Summary: Fast easy to learn game play. Aggressive AI. Great for low spec machines. Full-featured game editor even allows new maps to be created. Developer: Fury Publisher: Battlefront Scope: The War in Europe Players: Two players, Allied and Axis Multi-player: PBEM, hotseat or LAN / Internet play supported Game Play: Turn based, you-go-I-go, each turn is two weeks of real time, winter turns are longer. Player moves one unit, conducts combat with immediate results, and then moves next unit. Map: Grid Based, spans US East Coast to Caspian Sea, each square about 100KM. Units: Corps and army sized ground units. Armored corps, flotillas and air groups. Army group HQs provide benefits to units in command range. Specialist types are engineers and paratroopers. Nato symbols or historic icons can be used on map. Units have experience and can gain elite status. Player can rename individual units. No stacking. Tech upgrades possible, like additional anti-tank capability for infantry. Combat: Each unit can attack after its move. Results in terms of damage taken immediately. Then player moves next unit. Armored break-through possible. Results modified by, terrain, HQ units, unit experience, capability and readiness. Availability of supply source affects combat. Strategic War: Lend lease convoy routes can be disrupted by submarines and defended by destroyers. Strategic bombers reduce production of cities Diplomacy: Can declare war. Also spend industry points on influencing other countries to join your cause. Economy: Production based on controlled nations. Bonus taken upon initial take-over of enemy nation. Production can be spent on units, repairing damaged units or research. Production only increased through tech research. Technology: Can research increased unit capabilities, like better infantry weapons or heavy tanks. More than 20 areas of research, including industry. Upgrades of existing units must be paid for. Events: Scripted, but can be affected by player’s actions. Diplomacy can bring early entry, and non-historic alliances, like Spain and Germany. Scenarios: Full war from 1939, 41, 42, 43, or 44 Atmosphere: Map graphics are somewhat spartan, but units are nice with national flags and historic uniforms / weapons. Sound effects are minimalist. Clean, well thought out interface. Mod Support: Full editor, including ability to create maps. Other Points: This game is the second in the series. Good for low-end computers.
I have owned and played this game for a couple of years now. It is always enjoyable and I like the fact that you can take Russia out of the picture and see how the world would be with only a one front ware.
Hearts of Iron 2 has about as much realism as a glossy version of Risk. The game has a “face” of realism but the mechanics of the game don’t give realistic results. The game system can be appreciated by itself without any of the WW2 references painted on but if you ignore the game system and expect to get results based on the WW2 stuff you will be disappointed.
Hearts of Iron 2 Doomsday is a great, but very complex, grand strategy wargame. There is no such thing as a quick game and the learning curve is a little steep. That said, it is a thoroughly enjoyable game. It presents the entire world and ever aspect of the war while giving you, the player, the opportunity to follow or change history. The results are indeed realistic, but with the great number of factors contributing to each situation it can be hard to understand at times why things happen the way they do. All that said, for anyone looking for a serious and long running grand strategy World War II game, you can’t beat Hearts of Iron 2 Doomsday.
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4 Comments to “WWII Grand Strategy Buyer’s Guide”
I have owned and played this game for a couple of years now. It is always enjoyable and I like the fact that you can take Russia out of the picture and see how the world would be with only a one front ware.
By Robert Riethmiller on Oct 3, 2008 at 8:25 pm
Hearts of Iron 2 has about as much realism as a glossy version of Risk. The game has a “face” of realism but the mechanics of the game don’t give realistic results. The game system can be appreciated by itself without any of the WW2 references painted on but if you ignore the game system and expect to get results based on the WW2 stuff you will be disappointed.
By Adam Lloyd on Jan 19, 2009 at 1:20 pm
Hearts of Iron 2 Doomsday is a great, but very complex, grand strategy wargame. There is no such thing as a quick game and the learning curve is a little steep. That said, it is a thoroughly enjoyable game. It presents the entire world and ever aspect of the war while giving you, the player, the opportunity to follow or change history. The results are indeed realistic, but with the great number of factors contributing to each situation it can be hard to understand at times why things happen the way they do. All that said, for anyone looking for a serious and long running grand strategy World War II game, you can’t beat Hearts of Iron 2 Doomsday.
By Robert Tippin on Apr 9, 2009 at 7:44 pm
Hearts of iron is the most comprehensive ww II strategy game ever created. It is awesome in scope, time consuming and very addictive.
By Fred Baker on Aug 31, 2009 at 6:49 pm