HEARTS OF IRON IV: GÖTTERDÄMMERUNG - WHEN PARADOX REMEMBERS HOW TO MAKE good DLC

Ever wanted to build a nuclear-powered aircraft carrier while roleplaying as Belgium? Götterdämmerung is here to drain your wallet and possibly melt your CPU.

THROWING MONEY AT THE REICH

Let's address the elephant in the War Room: This DLC costs more than some indie games' entire development budget. At $25, it's the most expensive HOI4 DLC yet, which is about as shocking as Italy switching sides. However, unlike previous cash grabs, you might actually get your money's worth this time.

IT'S ACTUALLY PRETTY DAMN GOOD

I know, I'm as surprised as you are. After Trial of Allegiance made us question Paradox's sanity, Götterdämmerung feels like they finally remembered how to make proper DLC. The new focus trees are meatier than a German bratwurst, especially Germany's rework which is more complex than actual German bureaucracy.

SPECIAL PROJECTS: BECAUSE REGULAR RESEARCH WAS TOO SIMPLE

The new Special Projects system adds another layer of micromanagement that you didn't know you needed. Want to research super-weapons? Great, now you need a PhD in project management too. It's actually pretty fun once you get the hang of it, though watching your research points tick away slower than peace negotiations with Stalin can be painful. The system gives major powers some interesting toys to play with, from wonder weapons to advanced technologies that'll make your military advisors weep with joy.

FOCUS TREES THAT DON'T MAKE YOU WANT TO CRY

The focus tree reworks are surprisingly solid. Germany finally got the glow-up it deserved, with enough alternate paths to make a history professor have an aneurysm. Belgium transformed from speedbump to potential powerhouse, Austria can now do more than just get annexed, and Hungary actually became interesting, which is more than we can say for some major powers. Looking at you, France.

THE AI LEARNED TO TIE ITS SHOES

The AI received a significant upgrade, making it slightly less stupid than before. It can actually defend its shores, use tanks somewhat effectively, and concentrate forces instead of spreading them thinner than Italian armor. Though it still occasionally does things that make you question if it's secretly being controlled by a very confused cat, it's a marked improvement over the previous "throw everything everywhere and pray" strategy.

BUGS: MORE FEATURES THAN WE ORDERED

Like any Paradox release, there are enough bugs to make an entomologist excited. Some focus trees occasionally break harder than the Maginot Line, Special Projects can sometimes bug out and give you nothing for your trouble, and the AI occasionally forgets how to function - though that might be historically accurate for certain nations.

THE BOTTOM LINE

Despite costing more than your monthly coffee budget, Götterdämmerung is probably the best HOI4 DLC since No Step Back. It adds meaningful content, actually improves core gameplay mechanics, and gives you enough new toys to keep you occupied until the next overpriced DLC drops. New players might want to wait for a sale, but veterans have probably already bought it. As for your CPU - our deepest condolences.

8.5/10 - Worth every penny, which is saying something since it costs about as many pennies as Germany had war debts