“Grand strategy” is a sub-genre title that always amuses me. I can’t help but picture someone playing Command & Conquer whilst wearing a ceremonial robe and crown, or Dawn of War on a 300″ monitor. Slightly disappointingly, it’s a different kind of grandiose it refers to – playing as an entire nation, seeing only the big picture and rarely the individual soldiers. Total War’s strategy map is a good example. The Hearts of Iron series is all about that uber-bird-eye’s view, with the upcoming HoI III handing you the reigns of practically any nation during 1936-1948. Dates you may recognise as covering a period of modern history that there almost no videogames about. Perhaps even none.

Yes, it’s flippin’ Dubya Dubya Too, but a version of it in which you could take over the world with Costa Rica, or plot revenge against the Nazis as the Polish government in exile. While clearly it’s fatted with a frightnening amount of historical accuracy, it’s also a giant What If? sandbox.
Read the rest of this entry »