement
Review: This is a game I eagerly awaited ever since hearing about it, and it doesn't disappoint in magnitude and realism. Of course it'll need a patch or two (1 already came out that fixed many issues) but it hasn't crashed on me and most bugs I've encountered after the first patch have been minor. That said, this game is everything it advertises and more. Buy it, prepare yourself for full immersion into WWII, and while the hours away!
Rating: 
Summary: Europe in Flames...or is that your brain frying?
Review: One of the best game titles with a great genera mixed in with it! Wow! What more could one ask? Well...maybe one has already asked too much... The game is going to be great, I played a demo and it provides the grognards out there with the ultimate in unilateral WW2 scenario perfection. Build your country from the ground up and make it the greatest power in the world! Technological control, situational briefings, political dynamics, and strategically encompassing...that is this game all over. There is a bit of a problem with this though...the time consumption. I played beginning in 1938, with the Austrian Anschluse just ending and Germany gearing for war...three hours later I finished the year! I mean it was a rough trek, I had to organize convoys, and covert political missions, economic revival, military design, technological research, and deal with all the SOBs around me who wanted to pop a cap in my budding society! Whew! I smoked a Chezch invasion and a Polish blockade and secured military control of Hungary, but I was so strung out by the end of the third hour I almost snapped when the Soviets and the Polish signed a treaty! A treaty! My plans were devastated! I ran out of demo time, but I do have to say that saved me (and the computer) from a terrible fate. I was so tired of dealing with all of the nit-picks of national functions that I felt like FDR in April of '45. This game demands your full attention, no meaningless turn skipping, no ignoring of a coal convoy to Stockholm, no passing of a .02% increase in coal production in Munich for .01% decrease in synthetic oil production. You have to do it all, and that makes every turn a critical decision turn. Attacks are made so important that you almost cry when a unit suffers damage, its that rough! My advice is to get this game if you want a game that requires total concentration, and the shutting off of outside life. It is the game that makes certain when a mistake happens...you only have yourself to blame! This is a hit-or-miss title. You have to ask yourself weather or not your in it for the war or for the micromanagement; are you an Albert Speer or an Erwin Rommel; did you like Close Combat or Eastfront II; do you value your computer or do you love it when, after hours of coercing France into a false sense of security you are attacked by her ally England and France declares war on you sending your next four years of planning down the drain?
Rating:
Summary: Hitler reincarnates!
Review: I don't have the game yet - but do own EU 1, 2 and have been closely following the HOI forums. With the depth and complexity of this game - managing research, army formations, ministers, diplomacy, naval and air warfare, resources, production and industry - whoaa! A wargamer's wish come true! The HOI forums at paradox.com would fill you in with the exact features of the game. Caveat though - if you are the type of person who wants an action filled shabang game - stay away. My only beef with this game is the time span although I am sure someone will mod this anyway. I am a civ fan but this game would be more complex in depth.
Rating:
Summary: A winner for sure
Review: Hearts of Iron, the latest (soon to be) release from the Scandanavian brainchild of PC strategy gaming, Paradox, follows in the footstep of its ancestor, Europa Universalis. Taking control of a nation - and not just the big powers, but even small ones such as Romania or Greece.. you guide your selected homeland through land, air and sea all over the globe. Fighting for your cause and ultimate victory or defeat - or perhaps stalemate await your efforts. I believe this game will be a lot of fun because of the depth and scope of the game. Not european theatre, or africa, or pacific - fighting on many fronts all over the world. The possibilities will be endless. With strategy, resources, and dumb luck you may be able to save Poland from being devoured once more by ravenous neighbors, dominate the pacific as Japan, or bring the war to its historical conclusion! It should be noted for history buffs that due to certain restrictions in Europe and for basic reasons of not wanting to offend certain ethnic groups affected by the war, Swastikas and any kind of concentration camps or ethnic cleansing have been omitted from the game. ...
Rating:
Summary: Good after lastest patch but tough
Review: loving europa universallis and loving WWII i thought this game would be great. it is pretty good but it is extremly difficult. if im an allied nation the nazis win, if im the axis the allies win. the tech tree is huge and it is really in depth with micro managment. if your a fan of europa universallis i suggest you get it. if you are new to this genre of game i suggest you try it out first. if you hated europa your gonna hate this.
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