Hearts of Iron Anthology

by ValuSoft

Product Features

• Command any frontline during World War II as one of more than 175 playable countries.
• Four major campaigns let you play through the full course of the war, plus 15 battle scenarios including D-Day, Operation Barbarossa and The Ardennes Offensive.
• A vast and innovative technology tree that includes more than 350 different technologies to research.
• More than 12,500 historical military and political leaders, each brought to life with authentic portraits and schemes to further their own agendas.
• Several What if scenarios taking WWII into WWIII.

Product Details

• Shipping: This item is also available for shipping to select countries outside the U.S.
• ASIN: B000TV7QFM
• Item Weight: 7.2 ounces
• Media: Video Game
• Release Date: August 27, 2007
• Average Customer Review: 4.4 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (12 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #4,629 in Video Games (See Top 100 in Video Games)

Product Description

Platform:  WINDOWS 98/ME/2000/XP Publisher:  PARADOX INTERACTIVE Packaging:  DVD STYLE BOX Rating:  EVERYONE In the Hearts of Iron Anthology players will wage war across the globe as one of over 175 countries throughout the course of World War II. Doomsday adds even more to the award-winning gameplay by introducing a thrilling What if scenario that brings the player through WWII and into WWIII. Never before released in retail Armageddon allows players to venture even further into fantasy scenarios or to instead play the game as history unfolds.Features Command any frontline during World War II as one of more than 175 playable countries.Four major campaigns let you play through the full course of the war15 battle scenarios including D-Day Operation Barbarossa and The Ardennes Offensive.A vast and innovative technology tree that includes more than 350 different technologies to research.More than 12500 historical military and political leaders each brought to life with authentic portraits and schemes to further their own agendas.System Requirements:Windows 98 / ME / 2000 / XP Pentium IV 1200 MHz 256 MB RAM 600 MB Free Hard Drive Space 4 MB Video Card DirectX Compatible DirectX Compatible Sound Card DirectX 9.0 or higher

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

39 of 39 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Grand Strategy Done Right., May 21, 2008

By 

KenHistorian "Ken" (Brooklyn, NY USA) - See all my reviews

= Fun:5.0 out of 5 stars 

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Hearts of Iron Anthology (Video Game)

Be Encouraged! This is the BEST WW2 detailed strategy game to date. I have played this genre since the 1970's on board games to computer games.

Be Warned! This is Grand Stategy played on a clean world map, not a "point and shoot" first person. Graphics and sound are good but are not designed to target an "action game" buyer. This is a "board game" done on the computer. This is a Thinking game. It is a "Real Time" game but you can pause time, make decisions, and change direction for units and national management. Then let time go "live" again. The time increment is HOURLY starting 12am 01 January 1936 to 1953 with the "Doomsday" edition, or until 1963 with the "Armageddon" pack. And you can vary the speed of the game so that a day goes by in less than a minute.

Your units are divisional size. Battles are abstract. The computer does the losses and retreats, but you get to attach the best commanders. And YOU develop the tecnology of hardware AND types of tactical knowledge used in battle. The computer doesn't miss a step here. Smaller units CAN prevail over larger ones easily if you manage to develop the crucial details. And the Details here are excellent, as is. However tweeking the coding and cheats are available as well. In short, much customization or moding is possible and is manufactuer condoned. That's how this company's games get better. There is a strong fan base on the web, a large intelligent community. Albeit a better tutorial is needed to get your "feet wet" before diving into this deep pool of strategy.

Details needing attention? Espionage could be better handled. Diplomacy needs more "power". Swifter troop movement by rail before any ground movement needs attention. A possible encirclement or capture of whole enemy divisions is not handled, as they simply retreat very weakend, even through your lines on occassion. One assumes the region has not yet been secured. But weak units can cease to exist through attrition over time if out of supply. All Regions won surrender easily, but Nations do not, and regions gained are rarely traded perminantly for peace and a new "status quo". This again needs to be addressed in Diplomacy with negotiation to consider "national morale" versus unit or Regional morale.

On the whole, Nation Management for Money, Resources, Unit Supply, etc. are well handled and easy to adjust. The Reasearch process for Weapons and Tactics is outstanding with photos of actual people and companies of the time to direct. Leaders of the cabinet are also choosable with photos and personalities of people of the time. Combine this with photos of unit types and technology at that time and you begin to see the fantastic research done to make this product. It includes all countries of the world of 1936! Amazing. And if there is an incorrect photo or two, you can correct them behind the scenes or add your own in the database before your next session. Also amazing.

There are lot's of "what if" possibilities. In one game I played, Nazi Germany did not attack Poland, but successfully Allied with it to fight Soviet Russia! There was no British or French belligerant reaction, and the computer alowed Wendle Wilkie to be elected U.S. president on a non-interventioist platfom! In another game, Japan remained on its own and did NOT attack the U.S. but rather concentrated on China and the oil in South East Asia. No Pearl Harbor! Whatever small complaints, this game is VERY playable, and the product is Five-Star.

30 of 33 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Awesome Overall Complete WW2 Game, December 14, 2007

By 

Kenneth M. Wanderer "Kengineer" (Milw WI) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

= Fun:5.0 out of 5 stars 

This review is from: Hearts of Iron Anthology (Video Game)

This game is only for the advanced player who wants to control all aspects of a country. The newer version helps automate some things, but is an intense game that can take a long time to play. What is neat is the ability to play any country. I bought the first and then the second. Then bought Crusader Kings and another copy of HOI came with that, but Crusader Kings wasn't any good, and is more meant for kids and had no instructions (sorry to stay off subject, but just and FYI on that).
I wish their latest upgrade for HOI had a disk available rather than only a download. I really like HOI but most people may think it is too complicated or involved w\ details. However, it is the most realistic divisional level game of WW2 there is. I've played war games for over 30 years.This is the best yet. It is real time, so hard to see it being able to play online with others as it takes too long and most people would not be able to schedule the time outs and saves.

29 of 32 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Great Anthology, October 31, 2007

By 

G. Parra "Supreme_Kenshin" (Caracas, Venezuela) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

= Fun:5.0 out of 5 stars 

This review is from: Hearts of Iron Anthology (Video Game)

This is a great collection for people that like this kind of strategy game. You get one DVD with the lastest version of: Hearts of Iron, Hearts of Iron 2, Hearts of Iron 2:Doomsday (expansion pack) and Armageddon (booster Pack), plus a map and a medal. All for a great price. It have only played Hearts of Iron 1 or 2 and like the game, you should definetly buy this, because its hard to get all those game separately and you save a lot. The expansio pack "Doomsday" gets you until 1953, and the booster pack "Armageddon" until 1963.
It's the most complex and rewarding World War 2 strategy game to date, and it has a deeply engaging strategy with unprecedented historical fidelity.