When comparing Hearts of Iron 3 vs Total War: Shogun 2, the Slant community recommends Total War: Shogun 2 for most people. In the question“What are the best grand strategy games for the PC?” Total War: Shogun 2 is ranked 3rd while Hearts of Iron 3 is ranked 6th. The most important reason people chose Total War: Shogun 2 is:
If one player decides to fight in real-time instead of auto-resolving a battle, the other player joins the fight on their team. The owner of the army can then delegate control of some of their units to their teammate. This system brings a lot of fun and strategy into the game.
Specs
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Pros
Pro Mods available that improve historical accuracy
For those interested there is a mod that improves historical accuracy called the Historical Plausibility Project. This mod features many improvements to the game such as complex politics that were not originally in the default game.
Pro Both players (in multiplayer) take part in every fight
If one player decides to fight in real-time instead of auto-resolving a battle, the other player joins the fight on their team. The owner of the army can then delegate control of some of their units to their teammate. This system brings a lot of fun and strategy into the game.
Pro Play the campaign together in multiplayer
During co-op play, every player takes control of a clan and can manage it just as they would in single-player mode.
Pro Games are long
Cons
Con Difficult to get into
The game is really difficult to learn all the mechanics of and how to control, like most Paradox games. For those that like this difficulty there is a lot to like but for the most part it only appeals to the die hard fanatics.
Con Games are long
Even a short campaign can fill dozens of hours. Be prepared to play for at least two hours per session if you plan to get anything done.