Hearts of Iron III
Release Date: August 7, 2009
Strategy, World War II, RTS, war strategy, interwar period, grand strategy, multiplayer, singleplayer, internet, LAN
Steam
Another installment in the popular historical strategy games franchise by Paradox Interactive, taking players back in time into the period of the bloodiest conflict in history – World War Two. As the player, your task is to come into power in your country of choice – either one of the superpowers of the time, or a militarily weaker country – and lead it through the global conflict.
Videos and Screens
[8:34] Hearts of Iron III behind the scenes
[1:50] Hearts of Iron III launch trailer
The main pros of the game
- In-Depth Grand Strategy Experience: Many players appreciate the game's complexity and depth, making it a standout title for those interested in World War II strategy.
- Well-Integrated Tech Tree: Users highlight the detailed and well-structured technology development system as a significant strength.
- Rich Gameplay Elements: The game includes a comprehensive range of features such as naval and air combat, diplomacy, espionage, and resource management, appealing to hardcore strategy fans.
- Replayability: Players can choose any country and explore various scenarios, contributing to a high replay value.
- Historical Accuracy: Some reviews note the game?s ability to simulate historical events effectively, providing an immersive experience for history enthusiasts.
The main cons of the game
- Crashes and Stability Issues: A recurring complaint is the game's tendency to crash frequently, disrupting gameplay and causing frustration.
- Steep Learning Curve: New players may find the game challenging to learn due to its complexity and micromanagement requirements.
- Micromanagement Heavy: While some players enjoy the detail, others find the level of micromanagement overwhelming and time-consuming.
- Slow Gameplay: The game is described as slow-paced, which may not suit all players, especially those looking for quicker, more action-oriented experiences.
The features or elements that are missing from the game according to users
- Polish and Optimization: Some users feel the game lacks polish compared to its predecessors and that it could benefit from further updates or enhancements.
- Improved AI: While players can delegate tasks to AI, some reviews mention that the AI can make poor decisions, leading to frustration.
- Better Tutorial: The existing tutorial is considered insufficient for mastering the game's complexities, leaving players to learn through trial and error.
- Multiplayer Experience: There are mentions of a lack of multiplayer engagement, with some players expressing a desire for a more robust online experience.
- Localization: Players have expressed a yearning for better localization options, particularly for non-English speakers, as language barriers can hinder enjoyment.
Summary
- Overall, Hearts of Iron III is praised for its depth and strategic elements but criticized for its technical issues and steep learning curve.
Summary generated on:
GAMERS Score
Average score from 1009 votes. 288 players anticipated the game.
Hearts of Iron III Description
Hearts of Iron III for PC is another instalment in the popular historical strategy game series taking place during World War Two. As the player, you have to both take care of military operations and learn the complexities of economics, politics, and social affairs. The main attraction of the game is the enormous world map, divided into about 10,000 provinces.
Plot
The story spans from 1936 to 1948. This makes it possible for you to prepare your country of choice for the devastating global conflict, which broke out in 1939. It's worth noting that the creators of Hearts of Iron III, Swedish studio Paradox, are taking historical accuracy very seriously, thus all the real-life events from that period can happen during your playthrough. Everything, however, depends on your playstyle and the territories you own.
Mechanics
Like in the previous instalments of the series, there are no particular choices imposed on the player in Hearts of Iron III. It's your call to either lead a superpower or a country with lesser military and economical reserves. It also works as a way of adjusting the difficulty level and the challenges awaiting you.
Because of the high complexity of the other titles in the franchise and the idea of constant development of the series, the creators opted for a complete revamping of the interface, which makes it more accessible to less experienced strategy game players while also retaining its intricacy. The level of interference of the decision process of your country's development depends only on your choices. If you're interested in all the details, you can personally oversee even the smallest of elements—whether by recruiting battalions or by supervising every step of scientific research. Less committed people may simply issue general commands and focus on what holds their interest the most.
Technical aspects
Hearts of Iron for PC is the first game in the series featuring fully 3D graphics and customizable resolution options.
Last updated on June 17, 2016
6
GAMES
in Hearts of Iron Game Series
Game Series
Hearts of Iron Series
A series of RTSs of the grand strategy type, behind which is the Paradox Development Studio team. We are talking about the developers who have in their portfolio, among others, such brands as Crusader Kings, Victoria and Europa Universalis.
6 video games
Hearts of Iron III Summary
Platforms:
PC / Windows
Developer: Paradox Development Studio
Publisher: Paradox Interactive
Hearts of Iron III System Requirements
PC / Windows
Recommended: Pentium 4 3 GHz, 2 GB RAM, graphic card 512 MB (GeForce 8800 or better), 4 GB HDD, Windows 2000/XP/Vista
Game Expansions for Hearts of Iron III
Hearts of Iron III: Their Finest Hour
Expansion
Strategy
September 26, 2012
Third expansion for Hearts of Iron III, a successful strategy game that takes us to battlefields of World War II. Hearts of Iron III: Their Finest Hour expands on spying system (offering new types of missions, including secret tasks fulfilled on the game’s main map – and introduces a special battle system that allows developing tactical plans and sharing them with friends. Major armies received new elite unites, including those specializing in invading from the sea. Hearts of Iron III: Their Finest Hour offers more strategic options, like ability of supporting distant allies with resources. Commanders became more important, as they can now get special abilities, meaning that giving them appropriate tasks has become more significant for achieving victory. Additionally, new game mode has appeared that does not limit units’ production and technological development before the true gameplay starts. Finally, there are two new scenarios: one for Cold War, and the other for Spanish Civil War.
Hearts of Iron III: For the Motherland
Expansion
Strategy
June 29, 2011
The second expansion for the extensive war strategy game, Hearts of Iron III, by Paradox Interactive. The add-on is focused on the Eastern Front of World War II, namely the struggle of the Soviet Union, Nazi Germany, and other countries. The political aspect of the gameplay was subject to major changes, thanks to which players can now stage coups in other countries of fall victims to such. Hearts of Iron III: For the Motherland expands diplomacy, giving warring countries the so-called war goals. Guerilla warfare was enriched with such elements as infiltration of enemy territory or sabotage. Sea warfare in the North Atlantic, in which submarines take part, was also reworked. Hearts of Iron III: For the Motherland enhances the game’s engine and lets it utilize the power of dual-core processors. Moreover, the artificial intelligence was improved, the interface was simplified, and the gameplay speed was increased in order to enable players to finish an entire campaign during one evening.
Hearts of Iron III: Semper Fi - Dies Irae Götterdämmerung
Expansion
Strategy
May 10, 2011
A DLC for the third installment of the complicated World War II strategy game series by Paradox Interactive. Hearts of Iron III: Semper Fi - Dies Irae Götterdämmerung requires the vanilla game as well as the Semper Fi expansion in order to work. The said add-on expands the Nazi Germany with new military, economic, and political aspects. The developers introduce a number of new options and historical events, thanks to which the gameplay is much more dynamic and managing the Wehrmacht even more aggressive. In land combat, we can lead historical German units, while at seas and oceans, we have the famous wolf packs at our disposal. The underwater part of the World War II was enriched with an enhanced battle mechanics that takes into account the specifications of U-Boots. The central point of our duties in internal politics is to manage the government in a way that gains us as much resources as possible in order to quickly build a strong army.
Hearts of Iron III: Semper Fi
Expansion
Strategy
June 6, 2010
The first expansion for Hearts of Iron III by Paradox Interactive. The add-on gives players more control over military and political aspects of their countries. Hearts of Iron III: Semper Fi allows us to set our own victory conditions that are hidden from our opponents. Diplomacy was expanded in terms of relations with allies, letting us convince them to attack a given target, share our technological inventions, or ask them for reinforcements. Hearts of Iron III: Semper Fi largely improves on artificial intelligence, making the computer-controlled countries defend their land even fiercer, better manage their naval forces, and conduct multiphase invasions. Another highlight of Hearts of Iron III: Semper Fi is a set of several hundred historical events that give the game more realism. Apart from solo gameplay, Hearts of Iron III also offers a multiplayer mode.
DLCs for Hearts of Iron III
Sounds of Conflict
DLC
September 12, 2012
US Infantry Spritepack
DLC
July 31, 2012
Mega German Spritepack
DLC
August 23, 2011
German II Spritepack
DLC
July 27, 2010
Soviet Infantry Spritepack
DLC
February 18, 2010
Soviet Music Pack
DLC
December 8, 2009
Soviet Pack
DLC
December 8, 2009
German Infantry Pack
DLC
December 8, 2009
Japanese Infantry Pack
DLC
December 8, 2009
German Sprite Pack
DLC
August 7, 2009
US Pack
DLC
August 7, 2009