Overall an amazing strategy game. Extremely comprehensive gameplay that allows you to control everything your country does, from producing military units to enacting new laws. Has a very steep learning curve, but it is expected in a grand strategy game like this. Very fun to play, but not for the faint of heart.

Hearts of Iron 3 is not that different from most other Paradox games. If you have played Europa Universalis, Victoria, earlier instalments of HoI, ..., you pretty much know what you will get.

Still, this is not neccesarily a bad thing. If you want to play a WWII grand strategy game, this is THE game to get, and while there perhap are no major surprises in it, it is vastly improved compared to HoI 2 (including add-ons).

There are a few minuses though, e.g. I personally feel that the number of divisions are too high. This is not game-breaking, as the players as well as the AI both have the same possibilities to get "to many" units. But still, as said above, the game feels vastly improved compared to the predecessor.

Note that this package is not a "complete" edition of the game.

Everytime I try to play this I start to get sleepy. As a game I find it most resembles an extremely tedious accountants spreadsheet. I've had more fun during a root canal.

I play Hearts of Iron since his first version. I found that Paradox had in some way, slipped away, with HoI2 doomsday, leaving the historical path for a pac-man WWII where you could conquer the entire world with Bulgaria. In HoI3 I think we are back to the roots, you can play an huge strategical WWII game, historically accurate (which is, at least for me, the most important thing in a WWII game) and plenty of "what if" choices. In this Collection you have Semper FI (necessary to play expansions packs like, for example, dies irae götterdämmerung) and For the Motherland, both expansions add a lot more flavor to your game experience. This game worth his price, whatever it is.

This bundle offers the majority of the content available for Hearts of Iron III, including the base game and the first two expansions, as well as a plethora of cosmetic DLC and additional background music, making it a perfect start into the series. Be aware, however, that this is NOT a complete collection of Hearts of Iron III content.

Hearts of Iron 3 was a highly ambitious project that in many ways is light-years ahead of its predecessor, HoI 2, even heavily modded. The Vanilla game had a shaky start (to say the least) but over the years since its release it has become a massive success, a true re-imagining of the Hearts of Iron series. The game needed the two expansions and countless patches (all included in this Collection) to become fully fleshed out, so entry into HoI 3 from here is an absolute must. Its major difference compared to HoI 2 is in its enhanced automation; the player simply chooses the parameters and goals and the armies will order themselves until their objectives are reached. Getting allied support along the front is equally simplified, reducing the need to constantly shuffle expeditionary forces during larger military maneuvers. The player can choose to deactivate this automation at any time in favor of micro-managing armies (as in HoI 2), allowing the more tedious tasks to be maintained by the computer (e.g. defense of front) while the player can mount a proper attack on another front.

Another Paradox game, another masterpiece. It's the world war 2 game, so it's a bit different from the likes of Victoria series for example, since HoI emphasizes the war. However it's just as enjoyable as all Paradox strategy games. If you like other the company's games, it's a must buy, if you never played any before you definitely need to check out HoI3 or any other game of theirs. They are gems and exception in modern times.

Hearts of Iron III is solid, and while strategy is not my first preference I can see how this would be pure ice cream to certain kinds of gamers and would certainly scratch the resource managing inch that afflicts them. At times, I could not shake the feeling that I was playing a graphical interface for a spreadsheet and all of the mathematical formals seamed to seep through the cracks. The effort to make the game accessible was apparent but I feel there was a need for a bit more explanation. It took me a while to figure out how things in one menu affected things in the other menu, and I needed a good deal of experimentation to figure how exactly how far I could push certain resources. However, I did enjoy my time with the game. While I don’t feel as if Hearts of Iron III would be a good choice for everyone, I think it did a more that average job being what it was meant to be.

Hearts of iron III the colletion improves a good Idea for WWII semi-simulator of war conflict that begins with the Hearts of Iron series.

The whole package of the first three developments (Core Hearts of Iron III and the well tested expansions semper fi and for the moderland) gives the game a better result from starting ideas.

Some issues i like are decisions system, strategic war and the detalied HQ system and the division configurator. The extensive and province rich map is one od the good points of it but for me there are some aspects not failures that make lose several points from the rating that the ambitious Paradox development has stop in the way to perfection (that perhaps is improve by the continuos enriching expansions). For me the weak point is the IA dependence in the considerations of gameplay not in relation with the opponent IA (coding an artificial Inteligence that could be a good adversary must be difficult) and yes with these overhelming quantity of very good ideas that increase exponentially the micromanagement needings or requiere the use of a IA assistance that give you more headaches than delights.

I like the Heart of Iron Concept (best WWII fun to play games) but HOI3 offers me less (after two long UK game trys) good sensations that his old brother Hoi2 and its fanmade developments.

I will wait for future news (the finest hour and other possible expansions) expecting to finally getting the gem that HOI3 is in brute perfectly polished.

If you like other paradox games, you'll probably also like this one. The major difference being this one is much more focused on warfare. Some people prefer HoI2 to this one, but I think 3 is a fine game. I especially like all of the added provinces. Of course I bought the collection only to find out there's another expansion not included. So you might want to wait until the new bundle comes out.

Really great collection for all fans of this game . A lot of add ons included for a deeply gaming experience with this great strategy game in RTS. Suggested for all people who liked HOI serie and in general Paradox's game.

Hearts of Iron III has one of the biggest learning curves I've ever experienced with a video game, but after watching countless tutorials and reading through the Paradox forums I've became competent at the game and am now thoroughly enjoying it. The AI is clever and always a challenge to go up against, and with every new expansion and DLC Paradox Interactive makes for this game, it really has near endless replay value.

A must have for any Grand Strategy game enthusiasts, and if you're new to the Grand Strategy genre learning how to play Hearts of Iron III will also teach you the basics of many other Grand Strategy games.

A very deep and statistically involved game. You are put in charge of running a nation in the early/mid twentieth century.

I would recommend this game to someone with an interest in the era but also a lot of patience. It is difficult to jump in and play this game if you are not familiar with the grand strategy genre.

There is a steep learning curve.

Fantastic game of extraordinary depth and complexity.A massive learning curve with many hours of reading the manuals before you are up and running. But the effort is worth it as no other game I know of comes anywhere near it in scope and absorbing gameplay. Unlikely to be surpassed until Hearts of Iron 4

Probably the best grand strategy game ever.

It is continually improved over time with the expansion packs and DLCs and patches, where the community is actually partly involved.

This game is very tough and not too easy to get the hang of. If you're not used to such games and all they take it's very off putting but just be patience and play around with the game. Start with a big nation first to get the hang of it - watch Youtube videos of tutorials. Very rewarding once you know what you're doing.

Hearts of Iron 3 requires a lot of patience and perhaps someone to teach you the game. It did not immediately take with me until a friend took the time to play one of the countries co-operatively with me and show me the ropes. Very solid and addictive game once you get into it, always looking to resolve the next problem. AI isn't stupid either if you can't find any friends to play with.

Everyone that has played at least one paradox grand-strategy title will immediately know, that HOI3 is a great game. Yet compared to the others its focus is (obviously) even more on the warfare. While in EU or CK and the like there are a lot of other mechanics as well, in this game everything leads to or refines the warfare. WHile this makes perfectly sense for an WWII game, it is not neccessary your game if you liked other paradox titles.

A great Grand Strategy Game, a but hard to learn but awesome when you master. Aside from the steep learning cuve, the game has consistent tech tree and battles. Germany is a must pick if you are learning.

HOI3 certainly has better graphic and a lot of improvement in mechanics. However, the game still seems to need further polishing. I hope there will be more expansion pack to further polish it. At the moment, I think HOI2 and its spin-off are still better choice.

HOI III Collection includes all the HOI updates you need in one rather cheap package, so it's well worth getting. I already had HOI III but this is so cheap it was worth getting this rather than buying its components. Anything not included can be downloaded free or purchased with blue coins that are provided for this purchase. HOI III has a fair number of bugs and also some things are harder to manage (eg the contents of armies, divisions etc) and buying the Semper Fi and For the Motherland expansions fixes a lot of the problems. Even so, it is still possibly the most difficult game on the market to learn, with some of the worst training/tutorial/documentation material. It is worth the effort though, as the game has such depth and realism, and in terms of the detail involved it is the best of its breed and a "must play" for anybody with an interest in WW2 and doesn't mind being addicted to its real-time format. If you want to conquer Poland in an evening, though, get a simpler game like "Commander - Europe at War".

Great collection of the original game and expansions/patches. As of this review though, it can be considered outdated as a new expansion will soon be released. Overall a great deal if it can be purchased on sale.

Definitely the best grand strategy game focused on WWII ever.

SF and FTM extensions really start to convert the full potential of this game into epic awesomeness. Can't wait for Their Finest Hour.

This game is very complicated as many of the other reviews have stated but if given enough time can be very enjoyable. downloading crusader kings 2, Europa universalis 3, and victoria 2 along with this can allow a grand campaign if you use the correct user modifications. play from the beginning of crusader kings 2 and end with your newly made nation fending for itself at the end of world war 2 in the great game called hearts of iron 3.

Great collection. If you want the ultimate in World War 2 grand strategy games, look no further! Not only do you get the base game and all its expansions to date(which really make it shine), you also get all the 'fluff' DLC that add extra sprite graphics and a few tunes for those that want a little bit extra(and I don't know if they are all that good value on their own). With the blue coins you get as a reward I recommend adding the Dies Irae and Common Weapons DLC's that are not included(as they are mods) and have the complete package.

Hearts of iron 3 is one of the best strategy games in the world! Deep, large, massive, there's no real limit to this game. You control every aspect of any nation during WWII, from the lowly divisions on the front up to the ministers in your nations cabinet.

While it can be a lot to grasp for someone new to grand-strategy and the in-game tutorial is rubbish, there's always the friendly Paradox forums where you can get all the help you need.

You can also let the a.i handle different parts off your nation if it becomes too much to handle.

There's so much that can be said about this game, but the best way to find out is to try it yourself. DL load the demo and try to get a feeling about it. Don't judge the game after playing just the demo!

It's great to have all DLC in the same package. It's a great game, though I prefer the technology tree in Hearts of Iron 2. The diplomacy panel is though better in this one as well as the research panel.

Excelent game. I'm still getting used to all the micromanagement and options. It's kinda difficult for somebody with no previous experience in grand strategy games, but it's a real fun.

You want deep game play and you want nearly all the expansions in one purchase then look no farther. This is missing the Common weapons expansion and Dies Irae Gotterdämmerung, but they are inexpensive and can be purchased with you blue coin rewards.

The game is deep and has a massive community that is still very active. Be sure to check the Paradox forums to see some of the veteran players explanations and tips to game play.

Hearts of Iron 3 is the most detailed and complete WWII grand strategy game. Controlling your divisions or planning coup d'etats it's great. But still has, even with the last expansion and patches, some problems. At first I can't stand that map, even after the FtM improvements. The other problem is that, expecially in long plays, it tends to slow down too much, even in relatively recent PCs. Anyway theese are secundary matters that can't avoid HoI 3 to be a really great game. Not still a perfect one though...

This is simply the best WWII strategy simulation on the market. I love HoI2 and didn't want to move to HoI3. But after some coaxing my buddies, I tried it. Now I don't even look back, lol. The only thing I wish they had for this was a saved game editor. We play a lot of custom scenarios and taking the time to edit the saved game file can be tedious. Overall though I have nothing bad to say about this game.

This is really in my opinion the greatest of all grand strategy games. When the game was first released it was plauged by glitches,crashes,and horribly slow gameplay which many people may have heard of. Now the game runs smoothly its bugs are almost completely gone. Now my only true complaint with game is that Common Weapons of WW2 and a few other dlcs will not install correctly with the Hearts of Iron 3 Collection version. Other than that if you are ready to lead the germans to finally victory,hold the line with the French,defeat the axis juggernaut with the soviet union and spread your influnce around the world,or lead the U.S.A. against Japan,Germany,Italy,and adventually against the communists this game is exactly what you need.

This is one of best game i ever played. You able to conquer the world with country of your choice. Germany is my favorite. Once you familiar with the game you will know that this game is something.

I've tryed all the HoI games except HoI1 and to summerize it is the latest and the worst all of them. It tryes to be in one part historical and on the other as sandbox as possible. It ends up in some semi-sandbox game. However there are good parts in this game as well. I especially enjoy the new alignment system, the trading system is also good and I'm satisfied with the tech page as well. On the other hand the intelligence, political are dull. The supply system does not even worth mentioning. If you would like to see how it should have worked play Arsenal of Democracy. And for the worst part the cores and map system are generally awful. Germany doesn't even have a claim on Elsass-Lotharingen (after 2 addons) - it's blasphemy. And I don't also like the wargoal system. Play Darkest Hour to see how the last 3 problems should have been solved. Finally some good things again, the HQ system is very much like in real life and I like it, and the huge map gives you a space to use any strategies that comes to your mind.

To sum up I'm not really satisfied with this game but it worth a try.

You want deep game play and you want nearly all the expansions in one purchase then look no farther. This is missing the Common weapons expansion and Dies Irae Gotterdämmerung, but they are inexpensive and can be purchased with you blue coin rewards.

The game is deep and has a massive community that is still very active. Be sure to check the Paradox forums to see some of the veteran players explanations and tips to game play.

If you want a grand strategy game which will give you hours and hours of play, then this has to be a good buy. Play as pretty much any country in WWII, shape your military, politics, and technology as you desire, and then see if you can achieve your aims when the enemy comes calling.

I've been very impressed with HOI3, and I can see it eating hours of my life!

If, like me, you are late to the HOI3 boat, now is time to catch up. With the blue coins you will get, I suggest you get Dies Irae Götterdämmerung and Common Weapons of WWII which, for some reason, are not included in this complete pack.

this is the finest strategy game i have ever laid my hands on. it is packed full of complex features, and is filled to the brim with options. war or peace? fight or flight? invade or exploit? you can do anything! it has a steep learning curve, but you can get the hang of it! It is worth every penny of it's price. A+ for everything. great job, Paradox!

Hearts of Iron 3(HoI3 from now on) is an interesting game.Like other Paradox Interactive titles, it focuses on complexity and not shiny graphics. The graphics are OK,but the preferred way to show units is with counters and the combat is resolved through a bar that shows the progress of attackers x defenders. So,if you like breathtaking graphics, that demand state of the art 3d graphic cards, this game is not for you.

This game is for you though, if you like a very complex World War II game (or strategy game set in WWII era, if you try to make unhistorical outcomes). The complexity of the productive, technological and combat system is very high. The logistic system, especially,is more important and more detailed than in many other games. These all work to the game's advantage, since they make for a very good experience for players that want to deal with things complex,and not just "produce units and rush". Terrain, weather, organization,morale, how many officers you have, who's in charge of what division/corps etc, means a lot in this game, and this will probably please more experience players looking for a challenge.

Another caveat of this game is the very steep learning curve. The tutorial doesn't really teach you much. To learn you must go to the Hearts of Iron 3 wiki and try the "Your first game" page, which will teach you the basics of going as Nationalist China. The Hoi3 wiki also contains a lot of information not available in the manual. Another way to learn the game is through the After Action Reports in the forum of Paradox, as well as through questions there.

So,I'd give this game 4 stars. It'd get 5 stars, but the absece of a good manual and good tutorial make this game very difficult to learn. Also, the limited timeframe (1936-1948, with lots of scenario along those years) make this game more limiting than other Paradox titles, like Europa Universalis 3 (400 years) or Victoria 2 (100 years). Yes,it might be interesting playing as Cuba or Mongolia, but the limited timeframe make it less fullfiling, since there's less of a pay-off. Also, the diplomatic and espionage options are limited. Once war is declared, there's only one of way of ending it: total destruction of the enemy country and enemy faction (if the country's leaders try to rule in exile). So, I'd recommend HoI3 to experienced players who want a complex game, but I must warn that this game focuses on war (other options are limited) and that it's difficult to learn.