I do hope that Paradox create more of these DLCs with the focus on minor nations, with interesting new National Focus trees. I like the addition of the autonomy mechanic and the new sprites and leaders. But that's only part of what HOI4 needs. If the next DLC brings more resilient AI, better balanced anti-air and a focus on fixing a few of my peeves with the warscore system, I'll be getting it for that rather than for any deep dives into the soul of a minor nation. Unless it's Finland. Those guys were the rock stars of WW2.

Hearts of Iron IV: Together for Victory does something that Paradox has been known for: adds compelling new content to an already brilliant title. The new Commonwealth mechanics give you a reason to explore this time period from a different lens, while the combat improvements make planning and executing battle plans easier than ever. However, the performance issues marring the experience, as well as frustrating AI, make Together for Victory one of the most poorly performing game in Paradox’s library.

Together for Victory does a great job in fleshing out the factions of the Commonwealth and the Allied faction. States like Canada or the British Raj now offer unique playthroughs, and the addition of features like voice acting for certain factions, continuous focuses and a puppet system makes a great game even better.

It would be slightly unfair to say that a lot of these changes feel like a user-made mod, but at a price point as high as this, I can’t in good conscience recommend it as a must-buy for players of the base game.

Having more small nations might seem good, but the reality is many of the nations are completely unplayable, short of some strict gambit or cheap AI tactic. The nations are too small, too irrelevant to matter and, as a result, the entire premise of this DLC is rendered negative. Sadly, Hearts of Iron IV: Together for Victory falls into the issues seen with other downloadable content from Paradox Interactive.

I’m not convinced that playing a nation like South Africa or Canada will ever be quite as engaging as playing Britain or Germany, at least not when it comes to the war itself. They still have to play catch up, and they’re always going to depend on the superpowers. Together for Victory doesn’t simply buff the Commonwealth nations to make them more viable however – it gives them more options and more nation-defining decisions, especially in regards to creating an alternate history. It’s an entirely different focus, and a welcome one.