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Rating: 
Summary: Listen to the informed
Review: Don't listen to that last guy because Virtual Programming has fixed the missing 1936 scenario just go to VPLTd. website and go Games>Hearts of Iron>Download and the download should be on the left sidebar. Also, everyone know the manual and tutorial stinks, BUT Paradox's Hearts of Iron forum has the best fan base and will gladly answer and question and provide strategies.
Rating:
Summary: Not for the casual gamer.
Review: Hearts of Iron takes the Europa Universalis system and brings it to the World War II era. The game's scope is strategic, but there are too many interface elements that require you to handle the minute details. The manual is sometimes of little help. There is actually a group of people on the internet rewriting the manual for the PC version, it is that poor. Certain interface elements are counter-intuitive, for example, to load troops onto a fleet, you need to move the fleet out of the port. Huh??? Wouldn't it make sense to click on the port symbol where the fleet is in port? Many times I found myself going to the web to find out how to do things that should be in the manual. For example, how to the use atomic weapons, that I spent the whole game gearing my tech development towards...That aside, the game's technological advancement and economic models are pretty complex and detailed. As you develop certain tecnologies, your troops become more efficient. Troop supply issues get to be important when you have troops far from home. Internal dissent causes your troops on the battlefield to perform more poorly. This game takes a sizable investment in time to get ones arms around and feel comfortable. But for those who take the time, it can give a good idea for what strategic decisions were faced by the governments and military commanders of the era.
Rating: 
Summary: Loved it!
Review: I just got this game last week, and have been totally hooked on it from day one. I first started off doing the tutorial (playing the 1936 scenario-after downloading the missing scenario from the web-site), and got bored very quickly, and didn't learn all that much. So I restarted the game, as a small country, Portugal, and played that country for a few days. I learned a bit about the economics of the game, and about supporting your external colonies. But Portugal had too weak an econonmy to go to war with. So I restarted as Spain, took over Portugal right after I won the Spanish-Civil War, and attempted to invade Brazil in 1942. Brazil kicked my armies ass... badly. So, I restarted the game, this time as Turkey. Turkey has a fairly decent economy, and is in the middle of all three different alliances... with the russians right next door. So I played this for a few days, and learned a lot more about picking technologies to research, and building up my armies. Now I have switched over to playing Germany for a while. This game is great, it is so deep, to understand how everything works... and how much variation there is too each scenario. I would suggest that anyone playing this game for the first time, should try a small country to learn about the economics to maintaining a country and forget about the tutorial. Nothing is worse then trying to build up your tanks for an assault... and all of the sudden having your production level drop rapidly because you ran out of oil or rubber... and having your economy stall out. Anyway, this is a great game that I would highly recommend to anyone.
Rating: 
Summary: Hearts of Iron big dissapointment for Mac gammer
Review: I've been waiting for a game like this ever since Panzer general so when I saw Hearts of Iron at the store today I bought it. After spending an hour learning to play from the tutorial I decided to play the 1936 starter level. There was only one problem. It didn't show up on the list of options. The 1939 level was there but far to hard to play without completing the 1936 level. This was the most agregious but by far not the only bug I encountered. If you make a mistake in the tutorial you can't go back a step. You have to start from the begining. The options don't take from the start game menu. You have to reinitialize them after you start ther game. Many more bugs. Any Mac gamers out there should refrain from buying this game till VP Games gets their act together. In reading other reviews I found out that the PC version was released with a lot of bugs. Apparently the Mac version was too. I'm taking it back to the store tomorrow. Buyer BEWARE!!!!!!!
Rating:
Summary: All work, no fun
Review: I've enjoyed many startegy games such as the civ series and real time strategy series such as Warcraft series, but this game seems to be all detail to no apparent point. After a few hours of play, I gave up. It was just no fun to play.
Rating:
Summary: Outstanding!
Review: Personally, in regards to game-play, HOI is a fantastic "RTS" game. You may choose to play any number of countries between 1936-1948. There are three ideologies at odds: Axis, Allies, and Comintern (communists). You may also maintain neutrality if you wish, but it can be a challenge not getting dragged into the conflict.
Like EU2, HOI has a complex, but easily understandable w/ experience, economic system to manage. In addition, one needs to consider resource supplies, industrial capacity, military readiness (tech and production), and diplomacy. I won't even try to go into the units, but every aspect of warfare is considered (e.g. anti-air, artillery, engineering, mtn elite, anti-tank, etc.). The 1936 scenario, "The Road to War," is missing from the released version; however, its an easy download from Virtual Programming's web page for HOI. If you can go online and register w/ Amazon.com, you've got all the skill necessary to find "The Road to War." Don't give this one a try because of the missing scenario. If so, you'll be the one missing, missing out that is.
Rating:
Summary: Outstanding!
Review: Personally, in regards to game-play, HOI is a fantastic "RTS" game. You may choose to play any number of countries between 1936-1948. There are three ideologies at odds: Axis, Allies, and Comintern (communists). You may also maintain neutrality if you wish, but it can be a challenge not getting dragged into the conflict.
Like EU2, HOI has a complex, but easily understandable w/ experience, economic system to manage. In addition, one needs to consider resource supplies, industrial capacity, military readiness (tech and production), and diplomacy. I won't even try to go into the units, but every aspect of warfare is considered (e.g. anti-air, artillery, engineering, mtn elite, anti-tank, etc.). The 1936 scenario, "The Road to War," is missing from the released version; however, its an easy download from Virtual Programming's web page for HOI. If you can go online and register w/ Amazon.com, you've got all the skill necessary to find "The Road to War." Don't give this one a try because of the missing scenario. If so, you'll be the one missing, missing out that is.
Rating:
Summary: Fantastic
Review: Second only to Civ in terms of grand strategy. For those who are WWII history buffs, the game is unbeatable. Plays much like the Avalon Hill game THE THIRD REICH. Extremely addictive. For those familiar with NATO symbols - use those instead.
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