Top RTS Games of All Time

Introduction

Real Time Strategy (RTS), a computer game genre that was very popular from late 1990’s to the early 2000s. For me, the first true RTS game was Dune II (1992), although there were several more titles with RTS elements, like Utopia (1981), Herzog Zwei (1989) and Nether Earth (1987) that existed before. This post is about the Top RTS Games of All Time.

Dune II however, defined the genre with its point-and-click user interface, combined with: resource gathering, base building, tech progression, fog of war and a mission based campaign. These game ingredients, so to say, were all used in RTS games that came out in the following decade.

From many different viewpoints you can create many different compositions of lists. For this reason, I tried to select the most memorable RTS games over time, considering their overall gameplay, graphics, feel and popularity of the game. In the end it’s still a matter of taste of course.

One title is not “better” than the other. I’ve selected the games that I think are the best in their niche or tier or for any other reason. I never shied away from “lesser-known” titles, such as Dark Colony, Dark Reign, Seven Kingdoms and Knights and Merchants. The latter was fun, but also had some frustrating and lacking mechanics.

This list is in alphabetical order.

Age of Empires II (Definitive Edition)

Age of Empires 2 was a huge leap forward from its already impressive predecessor: Age of Empires. The game is still alive on Steam for instance, while its original release was back in 1999. The game offers campaigns based on real historical events. There is also a great list of civilizations, each with one or more unique units and technologies. In contrast to StarCraft 2, Age of Empires II did not have perfectly mirrored maps, but auto-generated them. It offers a variety of gameplay and is also a very good multiplayer experience.

Multiplayer offers skill-driven matchmaking, smooth and reliable gameplay (technically) and civilizations that are well balanced and offer variety in play style. In 2v2, 3v3 or 4v4 games you can create nice combo’s of civilization bonuses, units and technologies.

The game is easy to learn, hard to master. The graphics are artistically pleasing and timeless and the gameplay is easy to understand. The medieval setting and (somewhat) historical accuracy are what I think are important factors for its popularity. What other RTS game comes near to what this game has to offer? Not Medieval Kingdom Wars. Maybe a title like Stronghold Crusader 2. But in the end the overall gameplay and feel are (to me) just not in the same tier. Other honorable mentions would be Cossacks: European Wars and the Anno games.

Command & Conquer Red Alert (Remastered)

The first Command & Conquer Red Alert was the first game to use live-action video between missions. Some found these scenes cheesy, as for others they gave the game a unique personality and helped to get immersed in the game. The soundtrack of the game is maybe the most recognizable of all RTS games, which is Hell March by Frank Klepacki. The story, video scenes, gameplay and music combined gave an unforgettable experience.

The original game lacked unit queues and time has certainly outdated the graphics. These problems have mostly been tackled in the Remastered edition. The games that followed, Red Alert 2 and Red Alert 3 are also perfectly fine games which currently (at the time of writing) do not have remastered editions.

StarCraft 2

The successor to the first StarCraft (Brood War), which was known to have the largest RTS player base. It’s extremely competitive, very fast, and has three very distinct factions. In contrast to most other RTS games, the maps are all mirrored and/or balanced for perfect fairness in gameplay. The game is highly tactical as well.

Personally, I found it overly micro-intensive and technical, with Actions Per Minute (APM) playing a disproportionate role. A friend in Diamond league once beat me effortlessly—even with a 50% handicap and the game set to “SlowCraft”—highlighting its steep learning curve.

Supreme Commander: Forged Alliance

This game is still mostly active through the Forged Alliance Forever community. It is built upon the vision of Total Annihilation. The game has enormous zoom, from a close-up of a unit to viewing the entire map. Its focus lies on epic-scale battles and grand strategy, although micromanagement of your economy at the start can pay off greatly as well. The game has three tiers of units plus an additional Experimental tier. There are four factions that are somewhat different, but not as different as in StarCraft.

What works for me is the scale and control of the game. When the game starts you can immediately plan out the first layouts of your base with the Shift key and even use templates to build your base. Throughout the game you will basically keep expanding and producing units and building. By the late game there will be artillery with extreme range, nukes and other super weapons. Bases will be full of shields, anti-nukes, often hundreds of construction units and arrays of energy-producing buildings. It is usually not the split-second decision and speed that will make the difference. Although, speed and good planning will impact the game in the end too.

Conclusion

Let’s make it absolutely clear that there are many more good RTS games. From a time perspective, Dune 2 should be on this list and from a 3D space perspective, Homeworld.

To me, Age of Empires 2 is overall the best RTS game ever made, but that is just a personal preference. It was the most balanced and complete experience overall. StarCraft 2 is the best competitive RTS, hands down. Red Alert should be the best immersive experience for its time and with the Remastered edition the gameplay still holds up to today. Supreme Commander is in its own grand-scale niche and is really best at that. From time to time, I found the last one the most fun to play.

Other recommendable tiles include the Total War series, Company of Heroes 2, the other Age of Empire games, Age of Mythology, Empire Earth, Ashes of the Singularity: Escalation, Warcraft III, Stronghold, Rise of Nations, Sins of a Solar Empire Rebellion… etc…