Darkest Hour: A Hearts of Iron Game Reviews

eas and quickness.

COol

better than hoi4

Slow paced but smooth experience, this is A Hearts of Iron game. Enjoy so far. Reference Historical Event with a movie: Beginning of The Great Revival

Paradox’s Hearts of Iron IV: A Vile Farce of Historical Distortion and Cultural Colonization When a gaming company markets itself as a "historical strategy" pioneer yet tramples basic historical literacy, its arrogance transcends mere provocation—it becomes an act of cultural aggression. Paradox Interactive’s latest Hearts of Iron IV DLC, "Empire’s Graveyard," commits precisely this crime by shamelessly rebranding the Silk Road as a tool of colonial revisionism. By grafting British India into the "Silk Road Empires" framework and granting it absurd claims over Tibet—while denying China its rightful historical agency—Paradox has revealed not only its ignorance but its contempt for non-Western civilizations. 1. Historical Nihilism: Rewriting Reality to Serve Colonial Fantasies The Silk Road, a Eurasian network of cultural and economic exchange, never extended to the Indian subcontinent—a fact even middle schoolers grasp. Yet Paradox brazenly labels British India and Iran as "Silk Road Empires," allowing them to seize "core territories" across regions they never historically dominated. The ultimate insult? British India can claim Tibet as its own in-game, while China is stripped of its sovereignty over the region. This colonial-era double standard is no accident: When challenged, Paradox cynically rebranded the "Silk Road" as the "Timurid Road," masking its historical vandalism with wordplay. Would Paradox dare to reframe the American Revolution as a French project or attribute the Roman Empire to Germanic tribes? The hypocrisy is glaring. 2. Imperial Arrogance: Systemic Erasure of Chinese Voices Paradox’s response to Chinese players’ outrage has been a masterclass in colonial-era disdain: mass censorship of criticism, IP bans targeting Chinese users, and gaslighting claims that "most players are satisfied." By silencing dissent, Paradox reinforces a toxic narrative—that non-Western histories are mere playthings for Western developers. Their so-called "commitment to historical accuracy" crumbles when it clashes with Western hegemony, exposing a rot of hypocrisy at the studio’s core. 3. Cultural Warfare: Gaming as a Weapon of Imperial Narrative This is not a "mistake"—it’s a calculated test of cultural dominance. By reshaping historical memory through game mechanics, Paradox normalizes colonial logic: British India’s virtual occupation of Tibet becomes a gateway to eroding real-world sovereignty. If left unchecked, what’s next? Will Taiwan be handed to Japan in future DLCs? Will the South China Sea be labeled "international waters" in Paradox’s alternate universe? The implications are chilling. Conclusion: Boycott Paradox—Defend History, Resist Erasure Paradox’s actions transcend "controversy"—they are an assault on historical truth and cultural dignity. The deluge of negative reviews from Chinese players is not mere frustration; it is a roar against cultural imperialism. We call on gamers worldwide to boycott Paradox until it deletes all ahistorical claims, apologizes publicly, and acknowledges this truth: History cannot be rewritten, and civilizations will not kneel to digital colonialism. Stay silent today, and tomorrow, our collective memory will be crucified on Paradox’s algorithmic cross.

Though based on HOI 2, this is the best of the HOI games. I own and have played them all. It is really well designed and the manual is excellent, as are the tool-tips. Admittedly, I like using mods, esp the Kaissereich mod. It is essentially an operational and strategic masterpiece, with the AI doing a decent job. The event branches are better than the National Focus system of HOI 4 because they are less prescient and straight-jacketing. I found peace-time to be just as busy managing tech and economy as the war times. Units can be given many different types of orders and they make sense. For example, armies can support one another in attack or defense, and even play operational reserve roles. The Navy and Air Force also, are impact-full in a common-sense way and require planning. They have plenty of orders available. There are also scramble orders for both aircraft and navies. The game is operationally quite deep. The tech system and trees are actually interesting. I'd love to see more provinces and a better depiction of the battle losses, but it is still adequate. It needs a better supply, espionage and belligerance filter. There are other UI and informational things which I would like improved. But overall, it is fun, with just the right amount of micromanagement.