What are the best real-time strategy PCs ever? A complicated question, which, like all rankings, is based on objective (and even partially subjective) aspects. We have tried to have our say, trying to involve milestones, but also relatively recent products that have been able to give their contribution to one of the most popular PC genres ever.
The genre of RTS (Real Time Strategy ) was hugely popular between the 1990s and early 2000s, with masterpieces from the likes of Age of Empires, Total Annihilation, Command & Conquer, Starcraft and Warcraft. Like all cycles, other genres supplant others in terms of popularity and it is therefore not strange that strategic video games have dwindled somewhat in recent years, with a resurgence (of all forms) taking place only recently.
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The best real-time strategy always on PC
15) Warhammer 40.000: Dawn of War 2
Year: 2009 Developer: Relic Entertainment
14) DUNE 2000
Year: 1998 Developer: Westwood Studios DUNE 2000 was in effect the remake of DUNE 2 (among other things, one of the first videogame remakes in history). The original game was updated with modern graphics (for the time), using the Command & Conquer Tiberian Dawn graphics engine and integrated several mechanics and features typical of those years, such as skirmish and multiplayer. DUNE 2000 was a real success and is still played via private online servers today.
13) The Lord of the Rings: Battle for Middle-Earth 2
Year: 2006 Developer: Electronic Arts Even today we wonder why a new chapter of this incredible real-time strategy video game is not being created (with modern technologies). The Lord of the Rings: Battle for Middle-Earth 2 was truly a daydream for lovers of the literary and film franchise, as the title showed a balance in the gameplay of the highest level that made it fun, but also intuitive for any type. of player.
12) Company of Heroes 2
Year: 2006 Developer: Relic Entertainment That Relic was a company prepared in the making of strategy games has certainly never been a mystery, otherwise Microsoft would never have turned to them for the creation of Age of Empires IV, one of the most important franchises in videogame history. Among the many brands they have worked on, Company of Heroes certainly remains among the best and most appreciated, also due to the historical setting and the game model oriented not only to the speed of execution, but also on an important concept tactics.
11) Command & Conquer: Generals
Year: 2003 Developer: Electronic Arts
10) Supreme Commander
Year: 2006 Developer: Gas Powered Games Spiritual sequel to Total Annihilation (not for anything else it was always Chris Taylor who took care of it), Supreme Commander was one of the graphically heaviest video games of the first decade of the 2000s, as well as one of the strategic more satisfactory. The battles featured giant machines and pitched battles with hundreds of on-screen particle effects. Over the years, the brand has seen an excellent expansion (Forged Alliance) and also a following, even if the latter was not particularly appreciated by the public.
9) Command & Conquer Red Alert 2
Year: 2000 Developer: Westwood Studios Born as a prequel spin-off series of Tiberian Dawn, Red Alert has quickly become a saga of its own well appreciated by lovers of Command & Conquer. The second chapter was the most appreciated, especially for its immediate gameplay dynamics and its soundtrack among the most popular of modern gaming. Even today, as with DUNE 2000, it is still widely played on private servers, thanks to the support of numerous mods.
8) Total Annihilation
Year: 1997 Developer: Cavedog Entertainment Total Annihilation is the best known work of Chris Taylor, a popular designer for the realization of numerous real-time strategy. The game remained famous for its many on-screen effects, mainly due to clashes between huge mechs and weapons of mass destruction. Even today it is considered among the best real-time strategy games ever on PC and we don't have a hard time believing it.
7) Homeworld 2
Year: 2003 Developer: Relic Entertainment
6) Medieval II: Total War
Year: 2006 Developer: Creative Assembly While not talking about a real-time strategy video game in all respects (the part central is turn-based), it seemed to us at least important to mention at least one Total War in this ranking and we decided to do so by opting for one of the best known and most appreciated, Medieval II. This is the first sequel to the Total War story and it seems strange to write it, but despite its success a third chapter was never developed (at least until now). The large-scale battles and the ability to manage armies of up to 25,000 men made him one of the most epic real-time strategists ever, still widely played today.
Year: 1999 Developer: Ensemble Studios A true milestone in real-time strategy video games. Any of us have played Age of Empires II at least once, partly because of the rather incisive marketing of the first chapter (it was in cereals) and partly because of its immediate and intuitive gameplay, which was successful (and still manages) to entertain adults and children effectively.
4) Starcraft II
Year: 2010 Developer: Blizzard Entertainment Although it differs somewhat in the narrative quality compared to the first chapter, Starcraft II (and its related expansions) is one of the best real-time strategy games ever on PC to date, both for its fast-paced and well-balanced gameplay and for the structures of its long-lived, varied and well-thought-out campaigns. As mentioned initially, a pity only for a somewhat hasty ending (which doesn't answer all the questions).
3) Warcraft III: Frozen Throne
Year: 2003 Developer: Blizzard Entertainment Expansion of Warcraft III: Reign of Chaos, Frozen Throne was the culmination of the Warcraft saga in strategic format (not for anything else we are talking about the latest RTS chapter dedicated to Warcraft). In addition to giving life to a series of modes that would become popular in the years to come (DOTA), Warcraft III: The Frozen Throne displayed the latest act of Arthas, destined to become the Lich King.
2) Command & Conquer: Tiberian Dawn
Year: 1995 Developer: Westwood Studios The first legendary chapter of the Command & Conquer franchise and dated 1995. Known in the following years also with the subtitle "Tiberian Dawn", l 'RTS made in Westwood Studios has completely revolutionized real-time strategy video games, a real point of reference for many Blizzard successes that will arrive in the following years. The endless conflict between GDI and NOD for the conquest of Tiberium has fascinated millions of players all over the world, who still wish the return of the brand in the hands of the guys of Petroglyph, the studio made up of former developer Westwood Studios.
1) Starcraft: Brood War
Year: 1998 Developer: Blizzard Entertainment Command & Conquer did not exist, we will hardly have seen Starcraft today, but there is no doubt that the Blizzard game (and its Brood War expansion) can be considered the best real-time strategy video game of all time. The contribution it has been able to give to the genre also in competitive terms is still difficult to quantify today, a sign that Blizzard managed to create a special narrative universe with solid gameplay mechanics, which still work today and unite millions of players around the world. Between epic music and memorable characters, Starcraft will forever remain in the collective imagination as one of the most curated sci-fi works ever.
