Hearts of Iron IV - A big red flag when talking to others about favourite games:

Gameplay - Painting maps like Adolf at arts school - 7/10:
Out of all the Paradox grand strategy games, I find HOI4 to be the most enjoyable and most engaging to play due to being faster paced, more focused due to its shorter time period, has more in depth army mechanics, has better logistical supply mechanics and in my subjective opinion, has better AI that actually does something and leaves something to engage with, unlike some other paradox games where it feels like nothing is happening or changing *cough* *cough* CK3 *cough VIC3 *cough* *cough*. People may call the game's focus and event system as railroading but it's something which makes the game actually dynamic and enjoyable to play and can actually lead to a potential scenario where the map at the end of the game resembles the real world map at the end of the war, instead of it basically remaining the same.

Performance and Stability - Slightly more reliable than German transmission - 6/10:
No matter how powerful your computer is, this game runs like ♥♥♥♥ in the end game. If you have a potato, prepare to experience this game in real time. The game also has a tendency to crash occasionally and has quite a few bugs that can infuriate you. Also, The AI, like most Paradox AI is quite laughable and easy to exploit if you are experienced with the game mechanics and there can be situations where the AI becomes broken. However, the development team is very active and regularly updates the game with bug fixes so they get an extra point for that.

Modability - The workers have seized the means of production - 10/10:
The shining jewel of this game and the main reason this is my most played game on steam is due to the steam workshop. There is such a creative variety of mods to choose, from significant improvements to the normal WW2 gameplay like Road to 56, to wacky alternate history mods like The New Order and Kaiserreich, to complete overhauls showcasing other worlds like the Fallout inspired Old World Blues and the My Little Pony inspired Equestria at War. There are thousands of mods to choose from with dozens comining out every single day. You can tell that I don't play this game without mods due to the fact that I don't have any achievements lmao. This is one of the most replayable games I've ever played and would probably choose HOI4 if I could only play one game for the rest of my life.

Multiplayer - Nazis or Tankies or ♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥ (Maybe all three?) - 1/10:
This is my personal experience from years ago so it will be different for you but every single time I tried to play multiplayer, it was an awful experience filled with some of the most whiny and pathetic people I've played with online. The amount of rage quitters is extremely annoying, especially when someone leaving can cause the entire multi hour game match to end without a conclusion. That doesn't even factor the number of deplorable people this game attracts. Who would've thought that a game that lets people play as Hitler or Stalin would have fans of those people play the game. Touch some grass lmao.

Soundtrack - The Sound of Music - 8/10:
Paradox always knows how to use their orchestra to make amazing music to listen to while invading enemy countries. The game also has a wide variety of historical music and war music that really fit the vibe and help immerse a player. Also, some mods have amazing soundtracks, always enable music when playing mods.

DLC - A Paradox Interactive Moment out of 10:
Getting all the DLC for this game is extremely expensive and is sadly kind of necessary. Get that subscription thingy if you aren't loaded with money.

Obsession - Defining game of a thirteen year old boy - 10/10:
One metric that I like to rank a game by is how obsessed I become with a game and whether or not I'll forget about it or continue to play that game regularly or even get involved in the game's community. Out of all the games I've played, this game has had the most impact on me (most played game after all) and is primarily the reason why I am interested in history and has led to me finding other important interests and hobbies. I always come back to play this game every few weeks and will continue to do so in the future and I do watch videos about this game on Youtube and occasionally read about it on forums and discussion pages. I'll see where this game will end up going and see if its eventual sequel will live up to it.

I would recommend this game to others, however there is a very steep learning curve and this game is not for everyone. Even though there are many parts of this game that are annoying, there are even more things that are enjoyable. I'll give Hearts of Iron IV a 7.5/10.

Hearts of Iron IV - A big red flag when talking to others about favourite games: Gameplay - Painting maps like Adolf at arts school - 7/10: Out of all the Paradox grand strategy games, I find HOI4 to be the most enjoyable and most engaging to play due to being faster paced, more focused due to its shorter time period, has more in depth army mechanics, has better logistical supply mechanics and in my subjective opinion, has better AI that actually does something and leaves something to engage with, unlike some other paradox games where it feels like nothing is happening or changing *cough* *cough* CK3 *cough VIC3 *cough* *cough*. People may call the game's focus and event system as railroading but it's something which makes the game actually dynamic and enjoyable to play and can actually lead to a potential scenario where the map at the end of the game resembles the real world map at the end of the war, instead of it basically remaining the same. Performance and Stability - Slightly more reliable than German transmission - 6/10: No matter how powerful your computer is, this game runs like shit in the end game. If you have a potato, prepare to experience this game in real time. The game also has a tendency to crash occasionally and has quite a few bugs that can infuriate you. Also, The AI, like most Paradox AI is quite laughable and easy to exploit if you are experienced with the game mechanics and there can be situations where the AI becomes broken. However, the development team is very active and regularly updates the game with bug fixes so they get an extra point for that. Modability - The workers have seized the means of production - 10/10: The shining jewel of this game and the main reason this is my most played game on steam is due to the steam workshop. There is such a creative variety of mods to choose, from significant improvements to the normal WW2 gameplay like Road to 56, to wacky alternate history mods like The New Order and Kaiserreich, to complete overhauls showcasing other worlds like the Fallout inspired Old World Blues and the My Little Pony inspired Equestria at War. There are thousands of mods to choose from with dozens comining out every single day. You can tell that I don't play this game without mods due to the fact that I don't have any achievements lmao. This is one of the most replayable games I've ever played and would probably choose HOI4 if I could only play one game for the rest of my life. Multiplayer - Nazis or Tankies or Dickheads (Maybe all three?) - 1/10: This is my personal experience from years ago so it will be different for you but every single time I tried to play multiplayer, it was an awful experience filled with some of the most whiny and pathetic people I've played with online. The amount of rage quitters is extremely annoying, especially when someone leaving can cause the entire multi hour game match to end without a conclusion. That doesn't even factor the number of deplorable people this game attracts. Who would've thought that a game that lets people play as Hitler or Stalin would have fans of those people play the game. Touch some grass lmao. Soundtrack - The Sound of Music - 8/10: Paradox always knows how to use their orchestra to make amazing music to listen to while invading enemy countries. The game also has a wide variety of historical music and war music that really fit the vibe and help immerse a player. Also, some mods have amazing soundtracks, always enable music when playing mods. DLC - A Paradox Interactive Moment out of 10: Getting all the DLC for this game is extremely expensive and is sadly kind of necessary. Get that subscription thingy if you aren't loaded with money. Obsession - Defining game of a thirteen year old boy - 10/10: One metric that I like to rank a game by is how obsessed I become with a game and whether or not I'll forget about it or continue to play that game regularly or even get involved in the game's community. Out of all the games I've played, this game has had the most impact on me (most played game after all) and is primarily the reason why I am interested in history and has led to me finding other important interests and hobbies. I always come back to play this game every few weeks and will continue to do so in the future and I do watch videos about this game on Youtube and occasionally read about it on forums and discussion pages. I'll see where this game will end up going and see if its eventual sequel will live up to it. I would recommend this game to others, however there is a very steep learning curve and this game is not for everyone. Even though there are many parts of this game that are annoying, there are even more things that are enjoyable. I'll give Hearts of Iron IV a 7.5/10.