USSR's Absurd Superweapon From Hearts of Iron 4: Gotterdammerung Confused Players, Even Though It Isn't Fiction
World War 2 has known many absurd designer ideas. Even as detached from reality as the Soviet tank megacruiser from Hearts of Iron 4: Gotterdammerung.
The latest expansion for Hearts of Iron 4 was received warmly, although not all fans of the World War II strategy game were thrilled with the alternate history elements (even though it's one of the main attractions of the expansion). This is well illustrated by the players' reaction to the absurd Russian vehicle in HoI 4: Götterdämmerung, which didn't come out of anywhere, though.
Project unrealistically special
As a reminder, one of the new features introduced in the "German" expansion is the experimental facilities and the special projects being developed within them. These are powerful technologies that require extensive research, and acquiring them also guarantees a more "tangible" bonus (usually in the form of a free unit or building).
One such prize is a Russian cruiser and "megatank" that looks like a crazy hybrid. The vehicle looks like a mishmash of T-34 tanks with attached howitzers, aircraft launch catapults, and a self-propelled SU-14 gun. Don't even ask about the possible weight of this monster.
A real engineer's nightmare
However, what's funny is that it's not pure fantasy from Paradox Development Studio at all.This seemingly absurd project actually existed and was by no means the work of a madman, although one may doubt it when looking at the original plans. Its author, P. Osokin, was a lieutenant colonel-engineer, although he was more of an aviation technician than an armored one.
To be fair, Paradox deviated slightly from the original sketch – but only in the details, not in the overall design (via Tank Archives). The original had two Katyusha launchers instead of aircraft catapults. Not that this change made the project any less realistic than Osokin's concept.
Some fans were surprised that a real engineer developed and approved this project as a good idea, unlike the famous KW-6, which is widely considered a joke by modeling fans. It's hardly surprising because even in the context of the aforementioned changes to the original, this "abomination" greatly confused and amused players (via Reddit).
Some internet users are attempting (with little success) to understand the meaning of this structure, while others are comparing it to the zords of Power Rangers or other mechs. Another thing is that this is not the only absurd vehicle players can build in the alternate history of Hearts of Iron 4: Götterdämmerung.
The German expansion for Hearts of Iron 4 was released on November 14th for $24.99. Despite the traditional complaints about the price-to-content ratio, it quickly gained recognition from fans. At present, more than 940 Steam user reviews show an 81% approval rating (86% of reviews were positive at launch), and immediately after the release, a record number of players, over 93 thousand, were playing HoI 4 simultaneously.
