87
One of the most in-depth strategy games around. There are so many different things you can do during the course of one game it is almost baffling.
87
Undeniably fantastic and a considerable improvement over the original game.
90
Few will tire of the almost endless possibilites available to England, Germany, Russia and so on. There will probably never be a more realistic and detailed WW2 game for the PC, and if this is the sort of thing that floats your boat, go buy it now.
9
Incredible game. One of the best WWII simulations. Much much better than the new versions of this game
8
This game has a high learning curve as the tutorial is pretty much useless but when you get use to the game it is fun to play I just did not like the fact that you can glitch the game if you conquer Germany as Poland
10
Strong 9 + 1 for nostalgia. I literally loved this gamestill like to play. Very historically accurate Good combat mechanisms Just amazing. I will try HoI 3 soon - HoI 4 is comming, no point in delaying that
Hearts of Iron II
Released On:
Jan 4, 2005
Metascore
Generally Favorable
83
User score
Generally Favorable
8.3
My Score
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All Platforms
Metascore
Generally Favorable
83
89% Positive
24 Reviews
24 Reviews
11% Mixed
3 Reviews
3 Reviews
0% Negative
0 Reviews
0 Reviews
95
Improved in just about every way imaginable, Hears of Iron 2 will not only satisfy the fans of the previous game, but is now set up in such a way to entice an even larger market segment into enjoying the title.
90
The game is just amazing. I've always remained on the fringe of Paradox games, but after taking a deep look into Hearts of Iron II, I'm bordering on fanaticism.
User score
Generally Favorable
8.3
85% Positive
73 Ratings
73 Ratings
10% Mixed
9 Ratings
9 Ratings
5% Negative
4 Ratings
4 Ratings
Jan 8, 2016
10
Strong 9 + 1 for nostalgia. I literally loved this gamestill like to play. Very historically accurate Good combat mechanisms Just amazing. I will try HoI 3 soon - HoI 4 is comming, no point in delaying that
Oct 4, 2012
10
This game gets a 10 to show that I don't have a special hatred of Paradox interactive. It's worth a 9, but we go to 10 to make the point. While this is NOT the best WWII game ever. It is possibly the best grand strategy WWII game. The best WWII game BY FAR is CCV (Invasion Normandy) modded version Gold Juno Sword, played versus a human opponent. HOI2 meanwhile is still a great game, and far more accessible, functional and user friendly than its bloated decendent HOI3. HOI2 has a far better balance of detail and playability. HOI2 has a much more accessible and enjoyable research system. HOI2 has such obviously useful tools as a way to find units by type, which inexplicably disappeared in the latest game. The only problem with this game is that it needs to be patched or modded with new graphics options so that it can scale properly on present-day monitors. Paradox should swallow their pride and stop making expansions for the HOI3 turkey until they have rebuilt and improved this older but far superior game. Reading the reviews its hard to stop laughing at how seriously Paradox fans take themselves. There is nothing hard, deep, or intellectually challenging about this game. It's easy. It's fun. And it was designed by guys who want to imagine that the Germans could have and should have won the war, which should be a hint as to which faction you want to choose if you want to enjoy yourself. Enjoy yourself. this is a great game. And unlike most Paradox strategy sausage machines you don't have to cheat to win.
87
A historian’s best ticket to replaying some of the biggest what-ifs in the twentieth century. The depth in this game is almost unparalleled but it is a double-edged sword. At times, it can seem like the game is filled with a lot of waiting for production (when you put the game at the fastest speed) and a lot of micromanaging your troops (when you put the game at normal speed).
85
A solid, well polished WWII strategy title using the venerable Europa Universalis engine. It’s deep, it’s complex, and just a bit overwhelming.
82
By far the best war-themed strategy game on the market, but it isn’t a game for those with short attention spans. If gamers can survive the learning curve, however, and show some patience, they will find one of the most fulfilling gaming experiences out there.
80
With incredible flexibility, freedom, and depth, this is a history buffs dream and should not be passed up if you are a fan of the genre.
50
The biggest problem is that the province-based movement system doesn't lend itself well to re-creating the kinds of huge land campaigns that give a good strategic war game its sense of scope. [Apr 2005, p.91]
Jan 8, 2012
10
This game is not flashy, but the combination of historical accuracy and strong online community can turn this game into anything you want it to be. Out of the box, it is difficult to get the hang of, but after a few games you will really feel like you can conquer the world. If the vanilla game gets boring, there are numerous different patches and alterations made by the community to make it more difficult or more realistic. The community adds leaders, events and countless other features. Everything about this game is great, and there are relatively few bugs for such a huge game.
May 28, 2011
10
This may be just about one of the best strategy games of all time. It has a rather steep learning curve, though, and it took me 3 years, on and off to fully get to appreciate it and learn how to play it successfully. That being said, it's rather hard beating Germany in any case, but that is what makes this game even better than most - it actually challenges the player. Definitely highly recommended for all historic strategy nerds, such as myself! :)
May 27, 2011
10
For those that want a World War 2 grand strategy game, look no further than this, or at least, look no further than the latest Armageddon version. Micromanagement set just right at the divisional level. A relatively simple tech tree and a diplomatic system that works just right. I always used to say that Civilization II was the best game I'd ever played, but I was wrong. It's this one and six years later I am still playing it almost every day.
Jul 19, 2026
9
Incredible game. One of the best WWII simulations. Much much better than the new versions of this game
Sep 13, 2014
7
Pros: The World War II scenarios are basically very fun; the Armageddon expansion adds a lot of fixes and improvements to Hearts of Iron II: Doomsday. Cons: The intro videos are buggy; a lot of problems with realism and history in the game which can only be solved by modding; The bad graphics take getting used to; the new alternate history Armageddon and Abyss scenarios are awful. Score Breakdown: Gameplay 9/10, Loading Screens and Frame Rate 9/10, Replay Value 9/10, Sound Effects and Music 9/10, Game Stability 8/10, Realism 4/10, Graphics 3/10, Total Score 7.3/10 Conclusion: A basically very good World War II grand strategy simulator, but marred by ugly graphics and a lack of historicity. (Please note that this is a review for Hearts of Iron II including the Doomsday and Armageddon expansions).
SummaryHearts of Iron II is the sequel to the most appreciated World War II PC game of true Grand Strategic scope! As in its forbear, the map spans the entire world and allows you to play one of over 130 countries during the years of World War II. Hearts of Iron II is a dream come true for every armchair general and forces the player to choose ... Read More
Rated Efor Everyone
Platforms:
- PC
Initial Release Date:Jan 4, 2005
Developer:
Publisher:
