If you go back to the very beginning,PCs were the first placewe played games. Ever since we’ve seen the rise and fall of arcades and the booming home console space, and yet PCs have held strong as one of thebest places to play. There was an era where it took a lot of technical know-how to get games to run properly, which is why consoles appealed to so many, but thanks toapps like Steamit has never been easier to play the latest and greatest games at better resolutions and higher frame rates than their console counterparts.
But there are some genres that are almost impossible to translate off of PCs, especially when you got back 10, 20, or even 30 years ago. Real-time strategy games (aka RTS games) are perhaps the best example due to their complex controls and level of precision that you just can’t achieve without a keyboard and mouse. While the genre isn’t dead, the golden age of the RTS is firmly behind us now. But that doesn’t mean those classic games should be forgotten. Sure, some of these games may be older than you are, but that just makes their quality all the more impressive.
Which do you prefer: 2D or 3D Zelda games?
For those of us old enough to remember, Zelda games were once exclusively 2D affairs. From the NES all the way up to the N64 we controlled Link on his various quests from an overhead view, slashing baddies and taking down Ganon with a host of items and magic. But all that changed with Ocarina of Time. That legendary title is still regarded as one of the best and most influential games of all time, but it wasn’t the end of those classic 2D games. Nintendo has managed to keep both styles of Link alive, much in the same way we still get new 2D and 3D Mario games (which could be a discussion for another day). The Switch alone has had two of the biggest 3D games we’ve seen in Breath of the Wild and Tears of the Kingdom, but we’ve also had the full remake of Link’s Awakening from the Game Boy and the upcoming Echoes of Wisdom to carry the 2D torch. Each one is evolving their respective genres in vastly different ways. Breath and Tears have reinvented open-world exploration with its physics a
1StarCraft
When most people hear the word RTS, odds are it’s images of StarCraft that come to mind. This game was in stark contrast to Blizzard’s other RTS series at the time (which I’ll be talking about soon) since it was set in a sci-fi universe rather than the typical fantasy or historical setting. You have the choice of three distinct factions that each specialize in different unit and building types that are a near-perfect balance of one another. Honestly, the fact that Korea still hosts massive tournaments for this game should be all the proof you need that it holds up.
5 embarrassing video game urban legends you won’t admit you fell for
We don’t know who came up with these outrageous video game myths, but we admit to falling for them hook, line, and sinker.
2Command and Conquer: Red Alert
Come for the camp, stay for the strategy
Command & Conquer: Red Alert
There are few series that were once as iconic and well-known as Command and Conquer that have fallen so far into obscurity as Command and Conquer. This was basically the Call of Duty of the RTS genre, and Red Alert was the Modern Warfare. On one hand, you had the campaign that featured the most amazing live-action cutscenes you could ask for with such a bizarre plot in which Einstein erased Hitler from history (seriously, it’s wild), but the gameplay is perfectly tuned. Managing your buildings, units, and resources is a delight and everything is presented in a clear and readable way.
5 video game plot twists that completely cratered the experience
These video game plot twists took a complete nosedive, so play at your own risk of disappointment.
3Warcraft 3
Before the MMO
Warcraft III: Reign of Chaos
I shudder to think that most people only think of WarCraft as an MMO now, but then I realize WoW itself is 20 years old and feel myself crumbling into a pile of dust. But yes, Warcraft was an RTS before the MMO, and Warcraft 3 was the last and best of them all. This one game is responsible for inspiring so many games and genres it’s almost unbelievable. The hero system obviously led to WoW, but this is where the original DOTA mod first appeared and spawned the entire MOBA genre.
5 live-service games you’ll lose days of your life playing
If you’re not careful, playing these life-service games will eat up all your free time.
4Age of Empires 2
Making history fun
Age of Empires 2
Educational games have a bad rap, and rightly so. Instead of thinly disguising studying as a boring mini-game, Age of Empires 2 gives you a gripping RTS that just so happens to be based on historical events. This sequel lets you experience the sheer might of Ghenghis Khan’s army, the story of Jeanne d’Arc in France, and more. You’ll have a blast playing, and may even end up getting a better grade on your history homework.
Every Nintendo console from 1980 to now: A complete history
Despite what you might think, the NES wasn’t Nintendo’s first games machine and there’s a lot more to the company’s history than many remember.
5Homeworld
An RTS in 3D
Even decades after the RTS genre was established, Homeworld is still the only one of consequence that pushed it beyond the 2D format. Set in space, this game takes full advantage of what space battles would really look like, which is not at all like a normal RTS. You need to position your ships and units in full 3D space, which is somewhat hard to wrap your head around at first. Once you get a feel for it, though, you will feel like a master tactician.
5 terrible video game movie adaptations that insult the originals
Video game adaptations are finally getting good, but there are still some absolute stinkers to avoid.
For Arrakis
Dune 2: The Building of a Dynasty
Going back as far as possible here, Dune 2 is largely considered the first RTS as we know it. The setting of Dune makes for a perfect RTS, too. You pick one of the great houses to play as with the goal of conquering Arrakis and controlling the flow of spice. It is very basic, but impressive to see how many things it gets right about the genre that you’re able to still see used in games today.
7 games that give you all the summer feels
If you love the summer but want to stay out of the heat, here are seven games you should play from the comfort of your home.
