Hearts of Iron III
A World War II grand strategy wargame with 3D graphics.
Hearts of Iron III is a grand strategy wargame set during World War II, released in 2009 by Paradox Development Studio and Paradox Interactive for Windows, with a Mac OS X version arriving the same year. As the third main game in the Hearts of Iron series and the sequel to 2005's Hearts of Iron II, it lets players take control of any nation and manage its production, research, diplomacy, warfare, politics, and espionage. The game revolves around three major factions—the Axis, Allies, and Comintern—with other nations gradually aligning based on ideology and diplomacy. Combat involves divisions, fleets, and warplanes.
The game was built on the new Clausewitz Engine, enabling 3D graphics for the first time in the series. Lead designer Johan Andersson aimed to improve every aspect of the previous game, starting with a fresh engine. The artificial intelligence was designed to handle strategic objectives and manage delegated forces, including entire theaters, while adapting to changing circumstances. The shift to 3D allowed for more screen resolutions, faster map development, and better use of the GPU. The map was redesigned to resemble a World War II command map, with over 15,000 provinces—up from 2,600 in Hearts of Iron II. Divisions became customizable, consisting of two to five brigades that affect combat power and cost.
Upon release, Hearts of Iron III received a mixed reception due to numerous bugs. After several patches, reviews improved, and by December 2009 it held an average score of 77 on Metacritic and 79% on Gamerankings. Critics noted a poor interface that made it hard to assess division numbers and unit values, but praised it as more accessible than its predecessors, suited for experienced strategy players and newcomers alike.
Three expansion packs were released: *Semper Fi* (June 2010, with a Mac version in July), *For the Motherland* (June 2011, Mac in September), and *Their Finest Hour* (September 2012, Mac in November). A *Hearts of Iron III Collection* bundling both expansions and sprite packs came out in November 2011. The sequel, *Hearts of Iron IV*, launched on June 6, 2016.
- Developer
- Paradox Development Studio
- Publisher
- Paradox Interactive
- Release year
- 2009
- Platforms
- Microsoft Windows, Mac OS X
- Metacritic score
- 77
- Number of provinces
- more than 15,000
- Sequel release date
- June 6, 2016
Lore & Background
Hearts of Iron III allows the player to take control of any nation in the world and guide that nation through World War II. The player controls virtually every aspect of their country, including production, research, diplomacy, warfare, politics, and espionage. The game centers around three factions: the Axis (led by Germany), the Allies (led by the United Kingdom), and the Comintern (led by the Soviet Union). All other nations can slowly align with one of the factions, and nations are more likely to side with factions that they are ideologically and diplomatically aligned with. The player can use a multitude of different divisions, fleets, and warplanes to engage in combat with enemy forces.
The first trailer from the Games Convention in Leipzig showed new features such as 3D graphics, possible due to the new Clausewitz Engine. Lead designer Johan Andersson wanted to improve upon every aspect of the game, starting again with a new engine. The game's artificial intelligence (AI) was designed to be able to achieve strategic objectives and control forces delegated to it, including whole theatres of operation. The AI can also remember and compare strategic possibilities as circumstances change. Changing to 3D graphics helped improve other areas, as Andersson explained: 'Going 3D meant we could do another type of architecture where we could support more screen resolutions, and develop our maps in a quicker way. The biggest advantage from going 3D though was the ability to offload more to the GPU.' The number of provinces was increased to more than 15,000 over Hearts of Iron II's 2,600, and customizable divisions were added, each containing two to five brigades.
Reader's Guide
Hearts of Iron III initially received a mixed reception because the game shipped with a large number of bugs in the early release. After several patches eliminated many bugs, reception improved and the game received generally positive reviews. In December 2009 it had a combined average of a 77 on Metacritic and a 79% on Gamerankings. GamePro criticized the interface, writing that 'there is no instant way to assess how many divisions you have in each province, nor important values like their units' organization or combat values.' On the other hand, the game was praised as being 'tailored for experienced strat heads and wargamers with a lot of patience, but the game is more accessible than either of its predecessors and a great jumping-on point for new players who want to make the leap into a grand strategy epic.' Paradox Interactive released three expansion packs: Hearts of Iron III: Semper Fi (June 2010), Hearts of Iron III: For the Motherland (June 2011), and Hearts of Iron III: Their Finest Hour (September 2012). A sequel, Hearts of Iron IV, was released on June 6, 2016.
Did You Know?
- Hearts of Iron III was the first in the series to use 3D graphics, powered by the Clausewitz Engine.
- The game features more than 15,000 provinces, up from Hearts of Iron II's 2,600.
- Three expansion packs were released: Semper Fi, For the Motherland, and Their Finest Hour.
- The game's AI can remember and compare strategic possibilities as circumstances change.
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