Rock, Paper, Shotgun

I love maps and I love horror, but is it possible for a map to be frightening? Defcon says ‘yes, they most certainly can’, and then the next thing it says is a a sequence of numbers, a countdown, a terrible unnerving countdown. Maps communicate events and some events, nuclear war being a notable example, are certainly the stuff of horror. Today, Paradox announced a new Hearts of Iron game, East Vs West, which takes place between 1946 and 1991. All nations are playable and there are “a host of tense features, from taking issues in front of the UN Security Council to nervously watching the game’s Doomsday clock.” The horror. Large words and historical footage make up the trailer below.

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Despite the stat-tacular Hearts of Iron III coming out last year and an expansion for it coming out earlier this year, it seems Paradox are still releasing expansions for Hearts of Iron II. And why not? If I had my way all games would be ever-expanding, like some strange breed of digital fungus, occasionally growing so big that one would completely swallow another.

Hearts of Iron II’s third expansion, Iron Cross, was released today and seems to be a much more straight-laced affair than the nuclear-powered Doomsday and Armageddon expansions, simply providing more countries, provinces and technologies to the existing game. A Let’s Play video of HoI: Armageddon with a chirpy European talking over it can be found after the jump.
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We know when we’re being manipulated. And we’re being manipulated by the press release just put out by Paradox. It shows us nothing but this tantalising paraphrase of Hearts of Iron developer, Johan Andersson:

“PC sales makes it difficult for us to consider developing console based titles.”

Ooh, you scamps. It seems Andersson is selling “insane amounts” of his games on PC, and sales are increasing. Which is just the sort of feel-good story we need to start our day.

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