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Hearts of Iron Q&A

By Staff, GameSpotPosted Jul 17, 2002 4:04 pm PT

The next game from the creator of Europa Universalis will take place during World War II. Get all the details in this developer interview.

Paradox Entertainment is turning its focus to 20th-century history. The Stockholm-based development house that wowed grognards with the exhaustive Europa Universalis series last year is now working on Hearts of Iron, a game that shifts the focus forward a few hundred years to World War II. The turbulent 1930s and 1940s will be standing in for the Middle Ages and the Renaissance in the new game, which is tentatively scheduled for release in North America this October.

Hearts of Iron will take the grand strategy of Europa Universalis into WWII.

Expect comparisons to be made between Europa Universalis and Hearts of Iron, as the latter is being constructed around the framework of the former. Although there will be obvious differences in regard to timeline and technology, Hearts of Iron will also be a game of grand strategy that spans the world. You may start off with the basic European struggle between democracy, fascism, and communism, but you will soon open up new fronts in far-flung corners of the globe left untouched by the real conflict. Every nation on earth will be playable, and the detail will be so thorough that you'll be able to command thousands of historical figures from heads of state to minor functionaries and military officers. This will be accompanied by a painstaking simulation of government operations and diplomacy, along with an all-new combat system featuring more than 100 different ground, sea, and air units. GameSpot recently spoke with lead designer Johan Andersson for more details.

GameSpot: How similar will Hearts of Iron be to the Europa Universalis games? Have you replaced the Hundred Years' War with Axis and Allies?

Johan Andersson: That's one way to describe it. However, the game is so different that it is very hard to compare it to any other game. In Europa Universalis you guide a nation through four centuries of history, involving yourself in more aspects than war. Hearts of Iron is focused more on the great conflict of the 20th century and the circumstances surrounding war such as military maneuvers, technological research, logistics, and diplomatic cooperation.

GS: What are you trying to accomplish with gameplay? Are you trying to re-create the feel of Europa Universalis, or branch out in different directions?

"We are trying to create a game where you can try to change the course of the war."
-- Johan Andersson,
     Paradox Entertainment
JA: Of course we want the feel of Europa Universalis, as it's obviously what people like. We are trying to create a game where you can try to change the course of the war. Our goal is to create a game which has enormous depth and replayability, but at the same time is easy to get into playing. What we really want to have is the ability to refight the Second World War. You'll be able to change the course of history--or merely try all of the "What if?" questions everybody has always imagined about the conflict. What would have happened if the Soviet Union had decided not to invade Finland, and thus never learned how vulnerable their forces really were? Or what would have happened if Germany had decided to implement Operation Sea Lion and invaded Britain before embarking on the invasion of Russia in Operation Barbarossa?

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