Have you ever had a dream about changing the course of history? Have you ever wondered what might happen if Britain got involved in the Spanish Civil War? What about the United States taking an isolationist policy towards Europe in World War Two? If you have dreams like that, then you are either a historian, or you are waiting for Hearts of Iron IV from Paradox. The good news is that I have the latest trailer to share with you.

The alternative history dynamics are very much to the fore in this latest trailer as the lack of American support for Britain leads to a devastating attack from German troops.

It is a trailer which explores a side of Hearts of Iron which I’ve never tried out myself. I normally choose a tiny country in the middle of nowhere and wait to see what minimal impact I might be able to have on the war, or I choose an underpowered European nation, and find myself being steam-rollered during the ensuing chaos.

The idea then of taking a major player during the events of the 1930s and leading them down an entirely different path to what occurred in reality is enticing. While the game won’t involve the sweeping grand game of family back-stabbing found in Crusader Kings II, there should be more freedom to bend history to your desires (such as the States embracing isolationism in the video), which has me keenly awaiting the arrival of the game, likely next year.

As I start masterminding some bizarre strategies, I’ll leave you with a bunch of screenshots from Gamescom.