Summary
Real-time strategy games are a joy to play for players who want to enjoy fun sessions wherethey gather resources, form armies, construct massive structures, and take out the opposition by any means necessary. Most of the games in this genre need to nail the core gameplay loop to ensure that players don’t get tired of trying to achieve similar goals across various maps and structures. This can be done with the integration of a fun campaign that switches up the objectives all the time or excellent multiplayer gameplay that is as balanced as can be.
The best RTS games around become legendary because of their ability to turn their gameplay loop into something so inherently satisfying that players can clock in numerous hours without getting bored. To this day, players can install these titles and have a great time clocking in a ton of hours as they either complete the campaign for an umpteenth time or engage in competitive scenarios online where players need to be on top of their game to secure victory.
Age of Empires 2continues to beone of the most played RTS gamesaround despite launching more than two decades ago. The gameplay of this title was refined to a T and continues to put most modern real-time strategy games to shame. Numerous expansion packs and re-releases have ensured that this game’s community will be spoiled with more civilizations, campaigns, maps, and everything else along the same lines compared to its contemporaries.
The simple yet effective gameplay of this series is a huge reason whyAge of Empires 2is relevant to this day. Players need to gather four resources and use them to construct buildings, form armies, and advance through the ages. After making enough progress, players can either take over rival camps, construct wonders, or figure out other ways to attain victory after a long and grueling session.
Blizzard’s competence in the RTS sphere is a huge reason for its eventual popularity, with fans loving the simple yet engaging gameplay on display in these titles. Nowhere is this more prevalent than inWarcraft 3, a game that arguably boasts one of the greatest stories ever told in a real-time strategy game.Arthas' downfall is hard to witnessand shows the price one must pay to try and become the hero at all costs, even if it comes at the cost of one’s soul.
Of course, this game wouldn’t have achieved this iconic status had it not been for a stellar gameplay loop that revels in its simplicity. Players must manage a decent hoard of gold, lumber, and food to ensure that they maintain a high number of units to raze an opponent’s buildings to the ground. This, coupled with the inclusion of Hero units and unique races, ensures that players can have a great time no matter how many times they boot up this game, even ifWarcraft 3: Reforgedtarnished the legacy of this legendary RTS somewhat.
A good remake can go a long way in making an old and beloved RTS relevant once again, and this is precisely whatAge of Mythology: Retoldaccomplished. The game adapts a lot ofwhat madeAge of Empires' gameplay loop so rewardingwhile adding more elements to the mix that keep things fresh and engaging without overcomplicating things. Along with the usual resource gathering of food, wood, stone, and gold, players also had to maintain a high level of Favor and keep their Hero units alive at all costs.
The campaign mode ofAge of Mythologyis one of its crowning jewels, getting players invested in the story of Arkantos as he slowly understands Poseidon’s vile ways and allies with Zeus to take out this vengeful god and his cronies once and for all. This takes players on an epic journey spanning three civilizations with numerous interesting scenarios. Along with this, the multiplayer feels great to play through and lets players tackle other opponents using a vast and diverse army to lay waste to their foes.
Total War: Warhammer2 isn’t an out-and-out RTS game per se, combining this gameplay loop with elements of turn-based strategy to make for a delightful concoction that fans can’t get enough of.The firstTotal War: Warhammergamewas a breath of fresh air, showing the potential of veering away from tried-and-tested historical settings to a high fantasy IP that is brimming with potential.Warhammer 2expanded on these concepts and let players enjoy one of the greatest Total War games ever made.
The turn-based 4X gameplay is quite fun, but most people love these games for the real-time strategy battles that take place on massive battlefields where tactical optimization and flanking are downright necessary to take out opposing armies. With a sound strategy, an army that may be outnumbered can still take out the opponent without incurring heavy losses, showing the main draw of this title and why fans considerTotal War: Warhammer 2to be a gem of a title with a gameplay loop that never gets tiring.
Players who want to see the gameplay ofAge of Empires 2on steroids will love what Empire Earth has to offer. Spanning a mind-boggling number of civilizations that start from prehistoric times before eventually making their way to the future, it’s easy to see why the gameplay loop ofEmpire Earthis so satisfying. The usual act of resource gathering won’t get tiring once players see the many expansive systems piled on top of this simple gameplay to make every match a joy to play through.
Thecampaigns ofEmpire Earthencompass everything from real-life historical events to fictional accounts of the future, with this gameplay variety ensuring that players will be thoroughly entertained no matter which storyline they decide to explore. Everything is held in place with a solid gameplay loop that is as satisfying as they come despite some balancing issues creeping into the mix at times.
