Summary
Throughout the years, the genre of strategy video games has grown and evolved, with many flocking to thought-intensive titles likeStarcraftandCivilizationto lose themselves in the challenges that are presented in the games. Strategy games have a way of being very cerebral experiences, demanding a level of focus and critical thinking that goes beyond the average shooter. They often have a focus on war, stemming from their roots as tabletop war games at military academies over the past several centuries. This isn’t always the case, however, as is seen with the rise of factory-themed strategy games over the past few years.
Despite the focus of war in most strategy games, many modern takes include a variety of themes, including factory planning andcity management strategies. This allows for those players who may be wishing for a different setting to also have many options. The most highly rated in this genre are stemming from the classics, however, andoften include wars ranging from historical perspectives to sci-fi and fantasy versions. For this list,Screen Rantis using Metacritic ratings, in addition to factors such as how much a game has influenced the genre as a whole.
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An example of a deeply strategic game that does not follow the pattern of combat-heavy war games,Factoriohas an impressiveMetacriticscore of 90 to add weight to its name. InFactorio,players must gather resources, research technologies, and use all of that to build an infrastructure with automated production. All the while, there are many creatures who would rather the factory not be on their land, requiring the use of defenses to fight off enemies if the factory has any hope of survival.
Factoriowas in early access for many years before its official launch, allowing for developers to optimize the game based on player feedback. It now includes multiplayer, modding capabilities, and the option to craft unique maps to make things even more interesting.
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A classic example of the grand strategy sub-genre of strategy gaming,Crusader Kings 3lets players lead a dynasty through the medieval setting of the Middle Ages. With aMetacriticscore of 91, it puts players into complex situations in an ever-evolving world. Over its massive map, there is substantial political intrigue taking place between opposing realms, with backstabbing and danger. Players not only manage their own area but can also recruit agents to undermine or even murder others, while ensuring that one’s own lineage remains strong.
Naturally, war is a large part ofCrusader Kings 3,requiring thoughtful strategies on and off the battlefieldto manage armies and units in either offensive or defensive maneuvers. The intricate mechanics of grand strategy gaming are rich in the complexity of the game.
Sid Meier’s Alpha Centauriis often considered to bea spiritual successor toCivilization 2, taking place in the sci-fi depiction of outer spacein the 22nd century. Created by the designers ofCivilizationandCivilization 2, this space-themed game is often compared to those. In the turn-based strategy game, players create bases rather than cities, facilities, and secret projects while terraforming and exploring the Alpha Centauri planet, Chiron. There are numerous leaders to choose from, with a variety of Earth countries represented as they compete to colonize Chiron.
OnMetacritic,Sid Meier’s Alpha Centaurihas a Metascore of 92, with many reviews on the site praising it as one of the best 4X (explore, expand, exploit, and exterminate) strategy games to ever be created. It builds onCivilization 2’s mechanics for colonizations and battle, while putting it all in outer space.
Although nowWarcraft 3: Reign of Chaosis more often thought of in terms of being the precursor to the MMORPGWorld of Warcraft, the game was a phenomenal entry in the strategy genre on its own. It offers a variety of armies to control, including Humans, Orcs, Night Elves, and the Undead. Each different faction has its own military style, units, and technology.Players must quickly gain control of land and resources while balancing the construction of units and buildingsfor either an offensive or defensive approach, which requires a significant amount of planning and consideration of the opposing styles.
Blizzard has made areimagined version ofWarcraft 3available for current systems through itsBattle.netsystem, under the titleWarcraft 3: Reforged. Unfortunately, this modern version of the game has had many setbacks and is reviewed much lower than the classic.Warcraft 3: Reign of Chaosholds a well-deservedMetacriticscore of 92.
Each of the games in theCompany of Heroesseries are set during different points in World War II. The first, and highest rated,Company of Heroestitle focuses on the real-world events surrounding the Battle of Normandyand the liberation of France. It offers two playable factions in multiplayer mode, the Allied and Axis forces, although the single-player campaign is strictly seen from the viewpoint of the US military.
The game earned its impressiveMetacriticscore of 93 through offering intelligent AI, and deeply technical strategic mechanics. Despite having been released in 2006, the game continues to hold up with graphics that were highly advanced for the time and advanced uses of the terrain in tactical strategy. The learning curve forCompany of Heroescan be steep, but the flexibility in strategic planning that is allowed makes it a worthy game for any fan of the genre.
“World War 2 On Both A Minute & Grand Scale” - Company Of Heroes 3 Console Edition Review
Relic Entertainment makes an admirable effort at bringing Company of Heroes 3 to console, but the platform’s shortcomings are apparent for RTS games.
Another classic strategy game with a science-fiction setting,Homeworld’s story was inspired by the television series,Battlestar Galactica,while its gameplay was said to find inspiration fromCommand & Conquer. Like others in the strategy genre, the game includes gathering resources, building up a military for both offensive and defensive means, and researching technologies to improve. Unlike many other titles, however, resources are gathered by mining gas or dust clouds as well as asteroids and then returning the resources to the mothership.
A standout for its time,Homeworldwas among the first to offer a fully 3D visual style, which was particularly different given the outer space backdrop. The overall epic feel that the game provides, along with its impressive space fleet battles, led to the game earning aMetacriticscore of 93, and spawned a series of titles. The most recent game,Homeworld 3, has unfortunately been met withdisappointing reviews.
The originalFinal Fantasy Tacticsfrom 1997/1998 is unfortunately not listed on Metacritic, which is a shame asit helped shape the future of SRPGs coming from Japan, even by being an inspiration for modern titles such asUnicorn Overlordand thecompellingTriangle Strategy. In fact,Final Fantasy Tacticsitself was influenced by another game by the same creator,Ogre Battle,and used many refined versions of similar systems.
Set in the world that would later be known as Ivalice,FF Tacticshas a wide range of job classes to level up for customizing characters, turn-based battles, and a world map with towns and grid-based battle points. The tactical RPG features a redesigned battle system that speeds up gameplay while keeping with the strategic planning expected of the genre. With the following that the game continues to have, manyrumors continue to swirl of a remasteror new entry in the series.
Stop Making Final Fantasy Tactics Clones & Just Make FF Tactics Again
Although many of Square Enix’s new games look exciting, they’re too similar to Final Fantasy Tactics, so it might as well just make a new FF Tactics.
The leader in sci-fi real-time strategy gaming,Starcraft II: Wings of Libertycontinues to hold onto its popularity with a steady fanbase of regular players as a free-to-play game onBattle.net.Its original popularity helped to spawn the beginnings of today’s Esports, and it continues to be included in Esport competitions. Naturally, the game also has a highMetacriticrating, with a Metascore of 93.
As part of the strategy game genre,Starcraft 2is a complex game that requires a considerable amount of thought from players to succeed. Choosing from one of three factions: Terrans, Zerg, and Protoss, players thenfind the perfect balance of resources between units and structures, while also developing new technologies to not be overpowered by more advanced enemies. Whether taking an aggressive approach or slowly building up a powerful army over time, there are many complex decisions to constantly keep an eye on.
It’s impossible to ignore the contribution ofSid Meier’s Civilizationseries to the strategy gaming genre throughout the ages. With a newly announced entry,Sid Meier’s Civilization 7,on the horizon, it is clear that this franchise has a solid hold on the community. At the top of the ratings,Civilization 4andCivilization 2both hold incredible Metacritic scores of 94.
In any of theCivilizationtitles,players work to build up a civilization from scratch and help it grow and evolve throughout the ages of the world, from prehistoric times to the space age. There are any number of ways to play the game, whether adopting a combat-heavy focus, choosing to research technologies and build up an advanced country, working towards global diplomacy, or even magnifying religious strengths. The depth and variety of strategies that can be employed in the games lead to replayability, particularly with the large number of rulers that can be played as.
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In 1995, whenCommand & Conquerfirst appeared on the video game market, the idea of real-time strategy gaming was still a novel idea to players, yetit was the start of many of the mechanics which are now recognized as staples in a strategy game. It offered two playable factions: the Global Defense Initiative (GDI) and the Brotherhood of Nod, and laid the foundation for the idea of developing bases, gathering resources, creating units, and battling each other for victory.
The fast-paced game has aMetacriticscore of 94, and, in addition to having sequels of its own, it has served as the inspiration for many games that followed. While the original title can be hard to find now, aCommand & Conquer HD Remastered Collectionwas released in 2020 as an accessible way to experience the beginnings of thestrategy video gameindustry.
