Hearts of Iron IV: Götterdämmerung Review: Experimental Warfare

It’s that time once more when Paradox releases yet another update to Hearts of Iron IV this one titled Götterdämmerung, which of course means it’s time for a review. In this update to the ever-present grand strategy behemoth, we see new focus trees for Germany, Hungary, Austria, Belgium, and Belgian Congo. Each one adds a new host of political paths to take them down. From historical and into the far more alternate-history friendly. Beyond that, there is also the new Special Research system which can unlock powerful new enhancements for your troops. And Raids to devastate your foes.

This review has been a while in production. Due in part to just how much has been added, the timing of the release, and the fact I’ve gotten into the habit of trying to play on Ironman. Which whilst a fun challenge can really screw up a review. I know, your heart bleeds for me. In any case, this expansion adds some much-requested updates to the game to nations that have severely needed them. And off the back of that stuff alone this is a great update. As for the new gameplay mechanics, well, I’m less convinced. With that said let’s get on to the review.

Hearts of Iron IV: Götterdämmerung is available now on PC on Steam and Paradox’s website. 

Story – Good Enough

I know it should go without saying in this review, but Hearts of Iron IV: Götterdämmerung is based on real-world history, so it doesn’t have a story in the traditional sense. It is all based on historical facts to some degree or another. With even the alt-history paths having a historical basis for the most part. And I have to say that the developers do a fine job in conveying the situation as it stood; giving you context for what you are doing and the repercussions of that on a national and international level. With it all feeling even-handed. With a nice smattering of flavour text to further contextualise what you are doing.

Hearts of Iron IV: Götterdämmerung gives great historical context.

As this is an expansion that adds new gameplay there are new UI elements which I feel are well presented. The new icons for where you can launch your Raids are easy to read and understand. Even if it feels that some text elements could be larger. The new stuff for the special research system is less clear. It is stuffed away in a side tab on the research button. Whilst it isn’t a game ruiner it puts you in situations where you are opening a tab, to open a tab, to open a menu. And the text that informs you of your test results can be hard to read given the font is trying to replicate a typewritten note and I think the font is too thin at times. Again, not a game ruiner and your mileage may vary.

Gameplay – Thousand Years Right?

Let’s cut to the chase with this review, Hearts of Iron IV: Götterdämmerung adds three major things to HOIV with this pack. Special Project Research, Raids, and a whole host of new focus trees for five nations. I’ll grant you that’s technically more than three things, but you get the idea. The new focus trees are expansive, and have a wealth of options for each government type. Some feel more expansive than others. But any update that includes diplomacy paths that get to do something is fine by me. The new Raid and Special Project Research mechanics are the big-ticket items in this expansion pack.

I have a feeling I know what most Hearts of Iron IV: Götterdämmerung players will select.

Raids allow you to launch precision strikes on key locations during your wars. Special Project Research allows you to unlock potentially powerful new technologies to aid your nation, sometimes in peacetime, but often for war. I’ll talk about both these new gameplay elements further in the review. But here and now I will say that I am impressed by the sheer glut of new stuff there is in this one; this feels like a legit expansion pack rather than a couple of nations and a gameplay mechanic that will never get used beyond that update. How long-lasting the new gameplay elements end up being is hard to say. As honestly here and now, as neat as they are, they are a bit “Take it or leave it”.

Chief or Kaiser

I’d hate to say it, as I feel that it is something of a cop-out when critics say this but, I honestly could write an entire article about everything that is added in the German tree. With every possible path having alternate options that can spice up and alter your options. Even if you just want to do an Axis run, the possibilities are far greater than before, allowing you an expansive set of options, even alternate leaders to replace “You know who” depending on how you choose to take things. And how you deal with the drama that unfolds between competing influences within the party.

The communist path feels like it needs a formable.

The Monarchist path feels like an expanded version of the one pre-update. Giving you more options to take a more in-depth journey to restore your former imperial glory and take on your old adversaries. Or building a defensive alliance that in time will allow you to annex your faction members and in time form a monarch-led version of the European Union. The Democracy path gets the same options for building and later annexing and can also form the HRE with the right decisions. Or you can go communist, promote revolutions across the world, and split Europe in two with the Soviets. I have to say that I am more than happy with what we get here. It means that when you play Germany you aren’t forced to either sit out and do nothing or get railroaded into starting the Second World War almost regardless of the path you took.

Don’t Waffle!

Also in Hearts of Iron IV: Götterdämmerung Belgium and the Belgian Congo also get their focus trees. The pair of them share a colonial tree which can give buffs to either nation. And could lead to Congo breaking free or becoming integrated more directly into Belgium. Which can make for a decent basis for a co-op campaign. Belgum’s Political tree can ultimately be boiled down to “Who do you want to fight?”. If you go for the Diplomatic or (nominally) Communist paths then it will be you (and possibly others) against the Germans as they attempt to try the Schlifen plan once again. With your tree helping you to become one hell of a speedbump that can smash attempts to break through into northern France.

Fascist Belgium’s name changes four times.

Alternatively, you can go down one of the fascist paths which will see you aligning with the Axis powers to some degree or another and possibly taking land after a series of quick wars, or one big one. Of the two sets, I find the anti-Axis path to be more interesting from a gameplay point of view; it isn’t perfect and it isn’t as thrilling as the recent Finnish tree but the challenge of holding back the tide and possibly changing the course of the war is great to feel. The Axis aligned path is still fun. But I feel that people with better war planning than myself can get more out of that than I can.

Archy Duke

With the Austrian’s tree in Hearts of Iron IV: Götterdämmerung, you ultimately have to decide how you are going to deal with the Anchluse; your big goal in the early game is to try and resist it one way or another. Even if you are going fascist! As such you are spending an extended period trying to balance building alliances (or reclaiming lost land) whilst building your industry and forces for what comes next. The Austro-Hungarian restoration paths feel rather overpowered. It doesn’t take too long to get your original lands (and then some) under control to some degree and lead a great alliance against Germany. Ideally, before the Soviets decide to strike.

If I don’t move they won’t see me!

Hungary gets the same chance to restore Austro-Hungaria. However, given your larger industry and army, you have a better chance in just doing early conquests to do that. In addition, you get the greater freedom to do almost as you please given that you aren’t bordering Germany. However most political paths feel like a variation on the Austrian tree, at least in practice; the Democratic path gives you the chance to form a faction with ex-Austro-Hungarian nations, Communist path gives you the chance to draw closer to the Soviets or not, as well as the aforementioned monarchist paths. Don’t get me wrong, it is a fine collection of trees. But the freedom they give doesn’t feel quite as unique as they should.

Blinded By Science

The big new gameplay element is the new Special Project mechanic. This is an expansion on the prior tech system and allows you to unlock a collection of powerful new buildings, units, and upgrades to help improve your nation. From more conventional matters like helicopters, commercial nuclear power plants, and flamethrower tanks. To more ‘wild’ tech, like intercontinental bombers, aircraft carriers made from icebergs, and super heavy tanks. There is a wide diversity of different items that can really spice up and further enhance your campaigns. Both offensively and defensively. Unlocking this new tech is fairly straightforward. Just build the right research building, assign a scientist, and gain points to unlock the option to research them as you research pre-existing tech.

Events can trigger to enhance or alter the end result of Special Research projects.

Much like any other gameplay addition, including the other big one I’ll discuss shortly, it is something that can spice up your campaigns. But can also be something you can easily go through an entire campaign without using once. And on more than one occasion I have forgotten about it. It is a welcome addition to be sure. But the scope of items feels rather narrow. And the time taken to unlock the chance to unlock the tech can feel like it takes far too long. And you need a decent industrial base to make the best use of all of the unlocked features anyway, which makes it almost pointless for smaller nations to bother. Especially when your standard division templates are just as good as they’ve always been with the stock research.

Shadow Raid Legends

In addition to the research, you can also enact raids against your foes. These are special precision strikes on strategic locations. These can undermine their research, undermine their production base, and even deny them key resources for an extended time. Goodness, some can even force your foes to surrender without needing to sail halfway across the world to defeat them. When you pull these off they are satisfying. However, this is something you need to commit a fair amount of resources to try and pull off; beyond the required bombs you are going to need enough aircraft to gain superiority. Which can make it hard for smaller nations to pull this off. And it all feels rather “Everything or nothing”; If you actively use it it can be a great boon, if not then you aren’t missing much.

Hearts of Iron IV: Götterdämmerung’s raid system can be fun to use.

And honestly, I don’t know how to feel about that. Paying my hard-earned money (Well, as much as a video game critic’s money can be) on Hearts of Iron IV: Götterdämmerung and discovering that it introduces gameplay that is barely noticeable in most campaigns feels like a damned waste. But on the other hand, there are many situations where you simply can’t use them as mentioned above. Not getting penalised for not using it is fine by me. But when I do use it then it hardly seems to matter. And the missions I’d want the most (like the attack on Big Ben and other key landmarks) always seem locked behind very specific paths and advisors. Or take so long to get going that I may as well just take them down the “Old Fashioned Way”.

War Machines

But when I compare the new elements to ones added in prior updates it is hard to make a case for them being essential. The new supply system radically changed the game. The new aircraft designer, a feature I underrated when it came out, can change your games if used right. But raids and the new research system don’t feel quite as essential. Especially when some raids are locked behind certain government types. And the research system feels better suited to nations that have the industry to make use of it (and to actually be able to make the bloody things you unlock). Don’t get me wrong, they are both fine ideas. But it feels like there are a couple of extra steps that are needed to make them more versatile than they are right now.

However, these things are gonna become the Meta.

Beyond these are the previously mentioned new focus trees which almost feel worth the price of entry given how much they add and how much fun they can be for each possible path. And with a fair amount of variety to and further spins on certain paths. The German Civil War has three extra hidden leaders depending on your choices (or lack thereof). And most diplomatic paths can form some version of the European Union. With some being able to do it by simply controlling the correct territory. And with others doing it with a seriously under-cooked integration mechanic. The new gameplay mechanics are fine, but you’ll get more out of them the more you use them. And I’ve yet to find a time when they’ve been a definitive game changer.

Graphics & Audio – Back to the Drawing Board?

I’ll be honest with you dear reader, whenever I review expansion packs like Hearts of Iron IV: Götterdämmerung I always feel like I’m going slightly mad when it comes to this part of the review. It’s an expansion pack, as such it doesn’t radically change or alter the graphics or audio of the title itself. Oh sure, almost everything that has been added looks great; the new units, music, and sound effects are all well integrated. The siren that blares when your facilities are under attack is a great addition (even if more often than not the effects of a failed raid feel negligible). But as I said earlier, I feel the UI lets this one down.

Flipping through tabs to get to the Special Research then scrolling down to see what facility needs looking at. As well as the lack of clear updates when a new iteration needs to be selected is an issue. Oh sure, you do get something, but they easily get lost in the cloud of icons and sounds blaring at you in a given game. Additionally, I feel the text telling you what you need to block a raid needs to be bigger. I’ll grant you that with time you just learn this off by heart and just have AA turrets and some planes on standby. But in the earlier runs, it can be a tad too hard to make out. With that said I can’t say either set of issues is game-breaking; they could be better, but they are as good as they need to be to get the message across.

Hearts of Iron IV: Götterdämmerung was reviewed on PC.