It seems that all the talk of Japan dominating if the US goes KGF or KIF ignores the very fact that the US went KGF or KIF. Japan could be on or past US income, but they will likely be a couple turns out of position for a west coast attack if they get their income that high. Additionally, heading back towards the US means less pressure on Russia. Meanwhile, one of the European Axis powers will be facing increased Allied pressure.
I love this when I play Japan, of course, but then I have to make the same decisions that the US did. Do I split my forces or focus on one theater? The US going funneling into one theater still seems like a viable strategy, and not the “Japan auto-win” as I’m seeing it implied.
My feel of the game is that it favors the Allies, but not to the degree that it needs re-balancing. I feel that having the Axis as an underdog gives it that historical flavor, but it’s not so far out of reach for them.