Summary
Thereal-time strategygenre has been around for a very long time at the time of writing this article, and throughout the years, many wonderful titles have been released to deliver players the experience they’re expecting from such games. There are eventitles for those who are not into the genre, which speaks to its versatility.
Many real-time strategy games released in the late 90s and early 20s wereway ahead of their time, implementing innovative game mechanics and combat situations that amazed thousands. And while other games play it a bit more safely, modern offerings are also quite interesting. Here are some of thebest real-time strategy games of the 2020s thus far.
Stronghold: Warlordswas released in 2021 and is part of the popularStrongholdfranchise that had its origins way back in the early 2000s. One of the greatest things about this game is that, unlike previous installments in its franchise, it introduces 8 neutral AI-controlled warlords.
Warlords can provide players with shipments of resources, forces and other valuable elements that can give them an edge in battle. Although the reception forStronghold: Warriorswas mostly mixed, the game is still great fun and is definitely a title every lover of the real-time strategy genre should try at least once. Many fans of theStrongholdfranchise agree that a few of theolder titles deserve a remasterto restore them to their former glory.
Set on the famous desert planet of Arrakis that has made an appearance in most of theDunecinematic franchise,Dune: Spice Warspresents players with a great real-time strategy experience where they’ll have to harvest resources such as spices and minerals. There are also elements like polar ice caps that can produce substantial amounts of water for players.
There are seven factions in the game: House Atreides, House Harkonnen, House Corrino, House Ecaz, House Vernius, the Fremen, and the Smugglers, givingDune: Spice Warsa ton of variety. While otherreal-time strategy games have unlockable characters,Dune: Spice Warsfocuses more on the strength of each faction from the get-go to give players exactly what they came for.
Being heavily inspired by the Polish-Soviet War that took place between 1919 and 1921,Iron Harvestis set in an alternate history universe where many things are possible, and war is present at all times. The game has often been described as having a dieselpunk mecha design and feeling to it, which makes it very interesting and clashes (in a good way) with the period it’s supposed to be set in.
Iron Harvestfeatures great real-time strategy mechanics, as well as a considerable number of exciting campaigns that players can take on. On top of that, thisreal-time strategy game has fast-paced gameplay, which further enhances the experience.
The originalSins of Solar Empirewas a great title that managed to garner a significant fanbase as soon as it was released, thanks to its deep space theme and interesting combat mechanics paired with real-time strategy elements.
InSins of a Solar Empire 2, players can instantly zoom in to control various technical engagements to ensure that every part of their offensive strategy is deployed successfully. Battles take place in deep space, so players will often get to enjoy the view while they destroy their enemies’ fleets. Although theSins of a Solar Empireseries is rather short, it’s probably safe to say that it’s one of thebest real-time strategy franchises out there.
Released in February 2023,Company of Heroes 3is a great installment in an already popular franchise that builds upon what made it famous and implements new and interesting elements for players to explore and take advantage of. This title implements the Tactical Pause System that was not present in previous releases, allowing players to pause a battle and get a few commands in line.
That said, most of the elements present are real-time despite this new system, making the story dynamic through combat and interactions with commanders. TheCompany of Heroesfranchise is worth playing for many reasons, one of them beingits importance to the real-time strategy genre.
As far as city-building survival video games with real-time strategy elements go,Frostpunk 2is definitely among the top contenders on the list, as it not only offers a very entertaining experience to players, but it also presents a unique concept in a well-crafted setting.
The game is set in New London in the year 1916, roughly 30 years after the “Great Storm” that took place in the first title. Players will take on the role of “the Steward”, who is in charge of ensuring that their city runs like clockwork despitethe various challenges along the way.
Following in the footsteps of its predecessors,Crusader Kings 3combines elements from both real-time strategy and grand strategy games, as well as dynasty simulator titles, all set in the Middle Ages.
According to the developers, the game’s map is about four times more detailed than the one present inCrusader Kings 2, which adds to the experience and gives players more options to develop coldly-calculated strategies with more ease. The possibility of forming cadet branches through dynasties is also very interesting and gives the game realism, as powerful ancient families used to work similarly.
