The Real-Time Strategy genre is filled with a plethora of challenging titles that force players to think on the fly and adapt their strategy in ever-changing battles or scenarios. It's not always easy keeping an eye out over hundreds of units at a time, or making sure that your armies aren't flanked or countered, but for RTS fans who learn to master the genre, there's an incredibly rewarding gameplay experience at hand.
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These experiences were not made equally, however, and while many games put real-time combat to use, there are some franchises that stand out as offering the best RTS experience on the market today for either beginners, series veterans, or both.
5 Warcraft
A Pioneer In Fantasy Titles And A Great Franchise To Boot
Before the monumental, genre-defining hit that is World of Warcraft, there was a cult-classic, equally genre-defining (albeit a different genre) franchise known as Warcraft. The Warcraft series has bloomed into one of the most popular RTS titles to date, especially where Warcraft 3 is concerned. Although many have reservations about some promises that were not delivered upon in the HD remake Warcraft 3: Reforged, the bones of what made the third installment in this series so good remain the same, now with a glossy HD varnish.
This is a franchise that acted as a launchpad for one of the most prolific games in history, and its importance to the fantasy theme and RTS genre cannot be overstated. The distinct but balanced collection of factions within each title make for an excellent beginner's entry into the RTS genre. As World of Warcraft happens upon its 20th Anniversary, seeing the roots of that game in this franchise makes for a rewarding experience.
4 Supreme Commander
An Underrated Gem Of Sci-Fi RTS
A smaller franchise than most on this list, Supreme Commander still holds up today as an incredible title within the RTS community. The sequel, though not as well received as its predecessor, offers unparalleled modability that makes it an incredibly versatile title today. Supreme Commander is not a title that will hold players' hands. It is quite challenging as far as RTS games go, but within this challenge is some incredibly compelling gameplay.
Like most highly praised RTS franchises, Supreme Commander does an excellent job balancing its three distinct factions to make sure they all feel well realized and offer counters to one another. The campaigns, shifting depending on the choice of faction within each title, offer some of the most compelling sci-fi stories found in the RTS genre today.
3 Age Of Empires
RTS On A Colossal Scale
An incredibly expansive, highly enduring franchise, Age of Empires hosts a wide breadth of highly compelling titles. The RTS series is known for the incredibly wide-scale battles and strategies one must employ in order to succeed. There are a host of pillars that hold up this franchise, from the incredibly well-received classic Age of Empires 2 to the highly novel and fresh entry in the series, Age of Mythology.
This franchise has taken such a variety of perspectives on combat and organization that at least one of its many games will surely appeal to a new player looking to get into the RTS genre. While Age of Empires 2 and its remakes is seen as the pinnacle of the franchise, something with a modernized build like Age of Mythology could be an equally compelling way to go.
2 Command And Conquer
The Gold Standard For RTS Titles Today
The Command and Conquer franchise is one of the most iconic RTS series to date. Few franchises can claim to have the same level of impact on the genre that Command and Conquer's in-depth tactical gameplay had, and with various remasters for some of the older titles out today, there are a huge variety of choices for which game in the franchise to mark as best for beginners.
The modding scene within Command and Conquer is similarly going strong, and holds up to the test of time, as even older titles are still being looked after by dedicated modders and passion projects. For players who want to see what the gold standard for RTS titles is, Command and Conquer is an excellent way to go.
1 Starcraft
A Sprawling Space RTS Like No Other
The military science-fiction epic of Star Craft redefined what RTS games were capable of. Star Craft is a game of such tremendous depth and tactics that it's difficult trying to parse just how influential it's been on the rest of the genre. With a fanbase that's still active today and eclipses other RTS franchises entirely, Starcraft might just be the most compelling RTS franchise to date.
The future of this franchise, especially where its RTS roots are concerned, does seem to be in the air, but for players looking to get into a franchise with ridiculously deep lore, worldbuilding, and tactical fidelity, Starcraft might just be as good as it gets.
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