Hardcore strategy games are, for the most part, a delicate mixture of realism and simulation on steroids. Paradox Interactive’s Pride of Nations is no exception, combining the usual intense military strategy with the dictator level of government (public) control, and influence over the private sector. Whilst there is no real highlight to capture the attention, this game looks set to be an exceptionally well rounded addition to the genre and something that will be looked on favourably compared to others in the genre (e.g Hearts of Iron).
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| Time to get the thinking caps out again |
The game takes you to the 1850-1920 period of as you play as one of eight important nations during this this. It’s a good setting for war, with Britain at the height of its power and America in the midst of a civil war, concluding the with no less than World War 1. This is a very volatile time so regardless of whether you choose the blanket/ sandbox mode where you pick a nation and let it grow through the time or take part in the specific missions, there is a lot of fun to be had.
The game is historically extremely accurate and military buffs will be impressed with the dedication to detail; from the correct naming and ranking of 1 star generals names and ranks, the military jargon and symbolism used as well as the precision in uniforms. Even progression of technology has been timed so as to coincide with its historical inception into society. When its clear the homework has been done so thoroughly, its hard not to appreciate the effort. Indeed, the aesthetic nature of the game is generally of a very high standard – for a grand wargame, this is somewhat unusual, and good to see.
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| The level of detail in this game is really, really impressive |
The tutorial does leave a lot to the imagination and may not be ideal for first-time players and this may be a drawback for the title, assuming it’s not fixed in time for the game’s release. The goal of the game is to achieve prestige points and this appears easiest achieved through military and economic means, despite the many options for victory available.
All in all, despite nothing truly exciting to capture the imagination, Pride of Nations looks set to be a solid addition to the genre. We are big fans of wargames here at Digitally Downloaded, and we’re keen to get into the final build of this game.
– Owen S
