By Dave 'Fargo' Kosak | Aug. 25, 2008
Serious wargamers are in for a real treat as the hardcore franchise returns for another go at the world's most terrible war.

Grand strategy across the entire globe; play out the war from the perspective of a minor power or a government in exile. With release not until the end of 2009, there’s no actual gameplay to see yet.

World War II shattered nations and redrew the map of the world. Historians and wargamers alike can't help but play through the "What if" scenarios. What if U.S. lend-lease aid had been delayed? What if the German advance had overwhelmed Moscow? What if Costa Rica had leapt into the fray from the start?

Okay that last one's a little far-fetched, but the beauty of Hearts of Iron 3 is that players will be allowed to fight the war on any front as any power -- even Costa Rica. This isn't some light and fluffy real-time game, but a hardcore, deeply-simulated, RTS. Producer Johan Andersson promises "more, more, more" for fans of the series.

"More" includes the ability to play as governments in exile. After the Germans and Soviets carve up Poland, you can plot your revenge as the Polish leadership operating out of London. You can scrape together fighting units out of the refugees, direct the actions of partisans, and continue the fight even where other games would've sidelined you.

Although the game is massive in scope, some new AI should help ease the burden on players. You can put the AI in charge of a whole front, giving it basic orders ("defend current positions,") and it'll direct the movements of individual troops for you.

The game's diplomatic model sounds like a robust way of simulating the global tensions of the time. The three major factions -- Western Allies, Soviet Union, and Axis Powers -- are placed at the three points of an "alignment triangle." All the minor world powers are placed somewhere on this triangle. You can influence their position with diplomatic moves, threats, or money to try to move them toward your camp.

Hearts of Iron 3 definitely isn't for casual gamers, but grognards may find a lot to like. It's not slated for release until the end of next year, so there was no working demo on the floor of the Leipzig Games Convention, but we hope to see more in the year to come.