Favourite real time strategy games

[ChanTheNoob]

Lately, I've been trying game genres that I don't usually play, such as stealth, horror, etc. One genre I've been meaning to try for a long time is real time strategy, but I'm not sure what good RTS are out there. So, what RTS have you played on PC would you recommend for me to trY?

 

[joe-h2o]

Starcraft (the first one) and Brood War.

C&C, C&C: Red Alert.

Can you tell I grew up in the 80s and got my first "real" computer when the 386 was still a thing The day we got our Pentium 75 was like birthday and christmas rolled into one.

 

[zuro64]

Well good thing that you ask here on the Escapist!
Some RTSs that i personally like:

Starcraft 1/2
Command & Conquer Red Alert 1/2
Command & Conquer 3 Tiberium wars
Command & Conquer Generals
Age of Mythology
Age of Empires (any)
Rise of Nations
Company of Heroes (this one is not recommended for beginners in my opinion)
Star Wars: Empire at War

Other that I havent tested:
Any of the Total War games (listed below)
Shogun: Total War
Mediewal: Total War
Rome: Total War
Mediaval 2: Total War
Empire: Total War
Napoleon: Total War
Shogun 2: Total War

Have fun

 

[Bostur]

For multiplayer StarCraft II is probably the best at the moment.

For single player campaigns I'd recommend Company of Heroes.


The Total War series isn't really traditional RTS games. It's more like a natural evolution of dual scale wargames. They combine a turn-based grand strategic map scale with pausable tactical battles in real time.

 

[skywolfblue]

StarCraft 2 would be my top suggestion. It's got pretty much the best multiplayer out there at the moment, and the single player is quite fun.


Homeworld 1/cata/2 are an excellent choice if you don't mind older games. The single player has one of the most moving stories of all time. I doubt you'll find many multiplayer matches going on after all this time.

 

[Duncan V]

The Anno series is pretty good if you like a combination of combat and city building.

If you want more combat check out C&C Generals or the Blitzkrieg series for more realism.

 

[tchyeah]

i strongly recommend playing Sins of a Solar Empire... and the dawn of war games are good too.

 

[Stryc9]

WarCraft II, Red Alert, Red Alert 2 and C&C 3: Tiberium Wars are my all time favorites. Haven't played any of them in quite some time but I still have fond memories of them all.

 

[Dimitriov]

Warcraft III, Starcraft: Broodwar (no reason not to play the expansion version), Age of Empires II, Sins of a Solar Empire...

and personally I think that the Total War games have the best RTS battles of any game I have ever played, set inside one of the best turn based strategy games I have ever played.

Edit: Oh! definitely the Homeworld games.

 

[AvsJoe]

I have never played an RTS that I didn't like, but I've only played 6 of them [http://www.unikgamer.com/users/avsjoe-49.html#rts] and only 5 for more than a half an hour. I recommend the Red Alert series and the Ogre Battle games if you're willing to dust off the Genesis or the 64.

 

[Blood Brain Barrier]

From Dust is pretty damn excellent. Simple mechanics but endless ways of making them interesting, just like Populous had. Unfortunately the campaign was far too short and did not live up to the potential.

The Anno series is pretty good if you like a combination of combat and city building.

I've played most of the Anno games, including Anno 2070, and found them all unimaginably boring. The reason for this I have yet to discover.

 

[AnotherAvatar]

Try Starcraft, my friends rave about it.

 

[Necron_warrior]

Any RTS made by blizzard is usually a good move.
Warhammer 40k/fantasy also turns into good RTS's

Supreme commander's probably quite good, Its quite large scale though.
<- Hell, this avatars from Warcraft 3

 

[BeerTent]

Conquest: Frontier Wars, aaand... Supreme Commander: Forged alliance are the only two that could really hold me.

 

[Mugen]

Shogun 2 Total War, ideally, or any of the Total War games.

It is, simply put, the greatest game ever created. It was designed originally by Leonardo DaVinci, but was not developed for over 500 years because current technology was not sufficient. its very existence disproves god and has the ability to cure cancer and to bring lesbians back from the dark side (but only the hot ones). every second you spend not playing this game, is a second wasted.

^^^^
the above statement is completely true

 

[Riddle78]

Supreme Commander. Everything else is just Real Time Tactics. Strategy is on the grand scale. 81*81 km maps. Nukes that are actually nukes. Artillery that actually shoots far. Ships that aren't the size of humvees. And a resource system that you can afford to let take a back seat once you unleash hell in the form of a six legged machine of Microwave Laser spewing death.

 

[The Bum]

Total war series. 'Nuff said.

 

[ChaplainOrion]

Age of Empires 2
Rome Total War because my computer can actually run it)
Rise Of Nations
Dawn of War Dark Crusade(For the firestorm over kronus mod)