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Hearts of Iron 2 CompleteVSHearts of Iron III

Which game gives you more value right now? Every metric, head to head.

Hearts of Iron 2 Complete

Hearts of Iron 2 Complete

Quality
80Popularity
23Value
75
SteamBest price· Steam
−75% $3.74
Buy
VS
Hearts of Iron III

Hearts of Iron III

Quality
72Popularity
30Value
80
KinguinBest price· Kinguin · Key marketplace
Likely ends in 9 hours
−83% $1.67
Buy

Winner

Hearts of Iron III wins 9 of 13 head-to-head metrics.

Worth keeping an eye on. Currently sitting in a decent spot, but not quite a must-buy just yet.

Buy on Kinguin
4
Hearts of Iron 2 Complete
4 of 13 metrics
Hearts of Iron III
9 of 13 metrics
9

Head-to-head metrics

Direct metric-by-metric comparison: winner determined by count, no weighting

Value
Pricing & deals
Current Best Price (USD)
$3.74 -
$1.67 Wins
Historical Low Price (USD)
$3.10 -
$1.42 Wins
Best Current Discount
-75% -
-83% Wins
Sales Frequency
7 price changes -
124 price changes Wins
Quality
Critical & user reception
Metacritic
83/100 Wins
77/100 -
Steam Review Score
81.2% positive Wins
71.2% positive -
Total Steam Reviews
633 -
5.3K Wins
Positive Steam Reviews
514 -
3.8K Wins
Negative Steam Reviews
119 Wins
1.5K -
Popularity
Community & activity
Average Concurrent Players (14 days)
53 Wins
51 -
Steam Recommendations
632 -
5.3K Wins
Features
Features & content
Supported Languages
1 language -
4 languages Wins
Release Date
Jan 2009 -
Aug 2009 Wins
GameValio recommendation
MaybeHearts of Iron 2 Complete

Worth keeping an eye on. Currently sitting in a decent spot, but not quite a must-buy just yet.

MaybeHearts of Iron III

Worth keeping an eye on. Currently sitting in a decent spot, but not quite a must-buy just yet.

Statistics over time

Side-by-side historical trends: same time range, same scale

Time range:
Hearts of Iron 2 Complete
Hearts of Iron III

Player count trends

· Concurrent players over time

Review score trends

· Positive review ratio over time

Review volume trends

— Total reviews accumulated over time

Price comparison

Current deals and best prices side by side

Hearts of Iron 2 Complete

Hearts of Iron 2 Complete

2 Stores
Steam
Steam −75% $3.74Buy
GAMIVO
GAMIVO +15% $4.31View
Hearts of Iron III

Hearts of Iron III

4 Stores
Kinguin
Kinguin −83% $1.67Buy
GAMIVO
GAMIVO +11% $1.85View
GamersGate
GamersGate +50% $2.50View
Steam
Steam$9.99View

Hearts of Iron 2 Complete

Quality

Most players came away satisfied: more positives than negatives.

81% positive (633 reviews): mostly positive
Metacritic 83/100: high marks from professional reviewers
633 reviews: decent but potentially skewed

Value

Price is reasonable for what the game offers.

$3.74: very accessible price
75% off: deep discount
Historical low: $3.10: room for better deals

Popularity

Declining player base: could be a problem for multiplayer-dependent games.

Players down 38% in recent days
50 concurrent players: niche audience

Hearts of Iron III

Quality

Most players came away satisfied: more positives than negatives.

71% positive (5,300 reviews): mostly positive
Metacritic 77/100: generally favorable from critics
5,300 reviews: solid data foundation

Value

Price is reasonable for what the game offers.

$1.67: very accessible price
83% off: deep discount
Near historical low ($1.42)

Popularity

Declining player base: could be a problem for multiplayer-dependent games.

Players down 20% in recent days
39 concurrent players: niche audience
Game detailsHearts of Iron 2 CompleteHearts of Iron III
Release date
January 23, 2009
August 7, 2009
Developers
Paradox Development Studio
Paradox Development Studio
Publishers
Paradox Interactive
Paradox Interactive
Platforms
Windows
Windows, MacOs
Which is better: Hearts of Iron 2 Complete or Hearts of Iron III?

Hearts of Iron III won the comparison against Hearts of Iron 2 Complete based on the head-to-head metric breakdown. Check the metrics table above for a full side-by-side analysis.

How is the comparison calculated?

The comparison winner is determined objectively by counting which game wins more individual metrics in the head-to-head table. No weighting is applied. The GameValio Recommendation shown separately is our own suggestion for each game, based on a weighted score that combines quality (reviews), popularity (player counts), and affordability (price vs value) into a score out of 100. These are two different things: the comparison is objective, the recommendation is GameValio's opinion.

Is Hearts of Iron 2 Complete worth buying over Hearts of Iron III?

Based on the metrics, Hearts of Iron III won the direct comparison. However, also check the GameValio Recommendation for each game and the price comparison table to make the most informed purchase decision.

Which game has better player reviews?

Review score trends and volume over time are shown in the charts section above. The game with consistently higher positive ratios has stronger community reception.

Which game offers better value for money?

The affordability score and price comparison table above highlight the best deals. Hearts of Iron III currently scores better on value relative to its quality and price.

Analysis updated: Oct 13, 2026, 05:07 PM UTC

Data sourced from Steam, Metacritic, and various stores. Not affiliated with Valve Corporation. Scores updated daily to keep recommendations fresh.

Some store links are affiliate links: we may earn a commission at no extra cost to you. Stores can’t pay for a better score or recommendation. How we make money