

There’s also a mutually exclusive path where the Tsar is reduced to a figurehead and the government is controlled by Fascists. The main goal here is to redraw the empire’s old borders, with Europe becoming the main battleground. This can lead to another option to promote Pan-Slavic Nationalism where Poland and the Baltic States happily get integrated. For example, a non-aligned Tsarist Russia can join the United Kingdom and France, eventually reforming the Triple Entente from World War I. The “Beaten, but not Defeated” playthrough in Hearts of Iron IV: No Step Back leads to further branches. Once you’ve stabilized the nation, it’s up to you to decide how you’ll move forward.

From there, you’ll mop up your opponents, and the dictator himself will disappear, perhaps going into hiding in South America (alluding to a conspiracy theory where Adolf Hitler ran off to Argentina instead of committing suicide). Ideally, you’ll want to do this when the time is right, such as once you’re holding enough loyal territories while the Stalinist faction only has pockets of resistance. However, there’s also a particular National Focus where you kickstart the conflict (providing additional bonuses). If Stalin’s political paranoia reaches 90 points, he has a chance of triggering the civil war himself. In turn, the terror unleashed by the madman will cause the support of the military to slowly erode. As Stalin’s Political Paranoia increases, so, too, will the frequency and gravity of Great Purges. He’ll attempt to “core” his own loyalist provinces and turn generals to his side. While attempting to hold these lands (i.e., akin to “coring” a province or colony in other grand strategy games), the computer-controlled Stalin will try to complete his own National Focuses. Naturally, Stalin and the NKVD will catch wind of a brewing plot. It’s even possible to gain expeditionary forces and units from would-be rivals like the Empire of Japan and Nazi Germany by giving them concessions. Instead, you’ll take control of territories that will become part of your power base once the civil war begins.

Because the military is highly politicized, you won’t be attempting to gain new generals as followers. Likewise, you can slowly curb the people’s support of Communism by extolling the virtues of Orthodox Christianity and bringing religious leaders into the fold. If you choose this, you can decide on supporting the claims of the remaining members of the Romanov dynasty. Meanwhile, a mutually exclusive branch called “Beaten, but not Defeated,” takes an entirely different approach. Those two options, as well as Stalin’s historical choices, are part of “The Path of Marxism-Leninism” branch. Both leaders aim to establish a headquarters and gain the support of the military, even personages from other factions, all to strengthen their chances at a looming civil war. These include allying with “The Left Opposition,” led by Leon Trotsky, or “The Right Opposition,” led by Nikolai Bukharin. In Hearts of Iron IV: No Step Back, players have a chance to follow ahistorical outcomes thanks to dozens of new National Focuses. His paranoia then led to the Great Purges, where many of those who were accused of disloyalty to the state and the party were executed. Historically, Stalin’s position as the leader of the Soviet Union was untenable, as many sought to rival his dominance. These predominantly revolve around Joseph Stalin’s faction, known in the game as “The Center.” Indeed, this is the only start date that allows you to experience new features specific to the Soviet Union in full. My impressions of Hearts of Iron IV: No Step Back are based on a playthrough where I chose the Soviet Union for the 1936 start date. It’s set to release today, so you’ll have a chance to try it out. The Soviet Union takes center stage here, but Poland, Lithuania, Latvia, and Estonia have also undergone many changes. With a plethora of features and functions, Hearts of Iron IV: No Step Back primarily looks at nations on the Eastern Front.
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In some ways, the expansion, alongside the free Barbarossa update, can be considered as two of the biggest and most substantial content drops for the game. Hearts of Iron IV: No Step Back is the latest expansion for Paradox Interactive’s World War II grand strategy title.
