I played more than 30 hours and then removed the game from my hard drive. About half the way in I only played on to have something to show for my frustration and to beat the game in spite of its large shortcomings. This game looks like a more in-depth version of the more casual classic "Clash of Steel" (CoS), except CoS was much better in the end...

I'm not a grognard but I played my way through games like "High Command" or "Hearts of Iron" (1 and 2) or Gary Grigsby's original Pacific War/War in the East, etc. I appreciate a good grand strategy game and I know at some point you have to abstract somewhat or even a lot but this game makes all the wrong compromises.

Pros:
* Simple yet fun research system
* Diplomacy system works (pretty much like CoS except no instant results)
* Units are upgradeable as technology advances
* Clean and uncluttered interface
* Resource management makes nice mix between research, buying new units, shifting units between fronts and overseas
* You can switch off a lot of scripted events
* Air cover, interception, and escorts work

Cons:
* Bad performance - AI turns take very long, even saving a game gives you two waits
* It's scripted - free units for the British when Axis reaches Egypt, no need to attack Norway or Denmark, just click a button
* Varying turn lengths - instead of properly implemented weather effects turns in winter take longer... yes, it takes longer to build units during the winter...
* Hot-diggity infantry - entrenchment happens fast and is the biggest obstacle in the game. Dominating factor.
* No stacking - the biggest limit for support units for the attacker is that each unit takes up one huge hex
* No coordinated attacks - instead of issuing a common order for all attacking units you have to attack one by one, have the first units absorb lots of losses. also: I hate the unit swapping rule
* Fog of war off + spotting rule = broken submarines - moving next to a sub results in spotting it
* Crazy Zone of Control - units with ZoC impede movement around them. Infantry can prevent armor from breaking through gap a because it projects ZoC even "behind itself." (It can even make moving next to it so expensive you can't finish your move next to it.) Makes armored warfare pointless, mostly minor encirclements also because in most places on the map there's no space to maneuver either. In this game armor is mostly useful for striking twice and its high attack value, not so much for bold moves behind enemy lines.
* Navy has no impact on amphibic assaults - you can evade entire Royal Navy by only moving port-to-port every turn. Only way for RN to prevent: line up in the channel blocking every hex.
* UK surrender conditions - You control Egypt. You push through Palestine. You have to push from London all the way up to Scotland to make UK even retreat to Canada. What gives?
* Don't invade the UK! Any success in Egypt or the UK just gets both the US and the USSR into the war.
* Game-y AI: Some say the AI is good. I think it's just built to exploit the game's broken entrenchment and ZoC rules.
* Super-huge support units - Artillery, anti-tank, and air-defense units so big they can fill huge hexes - and nowhere to fit them in any front line. Cannot attach artillery or anti-tank directly to infantry to give it more punch, but can add better "infantry weapons" and air defense.
* Silly scale - Just like the casual CoS infantry armies and corps share the same scale - and only occupy one hex. Also: Infantry corps super expensive
* Silly air units - you can have four dedicated fully upgraded naval bomber fleets (Germany's max) and they can barely, without enemy fighter cover, sink one battleship without taking moderate losses. Bombers take losses from attacking entrenched infantry with no anti-air of any sort. Bombers can eradicate land units completely from the air - not organization loss, but complete obliteration.

My list goes on and on, and I might add to it, but the point is: If you don't take it for historic, it might be a game of limited fun. As a "what if?" game it lacks appeal because it's so heavily scripted and even turning events off can only do so much. Even more casual games than this have the ability to stack units or do coordinated attacks, or to have some kind of flanking attack. A game that does not support stacking units or has a good flanking rule is pretty much a lost cause to me.

I bought this in spite of the high asking price because my PC can't handle HoI 3 or EU 4 for that matter. Even at half price I would have felt some buyer's remorse. I played a lot of actual strategy titles before and felt kind of misled by other reviews heaping praise on this one.

I really struggle with this game.

There's a lot to like about it: it's a basic turn-based hex wargame, the AI is reasonably competent, almost everything is about right and what you expect. You research, you move units around, decide how to strategically focus your efforts, and so on.

So where does it go wrong for me? Firstly, there is some massive scripting. Germany, for instance, does not need to invade Norway and Denmark, it happens via an event that just hands them to Germany. What if you really want to contest this as the Allies? Basically, you don't, to an extent even can't. Likewise you don't create lots of your units, they're just scripted to appear. This has an element of frustration, because unless you know the script, you're strangely blind to things going on in your country that (presumably) you should know a bit about. Also, the variable turn lengths (depending on time of year). That just doesn't really work for me either.

And, I hate the combat, for one very specific reason. Units can gradually wear the enemy down, but there's often a premium on destroying them. The big premium for destroying units is that they need to be rebuilt from scratch back at home provinces, and then transported back to wherever the war is, with a big time delay involved. Surviving units can be rapidly "heal" back to full strength. To destroy units, they usually have to be attacked multiple times per turn. What this results in is a system of cycling through attacking units, swapping them in and out of the frontline with multiple attacks until the target falls, usually requiring a surplus of second line units to swap in. It works because the turn-based system means the defender just sits there and lets it happen, for as many units as the attacker can throw in. You might expect the defending unit's adjacent allies to support it, but they don't. As a gameplay mechanic, you may be able to tolerate it. However, on a personal level, it feels far too artificial for my liking.

So, I feel a little awkward giving this a thumbs down. I think there's a good strategy game in here lots of wargamers will enjoy. For me on a personal level, however, it just does not work.

As a solitaire experience, it's fun for a while. But the naval subroutines don't model the submarine war in the Atlantic at all well, and I would rather have no navies at all with this game. The naval sub-routine ruins the game for me every single time. I've tried to mods; I've done research. Because the trade route is static, the Allies can "go trauling for U-boats" with tremendous success. Spend 4 months trying to sneak out into the Atlantic and your U-boats will be crippled in 2, then you spend another 4 months trying to sneak back to port for repairs that you should not bother to make.

After 43 hours of being the axis in europe. I invaded England and pushed all the way up until the damn scotts held the line and eventually forced back. The retreat from england went well as most of my forces were able to evacuate. Then I prepared for the invasion of europe. We did pretty well until it made sense to evacuate france as rear guards allowed the majority of our troops to make a line just south of belgium. I got spain to join the axis, italy helped out quite a bit on the east front. I left afrika in disgrace. I held the line in the east until it became apparent that the soviets outproduced me and their deep thrusts outflanked me surrounding units everywhere. I didnt have enough troops so kept retreating and establishing new defensive lines. Eventually - I held out till June 1944. Berlin was heavily defended but the end had come.

Why a negative review? The game was an epic story. But - like the ww1 strategic command, the economy system sucks and is broken. There's too many fatal issues with the RNG, supply (tanks shouldnt be able to keep going even after takig over a town the rule should be a continus line to their home country). Airpower isnt that great - diplomacy is wonky - upgrading units is a chore - you should be able to reinforce and upgrade at the same time. It's pretty clear the computer cheats - that's frustrating. I want smart AI not cheat AI. The game is a flawed masterpiece. It needs to seriously rebalance the economy so it gets harder to field new units mid ot late game - make supply stricter - cities should have an inherrent AA defense vs. specific units. Glad I played but it was an effort in futility with so much going against you.

I have seen a few issues with a SDL Failed (2); failed to blit surface. Hopefully an answer can be found, as I am also having the same issue. Sunday the game would give me the fail after a couple of turns. Yesterday, I played for four hours without an issue. Today I get the fail during loading of a saved game. I also tried loading a new default 1939 game, and it started but failed within the first turn. It is a great game when I can play it, but to be honest I am very frustrated right now. So until someone can find a solution to this, I am afraid I must give it a thumbs down.

like the play but has crashed every 10 to 15 turns, patch is needed

I am so on the fence when it comes to this game. I want to like it, but find myself bogged into static line fighting mid to late game. This I could have worked with as I keep pressing the enemy back further and further. It's a slog, but it is manageable.

Same with the naval campaign, but I manage that as well because it feels like a balance of power thing where we are stalemated.

What I do find difficult is the air campaign. By late 43 and certainly 44 the allies have so many squadrons that it takes FOREVER to get through the AI turn. Good lord! It is to the point now that when the air part of the AI takes over I just leave and come back 5 minutes later only to find that it is still ongoing! Jesus Christ.

I have destroyed so many enemy units in my latest campaign that it is ridiculous and they seem to just resurface out of nowhere.

Not a big fan of the AI being able to reinforce completely cut off units either. It just adds to the chore of eliminating them. But what really grinds my gears is when I see AI units magically appear out of the thinnest of air in cut off areas. They are quickly beaten, but ♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥ is it annoying because its just one more pain in the ass thing to contend with.

I really wanted to like this game, but all the negative things kills the game for me mid campaign. Sorry. :(

I loved this game at one time but now its horrible- unable to supply units near moscow for over a year- now unable to supply units in baltic nations - i have garrison units and supply (command units ) but unable to supply- game is now unplayable - i can understand waiting for supply to catch up but over 1 year it becomes ridiculous-

***Update the game is garbage --supply is ridiculous example invading ukraine in 41- road from Luck towards kiev units cannot be supplied even though there are supply units on it- Battleship taking on destroyer inflicts damage of only 2 but receives damage of 1 or 2 -axis units outside of moscow unable to get supply even thought 1 campaign season has gone by- it was once a very good game but has since gone down hill with updates

A little tedious and players have a ridiculously low level of freedom and control. The game practically forces a historical simulation.

Game is not worth the money.