Paradox Interactive continues to create complex worlds in the field of grand strategy and grand strategy games. Europa Universalis and Crusader Kings, created by these developers, amazed the audience and gained a large number of fans around the world. Using all their experience, the developers took to the stars with their next project, Stellaris, taking players with them to a more grandiose gaming theater than before.
Stellaris is a highly customizable hybrid of real-time strategy and grand strategy. From the very beginning of the game, you can customize your interstellar people, from their appearance and flag, to their philosophy and demeanor. Some form of customization is present in many aspects of the game. The manner in which you explore nearby planets and star systems, learn science, expand your race's domain, and interact with other races. Little by little, Stellaris accelerates from a somewhat slow start into a massive and all-encompassing race for control of the universe.
The game doesn't forget its roots. Stellaris borrows socio-political and economic systems from other Paradox games, forcing players to balance internal struggles with external influences and pressures. Stellaris can be played very well alone, but multiplayer is where the game starts to shine even brighter. Playing online, against friends and enemies, is a great pastime that stretches into many hours of gaming pleasure.
Battlefleet Gothic: Armada is one of the modern offerings in the Warhammer 40K universe, a tactical RTS with spaceships. Moving away from the ground-based battles of previous games set in the Warhammer 40K universe, Battlefleet Gothic turns its attention to the stars to fight a desperate war against galactic enemies.
Following the lore standards of the Warhammer 40K universe, the journey through the story sees the player take control of a fleet of Imperial warships, pitting you head-on against familiar foes: Chaos Undivided, Orcs and Eldar. Survival in combat depends on the timely use of tactics, relying on a slowdown mechanic known as Tactical Cogitator (Russian language, at the time of writing this text, is not supported by the game). Meanwhile, your task is to wisely spend all resources on armament and customization of your ships in order to get maximum performance in your chosen tactics.
In addition to single-player, multiplayer mode will allow you to use many ships of different factions and participate in multiplayer battles. With every victory and defeat in single-player and multiplayer games, you earn “Renown”, which you can spend on upgrades and improvements, and defeats in the campaign affect your progress through the story campaign. Battlefleet Gothic: Armada has a bit of a learning curve, but it's the most fun and comprehensive Warhammer 40K experience yet, not to mention the overall game is an outstanding tactical spaceship RTS.
The best strategy where Montezuma (Aztec Emperor) can fight Gandhi (Indian philosopher)
Civilization is a turn-based strategy game about human history: you guide a race of people from the Stone Age to modern times and beyond. This is a global strategy (capture, explore, exploit and destroy) and the best thing is that you start from scratch and grow to become a global power. Or die trying to do it.
The decisions you will face in the game are political, economic, military and even social. You can become a friendly neighbor or an invader. A center of trade and tourism, or an industry-oriented state. Freedom of choice is the best asset of the game - where will you go? What are you going to do? Which path to victory will you choose? There are now more than 20 factions in the game, and each has a specific playstyle, but you will always have freedom of action.
Civilzation is a well-established series of games. The game has a strong set of tutorials and tooltips to help you make decisions. Combat is better than ever, thanks to Civilzation V's reimagining of the grid system. Having Steam Workshop support means you'll have a never-ending stream of mods and maps.
This is the game series that coined the term "one more move and sleep" - this strategy is addictive, it is an exciting and fun game.
The best Total War strategy
Total War is a game about managing an entire empire, in between armed conflicts on the way to dominance. Now you are fiddling with taxes and building baths, and the next moment you are firing cannons and rushing headlong towards the enemy.
The game takes place in two different modes: empire management in turn-based strategy mode, and tactical battles in real-time strategy mode. The key to victory is the interaction between the two modes, for example: launching a cavalry charge against the enemy army, knowing that it is commanded by the opponent's king and killing him will cause the collapse of the empire.
Whenever two armies meet, the game switches to tactical combat mode. You play as a general, a hero - you control your units, draw up battle formations and strategy, and fight your enemy to the last man. Not always the best option is the choice - the right terrain and the right tactics, a slight superiority in strength can withstand almost any difficulty, and the most powerful army can be defeated with the help of a good ambush.
Total War: Shogun 2 is still the best game in the series. If the period it covers (16th century feudal Japan) isn't to your taste, try Napoleon: Total War, a game centered on the campaign of a famous general. Total War is a deep, tactical and thoughtful game: completing the campaign in Total War can take you a week or so.
Buyer's Guide: Sega often discounts Total War, and you can get Shogun 2 and its expansions for less on Steam.
Nearly a decade and a half after its release, the original Stronghold is still the best game in Firefly's castle-building series. The combination of RTS with creative, strategic building, missions and combat sometimes distracted from the game's ace card - a simple but effective medieval building set.
The campaign isn't particularly memorable, and the combat is slow and can be confusing, but playing in the free-building mode is highly addictive, like playing with Lego or sculpting with sand in childhood sandboxes. Of course, the tide always destroys the fruits of hard work, but watching it all fall apart is part of the fun.
Buyer's Guide:Stronghold HD is available in Steam
The best strategy to kill your spouse
Crusader Kings 2 is the bloodthirsty bastard of Global Strategies. You play as a medieval lord trying to gain more power, influence and territory in a historically accurate medieval Europe. The game offers complex game mechanics instead of beautiful pictures. You manage the economy, the army and the people.
The personal element makes Crusader Kings 2 a very compelling game. You are part of a family dynasty, not an abstract nation. You can get married and have children, when you die, your heir will take the reins and everything will start again. In between all this, you can use intrigue or brute force to increase your holdings, but the key is that you develop a real personal connection with your characters, your avatar. You will mourn his death, you will applaud his every triumph.
As a Count or Duke, you can stage a coup and rebel against your Master to increase your power. As a king, it is quite easy to lose the Kingdom due to invasion or rebellion. But as long as a member of your dynasty is still alive, you will always have a chance to win it all back. Don't be put off by the apparent difficulty, the more you play, the more you will learn.
Buyer's Guide: Choose to buy bundles with most add-on packs, including the latest (Old Gods).
The best strategy for electronic sports fans
Starcraft II is a sci-fi strategy game about armored cowboys fighting against xenomorphic aliens and space elves. This is a classic real-time strategy game where you gather resources, build an army and kill enemies before they kill you, requiring you to make quick decisions and click quickly.
Multiplayer is a huge part of Starcraft II. People will become your enemies; they will be able to click on the keyboard faster than you and give orders faster than you. You'll probably lose a lot of nerve cells, but you'll get better gaming entertainment, and you'll be good enough to compete with players at the eSports level.
The single-player campaign is also very interesting - Blizzard combined crazy action with RPG elements, and the story of the exploits of the mercenary Jim Raynor. You'll fight through a series of missions, many of which will have unique objectives - such as trying to gather resources on a map that periodically fills with lava, or defending against waves of zerg for a given period of time. In between missions, you explore an RPG-like hub where you can talk to people, research new technologies, and decide which mission to take on next. It's very difficult to pull off an interesting story in the real-time strategy genre, and many limit themselves to cutscenes and dialogue in missions, but SCII, by forcing you to interact with the world in a non-battlefield setting, actually makes the game's story interactive.
Buyer's Guide: Blizzard is one of the few companies that doesn't actually "make" DLC. Starcraft II has one expansion at the time of writing - Heart of the Swarm, with a second expansion (Legacy of the Void) due out at some point in the future. The expansion overall introduces a few new units and tricks for multiplayer, but mostly pushes the single-player story forward. In the original game, you played as Terrans. In Hearts of the Swarm you play as the Zerg. In Legacy of the Void you will play as the Protoss.
The Best Strategy for Playing Dress Up with Your Dolls
XCOM was a surprise hit. A turn-based strategy game that requires you to fend off an alien invasion in a dynamic single-player campaign. It's a remake of the classic X-Com, and as a remake, it's one of the best.
You send groups of up to six soldiers into battle against small gray aliens, robots, insects, etc.. Tactically rich skirmishes on city maps, rural areas, on board alien ships, and all this rests on a light strategy. The player base is set up as an ant farm where you will research new technologies, perform autopsies, and solicit funding from a shadowy government agency.
In a word, this is fantastic.
The character customization is really cool. You can give your wars names and faces as they grow in your mind as you play the campaign, gaining backstories and fake accents. It’s up to you to let these soldiers live or die, and you feel their every step, you feel every plasma bolt that hits them, you feel their pain as if it were your own. When they drop dead, mourn, and the new guy is sent as a replacement... well, he (or she) won't get a name until he proves himself.
Tactical combat is the essence of the game, and if you've never tested your commander skills against real people, then XCOM offers you to try it out in multiplayer.
This World War II real-time strategy game throws you right into the middle of combat during the Allied invasion of Northern France. Starting on D-Day, you'll make your way through several maps divided into tactical zones. You must create a base of operations, protect resources, and fight for a just cause.
It's tricky - you have to make sure all corners are covered and that your front line is secure, because if there are gaps, nothing will stop the enemy from wreaking havoc in your rear. Infantry can build defenses and/or garrison buildings, and engineers can set traps or lay down obstacles. Tanks and others vehicles will provide you with brute force, but they are very expensive in order to build them en masse. As a commander, you have support abilities that give you an extra advantage.
This game is the highest-rated strategy game of all time - the single-player campaign, reminiscent of the movie Band of Brothers, makes the story campaign more than just an online tutorial, and the online community itself is well developed. The two factions (or four if you have expansions) are well balanced so that you will need more than just maneuvering or simple ranged combat with the enemy. In the nine years since the first release, the modding community has flourished, which means you can get even more interesting gameplay.
Buyer's Guide: Company of Heroes has two expansions - Opposing Fronts and Tales of Valour. Opposing Fronts is the only add-on truly worth purchasing. On this moment a sequel covering the Russian and Eastern Front has already been released.
The best strategy where elephants and sports cars can collide in battle
Age of Empires is a classic real-time strategy series that is easy to learn, charming, and can challenge the player if desired. You choose your civilization, create your city and your army, and fight other civilizations on the map. You progress through various "ages" or technical levels to improve your troops and buildings.
This game is part resource management, part tactical combat, like Warcraft or Starcraft. You always start the game with your city center and a small number of civilians, but by the end of the match you can grow into a metropolis, with walls, fire towers, and a large army. Age of Empires was published before the beginning of the era multiplayer games on the Internet, so the main component of these games is single-player campaigns and battles with artificial intelligence. Featuring a series of specially created maps (with customizable objectives), with famous person or a group of people from history. These missions don't have to be historically accurate, but they do involve you in the story and each battle provides a unique confrontation scenario.
Age of Empires 2 covers an abstract time period starting in the Middle Ages and working its way through to the early Renaissance. What do you think: The Duke's Celtic raiders with his Persian elephants and medieval pikemen near Japanese fortresses? And those who know cheats can always play with sports cars with installed machine guns.
Buyer's Guide: In January 2013, Microsoft released a "HD" version of Age of Empires 2 , includes the main game and expansion.
The best hybrid of Wargame and RTS
A game in the wargame genre. It will save you from unnecessary worries associated with building bases and will allow you to focus exclusively on battles. You command your own custom army, consisting of tanks, infantry, artillery, and even combat helicopters and jets. Battles take place in highly detailed parts of the European countryside, which can reach up to 150Km2.
Attention to detail is what drives WarGames, and it's what makes WarGame: AirLand Battle a brilliant game. Your tanks can march along the highway or trample various crops in the fields, your infantry can crawl through the forests or hold an important crossroads... but tanks need fuel, and weapons need bullets. If you don't support your troops with supplies through a logistics system, your fireteam will literally be stuck.
For a game about high-level strategy, there's a surprising amount of atmosphere. If you move the camera close to "ground level", the camera will shake as artillery shells hit the ground. The forests will burn around you, and if things go really badly for you, retreating, the remains of fallen tanks and infantry fighting vehicles will be left behind to burn out.
Wargame offers a brilliant, dynamic single-player campaign. You'll be able to play as NATO or the Warsaw Pact, and you'll have to fight for control of Scandinavia using real-world combat units, off-map support... even randomized political events. If you prefer playing with real people, there is a great online community. Wargame also has many multiplayer maps, and there is support for battles in 10 vs 10 matches.
Buyer's Guide: At the time of writing, the Wargame series consists of three games, the latest Wargame: Red dragon, with an alternative history telling about the conflict in Asia
The Best Strategy for an Ambitious Caribbean Dictator
Tropico is essentially a city builder, but what makes it cool is its charm. You play as a dictator in a Caribbean-themed banana republic, and it's your job to guide your island from humble beginnings to greatness.
How you do this is up to you. You can exploit your island's natural resources and turn it into an industrial hub, or you can exploit the island's natural beauty and try to become a vacation spot for ignorant white tourists. Or both. In Tropico, there are many options on where to place a housing estate or factory, whether to provide pensions or military conscription. You attract immigrants to the island, and they all need housing and jobs, and you will have to create your own economy and services. Throughout the game, your actions are wonderfully talked about on the talk show of the Tropico radio station, the host tries to give even the most crappy actions of yours a positive color.
As your island grows, you will have the opportunity to start doing business with - America, Russia, or even China and Europe, all will want to influence you. They will offer you money and wealth if only you allow them to build a military base on the island, or allow them to export their waste to you. If you're not careful, you'll have to deal with a rebellion or invasion. In any case, your regime will be overthrown.
Tropico is simply a fun game: it's a city builder with a healthy dose of economics, trade and politics.
The best space RTS
Sins of a Solar Empire - This global real-time strategy focuses on building a large space empire. You have planets to colonize and develop industry and trade on, but when things get tough, there are always groups of ships throwing bullets, lasers and missiles at each other in an endless struggle for dominance.
The game contains a lot of things typical of the Sins series: your scouts will rush from planet to planet in search of new worlds to conquer. Your merchant fleets will move goods from place to place, turning the wheels of the economy, and your mighty battle fleets will rush from one crisis to another, because if it's not pirates knocking on your door, then some other faction has come to lay claim to it. your property.
There's no single-player campaign in the game: you simply play an endless number of skirmishes against the AI using a wide range of cards from the set, each with their own quirks and strategies. You can also create your own map using the editor and of course you can start the game online and play against real people.
Buyer's Guide: Sins of a Solar Empire has three expansions. The latest, Rebellion is a standalone extension that includes all previous updates and features. There is also a DLC for the game, called "Forbidden Worlds", it adds new types of planets, new equipment and several heroes.
The best strategy game with atomic weapons
DEFCON is a game about a war that cannot be won - a nuclear war. You're presented with a simple vector map of the world (in the style of WarGames and other classic films), you're given a bunch of military equipment, and the world begins to slowly count down to Armageddon. You must make the best use of everything you have to come out on top in the soon to be desert world.
The simplicity and abstractness of Defcon is its greatest asset. You can't stop every missile, and you can't win every conflict. Regions will be destroyed, entire fleets will be lost, but... all you see are statistics on the screen. You gain points for killing more people at once, you lose points for every percentage of your original population. The player with the most points at the end will receive the "win". Congratulations.
Defcon is an interesting game, but what makes it so addictive?! This is that the game is actually a battle of wits, akin to chess. The match will always start with DEFCON 5, and will count down the danger level in the allotted time. The closer you get to DEFCON 1, the more you're allowed to do, but basically it all comes down to the successful placement of your assets - your fleet and submarines, bombers and fighters, missile silos, radars. You and your enemies (up to 6 players or AI can play in the same match) will do the same things, so you will need anticipation and the ability to guess your opponent's next move.
The game lasts no more than 45 minutes by default, although you can adjust this setting. The game is great fun for pure strategists and is fast and easy to load. We strongly recommend playing against other players.
Buyer's Guide: There are no expansions or DLC, and the game itself is very cheap.
This space-based global strategy game will throw at you: space bugs, slaver raids, asteroids, even alien probes... and then you accidentally meet another space empire. This is a dangerous Universe and Sword of the Stars reflects this wonderfully, while also providing the player with an exciting and challenging game.
This Living Universe really works its magic in the early game, where grand strategy games traditionally don't have much going on until you encounter other factions. In addition, Sword of the Stars does something that is not often seen in strategy games of this genre, it does not create all game factions as equal. Of course, it all starts with the same resources and planets, but each race behaves in a unique way - they have their own unique methods of traveling through space. It also ties the technology system to the factions: the game's technology tree is randomized for each new match, and each race has preferences for certain technologies.
Ship customization takes up the majority of the game, and you'll spend some time just tweaking various designs ships. Like the Total War series, this game goes into real-time strategy mode when the shooting starts. You can give orders to your fleet, set battle formations, and watch as two groups of ships obliterate each other into space dust. Nice.
The Soviet Union is invading America, and it's your job to push them back. Gone are the days when you had to build a base and manage resources, you have command points and goals. If your units are destroyed, you can use command points and call for reinforcements, and you must use strengths your units wisely, along with an impressive array of off-map abilities.
The single-player campaign is very cinematic and really draws you into the narrative. I almost wanted to join the Red Army after seeing the results of the Soviets storming West Berlin, and there's one scene midway through the game... well, I'll leave you to find out for yourself. You mostly play as a US Army officer helping to repel an invasion, but the Soviet Assault expansion adds missions from the Russian perspective that are critical to the backstory.
The game is a great example of tactical combat, using terrain to your advantage, micro-managing your troops, and it gets even better when you go online to play. Players can fight in matches with up to 16 players, and unlike in single-player campaigns, you must choose one of four roles for yourself, which will affect the units and support abilities available to you. Some roles are likely to be weaker against certain tactics, so you need to make sure you work together with your teammates.
However, there is still no problem that cannot be solved by carpet bombing.
Buyer's Guide: At the game World in Conflict There was only one addition - Soviet Assault. The add-on adds new missions to the story campaign for the USSR.
Best Large-Scale RTS
Supreme Commander was a PC-breaking game because of its processor demands. This game is about the war of the future, robotic real-time strategy, it simplifies resource management and focuses more on creating a wonderful war machine. You start with one irreplaceable device - a command machine, from which you build factories that produce units, they are necessary in order to wage war against your enemies.
The Player's army can potentially reach 1000 units, on land, at sea and in the air. You must carefully orchestrate the ballet of production, movement and attack, grinding down your opponent, while keeping your command unit, as well as your factories and power grids, safe so that they can create more death machines. It's a brilliant and stunning game, and it's not for casual gamers.
Oddly enough, it was one of the few games that officially supported dual monitors, meaning you could have a scalable map on a second screen. This is a godsend, allows you to keep your eyes on the "big picture" of combat, and is recommended if you're going to play seriously. There are few games that let you play on the same scale as Supreme Commander, and when you go to war online, that's when the real challenge begins. Games like Starcraft require quick thinking and reaction speed, but they only allow you to control a couple of dozen units at most. Supreme Commander requires you to deal with thousands of units. Think about it.
Buyer's Guide: There is no DLC for this game, only the standalone Forged Alliance expansion pack. It's better to buy Forged Alliance, it fixes many problems of the main game, and also introduces an additional faction.
Best strategy under license
If you are a Star Wars fan, then this game is for you. Empire at War allows you to take charge of the Galactic Empire or the Rebel Alliance and fight for galactic dominance. You take command of a mighty fleet and army; even sending notable heroes into battle, such as Luke Skywalker or Darth Vader. You can also build a Death Star.
Undoubtedly, best element games are tactical space battles. Up to four players can fight on one map (the map may have hazards such as asteroids or gas clouds), each player with their own space station, and the goal of the game is simply to knock out your opponent by destroying their bases . Large ships, unlike small ones, have targeting capabilities that can shoot down our weapons or shields, and many ships (and heroes) have special skills that can help turn the tide.
In addition to space battles, you can participate in battles on land, lead a squadron of hovering tanks or AT-AT walkers. This game is mechanically similar to Total War in the sense that there is a separate campaign interface where you control the empire and your forces, and then load separately into the battle screen. The only difference is that everything happens in real time and there are no queues.
This is quite a big game, which will be even better for you if you are a fan of the Star Wars universe.
Buyer's Guide: There is no DLC, and only one expansion, called Forged Alliance - adds a third faction, completely different from the two already present, and also adds new units, abilities, etc.
Long ago, when Westwood Studios were masters of creating real-time strategy games, they asked the question, "what if there was no Nazi Germany?" They turned the script into an original game. Red Alert, in which the Soviet Union becomes omnipotent and conquers all of Europe unopposed. The original game sets the bar high, presenting two amazingly diverse sides to the conflict, a dangerous arsenal of weapons, and a heavy techno/metal soundtrack and story told through live-action videos between missions. The second game in the series has reached an even higher bar of quality, perhaps climbing higher than almost any other game from Westwood Studios.
Red Alert 2 followed the idea that the Allies defeated Stalin and his troops, after which they established their puppet government in the USSR. Unfortunately for the Allies, the Soviets did not take their humiliation well. They regained their strength and attacked the Americans on all fronts. The game's plot is a bit far-fetched, but it paints the backdrop for an incredible series of gameplay campaigns for the Soviets and Allies, complete with plenty of impressive technology for both sides.
If that's not enough, you can go online and invite up to 7 of your friends into battle. The game allows each player to choose a nation, with their own special units, adding an extra layer of strategy to every skirmish. Command & Conquer: Red Alert 2 wasn't Westwood Studios' swan song, but perhaps it was a game they main job. They would have other good games after Red Alert 2, but nothing quite captured the spirit of Westwood quite like their second Soviet/Allied RTS.
Best grand strategy
The mighty flagship from Paradox Development Studio. The Europa Universalis series has always been strong, impressive, intricate and with a sandbox strategy approach. But with this confusion came many problems. Bugs, dumb interfaces, and poorly explained mechanics can turn players off before they annex their first nation.
Europa Universalis IV changed all that. The game is still a tough nut to crack and will require a lot of effort from players, but it is by far the most user-friendly game in the series. And while its countless systems still lead to confusion, it is quite possible to simply jump in and carve a niche in history.
This is a “what if?” game. What if Italy swept through the Ottoman Empire with a huge mercenary army? What if England and France became best friends and divided Europe instead of fighting each other? What if Scotland ruled the world? What to do, if.
Buyer's Guide: Europa Universalis 4 has a lot of DLC, and unfortunately they are not all collected in one package yet. You can buy them in parts on Steam, however. Packages and other support items can be ignored if you wish, but Wealth of Nations and Conquest of Paradise are still worth picking up.
Best 4X (Global) Strategy
The best game for 4X fans with goblin fanatics and halfling wizards
Is the desire to resurrect and give the classic series new life. This is a fantasy grand strategy game.
There are several scripted campaigns to play through, but the meat of the game is in the randomly generated maps and customizable factions. Fundamentalist goblins can fight - with the help of holy war engines - industrial elves, while armies of dire penguins march across the frozen wastes. It's all deliciously stupid.
The game makes for some damn big fights. Multiple units can be linked together to create giant armies. Reminiscent of Total War sieges in terms of scale, but with clever turn-based combat and magic.
While diplomacy and city management are the game's weaknesses, Age of Wonders shines during combat. An abundance of magic and special abilities, a varied roster of units and battlefields littered with obstacles make every battle a great puzzle game.
Buyer's Guide: You can buy Age of Wonders 3 on Steam, GOG, etc., there is a DLC that expands the building mechanics and introduces the Hobit race.
The best strategy for Warhammer 40k
Dawn Of War is mesmerizing. In many ways, it feels like a very traditional real-time strategy game, with a lot of building, strategy and resource management. But looking at its predecessors, the game is similar to Company Of Heroes. We're seeing Relic starting to experiment with morale, cover, squads, and radically different factions.
Tension underlies the entire game. The whole game is about advancing, capturing and holding territory. And all the time, resources are running out faster and generators are falling into disrepair. But the war machine constantly needs to be fed.
The expansions expand the game by introducing more factions with their own unique mechanics. There are the vile Eldar, the bloodthirsty Orcs, the numerous Imperial Guards - each faction offers different ways to play the same game. A total of nine factions have been added.
Dawn Of War 2 received many changes, with combat becoming smaller and focusing on tactics over strategy. It's still a great game, but by moving away from the traditions of the genre, Dawn Of War has lost some of its magic.
Buyer's Guide: The base game and all expansion packs have been collected into the Warhammer 40K: Dawn Of War Master Collection.
Best sci-fi economic strategy
Anno 2070 bids farewell to its historical setting as Ubisoft's voluptuous economic strategy series heads into a post-environmental disaster future. The game is still about making money and expanding your influence across the islands, but instead of being a medieval or colonial power, the game flounders with an eco-faction and polluting industrialists.
An unpleasant feeling of despair permeates throughout the game. The world is fighting to survive and in hopes of making a profit, the decisions made could leave the world in an even worse situation. And social and environmental issues add a new dimension of complexity.
Technology has a huge impact. Factions are not limited to their island homes, and can also build underwater, creating kelp farms or dirty oil rigs.
The genre that we will talk about today can hardly be called super popular among gamers, but every year new turn-based strategies and RTS are released in which you can fight with other nations, tribes or aliens. At the same time, among the thousands of games available, there are those that every self-respecting gamer should play. We offer the Top 20 best strategies in history.
Cities: Skylines
Until last year, SimCity 4 was considered the best city-planning simulator without any alternative. In 2013, EA tried to restart the franchise, but it was a real fiasco: fans were dissatisfied with many bugs and unsatisfactory scale new game. After the release of Cities: Skylines in 2015, gamers forgot about the existence of SimCity: new project I was amazed by its scale, customization capabilities, and high level of detail in the cities. Moreover, the developers have released an official modding toolkit, allowing gamers to change the game as they please. Users immediately began to release mods, thanks to which new modes, types of buildings, junctions, cars and much more appeared in the game.
In September, the first update for Cities: Skylines was released, adding dynamic time of day changes, as well as making the economic model more complex and realistic.
Endless Legend
The global strategy, which seamlessly combines elements of fantasy and science fiction, gives gamers the opportunity to play both as a race of carnivorous insects, the Necrophages, and as strange Cultists, expanding their possessions by “absorbing” other factions. In total, there are 8 races available in the game with unique features and mechanics.
The plot of the project in some ways is reminiscent of “Game of Thrones” - gamers will have to fight for survival in the dark era of the decline of the planet Auriga - a harsh winter comes unexpectedly and brings death to all races. The game has all the elements of a classic strategy - a huge game world, a developed technological tree, scarce resources, a system of diplomacy and trade. The developers have provided many main and secondary quests.
Crusader Kings II
Another global strategy in a medieval setting. Gamers transform into a monarch, striving with all his might to expand his influence in medieval Europe (the period of 769 – 1453 is covered). To achieve this goal, he weaves complex intrigues, treacherously attacks his closest allies, and does not hesitate to kill friends and relatives if they get in his way. The game is designed for thoughtful gamers who like to spend hours understanding complex menus, as well as studying terrain features on maps before bloody battles.
At the center of the project are not abstract nations and states, but dynasties. In the game you can meet many real historical characters, each of whom has their own strengths and weaknesses. Over time, players become attached to members of the dynasty, who grow up, get married, have children, die.
Civilization V
There is hardly a gamer in the world who has not heard of this game. Civilization is the most famous, popular and successful global strategy in the history of gaming. The developers have added many mechanisms, heroes, resources, units, and technologies to the game that make it exciting and dynamic. At the same time, the authors did not bother with realism: for example, the Mongols and Aztecs could become the most highly developed nations, and the bloodthirsty Gandhi could be the first to press the “nuclear button” and start a war of all against all. However, this ahistorical nature and absurd scenarios are what make the game a real hit.
In the game you will have to make difficult decisions on the development of the economy, military and social spheres, and choose a political regime. All this has a decisive impact on the reputation and development trajectory of a nation. The graphics of Civilization V are significantly improved compared to previous series, and the redesigned combat system makes battles exciting. In addition, strategy fans constantly post new mods and maps on Steam, so you can enjoy the game endlessly.
Warhammer 40,000: Dawn of War
In many aspects, Dawn of War is a traditional RTS - gamers will have to build a base, extract resources, and repel enemy attacks. At the same time, in the game you can already see elements that will soon appear in Company of Heroes: new mechanics, factions, unit morale and much more.
The most attractive thing about Dawn of War is the tension that permeates all missions: you need to constantly move forward, capture and hold territories. At the same time, the generators and strategic resources of the captured points are rapidly depleted. Therefore, players often do not have time to catch their breath - they need to be on the move all the time.
The Dark Crusade update introduces new factions and unique mechanics: gamers can play as the Eldar, Orcs and Imperial Guard.
Total War: Shogun 2
The sequel to the popular RTS can be bluntly called the most successful game in the Total War series. The Creative Assembly took into account the mistakes made in the previous project - Empire, which was an ambitious project with a lot of bugs, and decided to polish the gameplay of Shogun 2 to perfection. She succeeded brilliantly: the Shogun map is diverse and will force gamers to solve many tactical puzzles. At the same time, it is relatively small, which will undoubtedly appeal to fans of battles.
When it comes to visuals, Shogun II is the most attractive game in the series so far. Of course, Rome and Attila boast significantly more realistic graphics, but Shogun II has something much more important - a unique style. The fate of large-scale battles is decided in individual duels, and cherry tree flower petals fly over the battlefield.
Modders have released many new maps, modes, and updates for Shogun 2.
XCOM: Enemy Unknown/Within
XCOM: Enemy Unknown is a turn-based strategy game that pits gamers against an alien invasion. Players send squads of six elite fighters to battle alien forces. Battles take place in fields, cities and on board spaceships.
XCOM's central base is similar to ant farm, which has scientific department(responsible for the development of technology), a medical unit (in which characters recover after battles), as well as an intelligence department (where gamers monitor the movements of aliens). Players themselves decide whether to invest available funds in the development of new types of weapons, the deployment of interceptors, or the conduct of combat operations.
Thanks to the Enemy Within update, which came out a year after the release of XCOM: Enemy Unknown, the game added a new faction - EXALTA terrorists, as well as new mechanics.
StarCraft II
The sci-fi RTS StarCraft 2 is a game about the confrontation between iron-clad cowboys, disgusting aliens and space elves. This is a classic real-time strategy game where you collect resources, build armies, and try to kill your opponent before he kills you. Often the fate of a battle is decided as a result of one successful strategic move or a series of quick mouse clicks.
Multiplayer Mode – most important aspect StarCraft 2. Playing against humans is much more difficult than against AI: they control units faster and make smarter decisions. Many tournaments are held for StarCraft 2, and an eSports community has quickly formed around the RTS.
The single-player mode is no less interesting: Blizzard has developed many interesting missions. In 2015, the last part of the StarCraft 2 trilogy, Legacy of the Void, was released.
Company of Heroes 2: Ardennes Assault
In Company of Heroes 2: Ardennes Assault, US forces battle against German forces for control of the Ardennes, a mountain range of critical strategic importance. Unlike the original game and the sequel, in Ardennes Assault gamers will have to go through three non-linear campaigns that unfold on a strategic map. German troops are in constant motion, so battles can be replayed several times, and each time they will take place differently.
You can only play for Americans: in each of the three companies you can upgrade the skills of the characters. Unlike previous projects, in Ardennes Assault the results of battles have an impact on the entire campaign: if in one of the battles players lost several fighters at once, they will begin the next battle with fewer personnel.
Age of Empires II
This classic RTS launched many gamers' careers: Age of Empires II is easy to learn, fun and fast-paced. Users start the campaign with only a few workers, but after an hour of play they will have built a huge city. In the game you need to get food, wood, gold and stone, construct buildings, and create your own army.
The project covers the era from the Middle Ages to the Renaissance. Gamers can go through multiple campaigns, create their own maps, choose from 13 factions... in general, Age of Empires II will not get boring even after several dozen hours of play.
In 2013, Hidden Path Entertainment released an HD version of the game on Steam. The remake introduced a multiplayer mode and support for mods.
Wargame: AirLand Battle
The Wargame: AirLand Battle project combines elements of the RTS and war game genres: gamers will have to think through the route of movement of units, as well as participate in fierce battles. The game is a sequel to Wargame: European Escalation, dedicated to the confrontation between NATO and the Warsaw Pact countries during the Cold War.
The authors carefully worked on the detail of the battlefields and special effects. On the strategic map, gamers control the course of hostilities, issuing orders for the movements of units and capturing new territories. However, the highlight of Wargame: AirLand Battle is definitely the ability to control one of hundreds of military vehicles to choose from. The developers tried to reflect in the game the unique characteristics of the cars, their strengths and weaknesses. In the multiplayer mode, you can take part in 10 vs 10 battles.
Tropico 4
Tropico 4 is an atmospheric city-building simulator. Gamers transform into the dictator of a fictional island state who must lead his people to greatness.
Gamers themselves choose the path to prosperity: they can mercilessly exploit natural resources and turn the island into an industrialized state, or attract tourists by taking care of the flora and fauna. Or combine both strategies. Each of the players’ decisions entails certain consequences: for example, if you agree to accept migrants, you will need to provide them with housing and work, and for this you need to improve the economy and service industry.
With the growing economic power of the state, there will be a need to negotiate with the leading world powers - the USA, Russia, China and the EU, each of which will try to influence the processes unfolding on the island. They will offer money in exchange for building a military base or recycling waste.
Overall, this is an extremely fun game, blending city building simulation elements with economic and political aspects.
Sins of a Solar Empire: Rebellion
In Sins of a Solar Empire: Rebellion, like any other similar game, you need to colonize planets, build economies, and establish relationships with other races. However, the main emphasis is on large-scale space battles. They look incredibly impressive: battles take place in 3D, ship hulls are torn apart by missiles and lasers, and gunshot tracks cut through the black space of space.
There will always be a lot of movement in the game: scouts will float from planet to planet in search of new resources and worlds, merchant ships will transport goods, and military cruisers will repel attacks from opponents or Pirates.
The game itself is quite difficult, even if you play against the AI. In total, three races are fighting for world domination - the Industrial Trade Coalition (earthly colonists), the Marchers (cyborgs) and the Vasari (technocratic race). The title provides a developed diplomacy system. Gamers can form alliances with both opponents and neutral factions, or bribe Pirates to attack enemies.
DEFCON is a game in which gamers have to do the impossible: try to win a global nuclear war. The goal of the project is to inflict maximum damage on the enemy while escaping with minimal losses. At the beginning, players choose one of six territories (North America, South America, Russia, Europe, Africa and Asia are available), then place military units and fleets. Gamers are given 18 minutes to think and explore. At the first level of danger (DEFCON 3) units begin to automatically attack enemy equipment (you can use aviation and navy), at the second (DEFCON 2) you can launch bombers with nuclear missiles (although the missiles themselves cannot yet be used), at the third (DEFCON 3) - The nuclear apocalypse begins.
The game describes a possible nuclear war scenario quite realistically - it is impossible to save all units in it. The player who manages to destroy the opponents' missile silos before the missiles are launched usually wins.
Supreme Commander
Supreme Commander is the spiritual successor to Total Annihilation in a futuristic setting. The minimum system requirements of the project, released in 2007, were so high that not every gamer could play this colorful RTS. The Gas Powered Games studio has simplified the resource management system as much as possible (there are only two of them - Matter and Energy) and focused on battles - the main goal of the project is to create the ideal killing machine (experimental units).
The game was amazing in its scale: an army could consist of 1000 units in the air, at sea and on land. As in most similar projects, players must ensure the uninterrupted production of new combat vehicles in order to dominate the enemy. To do this, you need to capture and hold sources of resources.
Supreme Commander was one of the first RTS to support a second monitor. This gave a decisive advantage in battle: on the first display, gamers controlled the movements of the enemy on a scalable map, on the second, they controlled their own units.
Star Wars: Empire at War
This game will appeal to all Star Wars fans: Empire at War is a strategy game based on the original trilogy. Gamers can play on the side of both the Empire and the rebels, control huge armies, send the heroes of the saga (like Luke Skywalker or Darth Vader) into battle, and also build the Death Star.
The best part of the game, of course, is the large-scale tactical battles in the Galactic Conquest mode, unfolding in space. Up to five people can play on one map: each participant will have their own space station and fleet, with the help of which they must destroy enemy bases. Ships and heroes have specific features that, if used effectively, can have a decisive influence on the outcome of the battle. Experienced players will easily discover the weak points of large ships and give the order to attack them. Watching the X-Wing squadrons try to destroy the Star Destroyer will be a treat for any fan of the space saga.
In addition to space battles, the developers will allow gamers to take part in ground operations. This means that players will be able to control air bikes and AT-AT walkers.
Europa Universalis IV
This global and incredibly complex game from Paradox Development Studio was recognized as the best strategy of 2013. Europa Universalis IV is a real breakthrough because the developers took into account previous mistakes and corrected most of the bugs that migrated from series to series. Moreover, they tried to explain in detail all the places that raised questions among gamers (due to the colossal scale of the game, some mechanics remained unclear), improve the interface and optimize the AI. Of course, to understand Europa Universalis IV you will still have to spend dozens of hours on training. But this game is the most understandable and simplest of the EU series.
Nations strive to expand their influence through trade, diplomacy, economics, exploration of new lands, and the development of new technologies. You can try to colonize America, or conquer India; you can start the game as one of the local tribes in North America. In this project, gamers have the power to change the history of mankind - for example, the Venetian Empire can capture the Apennine Peninsula, annex or conquer all the tribes and go to war with the Ottoman Empire. France can enter into an alliance with England and divide Europe into spheres of influence.
Distant Worlds: Universe
Perhaps this is the most ambitious global turn-based strategy in the history of gaming. The developers created an entire galaxy - 1,400 star systems with more than 50 thousand planets, moons and asteroids, as well as various astronomical objects (black holes, gas giants, supernovae).
Gamers will have to create their own civilization to establish world domination. The authors of Distant Worlds: Universe offer gamers wide customization options: you can start the game on one planet with several light ships, or become the leader of a technologically advanced civilization that has already created a hyperdrive.
The highlight of the game is the ability to automate various processes in the empire: for example, you can not interfere with the economy, concentrating solely on diplomacy and battles. In any case, it won't be easy to beat your opponents: the AI is surprisingly effective.
Age of Wonders III
The project is a reboot of the classic franchise, the last episode of which was released in 2003. This 3D turn-based strategy game takes place in a fantasy world, during an era of fierce confrontation between the Imperial Commonwealth and the Elven Alliance.
In the game you can play as one of 7 races: people, elves, gnomes, goblins, orcs, draconians, halflings. Heroes can belong to one of 6 classes (military leader, theocrat, robber, arch druid, sorcerer or technocrat), and also have a specialization (master of the elements of water, fire, air, earth, adept of creation, destruction, research or construction).
The system of diplomacy and city management are not the strong features of the project. However, the authors managed to make the battles truly exciting: units can be combined with each other and turned into giant armies, and then besiege the enemy’s fortress. The scale of battles is reminiscent of Total War, but the highlight of Age of Wonders III is the ability to use magic.
Order of Battle: Pacific
Everyone knows the importance of the battles that unfolded in the Pacific during World War II. The authors of Order of Battle: Pacific offer to take part in bloody battles on the side of the Japanese Empire or allies.
In this turn-based strategy, which in its style is reminiscent of the good old Panzer General, gamers will have to carefully think through every move. A total of three campaigns are available in which you can change the course of history and, for example, win the war on the side of Japan. Players can control over 500 units such as the legendary M3 Stuart and Type 97 Chi-Ha tanks, A6M Zero and F4U Corsair fighters, or the battleships Montana and Yamato.
During battles, you can unlock heroic commanders, who can provide a decisive advantage in battle.
Below is a selection of historical strategies for PC. I'm always on the lookout for new stuff, so I add new ones here that come out or that I find. Only strategies are collected here, there is a separate one.
Civilization Series
release date: 1991-2016
The events of the game will tell about the formation of the first empires, from their origins to their complete collapse. The player takes control of one of sixteen warring factions, each of which has its own plot, campaigns, architecture, type of army, units, etc. Factions are conventionally divided into five civilizations: Egypt, Greece, Rome, Babylon and Asia. The project offers a single-player game, as well as online battles with support for up to eight players.
The gameplay of the project will be able to carry the gamer through entire millennia. Starting from the Stone Age, the player must develop his empire, research new technologies, improve troops, build cities and fight enemy factions. During the course of research, the player’s cities will move into new historical eras, which in turn will open up access to new types of weapons, equipment and technologies.
Europa Universalis Series
release date: 2000-2013
Genre: Historical real-time strategy, grand strategy
The project will be able to take the player to the time period between 1444 and 1821. This time covers the period of the most significant geographical discoveries, the formation modern world, active development of science, transition from medieval technologies to more modern methods production. The player will be able to take on the role of the ruler of one of the European countries, and try to create the most powerful empire from his state.
The game provides complete freedom of action, but at the same time, there are real historical events, such as wars, crusades, revolutions, etc. The player takes control of any of the European countries and begins to create a global empire, annexing the territories of neighbors, absorbing weaker countries entirely and creating unfavorable conditions for the existence of competitors. Every action of the player will be reflected in the game world. By cutting off one country from a deposit of valuable resources, you can watch its economy wither and its standard of living deteriorate. At the time of its release, the game received many positive feedback from game critics and journalists. The project was praised for its wide political and diplomatic opportunities, as well as a large number of DLC.
Total War series
release date: 2000-2016
Genre: Turn-based strategy, RTS, global strategy,
The events of the game take place between 270 BC and 14 AD. This time spans the rise of the Roman Empire and the multiple civil wars that occurred between various factions wishing to rule vast territories alone.
The project combines such genres as turn-based global strategy and real-time strategy. In grand strategy mode, the player will be able to do large-scale and significant things in a step-by-step mode. For example, in this mode you can declare war, begin capturing enemy territories, or carry out other global actions. In real-time strategy mode, the player takes control of groups of units that must be controlled on a detailed map of the area.
Cossacks Series
release date: 2001-2016
Genre:RTS
The game is set in a time frame that spans between the 17th and 18th centuries. The plot of the game company depends entirely on the chosen faction. The player will be able to take part in such historical events as the Ukrainian War of Independence, the Russian suppression of the Razin uprising, as well as the Great Northern War, French participation in the Thirty Years' War, etc. The project features a single-player campaign and online battles that support up to four players.
The main essence of the game is the complete destruction of all enemy buildings. The player begins his journey with a small settlement, which needs to be improved and developed as quickly as possible. To do this, workers should be sent to cut down forests, mine ore and do field work. This will help provide the city with the basic resources necessary for the normal development and maintenance of the army. There are also several factions in the project, each of which has its own positive and negative sides. For example, the Ukrainian cavalry is very mobile and deals a lot of damage, but at the same time has a reduced health reserve and weak defense. Overall, due to large quantity units, varied gameplay for each faction, as well as historically accurate events, the project has gained immense popularity among all fans of real-time strategies.
Industry Giant II
release date: 2003
Genre
Starting in 1900, the player has approximately 100 years to create his own business, set up production and create an entire industry out of it that can influence the development of cities. The gamer will be able to choose any direction of production and try to create a truly profitable business that can bring in a lot of money.
The project is an advanced economic simulator with great attention to small details. To create a successful business, the player must calculate every little detail that can affect income. Eg frequent breakdowns transport, due to poor quality road surfaces, can significantly increase the cost of transportation finished products to the place of its implementation. It is worth noting that the project is time-bound, so products will be opened following developments and needs. The game will appeal to all fans of economic strategies, as well as advanced business simulators.
The Entente Gold
release date: 2003
Genre: Real-time strategy,
The game takes place during one of the most brutal wars in human history - the First World War. The player will be able to become a military leader of one of the five sides in the conflict and try to rewrite history in his own way. The gameplay will take the player to all the key battle sites, such as the battle of Verdun, the Somme, the Brusilov breakthrough, etc.
There are five participating countries in the game, each of which is distinguished by its own equipment, infantry, weapons and equipment. Each faction has its own advantages and disadvantages, which builds the balance of the game. England and Germany have heavy tanks, France has excellent aircraft, and the Russian Empire has improved cavalry and infantry. The project also includes tactical tricks, the use of terrain and relief, the use of mortars and dangerous chemical weapons.
Pax Romana
release date: 2003
Genre: Historical real-time strategy, economic simulator, Ancient Rome
The player will be able to feel like a real Roman emperor, who must make Rome the most prosperous and developed empire in the whole world. To do this, it is necessary to cover all areas that can influence improvement, namely politics, economics, technology development, as well as defense and a strong army.
At the beginning of the game, the gamer will be given a weak country with minimal income, a weak army, a low level of science, technology, etc. To get out of this situation, the player must correctly distribute the workforce, organize the extraction of resources, resume the construction of cities, and also train the army. In the process of passing, new territories, units and other opportunities will open up, and military power will be subject to constant raids by nomadic tribes.
Praetorians
release date: 2003
Genre: Real-time strategy, about Ancient Rome,
The events of the game take place during the reign of Julius Caesar, who was engaged in the defense of cordons from nomadic tribes. The player will be able to play the role of one of the legates - professional military leaders and strategists. During the game, the gamer will be able to experience such historical events as: the beginning of the civil war, the war with Gaul and other Germanic tribes, the formation of the Roman Empire, etc.
The player will be able to take control of entire legions of battle-hardened Roman soldiers. Management is carried out in groups. Each group has a common pool of stamina and health. Units can be split or combined to achieve a tactical advantage in battle. There are also special warriors who have inspiring auras. Auras can significantly increase the defense, health and efficiency of legionnaires. The project will appeal to all fans of real-time strategies, as well as history buffs, since the game features historically accurate equipment and weapons.
Blitzkrieg series
release date: 2003-2017
The plot of the game is entirely dedicated to the Second World War. The events of the project take place in the time frame from 1939 to 1945. There are three sides to the conflict to choose from: Axis Powers, USSR, Western Allies. Each faction has its own companies, scenarios, locations of military operations, as well as historical weapons, equipment and commanders-in-chief.
The project is a tactical real-time strategy in which the player takes on the role of commander-in-chief. The main task of the gamer is to complete the assigned task with minimal losses of personnel. The project has a relationship between missions. This means that in the next task, the player will have the same soldiers as in the previous one (dead soldiers are replaced by poorly trained recruits). Among the main advantages of the game, it should be noted: a large set of historical equipment, weapons and equipment, three single companies, more than 50 missions, large-scale and dynamic battles in multiplayer mode.
Crusader Kings
release date: 2004
Genre: Historical global strategy,
The game is set in a time frame that will take the player into the major battles that took place during the Middle Ages. The gamer will be able to take an active part in the Third Crusade, the Hundred Years' War, and also in the Battle of Hastings. The main essence of the game lies in complete territorial domination over other countries and factions.
The project involves the development of technologies that do not depend on the player’s actions. You can only choose the basic development orientation for the main areas. The game also features simulation of historical events. So the player can find himself in the midst of a crusade or in the difficult times of the Hundred Years War. The main gameplay innovation of the project was random events. For example, you can build to capture other countries and provinces, but the more territories the player has under his control, the more difficult it is to manage them, and this can lead to riots and uprisings. In general, the project will appeal to all fans of the genre, as well as fans of games about the Middle Ages.
Knights of Honor
release date: 2005
Genre: Real-time strategy, global strategy about the Middle Ages,
The game takes place on a huge map of the medieval world, which includes 100 different states that actually existed in those days. The player will be able to choose any country and take part in the development and formation of a new large-scale empire. The main objective of the game is to suppress all competing countries, destroy enemies and maintain power.
The game is designed as a real-time strategy with elements of a global strategy. On a large map, the player will be able to view the state and political actions of other countries. In strategy mode, the player must control troops and conduct active combat operations with the enemy. The project implements a system of court knights. Each knight is a separate subject of the king, who influences military power, construction, trade, military intelligence and religion. Knights will be upgraded as you play, allowing you to improve all aspects of the country as a whole. The project boasts wide possibilities, exciting battles and high attention to small details, such as religion, treasury, construction, etc.
Rise and Fall: Civilizations at War
release date: 2006
Genre: RTS, RPG, Ancient Rome, about Ancient Egypt
The events of the game will tell the story of the confrontation between four civilizations that wage constant wars for control of territories and valuable resources. The player will be able to become a military leader of Egypt, Greece, Persia or Rome and lead his faction to complete victory over its competitors. For Greece and Egypt, their own single companies and scenarios are available, in which the player can personally control Alexander the Great or Cleopatra.
The project has two game components - strategic and role-playing. In a role-playing game, the gamer must control the hero, perform various tasks, use special skills, gather an army, etc. The strategic component is represented by the classic construction of a base, improving technology, recruiting troops and attacking an enemy base. In addition to historically accurate types of troops, equipment and equipment, the game contains elements of mythology and fantasy.
Golden Horde
release date: 2008
Genre: Historical real-time strategy, RPG, made in Russia
The plot of the game is based on the confrontation between three factions - the Teutons, the Russians and the Golden Horde. The player can take control of any of them and take part in massive medieval battles. Each faction has its own storyline and company, which allows you to immerse yourself in historical battles on behalf of each side of the conflict.
The project combines genres such as strategy and RPG. The role-playing component is represented by heroes who have unique talents and significantly strengthen the surrounding troops. The main strategic component is represented by the classic construction of a base, the development of industry, the construction of defenses and buildings, the collection of an army and battles. Since the game is historical, it simulates the real equipment and weapons of each side of the conflict. The project will appeal to all fans of classic real-time strategies in a historical setting.
XIII century. Fame or death
release date: 2007
Genre: Historical real-time strategy, Middle Ages, about Rus'
The events of the game span the entire 13th century and tell of a bloody confrontation between 21 factions. The player will be able to take any side of the conflict and try to lead one of the medieval states to complete victory. There are 5 companies and about 30 battles available in the game, each of which simulates real events that took place in those days.
The project is designed as a real-time strategy with all the characteristic features of the genre. The player must build a base, study technology, collect resources, upgrade weapons and equipment, and create a powerful army. After this, you can send the army into battle. Among the key points of the game, it is worth noting a wide variety of troops, reliable equipment, many unique factions, castle sieges and massive multiplayer battles.
Imperium Romanum
release date: 2008
Genre: RTS, city planning simulator, Ancient Rome
The player will be able to play the role of the ruler of Rome, who develops the city according to his own taste and discretion. Build new streets, improve technology, create legions of professional warriors, and fight enemies with cavalry, siege weapons and hastati troops.
The project allows you to take control of the construction of Rome. The player begins his journey with the simplest buildings, gradually developing the city, strengthening the infrastructure, studying more advanced technologies and collecting the best army. Things cannot happen without military skirmishes with the enemies of the empire, who are constantly encroaching on territorial integrity. In general, the project will appeal to all fans of strategies about Rome, as well as fans of city planning simulators.
Victoria 2
release date: 2010
Genre: Historical global strategy, about the First World War, economic simulator
The project is in the time frame from 1836 to 1936. The player becomes the leader of one of the 271 states that actually existed in those days. The main objective of the game is to create the largest empire in the world, suppress all competing countries and win the First World War.
The game provides complete freedom of action; the player will be able to choose one of the countries and lead it to complete victory. The difficulty of the game directly depends on the choice of country. As a small and underdeveloped power, it is difficult to capture stronger competitors, which will require masterful knowledge of politics and economics. The game also simulates real historical events, such as the assassination of Franz Ferdinand, revolutions, epidemics, etc.
Sengoku
release date: 2011
Genre: Historical grand strategy, RPG, economic simulator
The events of the game take place in Japan in the 16th century. The player plays the role of an influential feudal lord who must unite all the eastern countries under the flag of one powerful empire. To do this, the player must become a strong leader of his clan, a wise ruler and the best commander.
The game is a global strategy in which all actions take place on one large map. The playing field has more than 350 different provinces. The player must manage his clan, build up military power and gradually take control of scattered clans, creating a powerful empire. The game also offers the opportunity to create a family, appoint successors and reward vassals who must obediently follow orders. Among the main features of the project, it is worth noting the wide variety of types of troops, wide political and economic opportunities, diplomacy, and historical events.
Hegemony Gold: Wars of Ancient Greece
release date: 2012
Genre: Real-time strategy about Ancient Greece
The events of the game tell about the internal conflicts that occurred during the times of Ancient Greece. The player will be able to take an active part in mass uprisings, struggles for power, civil wars, etc. There are several factions available in the project, with the help of which you can seize power in Greece and completely rewrite history.
The project is a classic real-time strategy with base building, army gathering, defense and reserve construction, as well as wall-to-wall battles typical of the genre. The game contains tactical capabilities and various military tricks. You can use the relief and features of the locations. Among the main features it is worth noting: a large set of different types of units, detailed historical equipment, battles on the water.
Alea Jacta Est
release date: 2014
Genre: Global strategy, Ancient Rome
The project is located in a time frame starting from the first century BC. and ending with the third century AD. This time coincides with the period of formation and development of the Roman Empire. The player will be able to take an active part in the main battles and civil wars that took place during the first centuries of the most powerful empire in the world.
The game is made in the form of a turn-based strategy, which most closely resembles a classic board game. The game features a large-scale global map covering the territory of all Roman lands and provinces. The player will be able to create his own army and try to influence the course of history, overthrowing emperors, concluding alliances with Germanic tribes, opening new fronts and capturing more and more territories. The project will appeal to all fans of global strategies about Ancient Rome, as well as fans of games such as Total War.
Hegemony Rome: The Rise of Caesar
release date: 2014
Genre: Real-time strategy, RPG, Ancient Rome
The plot of the game will allow you to immerse the player in the events that developed during the reign of Julius Caesar. Under his leadership, the gamer must conquer the warring Germanic tribes, which became a real “bone in the throat” for the great Roman Empire.
The project focuses on tactical battles using various types of infantry and cavalry. Military tricks are available, such as striking in the rear, decoys, using terrain and weather conditions. In addition to the battle itself, the player must monitor the supply of food, ammunition and recruits. To do this, you need to create entire networks of logistics support routes. In general, the project will appeal to all fans of dynamic strategy games with a developed tactical component.
Urban Empire
release date: 2017
Genre: Real-time strategy, city building simulator, economic simulator
The player will be able to try on the role of a city ruler who has been developing his metropolis for two hundred years. During this time, the city will be affected by cataclysms, political intrigues, technological progress, world wars, etc. The main task of the player is to become a wise and strong ruler, as well as choose the desired course for the development of the entire city. This can be done in various ways, by becoming a good mayor or a despotic tyrant.
The game implements the development of eras, which does not depend on the player. The introduction of new technologies, historical events and other factors greatly influence the gameplay and can sharply drive the city’s budget into a strong minus. To cope with unusual situations, the player must think through each next step and develop the city in different directions. This can be hampered by a city council that rejects or makes risky decisions. As in real life, the opinion of the council can be swayed to your side through deception and corruption.
Historical online strategies
Imperia Online 2
Release date: 2014
Genre: Browser strategy
A colorful browser-based real-time historical strategy in which players, starting from the very bottom and developing in three main directions (economy, diplomacy and army), try to seize power in this fascinating world of kings, knights and crusades.
PLAY
The main gaming feature here is the presence of imperial dynasties. Thus, each player has his own “great people” who have unique talents and help in various aspects of the development of their own empire. Moreover, they are all mortals and during the game you can observe the change of more than one generation of the imperial family. Otherwise, everything is standard - we build and develop a city, hire armies, capture cities and prevent the looting of our own possessions. For fans of clan activities, the game features alliances and global wars.
Stronghold Kingdoms
Release date: 2014
Genre: Economic strategy
Historical strategy, which is the first game in the Stronghold series, made in the MMORTS genre. The project is made in the style of other games in this franchise, but the gameplay is “tailored” for online play. So, for example, buildings are no longer built immediately, but after a certain time, trade also does not take place instantly, and in battles the player can only influence the deployment of troops and the use of one of several inherent tactics.
PLAY
However, many processes in the game are not much different from those in the series. As before, players earn popularity and honor, many economic aspects also remained unchanged (food for peasants, production of weapons, etc.). In general, this project will appeal to both fans of the original games in the series and all those who love online historical strategies.
Forge of Empires
Release date: 2012
Genre: Historical urban planning strategy
A historical browser-based online strategy in which players develop their own city, starting from the Stone Age and ending in the distant future. The territory for construction is initially very limited, but during the game it can be expanded, filling new territories with various buildings, structures and decorative elements.
PLAY
Traditionally for such games, we start with a small village, developing which we gradually capture new territories and create our own empire. The game has several eras, each with its own buildings and features. The transition from era to era unlocks not only new buildings, but also new technologies in the research tree. There are also battles and diplomacy (for example, new territories can be conquered or exchanged for resources).
It's no surprise that strategy games are so popular. After all, only this type of gaming entertainment allows you to control entire universes. Among these games there are also real gaming masterpieces, which are outstanding game series. Our story will be about them today.
And below are the top ten, TOP selected, most beautiful and multifaceted strategy games on PC. It is difficult to single out the best game within the series itself, so we will talk about the series in general and individual games in particular.
10. Total War
The most powerful, beautiful, thoughtful, starting from a masterpiece dedicated to Rome, and ending with modern brothers of the medieval and imperial sense.
The brainchild of a British company Creative Assembly. Traditionally, the games in the series combine the genres of turn-based and global strategy and tactical battles in real time.
The whole world is at your feet in all its temporary splendor. Famous events, colossal battles, and you as a commander and eagle over the battlefield. And most importantly - masterpiece fashions based on the Lord of the Rings universe and countless historical eras of our time. The game really teaches history.
9. Star Craft
brainchild Blizzard Entertainment- a series of real-time strategy games that tells the story of the war between the Protoss, the Zerg and the humans. Since its release, the game has sold more than 11 million copies worldwide.
Star Craft- it is also a sports discipline and an amazing reaction simulator. An interesting story and a whole universe of whirlwind events that immerse you in the thick of bloody alien battles on either side.
The second part of the legendary masterpiece has been called by many critics the ideal real-time strategy game, which is the standard of the genre.
8.Warcraft
Warcraft - you are always in our hearts!
Of course not the one World, and the third part of this legendary strategy with RPG elements. The series is one of the oldest in the strategy genre - before Warcraft appeared, perhaps Dune. This legendary strategy from the company Blizzard determined the development of the genre for many years to come.
A unique fantasy game with its own unique approach to the distribution of powers, dozens of types of troops, hundreds of spells, thousands of combat tactics, an abundance of network modes provide wide scope for virtual military leaders
7. Civilization
Sid Meier's Civilization is a turn-based strategy covering the entire path of humanity from primitive times to the near and not so future.
In the legendary Civilizations you can try yourself in the role of almost any outstanding personality and manage numerous states, leading them through the centuries to economic and military victory. The time period of the game is truly centuries of development and continuous wars, starting from the Stone Age and ending with history not so distant
Millions of copies, national recognition, and most importantly - amazing gameplay. All this - Civilization
6.Age of Empires
The age of empires or the age of technology - it doesn’t matter. An illustrious strategy series, stunningly attractive in its cheerful gameplay.
Age of Empires became famous, first of all, for its excellent graphics and balance for its time. The eras in the game are real and mythical, but all are epic and vibrant. Every step is on your conscience, unless of course you want victory. Otherwise - a shameful defeat.
The game is a classic real-time strategy, which means success here depends on your ingenuity and speed of reaction.
5.Command & Conquer
A very extensive project from Westwood Studios. Either Red Alert or the Tiberium canon, everything is menacingly swarming with technologically advanced and globally dangerous weapons.
Command & Conquer- these are terrifying robots, combat octopuses, huge double-barreled tanks, psycho soldiers and other funny evil spirits. And also - memorable characters, cool maps and speed - not a second of downtime, otherwise a nuclear mushroom will destroy your empire. Minimum economics, maximum military affairs.
And of course, this is a pseudo-Soviet cranberry that has reached the edge of the possible, in which all the craziest stereotypes about Russia are mixed.
4.Warhammer
"Warhammer 40,000" is a strategic universe developed on the basis of the studio's tabletop wargame "Warhammer 40,000" Games Warshop.
According to the plot, the player's main enemy is initially orcs. Afterwards it becomes clear that the Chaos Space Marines are to blame for everything. Well, then all hell began to happen.
The distant imperial religious future is so cruel that it attracts and repels at the same time. There is everything here - fantasy and science fiction, and historically designed batches. In general, the developers' idea was to combine everything that was possible with everything that was possible, resulting in a kind of hodgepodge for all times.
The truth is that the game is fully revealed only in multiplayer.
3. Heroes of Might and Magic
All the laurels of this outstanding series, perhaps, go to the third part. The project allows you to play alone against artificial intelligence, or against other people on the same computer. The player controls the Hero, leading armies of mythical creatures into battle.
IN Heroes of Might and Magic two parts are combined: strategic (the Hero travels across the game map, exploring territories and capturing all kinds of objects) and tactical (Heroes fight enemy troops on a separate map). If you have never played this masterpiece, then you are missing out on a lot. After all Heroes- This is practically a milestone in turn-based strategies.
2. Cossacks
Perhaps the most outstanding strategy of the classic type with the construction of cities, economic development, resource extraction and combat operations on land and sea. In a word, there is everything that should be in a normal strategy.
The Cossacks game turned out to be so successful that it later allowed GSC game world to use the money raised from it to create Stalker!
A breakthrough strategy for its time about European wars, it gives sophisticated gamers the opportunity to take part in the gameplay of historical battles, played out on a real scale, taking into account the specific tactics and strategies of each of the warring parties. There is also a developed economic system, and the most beautiful smoke from gun shots, which has become the hallmark of the game.
1.Stronghold
It's hard to pick the best game in the series, because they are all great! Whether it's iconic Stronghold Crusader 2, powerful Stronghold 3 Revenge or amazing Stronghold Kingdoms, which for the first time allowed thousands of players from all over the world to clash in mortal combat with each other via online means!
The game is now completely free! Unlike previous parts, you will not fight against the computer, but against real players. Capture, plunder, build, defend and attack - all this and much more awaits you in this game.
Friends, hello everyone. The Gamebizclub team is on air, and today we will continue to introduce you to the genres of the world of computer games. At the end of May, we dove in and revealed the 12 best games in the genre. And in this article we will tell you in detail about the best strategies on PC over the past few years and compile our top best games in this genre.
It would seem that making ratings is a simple matter. It’s worth taking a list of the games you like, choosing the best ones and putting them in order. We would have done so, if not for one nuance - the Gamebizclub team included people who had experienced Warcraft 1 and Heroes of Might and Magic.
Since then, many games have been released, one way or another, we managed to play most of them and form our own opinion. Therefore, we made a plausible rating taking into account all opinions - we retested old games and new ones, refreshed our memory. And this is what happened.
From this article you will learn:
14. DEFCON
The last place in our ranking goes to DEFCON, a game about nuclear strike tactics released in 2006. The name translates as “defense readiness” - this is a real-life scale of the US Army’s readiness for possible combat operations.
DEFCON is based on the plot of the American film “War Games”, which shows the global nuclear conflict between the USA and the USSR. Not only the events of the game, but also its style echo the film, as evidenced by the motto “Everybody dies” (translated as “Everybody Dies”).
In DEFCON you will not be able to create combat units, collect resources and develop technologies. But you can choose the location of forces on the territory of North or South America, Europe, Russia, Africa or Asia. The game starts when the DEFCON scale shows alarm level 5. Then you move to the following levels sequentially. All this time, the conflict is developing, tension is growing. When the level reaches 1, a nuclear attack can be launched.
The main goal is to inflict damage on the enemy while avoiding your own losses. There are no moral restrictions, so you should follow only your thoughts, desires and emotions. Up to 6 people can participate in the game. Nuclear missiles are used as combat units different types, fighters, bombers, submarines, aircraft carriers, cruisers, airfields, radars.
DEFCON is similar to a real command post, where the president of the country sits and plans military operations. There is nothing superfluous - just a map, marks of friendly and enemy troops, the most important targets and cities. And you can do whatever comes to your mind: take on the role of the main villain, save peoples and countries, destroy cities and entire regions with one click.
The only negative that outweighs all the advantages is that DEFCON does not have a graphics engine. Despite the interesting gameplay, after a while the process of exchanging nuclear warheads gets boring - it becomes boring to move warheads and combat vehicles around the map, destroy secondary countries, and so on.
And all because there are no special effects or any accompaniment. Therefore, it is suitable instead of Minesweeper or any other game with low requirements - it takes up only 60 MB on your hard drive and will run on any PC.
13. Dune
In thirteenth place is the Dune series of games about the world of Arrakis, which became one of the first real-time strategies. Dune was released in 1992 on the Sega console, and after some time it became available on PC. At that time it was a breakthrough that could be repeated only three years later.
Interesting fact: on behalf of the publishing company Virgin Interactive, two independent developers worked simultaneously to create the game. The French company Cryo Interactive released the game first. American Westwood Studios - a little later. That's why the title of the game from Westwood Studios contains the number "2".
The plot is based on the science fiction novel Dune by Frank Herbert. During the passage you will meet the main characters, take the role of the leader of one of the great houses and conquer the planet Arrakis.
The only negative is that the events of the book and the game are loosely connected; the gameplay is based on missions to clear the territory of the enemy and extract useful resources.
In the struggle for dominance on the planet, three great houses collided - the Atreides, the Harkonnens and the Ordos. Each home has its own pros and cons, unique technologies and powerful leaders.
You can choose any house, but you cannot change it later. After choosing, you will find yourself on the battlefield, command an army, build a base, extract resources and destroy the enemy. Important - to win, you need to destroy all enemies on the map.
For example, if you have destroyed the enemy base, but one soldier is hiding in the corner of the map and is constantly moving, you will not win until you destroy him.
Dune pioneered the approach that would become the basis of the RTS genre. This is a global map, an economic model, a command panel and a mini-map in the user interface, the “fog of war” and various capabilities of the warring parties.
In 1998, a remake called Dune 2000 was released, and in 2001, the developers continued the series by releasing Emperor: Battle for Dune. Unfortunately, after that, no more games about Dune appeared. 15 years have passed, but the series remains only in the memory of the most devoted fans - that’s why only the penultimate place.
12. Age of Empires
We give twelfth place to Age of Empires, which became the basis for many RTS that came out after it. The first part was released in 1997, and since then Microsoft Game Studios has released 8 games and 4 additions to them. The series also includes Age of Empires Online (MMORTS).
In Age of Empires, you will find yourself as the leader of one of 16 civilizations, reflecting a specific architectural style: Egyptian, Babylonian, Greek, Asian and Roman. By completing missions and developing, you will move from era to era - from the Stone Age to the Iron Age.
Civilization develops through the construction of buildings, technology research and war, where would we be without it. Besides you, there will be several more civilizations on the map competing for resources. Therefore, you will constantly be at war - defending behind walls or attacking the enemy.
The game contains campaigns, including educational ones. The educational process is built on 12 scenarios that explain the gameplay. This will help you quickly master the basics of control, work effectively with units and fully use the camera. Other campaigns consist of different missions in which you will defend in a fortified fort, attack castle walls and much more.
Multiplayer is available for a maximum of eight people. To play online, you can choose who to fight with - bots or other people. If you choose a mode with other users, you will have the opportunity to form an alliance, declare war on the selected enemy, or take a neutral position.
Age of Empires doesn't require a powerful computer. Even with the most modest configuration, the game looks realistic, and the image is pleasing to the eye at maximum zoom.
For many people, Age of Empires has become a guide to the world of strategy. But the series gradually faded away and lost popularity - the third part was released back in 2005, and there is still no full-fledged fourth part, if you do not take into account AoE Online. Therefore, we recommend the game to those who want to see the beginning of the RTS era.
11. Star Wars: Empire at War
In eleventh place is Star Wars: Empire at War, a game released in 2006 based on the setting of the world-famous Star Wars saga. The plot is based on Star Wars episodes 4, 5 and 6, namely civil war between the rebels and the imperials.
You will find yourself in the role of a commander of one of the sides, you will control the fleet, command in battles with opponents, destroy bases and much more. The storyline consists of missions in which you will meet famous heroes - Darth Vader, Palpatine, Firmus Piett, Han Solo, Boba Fett, Chewbacca and other characters.
Each character provides certain bonuses, and if necessary, you can hire additional supporting characters - agents, smugglers and others.
Star Wars: Empire at War consists of two parts:
- Conquest of the Galaxy - a global strategy on the galaxy map. In this mode, you will manage controlled planets, study (or steal) technologies, seize strategic resources, attack and defend.
- Tactical mode - consists of space and ground operations. You will spend a lot of time in this mode, because a lot will depend on the outcome of the battle. It is here that you will see the main combat vehicles, infantry and ships of both sides, and you will be able to demonstrate your team skills and win.
The main thing is to choose the right side. The Imperials more possibilities to master new technologies, improve weapons and ships. And the rebels cannot do science, but they know how to steal the technological achievements of the Empire.
Become the ruler of the galaxy with Darth Vader or free the planets from the tyranny of the Empire with Luke and his friends. Choose a side and go into battle. You will definitely like it.
Star Wars is a super popular project by George Lucas. Therefore, it is not surprising that many films were published based on the film. interesting games, but we still haven’t seen the continuation of Empire at War, which is a pity. Only eleventh place in our ranking, let's move on.
10. World in Conflict: Soviet Assault
Rounding out the top ten is World in Conflict: Soviet Assault, a real-time strategy game released in 2009 that continued the events that happened in World in Conflict. In other words, the developers took World in Conflict and added 6 new missions - the game became one and a half times longer.
Gamebizclub's opinion: in our opinion, this is the best strategy about the beginning of the Third World War. Events begin with the fall of the Berlin Wall, which is destroyed by Russian tanks. USSR troops begin an offensive along the entire front and create a meat grinder for NATO forces.
You will find yourself in the role of a Soviet paratrooper and unit commander, standing at the forefront of the attack, destroying enemy soldiers and equipment. Indescribable feelings!
Combat operations take place either in Berlin or in rural areas, where they have to fight with NATO troops. You will also be able to command an artillery battery and provide air escort for the convoy.
Each mission has a specific plot, but the main thing is that there is no need to build a base. You have a limited number of troops at your disposal, but you can request reinforcements.
The developers could not avoid stereotypes about Russians - the ideas of Americans, British, Germans and other peoples are very noticeable and often hurt the eyes. Therefore, in the dialogues there is sometimes a feeling of unreality of what is happening until the fighting begins.
You can also choose the side of NATO - in this case, the plot will begin on the territory of the United States, where you will defend cities and the coast. Gradually you will push back the USSR troops and move to Europe. Let us add that both storylines are inextricably linked, so the side you choose will win.
The game attracts with its sharp plot, large-scale battles that take place not only nearby, but all over the map - you get the feeling that you are participating in a large-scale military operation. It all looks very realistic, as if we were really in the center of a battle.
World in Conflict: Soviet Assault is in tenth place only because we did not see the continuation of this series. The game should be on the shelf of every fan of the genre - this is 100%.
9.Stronghold
In ninth place is the Stronghold series of games - a strategy about the Middle Ages, the Crusades, knights and kings. The first part of Stronghold was released in 2001, and the last Stronghold 3 in 2011. Let us add that in 2010 the developers released the first MMORTS - Stronghold Kingdoms, where online play against other people became available.
The action takes place during the early Middle Ages, so you will take on the role of a baron or count - you will build a castle, develop production, establish settlements and fight the enemy. Depending on the chosen part, you will be taken to the territory of Europe or Palestine.
In Strongold Crusader the action takes place in the hot lands of Palestine. As a crusader, you will build and defend a castle, establish production, and attack the impregnable fortifications of desert warriors.
Stronghold 3 takes place in Europe. The plot begins seven years after the end of the events of the first part.
The series became successful due to the combination of economic strategy and medieval surroundings. You can build your own castle, besiege your neighbor's castle, pour boiling oil and tar on the attackers - all the medieval romance is present. But before the start of hostilities, it will be necessary to provide the rear with food and develop production so that everything is enough for the duration of the war.
Computer opponents are controlled by artificial intelligence - like you, they extract resources, build castles, form their own army and start a war. And in multiplayer you will be opposed by those people whom you invite to the game - friends, acquaintances or family members.
8. Heroes of Might and Magic III
In eighth place is one of the best turn-based strategies, Heroes of Might and Magic III. Despite the fact that the game was released back in 1999, it still remains the most revered in the turn-based strategy genre. And the following parts of “Heroes”, released after it, could not surpass the third part.
The game takes place in a fantasy world where there are dragons, elves, goblins, gnomes and many other mythical creatures. You will lead one of the factions, command a squad, capture and manage cities, and explore the world.
The adventure map is difficult to navigate in places. Movement in the game world is not always predictable - there are areas where it is very difficult to get to and you have to follow an unobvious path.
One of the main tasks is to develop cities in such a way that they generate income, provide combat power and give power to magical spells. If a city is well developed, it brings in enough gold and allows you to hire a strong army to capture adjacent territories and destroy the enemy.
As it should be in a turn-based strategy, time in the game flows discretely. The main unit of time is the move, which is also called a day. During a turn, you can perform a certain number of actions - make a move with heroes, plan the construction of a building, and so on.
And in battle, actions take place one by one and resemble a chess game. Each unit has a certain number of action points, attack type and amount of health. The stronger the unit, the harder it hits and the harder it is to kill. The troops are led by a hero who, upon victory, receives experience and artifacts from defeated enemies.
Heroes of Might and Magic 3 is available in single and multiplayer. Although multi-user is a strong word. The first mode is called “Hot Seat” and is translated as a hot seat - two people at one computer take turns making moves and finding out who is stronger.
The second mode is network. You need to create a separate “room” and give the address of this room to friends and acquaintances. Then you don’t have to sit in one chair, but really surf the net.
In 2015, the version of Heroes of Might and Magic III HD was released - a remake of the popular game, made for a PC with average characteristics. We advise everyone - HoMM should be on the shelf of every turn-based strategy fan. And we move on.
7.Command & Conquer
In seventh place is the famous Command & Conquer - a real-time strategy about the confrontation between the NoD brotherhood and the World Defense Initiative (if translated into modern realities - Terrorists and the Security Service).
The first part was released back in 1995, and the last one was released in 2013. Note that the first part, along with Dune, became the basis for the RTS genre. But compared to the world of Arrakis, the Command and Conquer saga lasted much longer. The two games have the same developer - Westwood Studios, so it is quite possible that they decided to sacrifice Dune in favor of the more popular C&C.
The Command & Conquer universe includes 3 story subseries: Tiberium, Red Alert and Generals. This is a total of 15 games.
The plot of C&C is built on the conflict surrounding Tiberium, an alien substance sent by aliens to Earth in a meteorite shower. This substance extracts minerals, it can be used as an energy source, and in general Tiberium is a valuable element.
World governments consolidate and begin to mine Tiberium. At the same time, terrorists also begin to mine it, as a result they quickly gain strength and receive financial injections from countries where there is no Tiberium.
After some time, IVZ decides to put an end to NoD, but that was not the case - the Brotherhood strikes back and a long and exhausting confrontation begins.
You can become a member of the terrorist brotherhood NoD, which seeks to take over the world. But if high ideals are closer, you should choose IVZ. Although the main emphasis is not on the side of the conflict, but on how you will command in battle.
Each game has missions that you need to complete and achieve your goals. In principle, everything is simple - build a base, mine Tiberium, recruit troops and build military equipment. And then you send an army to attack and command how, where and who to destroy. Easy?
But the enemy does not sleep, so it is never easy. They will constantly attack you and try to destroy your base, attack from unexpected directions and deprive you of the opportunity to earn money. Therefore, you need to constantly be prepared for sudden attacks by the enemy, which suddenly appears in the most vulnerable places. The main factor of victory is not superiority in combat power, but the absence of mistakes.
It is unknown what will happen to the C&C series next. Four years have passed, but there is still no clear news or comments. Although there are still many fans of the game who continue to hone their skills in online battles. Therefore, so far only seventh place.
6. Civilization
We decided to give sixth place to Civilization, a step-by-step strategy about the development of humanity on Earth. The game, created by Sid Meier back in 1991, and its subsequent remakes were and remain the flagship of the turn-based strategy genre.
Now 6 parts with modifications and additions have already been released. Civilization has received a number of awards and has been inducted into the Video Game Hall of Fame. More than 9 million copies have been sold in different countries - a great success, confirmed by numerous critics from all over the world.
The main task is to develop the chosen civilization, from primitive society to modernity. Become Stalin and rule Russia, or take the place of Napoleon, Ramses, George Washington and lead your people on the path to prosperity.
To achieve power and prosperity, you need to build cities, engage in economics and science, create technologies and wonders of the world, build up military power, establish diplomatic relations with other civilizations and fight with competitors.
In general, everything is like in real life - put yourself in the place of the president or dictator. Events take place on a given world map, chosen randomly or exactly replicating the Earth.
Settlers, military men, diplomats and other characters (units) participate in the development of civilization. You can change the political regime by choosing despotism, monarchy, democracy, communism, republic. The higher the selected difficulty level, the better you need to plan your actions.
The easiest way is to be a leader - opponents hardly interfere. And the hardest thing is to be a deity, in which case the whole world will take up arms against you and will constantly put a spoke in your wheels - declare war, suddenly attack, plunder and destroy cities, and so on.
The score is determined based on the outcome of the game. When calculating points, the number of population, the number of created wonders of the world and other criteria are taken into account.
Editor's opinion: There were some funny moments in early versions of Civilization. If one nation was significantly ahead of others in development and began to fight, then its tanks and infantry clashed with knights, swordsmen, crossbowmen and other units of the Middle Ages, and sometimes even antiquity. And often tanks lost when simultaneously attacked by several units of earlier eras. In Civilization VI, the developers have improved the balance, but problems still arise - with a coordinated attack, crossbowmen and catapults can destroy a tank.
The main feature of the game is the opportunity to see the development of civilization, participate in this process and rewrite history. Imagine the Aztecs launching the first satellite into space, the Egyptians building the Pentagon in Cairo, the Romans launching the Stealth bomber.
Within the framework of game mechanics, everything is possible. The latest part of the game was released in 2016, and the continuation should be expected in 2019-2020.
5. Total War
We decided to give fifth place to Total War, a series of historical games where tactics and strategy are organically combined. The series itself contains 10 parts and 7 additions. The first part was created in 2000, and the last one was currently released in 2016 under the name Total War: WARHAMMER.
The main feature of Total War is the transfer in time to a specific era of human development. The plot takes you to Japan during the Warring States era, to Europe during the Napoleonic era, to the Middle Ages and earlier times. In the role of Attila you will conquer the European continent, in the role of Charlemagne you will create an invincible empire, in the role of Peter the Great you will bring Russia to the level of the leading world powers.
If we describe Total War in a nutshell, then the most suitable ones are large battles. In addition to capturing cities, establishing economic ties and production cycles, you will fight. War consists of many battles of different sizes, and you will command an army in each of them. Castle sieges, city defense, ambushes and wall-to-wall battles - there is everything that fans of the genre need.
In strategic mode, battles are fought on a global turn-based map, where cities, armies, territorial boundaries, valuable resources and roads are indicated. And in tactical mode, you are transported to the battlefield, to a real terrain with hills, trees, buildings and other landscape details.
If you get tired of constant battles, click “automatic calculation of results.” If your army is greatly superior, the enemy will be defeated without your participation.
But if the forces are equal or the enemy is superior in numbers, then you cannot do without your participation. In the “automatic calculation of results” you will most likely lose, but in manual mode there is a chance to win. Moreover, it often happens that a smaller army first defends itself, and then successfully advances and cuts out the fleeing enemy troops - but only if you command the army.
Defeats also happen, where would we be without them. But after every defeat you will learn to think and accept non-standard solutions, manage troops more efficiently and skillfully use the features of the landscape.
Let's give an example - if you are defending a city, then you need to sit behind the walls and not make forays. But if the enemy let the army down too quickly, and the siege equipment is only on the way and is slowly moving along the walls, feel free to bring the commander and cavalry units into the attack, try to destroy the siege towers and ram first. Without them, the enemy will not fight much.
In major battles, armies of several thousand people clash. Considering that most armies have maximum amount units (15-20 depending on the version of the game), several units take part in the largest battles maximum size– this is enough to cover half the map with the bodies of fallen warriors.
We could write a lot about Total War, but we will say this - do you want to become King Leonidas and lead the Spartans? So do it. You can take more people into battle than 300 elite fighters. And in the end, kick Xerxes in one place, completely changing the course of history. That's why Total War is in the top five.
4. Halo Wars 2
Fourth place goes to Halo Wars 2, the continuation of the saga about the war between people and alien invaders. The series developed by Microsoft has been trending for more than 15 years. Several dozen books and one film have already been released based on the plot of the game, and this is not the end yet. The series is developing, and after a while we will see a continuation in the form of a shooter, and maybe another film.
And now the background: in the distant future, people populated many planets and controlled a large area of space until they encountered the Covenant empire. The collision took place on the outskirts of “human space” and ended with the destruction of several patrol corvettes and a planet with a population of ten million people.
From that moment on, events developed badly for the people - dozens of lost systems, hundreds of millions of lives lost and the loss of half the fleet. In this situation, K.K.O.N decides to send the colony ship "Spirit of Fire" into an unexplored sector of space for colonization.
Halo Wars 2 begins with people waking up from cryosleep at The Ark, a space structure created by a mysterious ancient race. When landing on a space facility, the soldiers encounter an army of Covenants - the war overtakes the colonists.
Battles break out throughout the “Arch”, both sides lose fighters and equipment. The conflict is developing rapidly, and only you can defeat the enemy.
The gameplay in Halo Wars 2 is not much different from other strategies - building a base, collecting energy and supplies (they can be collected by ordinary soldiers), forming an army and fighting. That said, Halo Wars 2 is a story-driven game where you participate.
The missions have many additional tasks that need to be completed. For example, in one mission you will destroy the enemy with one Spartan with a machine gun, push through power shields and free prisoners - every mission is in this spirit.
Microsoft made not just an RTS, but a strategy with a high budget. The graphics and image quality look amazing - the soldiers, equipment, buildings and other details are made at a very high level. And you will remember the local beauty for a long time. This is a proprietary Halo feature that Microsoft is actively developing.
Halo Wars 2 is a stunningly beautiful strategy game that you can play for hours without stopping. She'll go to Xbox One and PC. However, there is one small drawback. PC owners may feel that tasks end too quickly. I would like to put it in the top three, but in terms of “legendary” it is inferior to more successful strategies. Let's move on to them.
3. Warhammer 40,000: Dawn of War III
We decided to give bronze to Warhammer 40,000: Dawn of War III, an epic strategy about the war between a human empire and other races in space. Since its release in 2004, 3 parts of the game have already appeared, and the last one was released on April 27, 2017.
The world of War Hammer is very large. Everything in it is tied to a fierce confrontation between several races - people, orcs, elves, chaosites, necromancers and other factions. Moreover, each faction has its own policies, troops, development path and other features that make it different from the rest.
The events of the plot unfold on the surface of planets, where representatives of different races collide in a bloody battle. As a result, only one winner remains, and the rest are mercilessly destroyed.
Warhammer 40,000: Dawn of War 3 was included in the top three, and this is justified - the game is new, made at a very high level, and the plot continues the established traditions of the Warhammer series. The graphics and design of locations and nature, combat vehicles and infantry, buildings and heroes are pleasing to the eye - if you have a widescreen monitor, you will seem to be transported to the distant future. But little has changed in the gameplay - it is still a strategy made in the classic style.
On the battlefield, you will build a base, recruit infantry and build combat vehicles, form units and throw them into battle with the enemy. Try to take into account the vulnerabilities of each soldier or combat vehicle: light combat vehicles lose to heavy ones, anti-tank squads will quickly multiply the coolest tank by zero, but are vulnerable to infantry, and infantry are afraid of snipers and light equipment. Familiar scheme, right?
There is also an interesting feature - for the first time, unique super-heavy warriors have appeared, which turn the battle on its head. The Phantom Knight for the Eldar, the Imperial Knight for the Humans, and the Orc Stomp for the Orcs. But they appear closer to the end of the plot, so you won’t be able to control them for a long time.
Multiplayer - in the classic format 1 on 1, 2 on 2 and so on. It's simple - choose a race, build a base and try to quickly take out your opponents. Well, or they take you out, it all depends on the skill.
Overall, Warhammer 40,000: Dawn of War III is pure excitement. The plot and battles are captivating and literally do not allow you to tear yourself away from the monitor screen. In the heat of battle, you don’t even have time to pay attention to mistakes in the voice acting and phrases of the heroes. For example, imagine orcs speaking normal Russian - a fantastic sight. Bronze is well-deserved, let's move on.
2. StarCraft II
Second place goes to StarCraft II, a popular real-time strategy game developed by Blizzard Entertainment. The first part of the game, called Wings of Liberty, was released in 2010, and in 2013 and 2015 the second and third additions Heart of the Swarm and Legacy of the Void were released.
StarCraft 2 is the main representative of strategy games in eSports. StarCraft championships are held regularly, and the winners receive valuable prizes. Note that the game is inferior in popularity to other representatives of e-sports - CS: GO, Dota 2, League of Legends.
But still, she has millions of fans from different countries, and the first day after the release of Legacy of the Void, sales amounted to more than 1 million. Simply put, StarCraft II remains very popular.
Time and place of action: a distant part of the Milky Way, 26th century. The plot is based on a war between three races - protoss, zerg, terrans. Terrans are the descendants of exiled criminals who have severed all ties with their home planet. Zerg are mutated creatures from various planets controlled by the Overmind and the Queen of Blades. Protoss are representatives of a high-tech civilization with psionic abilities.
StarCraft 2 is a classic strategy game. By choosing one of the races, you will build a base and combat units, extract resources, develop technologies, form armies and participate in battles. To win, you must destroy buildings, the main base and destroy all enemies.
For example, if at least one builder survives, then after five or ten minutes of the game you risk running into the second base of the enemy, who will have time to prepare for defense.
In single-player mode, you will follow the storyline, go through 26 missions, meet the main characters and get used to the gameplay. In addition to the plot, you can pass tests that require special ingenuity. If you pass successfully, you will receive a medal. After everything has been completed, you can move on to multiplayer.
Players from the CIS, USA, Asia and Europe can take part in the network game. Here you can make friends, organize a clan (online community), take part in tournaments and get to the big championship. The better your skill, the greater your chances of winning something. If you want to achieve good results, train on different maps, communicate with people and see what professional players are doing.
Starcraft II should be on every fan's list of games. It will remain trendy for a few more years, and then Blizzard will outdo themselves and release the third part. The neighbors have already done this - the example of Diablo is before our eyes. Now let's move on to the winner of our rating.
1. Warcraft III
Gold goes to the legendary game Warcraft III - a real-time strategy and RPG made in the fantasy genre. Blizzard Entertainment developed and released the game in 2002, with sales exceeding 2 million copies in its first month. We put Warcraft III in first place for just one reason, the name of which is that it is the best game in every sense.
Let's be clear: Warcraft established for a long time those principles of RTS and RPG that remain relevant 15 years later. All modern open-world RPGs and MMORPGs use the progression system established by Warcraft 3 in one way or another.
Fantasy races, an interesting plot, combat and magic mechanics - all this is organically combined and makes you return to the game again and again. And it’s no coincidence that World of Warcraft and Dota 2 remain at the top - they continue the genre established in the third Warcraft.
Let us add that the plot of the game was filmed, released in 2016. Box office receipts for several months of release worldwide collected more than $300 million - this is a great success that few can repeat.
We've sorted out the popularity, now let's talk about the gameplay and fundamental differences from other strategies.
Warcraft III is a classic strategy game with RPG elements. Everything is here from strategy: from building a base and recruiting an army, to tactics of battles on the map. You have a small army at your disposal, limited by the number of farms that produce food for it.
Workers mine gold in mines, cut down forests and build structures - barracks, farms, workshops and other buildings. And the RPG component is about leveling up the heroes.
According to the plot, in each task you control a hero who increases the level by destroying the enemy, uses artifacts, and applies powerful abilities and spells. The higher the hero's level, the stronger he is and the more powerful the damage from his abilities.
The plot is based on a bloody confrontation between two races - humans and orcs. There are also night elves, gnomes, undead and other races that influence the balance of power in battle. Someone will be your ally, someone will put up fierce resistance and will be destroyed - it all depends on the chosen side.
Combat actions take place on maps - in locations with forests, rivers, lakes, mines and neutral characters. Image quality may seem a little dated, but it's 2002, when PC requirements were much different. But W3 will work on any computer, plus you can chat online with other people from different countries. There are still enough fans of the game.
Warcraft 3 should be in every strategy fan's favorites. Best of the Best – just like that and no other way. And we are waiting for news about Warcraft 4, rumors have been circulating for two years, but the Bliz remain silent.
Let's sum it up
Despite the fact that the strategy genre is gradually losing ground, worthy strategies like Halo Wars 2 or Warhammer 40,000: Dawn of War 3 still appear. And we see a new trend - developers are trying to make games interesting. The new games feature an exciting plot, well-developed unit models and Beautiful design locations.
Let's see what happens in two or three years - perhaps we will see a really interesting and exciting strategy and we will definitely write about it. Good luck everyone, bye bye.