The PC hosts pretty much every type of video game under the sun, but few are as basic personal computer as strategy games.
Because it’s such a popular (and important) type of game for the platform, and because I’ve spent way too much time playing it over the last few years, I thought I’d help people out by compiling a list of it , which I consider to be the very best strategy games for the very best syStem to play them on.
So what counts as a strategy game? That’s a good question. One we may never be able to agree on, thanks to video games’ ceaseless quest to strip meaning from their genre names. The lines between “strategy” and “RTS” and “grand strategy” and “management” and “simulation” are so blurred that I’ve tried to limit this list to games that most people would just agree with (gut feeling). out). feeling) agreed to be called “strategy games”.
So here are the best games to play if you feel like taking over, ruining an economy and/or driving an army across your enemies’ fields.
note: Originally published in November 2016, this list has since been updated to reflect new entries and to include links to updated coverage of some classics.
CIVILIZATION V
what more can i say A titan in the field, it’s not just the best civilization Game but one of the best games ever released on PC. Whatever your strategic cup of tea, be it war, diplomacy or exploration, civilization v got you covered.
And yes, I know that Civilization VI is out and is very goodbut I don’t think it can quite match the overall package of its predecessor due to its yield obsession and lower AI.
Civilization V: The Kotaku Flashback
It’s 2016. With that in mind, you’re playing a shooter from 2010. Or a sports game. Or, well, anything else from 2010. Look how (relatively) easy it is! Notice how advances in game design and technology have rendered so many of these former classics obsolete. Now go play Civilization V. See you in six months. If we’re lucky.
CRUSADER KINGS III
This spot on the list used be kept warm by Crusader Kings IIbut i think it’s time to replace it with the sequel, Crusader Kings III. While Paradox lacks so much of the breadth and depth of additional content Paradox has released over the years for the former, the latter have a smoother interface and more pleasing graphics (not to mention its own gameplay innovations, such as a vastly improved way, wars ) means it’s easily the one I would recommend to people.
CRUSADER KINGS III: The Kotaku Review
Crusader Kings III is a game that spans 600 years of human history, from the 9th to the 15th centuries, with all the geopolitical conflicts, religious turmoil and interpersonal struggles that came with it. So…where do we even begin with this game let alone this review?
NEVERENDING LEGEND
On the one hand it is very similar civilization! On the other hand, it is not to build on Civil Foundations with a lot of cool, new and interesting ideas, from its slick user interface to the way its fiction leads to some absolutely insane faction traits. It’s also great to see a strategy game with a real sense of style. Those who are looking for a real one civilization Alternatively, you could try amplitude newer mankindbut really i think Endless Legend is still the stronger offering if you want to play a slightly different 4X game.
Endless Legend: The Kotaku Review
If I sound excited about this game, it’s because it’s an exciting game to talk about if you’re into that sort of thing. It’s such a breath of fresh air, the perfect example of a game that takes Civilization as its base but then takes itself off to add (or invent) aspects that complement those bases so well.
COMPANY OF HEROES
For me, the RTS genre died in 2006. Not from some catastrophic event, but because this is the year Company of Heroes was released and the formula perfected, which basically says, “Turn it off, we don’t need this anymore.” No game — not even its own gritty sequel — has come close to matching it since. Frantic mouse clicks and tedious building commands are replaced by a constant need for actual tactics, its slower pace and more realistic battlefield conditions mean that even ten years later it’s still an absolute classic.
TOTAL WAR: SHOGUN 2
the Total war series remains a pillar of PC strategy gaming, namely rich is my personal favorite, and warhammer I recommend the more popular newer entries shogun 2 First. It’s more functional and focused than that Total war Play before (or since), and it still absolutely looks Splendid. Bonus: its big expansion, Fall of the Samuraiis probably the best of all Total war series.
Total War: Shogun 2: The Kotaku Review
They say you can never go home again. Well, with Shogun 2, Creative Assembly did just that. Shogun 2 may be breaking new ground, but it does so with a host of features and innovations, both new and fixed, that make it the most polished, focused, and entertaining Total War game yet.
homeworld
the Arts. the music. The way it took on a difficult control challenge – moving around a fleet of ships in empty 3D space – and absolutely mastered it. The last remakes really only touched on the sound and the visuals, because everything else about homeworld remains almost perfect.
Homeworld: The return of a game that’s almost perfect
Homeworld was released in 1999. The 20th Century. However, play the revised edition in 2015 and you’ll be forgiven for thinking it’s a brand new video game. Almost everything about it – and I’m not talking about the new look – feels fresh.
BODY ARMOR
Inspired by the classic tank general, tank corps is a (relatively) simple turn-based game that still manages to pack in an amazing amount of depth (and content). If you want to fight all of WWII but don’t want to spend hours learning complex rules or menus, this is the game for you. This game has since then a sequel has been released that looks a lot nicerbut also plays slower and lacks a lot of additional content from the original, so tank corps is still the one I would recommend.
Panzer Corps: The Kotaku Review
The strength of the game lies in its simplicity. This is not a game that requires you to learn 150 menu commands or keyboard shortcuts. Since you only have to worry about moving units and then firing them (and occasionally resupplying them), you can focus most of your time on what matters most: tactics.
WORLD IN CONFLICT
This might be a surprising choice, however world in conflict is a very good strategy game. It chooses a place in the genre – somewhere between Blizzard’s chaotic immediacy and total war Big map tactics – and nails it, constantly testing both your small reactions and your broader strategic concerns. It also has an oddly goofy, endearing feel you don’t often get in this most serious of genres, from its over-the-top adherence to its 1989 setting to Alec Baldwin’s campaign narrative, Jack Donaghy in Tails.
XCOM2
I did not think XCOM2 still had room to improve from the first game. How wrong I was Turns out you can create something great by adding stealth/visibility systems, honing the strategic metagame, and greatly increasing the game’s cinematic flair greater.
XCOM 2: The Kotaku Review
What amazes me about XCOM 2 is how often it’s not bullshit. With such high stakes and so many intertwined systems constantly pushing the player forward, it could easily have turned into a hair-raising, frustrating Frustfest. It doesn’t. XCOM 2 masterfully creates the illusion that the odds are all against you, while giving you numerous opportunities to pave Rocky’s way back to the top. You just have to be quick. You just have to think.
AGE OF EMPIRE II: AGE OF KINGS
I don’t think a game, even up to contemporary StarCraft II and Deserts of Kharakexcelled better than with the traditional RTS model – mine, build and deploy Age of Kings. The scale of the maps, the armies you could build, and the emphasis on fortifications… it all just came together perfectly. if you are curious the recent Final Edition is definitely the best way to try this classic.
HEARTS OF IRON IV
Let Captains and Colonels do the little things. Hearts of Iron IV puts you in command of an entire nation’s war effort, from weapon production to deploying armies. It’s a deliberate logistical nightmare, and once tamed, it can yield some of the most rewarding experiences in any video game, especially with its endless alternate history variations.
RECOGNITIONS
I love these games and think they’re all excellent (and representative of different types of strategy games) but they just didn’t catch on.
Unity of Command II, StarCraft II, The Banner Saga, Endless Space 2, Alpha Centauri, Command & Conquer Red Alert, WarCraft III, Europa Universalis IV, Desperadoes 3 and Sid Meier’s Colonization.
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