Best Rts Games For Pc
A good real-time strategy PC game is challenging, lets you level up, and has multiplayer gameplay. We tested the top games so you can pick one to play. We have a feeling that this is one of the upcoming strategy games PC players will be looking forward to for quite some time, with no real release date in site. Valkyria Chronicles 4.
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The Rundown
- Best for Unit-Based Tactics:Company of Heroes 2 at Amazon, “Focuses on unit-based tactics in battles in the Eastern Front theater.”
- Best for Squad Management:Men of War: Assault Squad 2 at Amazon, “The intricate detailing of the game makes for a real-time strategy experience.”
- Best for Scale:Order of War at Amazon, “You can command a force of multiple unit types containing up to 1,000 soldiers, tanks, artillery, aircraft, and more.”
- Best for Complexity:Hearts of Iron IV at Amazon, “You will be in charge of millions of people, hundreds of factories, and dozens of battles around the world.”
- Best for Turn Based Tactics:Combat Mission Anthology at Amazon, “Gives you a more focused feel of the decision-making process of combat orders.”
- Best for Deceptive Tactics:RUSE at Amazon, “You will get the chance to pull off creative misdirections that vary up the gameplay.”
- Best for Alternative History:War Front: Turning Point at Amazon, “Offers an alternative history where Hitler dies early and the world powers get their hands on experimental technologies.”
- Best for Tanks:Codename: Panzers, Phase Two at Amazon, “Its main focus and fun is its extensive tank warfare.”
Our Top Picks
Best for Unit-Based Tactics: Company of Heroes 2
Company of Heroes 2 is a tactical-heavy World War II real-time strategy PC game that focuses on unit-based tactics in battles in the Eastern Front theater. Despite the small group of armies you’ll be commanding, the game lets you focus deeper on controlled management that’s methodical and gives a personalized experience of gameplay.
Every controllable unit type in Company of Heroes 2 has an associated construction cost and recruitment time with a range of varied fighting abilities; you’ll want to assess the battlefield, the weather conditions, and your foes carefully before making a move.
You’ll aim to move your soldiers to rush capture points and increase the flow or resources while gathering near bonfires to beat frostbite or bunkering in a building for cover, all in the hopes that no one flushes you out with a flamethrower or grenade.
The game builds on its legendary predecessor with a line-of-sight feature, a system that better emulates troop visibility in real combat so you’ll need to take into consideration the vision of your units in order to anticipate incoming forces as well as accounting for the sight of your enemies.
Best for Squad Management: Men of War: Assault Squad 2
The skirmish Men of War: Assault Squad 2 for PC focuses on a more squad-based management style gameplay with tactical maneuvering as opposed to full-blown, large-scale warfare. The intricate detailing of the game makes for a real-time strategy experience where nothing is off the table and variables come in the form of everything from unit inventory systems to dynamic tank armor.
There is no base building in Men of War: Assault Squad 2, instead, you’ll be in charge of managing around 250 different vehicles and 200 unique soldier types, each with their own equipment packages, strengths, and weaknesses. You’ll control squads (eight-man teams, single snipers, or armored escorts) that either protect or attack various objectives while diving in trenches, running through buildings, and securing pillboxes.
Aside from its versatility, the presentation of Men of War: Assault Squad 2 is found in its earful of sound effects and visuals, capturing the chaos of constant gunfire, crumbling buildings, the clanging of steel, and the screams of your soldiers.
Best for Scale: Order of War
Order of War covers the final year of World War II, giving you the option to push back the Axis of Evil in France or play as the German army to try to defeat the Soviets in the East. The strategy game operates on a large scale, showcasing an overhead view of your war zone, but allowing cinematic angles, so you can get up close and personal to see every moment of the action.
The massive playing field of Order of War is a treat to the eyes, having you operate a dynamic camera overlooking vast and detailed terrains of fields and pastures from a bird’s eye view as you conduct massive armies to do your bidding. You can command a force of multiple unit types containing up to 1,000 soldiers, tanks, artillery, aircraft, and more while executing strategic attacks based on actual operations during the time.
A striking orchestra builds up the ambiance of impending destruction as you bait an enemy tank squadron for a frontal attack while preparing your ambush with a strategic flanking offense in order to capture command points and push your army to victory.
Best for Complexity: Hearts of Iron IV
If you are up for a challenge, Hearts of Iron IV offers a complex World War II real-time strategy game that can take many hours to master but make you feel like a genius general. You will be in charge of millions of people, hundreds of factories, and dozens of battles around the world (all on a micro level) that may require you to study up on the game’s Wikipedia articles to get a grasp on the game.
Hearts of Iron IV is developed with huge comprehensive scenarios based on an ingeniously detailed strategic simulation that covers every aspect of World War II. The in-game world map is made up of 11,000 provinces, sea regions, and air zones, each with their own climates, terrain, day-night cycle, and supply lines that all have noticeable effects on decision making, movement, and combat.
You’ll focus mainly on logistics and control over resources as you balance your army needs in special areas, dabble in politics, manage factories, and steer the world in any direction (there are also alternative histories, including a Germany that never goes to war, America invading Canada, or even a communist takeover in Japan).
Best for Turn Based Tactics: Combat Mission Anthology
Combat Mission Anthology is a collection of the Combat Mission series, real-time strategy games that offer a mix to the genre using a turn-based system. Despite its slower and more thorough gameplay, the series gives you a more focused feel of the decision-making process of combat orders with comfortable silences in between.
The gameplay of the Combat Mission games are separated into a planning and execution phases where you first give orders to your platoons and reinforced battalions and then witness the conflicts that come as a result of the orders given. All while this is happening, you must account for the morale and leadership given to soldiers, taking in their statuses to see if they’re OK, routed, fatigued, and more while keeping an eye out for soldiers who cower in fear and become permanently affected by the choices you make.
Best for Deceptive Tactics: RUSE
The cleverly titled RUSE has you making multiple decisions covering many strategies, including developing ruses: Deceptive tactics to unleash on your enemies. You will get the chance to pull off creative misdirections that vary up the gameplay, including setting up decoy tanks (much like the Allies did in WW2), speed up units, spy on enemies to gain intel, and cause as much deception as possible while calling out the enemy’s bluffs.
RUSE is set during World War II in the European theater with selectable nations, including the U.S., UK, Germany, USSR, Italy, and France, and each has their own specific units, strengths, and tendencies. Players can jump into the main campaign mode that offers 23 different missions or dive straight into custom skirmish modes to battle against enemy AI.
RUSE shines with its creativity in combat, allowing for multiple combinations of tricky attacks that work in unison (like staging a fake invasion while dropping paratroopers behind enemy lines).
Best for Alternative History: War Front: Turning Point
War Front: Turning Point is a large-scale strategy game that offers an alternative history where Hitler dies early and the world powers get their hands on experimental technologies. You will get to use everything from historical real world M4 Sherman tanks to more futuristic weapons such as exoskeleton mechs, jetpack infantry, freeze rays, and shield generators.
War Front: Turning Point resembles the traditional user interface layout of real-time strategy games like Command & Conquer and follows the familiar formula of collecting resources, constructing various building types, researching new prototypes, and swarming your foes with the appropriate unit type.
The game’s main campaign mode has both primary and secondary objectives that are intertwined with other missions, giving endless amounts of strategic choices that you can make to get the job done. You’ll even be able to jump into a skirmish mode that is unit-based and allows you to engage up to nine different AI in various game types while altering properties, including the time of day, weather, army limit, starting points, resources, and more.
Best for Tanks: Codename: Panzers, Phase Two
Though Codename: Panzers, Phase Two has three different unit types, including infantry and artillery, its main focus and fun is its extensive tank warfare. The WW2 RTS game has a real-time feel to it with multiple solutions to each of its missions that send you off into unfamiliar territory, including the dusty dunes of the Sahara.
The detail in Codename: Panzers, Phase Two covers aspects of not only the commands you give but the management that comes with every action. Codename: Panzers, Phase Two will have you strategically moving and positioning your units in order to execute surprise attacks and flanks while also tasking you with upkeeps such as armor repairs and ammunition resupplies.
The more seasoned surviving units become, the more chances you’ll have to upgrade them, turning your rookies into elite tank crews and placing them into more powerful tanks, making them more dependable and lethal.
What to Look for in a World War II Strategy PC Game
Rating - War games can be violent or disturbing, so be sure to check the Entertainment Software Rating Board (ESRB) rating before buying one. The ratings have three elements: Rating categories (“E” for everyone; “E10+” for ages 10 and up; “T” for teens; “M” for mature 17+; and “A” for adults only), Content Descriptors (Comic mischief, mild language, etc.) and Interactive Elements (In-Game Purchases, Users Interact, Shares Location, Unrestricted Internet, etc.).
Graphics - Graphics and sound effects will dictate how the game looks and sounds. Since World War II games are rooted in history, you’ll want a game with the most realistic graphics possible. This includes not only detail in your surroundings, but of characters, weapons, and machinery as well.
Level of difficulty - Gamers who are new to strategy games might want to begin with an easy game to dip their toes into the genre. It doesn’t take long to master war tactics and operations, but some games have more strategic gameplay than others. Luckily, most games feature a selection of difficulty levels, so you can level up slowly or quickly as you wish.
Which are the strategy games to play now? Here are the best ones ranked
Strategy games have been making a welcome comeback in recent years. After so long with only genre juggernauts keeping things afloat, we now see an explosion of creative brilliance across many platforms. The revival of XCOM especially has led to many innovators and imitators, with Into The Breach and Frostpunk being just a couple of shining examples.
If the world of strategy has ever felt overwhelming to you in the past, worry not, as Trusted Reviews has compiled some of the biggest and best you can play right now. Many of these are friendly to newcomers while still offering a staggering amount of depth for veterans ready and willing to dedicate themselves. Regardless of your knowledge with this long-running genre, it’s time to get started!
Into the Breach
Platforms: PC, Mac, Linux, Nintendo Switch
Pros:
Best Rts Games For Pc 2018
- Ingenious combination of block puzzle and tactics
- Creates stories through its gameplay systems
- Beautiful musical score
Cons:
- Won’t necessarily convert those who don’t enjoy the genre
Into The Breach takes the world of turn-based tactics and shrinks it down into something small, digestible and immensely satisfying. Confined to an 8×8 grid, you control a series of mechanical robots doing battle with evil insects amidst myriad different environments.
You’ll also need to take surroundings into constant consideration, as the buildings being attacked by our creepy crawling enemies are the very same that power our only means of the defense. This leads to a melodic sequence of movements, attacks and strategic thought that isn’t afraid to challenge the player at every conceivable turn.
Upon failure, you’ll need to start again, although select upgrades and modes of progression will be carried over as you embark on another run. Into The Breach is an addictive marvel, and one of the best strategy games to emerge in 2018.
XCOM 2: War of the Chosen
Platforms: PS4, Xbox One, PC, Mac, Linux
Pros:
- Tight tactical gameplay
- Dynamic and unpredictable
- Wider strategy full of tough, meaningful decisions
- New stealth options work well
- Strong cinematic presentation
Cons:
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Where Into the Breach is a tiny perfect snack of tactics, XCOM 2: War of the Chosen is an all you can eat buffet. It’s a gigantic, globe spanning game with dozens of systems layered on top of each other, all combining to make you break your keyboard when your favourite soldier gets nailed with a poorly thrown grenade.
While the first game had you defend earth against alien invaders, the second presumes you’ve already lost, and are now mounting a resistance against an occupying force. The fantastic War of the Chosen DLC adds more to this, with various resistance groups and recurring villain aliens hampering your fightback. Simply the best execution of the venerable XCOM concept yet.
Company of Heroes
Platforms: PC, Mac
Pros:
- Incredible micro-management depth
- The best RTS to play co-op vs AI
- Amazing levels of tension
Cons:
- Sometimes overwhelming
The genius of Company of Heroes is to scale the RTS right down. Every squad of soldiers has a massive range of micro-management options, but there are few enough of them that those of us who aren’t professional Starcraft players can use them properly.
When encountering a machine gun a rifle squad will dive to the deck, suppressed by the hail of fire, but by carefully maneuvering them around cover and tossing a grenade, they can take that emplacement out. The Opposing Fronts DLC is a must have, adding two exciting new factions, while the Soviet themed sequel isn’t quite as good as the original.
Invisible Inc
Platforms: PS4, PC, Mac, Linux
Pros:
- Terrific aesthetic
- Masterful tension
- New agents play vastly differently
Cons:
- Very difficult for beginners
Invisible Inc takes the turn based tactics of XCOM and applies it to the tension of the stealth game genre. Each mission involves a team of agents infiltrating an procedurally generated base, with the alarm steadily rising as they become more aware of your presence. This means you’re constantly being pushed forward, whilst also desperately trying to stay unseen.
Worse still, knocked out guards will only stay knocked out for a few turns, meaning you need to get past them and get invisible again quickly. Initially it can be brutally difficult, but eventually you come to understand the games quirks, then you’ll unlock another agent, which changes the way the game plays considerably. Eminently replayable, hyper stressful, fun.
Stellaris
Platforms: PC, Mac, Linux
Pros:
- Vast amount of different approaches for different empires
- Constantly being updated with new features
- Full of great mini sci-fi storylets
- Crisis keeps endgame interesting
Cons:
- Diplomacy not as interesting as war
- Managing large empires can get fiddly
- Generally not as fun to play as a ‘good guy’
Stellaris is the ultimate space opera simulator. It lets you create a custom space empire, fulfilling pretty much any science fiction trope you can think of, and then expand to the stars. Along the way you’ll find little Star Trek-esque nuggets of story, tales of cosmic wonder and horror. You’ll also find allies and enemies, making peace and war over hundreds of years before being forced to deal with an existential threat.
Playing Stellaris is like writing your own sci-fi novel, charting the rise and fall of a strange interstellar community made up of religious mushrooms and warmongering penguins. It’s also constantly being improved and updated, so even if you don’t like one particular system, there’s a good change it’ll change in a few months.
Civilization 6
Platforms: PC, Mac, Linux
Pros:
- Deep, engrossing strategy from start to finish
- Fantastic presentation and personality
- Great new additions to the fundamental mechanics
- Refinements and improvements make all of its existing mechanics even better
Cons:
- Religion can be a little spammy
One of the unique appeals of the Civilisation series is that with each new installment a new lead designer gets to come up with their own interpretation of the classic “take an empire from the stone age to the stars” concept.
Civilization 6 is notable for its use of urban sprawl, with cities growing to take up several adjacent map times. This means that planning your settlements ahead and growing them effectively is incredibly important, you’re fighting against the terrain as much as you are opposing rulers.
Total War: Warhammer 2
Platforms: PC, Mac
Pros:
- New, faster-paced style of campaign
- A new world and new races to explore
- Big on weird and wonderful unit types
- Stupidly fun, absorbing and addictive
Cons:
- Hard work to field and support more than a couple of armies
- Requires major commitments in both times and effort
Total War has become a dominant force in the strategy genre, providing players with historical backdrops to wage war across wonderous locations with famous faces at the helm. This trend continues, although Creative Assembly takes a more fantastical approach with Total War: Warhammer 2
Games Workshop’s beloved fantasy series has been translated into the virtual realm with immense love, care and attention as you control an abundance of different races with their own traits and attributes. The conflicts are absolutely huge, requiring a keen eye to best take advantage of the battlefield.
It’s superior to its predecessor is almost every single way, but with a stroke of genius, Creative Assembly has made it possible to combine both games into one huge, cohesive map; allowing you to choose between double the factions and locations.
Starcraft II: Legacy of the Void
Platforms: PC, Mac
Pros:
- A fitting end to the StarCraft II saga
- Superb campaign missions
- Beautiful design and animation
- More accessible online and co-op play
Cons:
- Minor difficulty and pathfinding issues
- Still a very traditional RTS game
It feels weird to even call Starcraft 2 a strategy game, it exists on a separate plane from the rest of these games, and can’t really be measured against them. As the top strategy game esport, Starcraft is arguably watched more than played.
But this unique status is what makes it deserve a place on this list. If you enjoy playing strategy games competitively against other humans, there is simply no substitute. By contrast if you don’t, then Starcraft really isn’t for you.
Cities Skylines
Platforms: PS4, Xbox One, PC, Nintendo Switch
Pros:
- Incredible mod scene
- Deep infrastructure simulation
- Strong DLC support
Cons:
- I hope you like managing traffic
For years Maxis’ SimCity dominated the city building genre, but recently it has been Finnish developer Colossal Order who’ve picked up the flag. Cities Skylines started out as very much a spiritual sequel to SimCity, but over time and many DLCs it has developed its own character, such as a deeply european focus on public transport. The community around the game has also grown strong, with a thriving mod scene even leading to a distinctly different playstyle, which eschews win/loss conditions in favour of studious decorating tiny model towns.
Darkest Dungeon
Platforms: PS4, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch, PC
Pros:
- Beautiful presentation
- Deep and involving
- Sumptuous atmosphere
Cons:
- You’ll die…
- … and go insane
- … and die again
Darkest Dungeon arguably straddles the divide between strategy and RPG. You assemble a party of adventurers and then journey into dungeons, engaging in turn based tactical battles that rely enormously on positioning.
But then there’s the twist, which is that you’re not playing as these adventurers but their sponsor, and between dungeon runs you’ll find yourself rebuilding a small town to finance further expeditions. The individual adventurers are interchangeable, and you’ll replace them frequently as they die or simply collapse under the stress of the lovecraftian environment.
Your real focus is the town, and sustaining it, no matter how many characters die in the dungeon below.
Homeworld Remastered
Platforms: PC, Mac
Best Rts Games For Pc 2018
Pros:
- Sympathetically updated visuals
- Superb RTS gameplay
- Well judged difficulty curve
- Epic sci-fi feel
Cons:
- Camera controls feel clunky
- Changes might upset old fans
19 years on, there is still no other strategy game like Homeworld, which challenges the player to truly 3D space-borne combat. It’s easy to see why, as it’s difficult for us ground based humans to get our heads around, but the result it still spectacular.
That it marries this innovation to a surprisingly touching story about the last survivors of an alien race desperately seeking a new home. Homeworld Remastered‘s tale meshes with the terrific soundtrack and gorgeous visuals to create a real sense of a mournful but majestic cosmos.
Battletech
Platforms: PC
Pros:
- Has a style of its own
- Challenging in a fun way
- Giant mechanical crushing exosuits
Cons:
- Novices will struggle
- Fiendishly difficult later on
- You have to seek out guides for information
Battletech’s appeal is simple: big honking mechs. An adaptation of the classic tabletop game, it offers an astonishing level of depth to its giant stompy robot suits. The campaign too is deep and complex, as you struggle to get new gear for your mechs whilst constantly risking damage or destruction in missions. It’s full of hard choices and that, ultimately, is what strategy games are about.
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