Hearts of Iron II - On this day

Paradox Interactive is the sovereign ruler of the grand strategy genre in the world of video games. Behind that title are years of dedicated work, and the first major success was recorded when they launched Hearts of Iron II on the market, on this day exactly seventeen years ago.

Hearts of Iron II gave players control of one of 175 nations before, during, and after World War II. The military power of the nation could be controlled, then politics and technological development and the management of resources were crucial - money, materials, fuel, etc. Of course, the player had to adjust his management of the nation to the situation in the rest of the world.

Hearts of Iron II, due to its level of detail and micro-management, was not an ideal game for beginners. However, fans of strategy video games recognized its quality, so a community of passionate players gathered around the game. Support for the game lasted until 2010 through three expansions, even after the release of the third part, which was not very famous. Fortunately, the fourth part of 2016 managed to restore the trust of fans.

Two other games emerged from Hearts of Iron II. Paradox thus launched Arsenal of Democracy in 2010 was based on Hearts of Iron II - Armageddon expansion, with less focus on management and innovations such as national ideas. A year later, Darkest Hour: A Hearts of Iron Game was launched, which included the First World War campaign.

It is interesting how this game was banned in the People's Republic of China, among other things due to the use of the Tibetan flag. On the other hand, it was censored in Germany, so it did not display the Nazi flag with a swastika, nor the pictures and names of Hitler, Himmler, and other Nazi leaders.