Strategies with a large number of races. The best PC strategies of all time - review and description

From the early 90s to the mid 00s, strategies ruled over the minds of the players, receiving well-deserved honor and respect. Alas, their golden age is over: RTS (real-time strategy) cannot compete in entertainment with the next Battlefield, with the dynamics of Overwatch or the plot of Witcher 3. So you have to be content with another replay of the good old classics or wait for the release of the new "Civilization".

However, not everything is so pessimistic. Our rating of the best strategies will allow you to identify the most worthy representatives of the genre, as well as learn about the latest releases that gave some classic strategies a second life. We hope this TOP 10 will be informative. If not: comment and vote at the bottom of the article to help.

10 Strong hold

Stronghold was born in the golden era of RTS - in 2001. At the time, most strategies were trying to emulate either C&C or Warcraft, but Stronghold had other plans. Although critics try to assure that this strategy did not bring anything significant to its genre, its fans will argue with this and, in my opinion, they will be right.

Stronghold had a fairly well-developed and extensive economic component. Although the number of available resources is not far from the standard "wood / iron / gold / stone / food", the game has such an unusual parameter as "Popularity". It provided an influx of new residents to the city and depended on many factors: taxation, the variety of food available, entertainment (taverns with ale), and so on.

To hire soldiers, it was not enough to build a barracks. It was necessary to erect buildings that produce weapons. Provide gunsmiths with what they need building material, wait until the limping grandfather with an imposing gait delivers a hand-cut bow to the arsenal, and only after that you can hire ... as many as one archer. And so with all types of troops! It was impossible to simply set up a barracks and "scream" any units - this was preceded by the organization of a full cycle of production of weapons and ammunition. Not surprisingly, the game had a number of economic missions that were not inferior in complexity to the military ones.

A typical serene morning in Stronghold Crusader

However, it was not the first part that gained particular popularity, but its continuation: Stronghold Crusaders, which was released the very next year, 2002. As the name implies, the game was dedicated to the confrontation between the Arabs and the Crusaders. Unfortunately, the attack/defense mode of the castle disappeared (the only thing worth paying attention to in the first part), but more units appeared, some of which could be hired for gold without producing weapons. For money, only desert warriors were hired, while European soldiers would continue to be equipped exclusively with weapons of their own production.

The game remains popular to this day thanks to the multiplayer and the release of various add-ons (for example, Crusaders Extreme in 2008). This is also facilitated by a simple, but quite diverse system of building fortifications: Stronghold allows you to surround the castle with high battlements and tall towers, equip them with defensive weapons and archers, install additional traps or dig a moat around the perimeter with water.

Of course, there is no lesser arsenal of siege weapons, from battering rams and ladders to catapults and trebuchets, which can bombard enemy fortifications not only with stones, but also ... with cows. Add to that the ability to set an enemy city on fire or undermine its economy with hunger: the choice of duel strategy is quite extensive, as for an RTS. This diversity has made the game quite interesting for a multiplayer game.

The first part of Command & Conquer was released in 1995, becoming at that time a real breakthrough in the genre and seriously competing with Warcraft and Dune. Many of the now familiar gameplay features looked revolutionary at the time:

• Players could select a whole group of units and give them a command with just one click;
• The map featured neutral units, buildings, and other objects that could be interacted with (read: "destroy");
• It was in C&C that the system for separating units by class first appeared, such as "stone, scissors, paper" - the first type of unit is effective against the second, but vulnerable to the third, etc .;
• The game began to use videos and animated cutscenes, paired with a cool soundtrack, allowing players to "get into" the history of the C&C universe, and not perceive it as another unnamed chessboard to hone their tactical abilities;
• Another signature feature of Command & Conquer is the presence of only one resource, tiberium - it is for it that all wars in the universe of this game are fought.

C&C turned out to be incredibly popular with all the consequences: many gameplay elements have spread to other games, becoming familiar elements of most strategy games. In addition to the classic C&C series, which still pleases its fans with new releases, over time, two "alternative" versions of the C&C universe have appeared. These are Command & Conquer: Generals (2003) and the Red Allert line of games that has become very popular.

• Red Allert

The Soviets, as it were, convey a fiery hello to old man Einstein

Red Allert deserves a separate article. This game has absorbed an incredible amount of madness and "cranberries" on the theme of the Cold War and the confrontation between NATO and the USSR. Here is a brief description of the prehistory of the universe of this game: after seeing enough of the horrors of World War II, the old man Einstein in 1946 decides to make a time machine and go back in time to destroy Hitler. As a result, the scales swung the other way: Comrade Stalin decides to build his own, communist Reich, and Europe, together with the allies, still has to fight.

Judge for yourself how successful the game was: 35 million copies were sold worldwide, and an entry appeared in the Guinness Book of Records, assuring that Red Allert is the best-selling RTS in the world. In 2000 and 2001, Red Allert 2 and Red Allert 2 were released: Yuri's Revenge, which is still a classic choice for oldfags. However, for fans of more modern graphics, there is a third part of RA.

Warhammer is a vast fictional universe on which many books, comics, films, computer and board games are built. At the same time, there are two versions of this universe: Warhammer Fantasy and Warhammer 40,000. In the first case, as the name implies, Warhammer is faithful to the canons of fantasy and pleases fans of Tolkien and other "elves". And Warhammer 40,000 creates a mix of fantasy and science fiction, pushing the confrontation closer to the stars.

There are about 20 games related to Warhammer 40,000. But only one of them is always associated with the word "Warhammer" for any strategy fan: this is the one and only Warhammer 40,000: Dawn of War, released in 2004.

Strategy, in the usual sense of the word, has not been given so much space: the focus is on tactics. Buildings are built quickly, and there are only 2 resources: energy, for which you need to build generators, and special points that can be obtained by holding checkpoints under the onslaught of the enemy.

The creators of the game, as it were, directly declare from the first minutes: leave all this fuss with building a base and economic development for nerds. The WH40K universe was created solely to force armored paratroopers to fight various monsters (from orcs to more exotic creatures). So no long-term economic development is foreseen in it: only battles from the first to the last minute.

Warhammer 40,000: Dawn of War 2 is made for Top Gear's Jeremy Clarkson: with a yell of "Power!!!", the player sweeps all the enemies in his path. Tactics? No, have not heard.

2009 saw the release of Warhammer 40,000: Dawn of War 2, which was highly acclaimed by players, was thoroughly praised by many gaming publications, but ... suddenly turned out to be not a strategy game. Faithful fans of the first part were horrified to find that the long-awaited Dawn of War 2 has become more like an RPG like Diablo than itself 5 years ago. True, this did not prevent the game from finding its fans, who assure that the multiplayer has retained all the necessary elements of RTS and is quite satisfactory.

7. Total War

It's funny that Total War and Warhammer 40,000: Dawn of War are next door in the ranking of the best strategies, because just in May of this year, Total War: Warhammer, the first TW dedicated to the Warhammer universe, was released. True, not Warhammer 40,000, but Warhammer Fantasy - so, first of all, fans of fantasy worlds will like it. However, let's talk about everything in order - after all, the release of this game was preceded by 9 other parts, which brought TW worldwide fame.

The main distinguishing feature of Total War is a successful connection step mode and RTS: the level of each of them is selected separately. The main action takes place on a global map of the world, in which everything happens step by step. But the battles are downloaded separately and are rapidly developing in real time. Players will have to wisely use the features of the terrain and Various types units, which allows you to gain an advantage even over superior enemy forces.

The first TW came out in 2000. But the worldwide fame of the series was brought by its third part, Rome: Total War, which used a three-dimensional engine. As the name suggests, the action took place during the Roman Empire. In addition to the "classic" European nations, Arab empires (Egypt) and even barbarians were available in the game. Depending on the chosen side, not only the units differed, but also the architecture of the cities. The popularity of this part of the subsequent TW could not surpass.

In 2013, Rome: Total War II was released - initially buggy, but later brought to mind with the help of numerous patches. Probably inspired by Civilization, the developers of Rome 2 added the ability to win not only through conquest, but also through culture and trade. However, this is not the only part worthy of attention: Napoleon, Attila, Shogun 2 and the previously mentioned Warhammer are also interesting in their own way.

If I could create a product as successful as Warcraft, I would be resting on my laurels for 20 years, spending all my money in some completely pointless way. But the guys from Blizzard are not like that: after getting a well-deserved standing ovation after the release of Warcraft 2, Blizzard set to work on a space RTS. True, as a result, they still got Warcraft: the beta version was mercilessly criticized and perceived as "orcs in space." Fortunately, the developers listened to the criticism and completely redid the graphics engine and setting. So in 1998 the legendary StarCraft was born.

The game features 3 races: Zerg, Protoss and Terran, which are borrowed from the Warhammer 40,000 universe (tyranids, eldar, imperial guard). However, the similarity is extremely superficial: having been born, StarCraft went its own way of development - the universe of this game has acquired its own characteristics and now has little in common with Warhammer.

In most strategies, in order to maintain a delicate balance, all nations have the same set of units and buildings + a few unique buildings / soldiers that bring some variety, but do not fundamentally affect the tactics of the game. StarCraft did not give a damn about these canons. All 3 races are completely different:

• Zerg far from technology and science, they achieve superiority solely by quantity.
• highly spiritual protoss are complete opposite zerg: each protoss considers himself an important person with a rich inner world, so it costs a lot of resources, but also hits, respectively, painfully and hard.
• Terrans(from the word "terra") represent people in the game. They are the "golden mean" between the zerg and the protoss.

The beautiful lights of Star Craft 2 lure gullible schoolchildren and evoke a skeptical grin from oldfags

Such striking differences between the races gave the game a solid advantage over the rest of the RTS, gaining her a reputation as a "smart" strategy, in which you need not just to "spawn" as large an army as possible, but to think over your actions in advance, showing strategic and tactical skills. Microcontrol also plays an important role: if the protoss are not particularly demanding on control accuracy, then the success of offensive operations of other races, especially the zerg, directly depends on the speed and accuracy of the player's reaction.

StarCraft II was released in 2010. Modern graphics and excellent multiplayer allowed the game to return former glory and take their rightful place in esports. Although the oldfags claim that the unique balance of the first SC is somewhat lost, StarCraft 2 received high ratings from various gaming publications (on average 9 out of 10) and gave it a second life.

5. Age of Empires

In 1997, the first part of Age of Empires was released: all the same Warcraft, only in profile. Instead of fantasy races, the game featured 12 human nations that could evolve from the Stone Age to Antiquity. This game did not make a splash in the gaming world, but on the whole it was received favorably, which inspired its creators to start working on the second part.

After 2 years, Age of Empires II: The Age of Kings came out, which became truly legendary. She eclipsed not only the first part, but also many of the then “whales” of this genre, having won a decent army of fans. In 2000, the add-on Age of Empires II: The Conquerors appeared, which added 5 new nations with unique units to the game, as well as additional missions and technologies. It was this part of the game that became the most popular in the Age of Empires series. What is the reason for her success?

• Diversity of nations. There were 18 nations in The Conquerors, many of which were quite exotic: Huns, Teutons, Saracens, Celts, Persians, Aztecs, Mayans, etc. In fact, it was this game that laid the fashion for strategies with many different civilizations.
• Development opportunity. The second "trick", which was for the first time among the strategies implemented exactly AoE 2 - the transition from one historical era to another. All this was accompanied by a rather extensive technology tree, for the study of which it was necessary to build various buildings and spend resources.
• Balance. Of course, the nations differed not only in the color and different design of buildings. Each of them had their own bonuses and unique units. Some had an economic advantage, others had stronger cavalry, some had great siege weapons, some had a long-range fleet, and so on. All this variety was quite balanced with no clear favorites. As a result, Age of Empires 2 appealed to many fans of online battles.

As it turned out, a beautiful picture cannot replace an interesting gameplay.

Age of Empires III was released in 2005. It was not bad, but it was not close to the success of its predecessor. As a result, after several addons, Microsoft gave up and, to the delight of the fans, returned to Age of Empires 2. In 2013, they released Age of Empires 2: HD edition, and then 2 more addons: The Forgotten (5 new nations, including Slavs) and The African Kingdoms (4 more nations and "African" campaigns). So today AoE 2 continues to develop and delight fans with new additions.

4. Cossacks

The success of Age of Empires caught the attention of many game makers, who stopped trying to create their own "Warcraft" and switched to the "Age of Empires" (which was undoubtedly inspired by Warcraft). So the guys from the Ukrainian company GSC Game World created RTS, which conceptually has a lot in common with AoE.

The Cossacks game, released in 2001, turned out to be so successful that in the eyes of many domestic strategists it overshadowed the Epoch for a long time. According to Igromania, at one time Cossacks became the best-selling domestic game (more than 1 million copies).

"Cossacks" continued the idea of ​​numerous playable nations. In the second addon of the first part, which was called "War Again", there were 20 different countries. And if in the "Epoch" there was not a single Slavic nation, then in the "Cossacks" not only Russia, but also Ukraine was available (which is logical, following from the name and geographical location of the developers). There were also more refined nations, like Piedmont and Saxony.

Unlike other strategies, in "Cossacks" resources were spent not only on the acquisition of units, but also on their maintenance. Without food, famine began, and mercenaries purchased for gold raised an uprising as soon as the treasury was empty. To use firearms, iron and coal were needed - without them, arrows and artillery were defenseless.

Also in the game it was possible to capture some enemy buildings, artillery and peasants (except Ukrainian ones, with them as usual: will or death). Compared to the Age of Empires, the Cossacks seemed more dynamic, allowing you to create an incredible amount of some kind of crazy and fearless units - in network game the battles of such hordes looked epic and exciting.

• Cossacks 2

In 2005, "Cossacks 2" came out: despite the high ratings of many gaming publications, the game did not cause the same enthusiasm that the first part. Absolutely everything has been redesigned in it: it has become more realistic and thoughtful. No "disputed" nations, raids of hordes of fearless madmen and upgrades of ancient guns to such a degree of efficiency that even Kalashnikov becomes envious.

The battles in "Cossacks II" forced to take into account the terrain, reload guns for a long time and monitor the morale of soldiers who can get cold feet and rush into the loose. It sounds, like, not bad, but in the network game there is no trace of the former fun.

• Cossacks 3

And on September 21, 2016, the long-awaited "Cossacks 3" was released, which no one had ever dreamed of. And everything would be fine if it were not for the number 3 in the title - everyone expected the continuation of the series, but received a remastering of the first part. The old game was transferred to a new graphics engine, the gameplay is completely taken from the original Cossacks. Add to that a decent amount of bugs that GSC Game World has been actively fixing since release with various patches, and you can see why many gamers felt cheated. Still, GSC should have announced that the game is a remaster of the first part. before release, not after him.

3. Heroes of Might and Magic

The first part of the turn-based strategy Heroes of Might and Magic was released back in 1995. Its predecessor was King's Bounty, which appeared back in 1991. But universal love and recognition for HoMM came gradually, covering Heroes of Might and Magic III with a head somewhere closer to 1999.

The action of all "Heroes" takes place in a fantasy universe. There are races, but the player is not tied to them: the hero can conquer the castles of any faction and hire any available units. So, under the same banners, the most motley and wild brethren can gather: elves and skeletons, centaurs and dragons, people and elementals.

Battles take place on a field divided into tiles (hexagons). Units of the same type occupy one cell, regardless of their number. The moves are carried out in turn, while the hero looks at this action from the side, from time to time trying to help his army by casting various spells. Gradually, the hero gains experience, learns new skills and collects various artifacts that make him better and higher.

HoMM IV was released in 2004 and was perceived, to put it mildly, ambiguously: there were too many innovations. The main and key innovation concerned the heroes: from passive observers they turned into active participants in battles who could move, deal damage and be attacked like other units. Heroes could travel without troops at all: one at a time or in a gang of 7 characters. Having pumped properly, a lone hero could independently endure a large army.

There was also the other side of the coin: if you managed to kill the enemy hero at the beginning of the battle, you could get a solid advantage. For example, it made sense to organize a sabotage attack on the enemy, lay down the leader of the troops and retreat - a decapitated army lost the opportunity to capture mines and castles, which forced it to retreat and drag the commander's lifeless carcass home.

All these innovations gave rise to countless spaces for controversy and hollivars: since 6 years have passed since the release of the third part, a new generation of gamers has appeared who have never seen Heroes before - they liked HoMM4. But those who grew up on the previous parts, butthurt experienced mixed feelings.

• Heroes of Might and Magic V

Disputes between supporters and opponents of the fourth part was stopped by the release of Heroes of Might and Magic V, which took place in 2006: yesterday's opponents joined forces in a common impulse to express claims about cartoonish graphics for anime fans. If you close your eyes to the picture, according to the gameplay, "Heroes 5" was a modernized copy of the third part - obviously, the developers did not experiment in order to earn extra money on the nostalgia of the fans of the series.

This is where the classic "Heroes" ends and something completely incomprehensible begins. HoMM 6 and 7 have turned into some kind of alternative product, so far from the original that even Heroes 4 looks like a standard of kosher against their background. Therefore, most fans of "Heroes" prefer to play earlier versions, from 3 to 5. But the Third HoMMs remain the most popular. Especially since the HD version of this game was released in 2015.

2 Civilization

The first "Civilization" appeared in shaggy 1991 and, as they say, was a digital version of the board game of the same name from the early 80s. Since at that time ordinary mortals did not have computers, few suspected a new strategic toy: mainly employees of research institutes and other interesting enterprises.

Nevertheless, the game turned out to be quite successful: what engineer could resist the temptation after a busy shift to try on the role of Stalin or Gandhi? The presence of Civilopedia, a detailed game encyclopedia, favorably distinguished Civilization from other strategies of those times.

• Civilization II

In 1996, Sid Meier and company released the second part of Ziva, which, thanks to the greater prevalence of computers, became a completely successful commercial product. Despite the mediocre graphics, the game had cool moments: for example, when building a wonder of the world, a video clip of a real newsreel was played. You could see the launch of the Apollo or a nuclear rocket, the shooting of the Sistine Chapel or Notre Dame de Paris. In subsequent parts, the cinema was replaced with conventional animation.

• Civilization III

2001 was marked by the release of Civilization III: the first Civa with nice graphics. Even now it looks quite attractive, and in 2001 this picture caused a real delight. The gameplay has also undergone some changes. In Civ 2, players tried not to collect many units on one cell, because. in the event of an enemy attack and the death of one of them, everyone who stood on the cell died. In Civ 3, nothing like this happened: in order to clear the cell of enemies, it was necessary to destroy them all.

Therefore, the obvious and only tactic of waging war in the third Civ: the creation of the so-called stack - a crowd of motley units on one cell. From time to time, a leader appeared who could unite 3 units under his banners. Such a formation was called an army and was a kind of fat unit with 20HP. With the help of the army, it was possible to cut out almost anything.

The city window is the best thing in Civilization III

The signature feature of the second and third Civa was the situation in which a technologically backward unit, having more combat experience, could easily destroy some miracle weapon of the future. For example, in the order of things there was a situation when a spearman tore an enemy tank to shreds with an accurate blow or an archer, pulling the string properly, shot down an enemy bomber. Particularly amused was the fact that the plane was shot down equally successfully not only by an archer, but also by a swordsman. In subsequent parts, this problem was partly solved, but in the first Civs such events gave rise to many bouts of hysteria.

Civilization III had a number of innovations that migrated to all subsequent games in the series: various resources on the map, the Golden Age, cultural influence on neighboring cities, with which it was possible to assimilate a neighboring settlement, a technology tree (in previous parts, you had to memorize or write down the sequence discoveries of various sciences).

• Civilization IV

Civilization IV, released in 2005, has acquired a three-dimensional image. Players, accustomed to the third Civa, were wary of the unusual graphics, so unlike the previous part. Religion and espionage appeared in the game (Beyond the Sword addon), and aviation actions became more realistic: planes made raids from the city and could not be shot down by some harsh spearman. The problem of clusters of a large number of units on one cell was partly solved just by aviation or artillery: all units in the stack received damage from their attack.

Another cool innovation that appeared in the Warlords addon is vassal states. Now, instead of completely conquering negligent neighbors, it was enough to defeat the bulk of the troops and capture several key cities. After that, the enemy agreed to capitulate and became a vassal. Also, the status of a vassal could be granted to a group of their cities on another continent or islands, turning them into a kind of autonomous republic.

The year 2010 came and Civilization V came out. Square cells were replaced by more convenient and practical hexes: with them, state borders got rid of the strange linear angularity and became more believable. The system of accumulating a huge number of units on one cell was demolished: now only one military unit could be placed on one hexagon. At the same time, they were made more efficient and stronger.

It was necessary to spend strategic resources for the maintenance of certain units: horses, iron, oil, coal or uranium. Without them at hand, the state risked being left without cavalry, battleships, nuclear weapons and aircraft, which not only added realism, but also forced players to carefully manage resources instead of riveting everything they want in incredible quantities.

The tactic of building as many cities as possible also outlived its usefulness: large empires received fines in culture and science, and the population began to show discontent. So there are several different tactics: develop through 4-5 cities with more population, or build more settlements, but with fewer inhabitants in the cities. It became possible to win with one single city (greetings from Venice).

Another innovation: the emergence of city-states that do not claim world domination. Friendship with them brought various bonuses: resources, science, culture or religion points, units and additional votes in Congress.

It is worth noting that many of the functions, as in previous Civs, were added in addons: religion and espionage, caravans, the ability to adopt various resolutions in Congress and the UN - all this was not in the initial version without addons. Therefore, reading reviews about the game, it is not difficult to see how the anger of the fans of the series was gradually replaced by mercy.

On October 21, 2016, Civilization VI was released. Among the notable innovations: 2 technology trees, cultural and scientific, which open independently of each other. Cells around cities must be built up with special areas: scientific, cultural, military, religious, industrial, etc. It’s definitely impossible to build everything - there simply won’t be enough cells. Moreover, each wonder of the world also requires a separate tile.

It is difficult to describe all the innovations and features of the sixth Civa because of its freshness. But the game has already received the highest ratings from various gaming publications, and the reviews in Steam, by and large, are very positive. And this is despite the fact that usually the first version of Civilization turns out to be damp and only with time, with the help of several addons, it turns into a masterpiece. But, apparently, the sixth Civilization can become the first representative of the series, which is good from the very beginning.

1. Warcraft

By a wide margin, Warcraft climbs to the top of the ranking of the best strategies - one of the founders of the RTS genre, whose developments have become the standard for dozens and hundreds of subsequent games. It shouldn't be surprising that C&C and StarCraft couldn't even get close to Varych: his impact on the gaming industry cannot be overestimated. Dota, World of Warcraft, board and card games, and now a feature-length movie - all this came into being only thanks to the game from Blizzard, which was released back in 1994.

The plot of Warcraft: Orcs and Humans is tied to the confrontation between humans and orcs. As in the film, the orcs fall out of the portal into the world of people and a struggle begins between them for a place under the sun. However, the first part did not attract much attention - all the glory went to its sequel, Warcraft II: Tides of Darkness, which was released just a year later. But just look at the changes that have taken place in the schedule in this short period! Add interesting videos and a solid plot to a pleasant picture, and that's it - the masterpiece is ready.

As if "before" and "after" - the year was not in vain

• Warcraft III

But the continuation of the banquet had to wait a long time - as much as seven years. And the first reaction of the gaming community was ambiguous: too many suspicious innovations appeared in the game:

• 3D engine;
• 2 races grew into 4 (night elves and undead were added);
• A lot of neutral units and monsters appeared on the maps;
• Heroes were added to the game who accumulated experience, pumped skills and cast all sorts of things (why not RPG?);
• Rollers have become even brighter and more beautiful;
• The plot is even more twisted and pathetic.

The pinnacle of the evolution of the third part was the release of Warcraft III: The Frozen Throne in 2003, which gave birth to the memorable dot-com (I’m unlikely to discover America if I remind you that DotA was created in the usual Warcraft 3 map editor and was not considered as a full-fledged standalone game).

Previous topic

PC, aka personal computer. Such equipment is in almost every home, and it happens that almost in every room. The computer is far from being a miracle, and some have already gotten a little fed up, but computer games are unlikely to ever get bored by a modern user.

Over the years, games have been continuously improved, more and more new ones appear. The graphics are getting better and better. Games can send a person to other worlds, visit not only those corners of the earth that he dreamed of visiting, but even visit other galaxies. All this is certainly very interesting and truly breathtaking.

Strategy is a great kind of computer games, because you can work out in detail your every step and every action you take. How else to spend a couple of hours of your free time, if not playing a computer game. Today we will introduce you to our list of 10 best strategies on PC (PC) in 2016. Perhaps in our list you will find exactly your favorite games or those games that you were not familiar with before, but would like to know better. Of course, there are a lot of games, so everyone will find something to their liking. So watch and get acquainted - our rating.

10. The Settlers: Kingdoms of Anteria

Feedback from players who participated in the testing is quite mixed. Some liked the preservation of the basic gameplay postulates that have delighted fans of the series for many years. Others complain about the massive simplification of game mechanics and argue that The Settlers is slipping into the genre of games for mobile phones. The videos that were presented at various exhibitions also did not give a coherent presentation, but judging by the previous games in the franchise, it will definitely be worth your time.

9.

On the ninth line among the 10 best strategies on the PC of 2016 is a product that is quite difficult to write down in "thoroughbred" strategies, but it cannot be ignored, given the significant economic element of the gameplay. You have to manage both the city as a whole and its individual areas, and its vector of development will depend on your actions. But we hasten to warn you that a completely new studio was working on the project, not involved in the development of the previous two games in the franchise.

8.

Attempts to cash in on the Warhammer 40,000 universe continue: this time we have to take command of the fleet of our favorite race and defeat the enemy in epic space battles. But you should not immediately hang up the stigma of a second-rate product: in addition to standard improvements and pumping, there will also be something to do for an inquisitive tactical mind. Fans of the franchise will find it useful to know that all battles take place in the "Gothic sector", the dominance of which was the reason for the start of the confrontation.

7.

The developers from Paradox decided to avoid radical changes and emphasized the expanded possibilities for writing an alternative history, which cannot but suggest parallels with "civilization". But, to give them their due, the gameplay has become simpler and clearer, which, against the background of extended functionality, can be called an absolute plus, as well as a reason to put the game on the seventh line in the list of the best strategies on PC in 2016. Fans of history will also have a place to roam: you can establish a communist regime in Japan or make the Soviet Union a monarchy - in general, there is a huge scope for imagination, everything is in your hands.

6.

5.

At the equator of the rating - the top 10 best strategies of 2016 on the PC (PC) is a game that is simply impossible to launch without tears of nostalgia. Perhaps, for the inhabitants of the CIS region, it was the legendary Cossacks that were the first strategy that they managed to learn. The developers do not hide the fact that they will reduce the number of changes to the required minimum, retaining the same sparkling gameplay and atmosphere of the Cossack era, but at the same time adjusting it to modern technical and graphic requirements.

4.

Even after the unexpected success of the first part, the development team decided to do without extensions and remain part of the whole three people, but this does not detract from the quality of the product they produce. We get the same epic Viking tale filled with losses, victories and quality gameplay. A nice bonus is the ability to transfer progress, which will take into account all your previous decisions, which will allow you to create a unique story.

3.

Having chosen a long-trodden path, the bronze medalist of the rating of the best strategies for the PC of 2016 decided not to leave it. Yes, and there was no particular need for this. The developers decided to expand the list of available races, increase the interest in replay and devote enough time to tactical tricks during the battle. If earlier you could only set the algorithm for the behavior of space ships, now you get the opportunity to give specific instructions to each combat unit of your flotilla.

2.

1. Total War: Warhammer

The last two years have only been talking about the epic merger of two masterpiece strategies, but even with inflated expectations, it will be extremely difficult for us to point out any shortcomings. Total War: Warhammer the best strategy on PC (PC) 2016 years is absolutely right. We especially like combat units that are unusual for us, which have unique abilities that are not characteristic of human armies. The idea to move away from the classic historical setting paid off in full - the old-timers were happy with the alien battlefields, and the newcomers managed to unleash themselves, going beyond standard weapons and tactics.

Best PC strategy game of 2016 | Video

There is a huge variety of genres and types of computer games, but PC strategies occupy a leading position, because only thanks to them you can control the universes, build or destroy civilizations. So if you want to feel like a god, then feel free to run one of these fun. Needless to say, a lot of games of this genre have been created, but we have selected for you a rating of the best.

Civilization V

In this strategy game for PC, you will immerse yourself in the history of our world and guide humanity through all branches - from the Stone Age to modern reality and beyond. The player will have to make many different decisions: social, political, economic, military.

Freedom of choice is what characterizes this strategy. You can be a conqueror or build a state focused on tourism or industry. Even a beginner who discovers the world of strategies will be able to understand the game. After all, Civilization V has an excellent hint system and a huge base teaching aids. The rethought battle grid immerses you in the game with your head, nice graphics are also pleasing.

Total War: Shogun 2

The list of "Best PC strategies" continues with a game that will take us to feudal Japan of the 16th century. You have to manage an entire empire - from the economy to protecting the state from invaders. The game has two modes, and you need to demonstrate all your strategic abilities in order to successfully maneuver between them.

Manage the empire in the mode, not forgetting that you are waiting for tactical battles in real time. Battles in Total War: Shogun 2 are a separate story. The player will have to think over the tactics of the battle, and even an enemy with a numerical superiority can be defeated thanks to a skillfully conducted battle or ambush.

Starcraft 2

If you like real-time sci-fi strategy games on PC, StarCraft 2 is the place to go. It's all about the classics: gather resources, build troops and defend the galaxy from evil space elves and xenomorphic aliens.

The game will require quick decisions and actions. The multiplayer is especially pleasing, because the opportunity to fight with another player tickles your nerves much more. Although the single player campaign has its advantages. A huge number of quests and additional tasks will not let you get bored, and their variability and originality will delight any player.

XCOM: Enemy Unknown

Space strategies installed on a computer can really surprise. In XCOM: Enemy Unknown, the player will have to repel an invasion in a turn-based strategy mode. You need to assemble a team of six fighters and boldly direct them against robots, aliens and other opponents.

The game has a large number of terrain maps where the heroes will have to engage in tough skirmishes, and after the battle they will have a base where they need to study technologies, increase their abilities and solve funding problems. The strategy will drag on in earnest. If you don't want to follow the path of a single-player company, and there is a great desire to engage in battle with a real enemy, then the multiplayer mode will give you such an opportunity.

Tropico 5

Continues the rating "Best strategies for PC" excellent city builder, where you have to feel like a dictator of the Caribbean. A small republic can become a great country, but only under skilful leadership. The player will have to decide for himself which path his small kingdom will take, because this is the charm of a totalitarian regime.

But do not go too far, because your people can revolt and overthrow the regime. And if you're not careful enough foreign policy, then the country is waiting for a military invasion. Tropico 5 is a great and funny city builder that will give you a lot of fun.

Age of Wonders 3

The classic fantasy strategy games on PC will never go out of style. Despite the fact that diplomacy and city management are rather poorly thought out in this game, Age of Wonders 3 made it to the list of the best for a reason.

A huge number of different units, and battlefields dotted with obstacles, immerse you in battles with your head. With the right tactics and skillful strategy, you can build a really huge army, sweeping away everything in its path. So if elves, gnomes, giants are close in spirit to you, and you are not averse to practicing magic, then feel free to purchase this game.

World in Conflict: Soviet Assault

In this strategy, installed on a computer, you have to defend yourself from the "evil Soviet soldiers" who decided to conquer the whole world. The topic is quite hackneyed and has already lost its relevance, but the way it is presented in World in Conflict: Soviet Assault deserves special attention.

In this strategy, you no longer need to build bases or manage resources, victory or defeat depends on the command points that are given for completing missions. Impressive graphics and a really interesting single-player campaign will absorb and keep you in suspense throughout the game.

Strategy online

"Rules of War" opens up a similar genre. In this one, you will become a fearless commander who survived a nuclear war and is trying to improve relations with not very friendly neighbors.

The game has gained a huge following among social media users around the world, and for good reason. Excellent graphics and voice acting, addictive gameplay, the ability to communicate with other players and create alliances - this is not a complete list of advantages due to which the "Rules of War" project got into the "Best Strategy Games" rating. You can play for free immediately in the browser, which makes the game even more attractive.

"Sword and Magic"

The idea of ​​bringing the legendary series online has been around for a long time. And this moment has come when you can play your favorite "Heroes" for free by opening a window in your browser. Little attention is paid to economic development and the construction of castles, but this is compensated by a huge number of quests, thanks to which you will travel around the world to your heart's content. Searching for artifacts, leveling up your character and clashes with enemies will not let you get bored.

The Might and Magic game is well thought out and it can take almost 100 hours to complete the storyline - this is quite an impressive time for an online strategy game. But, as in any browser project, the hero will have to interact with real players. Some of them will become friends, and someone will turn out to be a sworn enemy. It's safe to say that Ubisoft has managed to fulfill the dream of many fans of the series.

Anno Online

Strategy games in Russian most often involve the order of urban development and bloody battles. But if you do not want to participate in battles, and are eager to surrender to the creative process, then you simply need to play Anno Online. Here you also have to interact with other players, but only through trade and cooperation.

The main task will be the development of your city. You also need to think about increasing the population and problems with its arrangement. You will establish trade and industrial relations, build houses and industrial buildings, and much more. thought out, and you will not find a city similar to yours, because each player develops in his own way.

Games are countless virtual worlds that allow us to become what we want, but cannot in real life. However, among these worlds there are those that have earned the title of the best, both from gamers and from impartial critics.

To select the best games on PC, we studied popular Russian-language resources such as Iwantgames, stopgame and kanobu and read reviews about popular games ah on Metacritic. Thus came the list of Top 20 PC games of all time which we present to your attention. The rating of games is given according to the data stop game.

Rating: 8.6.

Genre: MMORPG.

Release date: 2004-present.

Platform: Mac, PC.

One of the best online games for PC offers not only an epic confrontation between the two opposing alliances - the Alliance and the Horde, but also a beautiful, very large world, interesting quests, a carefully crafted story and raids.

In them you can fully show your talent as a healer, a melee or ranged fighter, or a powerful defender. Or just kiss squirrels in the nearest forest, if the soul lies only in peaceful pursuits.

The game is quite old by today's standards, but additions are regularly released to it. The next one - Battle for Azeroth will be released on August 14th.

19. Tom Clancy's Rainbow Six Siege

Rating: 8.8.

Genre: Shooter, addon.

Release date: 2015

Platform: PC, PS4, XONE.

According to many players, this is the most realistic and intense tactical first-person shooter. The game does not have a solo campaign, but there is an exciting team game. The task of the attacking side is to take the opponents by storm, and the defensive team must strengthen their positions as much as possible and set up cunning traps for the enemy.

The plot is based on real events that took place during counter-terrorist operations.

Rating: 8.8.

Genre: Shooter.

Release date: 2011

Platform: PC, PS3, X360

As bullets whizz overhead and explosions slam into the ground, the battlefield feels more realistic than ever before. In Battlefield 3, players will have to transform into the elite US Marines for a while. They are waiting for dangerous missions, both single and cooperative.

Excellent graphics, a wide variety of vehicles, a well-thought-out environment and a pleasant reward for a good team game - that's what Battlefield 3 is praised for even by very picky gaming publications.

Rating: 8.8.

Genre: Arcade.

Release date: 2015

Platform: PC, X360, XONE

This is perhaps the most beautiful platform arcade in our ranking of games. From the very first minutes, its unusual graphics attract attention and do not let go until the game is completed. Atmospheric world, a pleasant and unobtrusive soundtrack, RPG elements, a cute character that will appeal to both young and adult gamers - what else do you need to pass a couple of evenings in front of a computer?

Rating: 8.9.

Genre: Strategy.

Release date: 2017

Platform: Mac, PC.

For many people, the sci-fi strategy StarCraft is one of the greatest video games of all time. And StarCraft: Remastered lives up to the high bar set by its predecessor. With stunning new Ultra HD visuals, re-recorded audio and updated online support, this game is highly recommended.

15. Assassin's Creed 2

Rating: 8.9.

Genre: Action.

Release date: 2009.

Platform: PC, PS3, X360.

The product of over two years of hard work and part of the popular Assassin's Creed franchise. In a vast open world environment, the game invites you to play as Ezio, a young nobleman living in the Renaissance. An interesting story about revenge and retribution is successfully complemented by a variety of missions, unusual gameplay elements, a wide selection of weapons and character development that fans of the original Assassin's Creed love so much.

Rating: 9.0.

Genre: Shooter.

Release date: 2007

Platform: Mac, PC, PS3, WII, X360.

This game was amazing for its time, thanks to the atmosphere of a real war, a coherent story, an exciting multiplayer mode, hundreds of beautiful cutscenes and the most meticulous study of the game environment. Even now, the military blockbuster Modern Warfare can give you several hours of exciting gameplay.

Rating: 9.0.

Genre: Action.

Release date: 2012

Platform: PC, PS3, PS4, X360, XONE

The main character of the game is Jason Brody, a man stuck on a mysterious tropical island. In this wild paradise, where lawlessness and violence reign, Brody will determine the outcome of the war between the rebels and pirates for control of the island.

Rating: 9.1.

Genre: RPG.

Release date: 2017

Platform: PC, PS4, XONE

Twenty hours into this RPG, you'll still be discovering new mechanics you never knew existed. In this regard, Original Sin 2 is not very friendly to beginners, and requires some perseverance and patience from them.

That being said, the huge amount of quests and secrets, the non-linear nature of the game, and its world, which is almost unparalleled in terms of scale and detail, are an experience not to be missed.

Rating: 9.2.

Genre: Action, RPG.

Release date: 2010

Platform: PC, PS3, X360.

This exciting space saga takes players to unknown alien civilizations and battles with aliens, mercenaries and sentient robots. In addition, it offers one of the most interesting and well-designed characters in RPG games.

Rating: 9.2.

Genre: RPG.

Release date: 2011.

Platform: PC, PS3, X360.

An open-world adventure from Bethesda Game Studios doesn't have a better combat or magic system or even better graphics than the competition. Instead, it offers something much more - one of the biggest, richest, and totally immersive worlds you'll ever see.

Traveling through locations in Skyrim will take such a long time that you can lose sleep, take off from work, and test the patience of family and friends while playing.

Rating: 9.2.

Genre: Action, racing

Release date: 2013

Platform: PC, PS3, PS4, X360, XONE

The best games of all time would be incomplete without this superbly optimized, atmospheric game. Its action takes place in the sunny city of Los Santos, in which a criminal trio operates:

• Franklin, a young thief looking for some serious money.
• Michael, a former bank robber whose retirement was not as rosy as he thought.
• Trevor, a violent guy suffering from a mental disorder.

Players can switch between characters at any time, and it's definitely worth doing. After all, each character has his own set of quests, as well as primary and secondary skills that help to survive and get the most out of the world of GTA5.

Rating: 9.3.

Genre: Strategy.

Release date: 1999

Platform: PC.

This legendary game has become the most popular entry in the Heroes of Might and Magic series. Compared to previous installments, it offered new types of cities, seven small story campaigns for each faction, and at the same time ran even on low-powered computers. Thanks to good localization, The Restoration of Erathia was a huge success in Russia.

Rating: 9.3.

Genre: RPG.

Release date: 2009

Platform: Mac, PC, PS3, X360.

As the spiritual successor to one of the industry's most successful RPGs, Baldur's Gate, Dragon Age: Origins combines the best fantasy elements with stunning visuals. It cannot be called a revolution in the RPG genre, it is rather an evolution.

The story of Dragon Age: Origins is captivating and eventful, the characters are unforgettable, and the journey through the game world inhabited by humans, dwarves and elves is something that will captivate you and not let you go until the very end.

Rating: 9.3.

Genre: Puzzle.

Release date: 2011

Platform: Mac, PC, PS3, X360.

Valve has created a fun puzzle game with excellent game mechanics. It offers players not only a single-player game for the main character Chelsea, who has to escape from the Aperture laboratory, but also a cooperative mode for two players. In it, the main characters will be the robots Atlas and P-Body. The storyline of the co-op mode does not intersect with the storyline of the single mode, which leads to unexpected endings.

Rating: 9.3.

Genre: Action, racing.

Release date: 2002

Platform: PC

One of the best games in history still evokes warm and nostalgic feelings among those who played it. And those who didn’t pass can do it for three main reasons:

1. The huge map of Lost Haven is filled with diverse and magnificent places. Each area has a peculiar look, has its own unique atmosphere and even musical accompaniment.
2. The core gameplay can be summarized simply by saying that it consists of shooting and driving in a third-person perspective. However, in reality, it offers much more: from a variety of missions to dialogue and interaction with many NPCs that inhabit the streets The City of Lost Heaven.
3. An unusual and very beautiful main theme created under the direction of the Czech composer Vladimir Simunek, and with the participation of the Bohemian Symphony Orchestra.

The only weak point in the game is the imperfect AI of the hero's enemies and companions. On the other hand, the fact that the Lost Haven cops aren't geniuses adds to the realism.

Rating: 9.3.

Genre: Shooter.

Release date: 2004

Platform: PC.

This game enjoyed great love, and fans of the series are still waiting for the release of the third part. The graphics engine in Half-Life 2 was so realistic that players felt like they were in the movie. Excellent character animation, an original way of presenting the story, a variety of environments and ways to interact with it, and most importantly - a charismatic the protagonist made the first-person shooter Half-Life 2 what it is today. Namely, one of the most popular games in history.

Rating: 9.4.

Genre: RPG.

Release date: 1998

Platform: PC.

Amazing atmosphere, great music, exciting story make Fallout 2 a gem of the RPG genre. This is a real non-linear game that allows you to do whatever you want in a world full of mutants, radiation, and hundreds of other dangers.

Rating: 9.5.

Genre: RPG.

Release date: 2015

Platform: Mac, PC, PS4, XONE.

The game about the adventures of Geralt of Rivia has set a new standard for the quality of games in the open world RPG genre. Diverse and exciting locations, full of important decisions, interesting characters, and brutal enemies, excellent graphics and music, thoughtful plot, funny and dramatic moments - all this gave players more than 100 exciting hours of gameplay.

For anyone who doesn't know the magical universe created by Andrzej Sapkowski, The Witcher 3 explains the history of all the important characters and what connects them to Geralt. Thus, even beginners quickly get up to speed.

Rating: 9.6.

Genre: Addon, RPG.

Release date: 2016

Platform: PC, PS4, XONE.

The Witcher 3 is one of the highest rated games on PC. And her Blood and Wine addon is better than most games released in 2016. Even players who have spent hundreds of hours in The Witcher were surprised and delighted with the new addition with an interesting storyline. It is an excellent conclusion to the story of the White Wolf.

The amount and quality of content in this add-on is simply stunning, making it quite like a full-fledged game. You are waiting for a lot of quests, dialogues and, of course, monsters in the new Toussaint location.

Paradox Interactive continues to create complex worlds in the realm of grand strategy and grand strategy. Europa Universalis and Crusader Kings, created by these developers, impressed the audience and gained a large number of fans around the world. Having applied all their experience, the developers went to the stars, along with their next project - Stellaris, inviting players with them to a grander gaming theater than before.

Stellaris is a highly customizable real-time strategy/grand strategy hybrid. From the very beginning of the game, you can customize your interstellar people, from their appearance and flag, to philosophy and demeanor. Some form of customization is present in many aspects of the game. The manner in which you explore nearby planets and star systems, study the sciences, expand your race's dominions, and interact with other races. Gradually, Stellaris accelerates from a somewhat slow start to a large and all-encompassing race for control of the universe.

The game does not forget its roots. Stellaris borrows socio-political and economic systems from other Paradox games, forcing players to balance between internal struggles and external influences and pressures. Stellaris is great to play solo, but multiplayer is where the game really shines. Playing online, against friends and foes, is a great pastime that stretches into many hours of fun from the game.

Battlefleet Gothic: Armada is one of the modern offerings in the Warhammer 40K universe, a tactical RTS with spaceships. Abandoning the ground combat of previous games in the Warhammer 40K universe, Battlefleet Gothic turns its attention to the stars to fight a desperate war against galactic enemies.

Acting by the standards of the lore of the Warhammer 40K universe, as the player takes control of a fleet of Imperial warships in a journey through the story, the story will pit you head-on against familiar foes: Chaos Indivisible, Orcs and Eldar. Survival in combat depends on the timely use of tactics, relying on the slowdown mechanic known as the Tactical Cogitator. Meanwhile, your task is to properly spend all the resources on armament and customization of your ships in order to get the maximum performance in your chosen tactics.

In addition to single player, the multiplayer mode will allow you to use many ships of different factions and participate in multiplayer battles. With every victory and defeat in single player and multiplayer, you earn "Fame", which you can spend on upgrades and improvements, and defeats in the campaign affect your progress through the story campaign. Battlefleet Gothic: Armada is a bit difficult to learn, but from this game you can get the most interesting and comprehensive Warhammer 40K experience, not to mention that the game as a whole is an outstanding tactical RTS about spaceships.

Best Strategy Where Montezuma (Aztec Emperor) Can Fight Gandhi (Indian Philosopher)

Civilization is a turn-based strategy game about human history: you guide a race of people from the stone age to modern times and beyond. This is a global strategy (capture, explore, use and destroy) and the best thing is that you start from scratch and grow to a global power. Or die trying to do it.

The decisions you will face in the game are political, economic, military and even social. You can become a friendly neighbor or an invader. The center of trade and tourism, or the state focused on the industry. Freedom of choice is the best asset of the game - where will you move? What are you going to do? Which path will you take to win? There are now more than 20 factions in the game, and each has a specific play style, but you will always have freedom of action.

Civilzation is a well established series of games. The game has a strong set of tutorials and tooltips to help you make decisions. Combat is better than ever, thanks to Civilzation V's reimagining of the grid system. Having Steam Workshop support means you'll have an endless stream of mods and maps.

This is the game series that coined the term "one more turn and sleep" - this strategy is addictive, it's an addictive and fun game.

Best Total War Strategy

Total War is a game about managing an entire empire in between armed clashes on the way to dominance. Now you are busy with taxes and building baths, and the next moment you are firing cannons and headlong rushing at the enemy.

The game takes place in two different modes: empire management in turn-based strategy mode, and tactical battles in real-time strategy mode. The key to victory is the interaction between the two modes, for example: mount a cavalry attack against the enemy army, knowing that it is commanded by the opponent's king and his assassination will cause the collapse of the empire.

Whenever two armies meet, the game switches to tactical combat mode. You play as a general, a hero - you control your units, draw up battle formations and strategy, and fight your enemy to the last man. The choice is not always the best option - the right terrain and the right tactics, a slight superiority in strength can withstand almost any difficulty, and the most powerful army can be defeated with a good ambush.

Total War: Shogun 2 is by far the best game in the series. If the period covered (16th century feudal Japan) isn't to your liking, try Napoleon: Total War, a game centered on the famous general's campaign. Total War is a deep, tactical and thoughtful game: it can take you a week or so to complete a campaign in Total War.

Buyer's guide: Sega often discounts Total War, and you can get Shogun 2 and its expansions on Steam for less.

Nearly a decade and a half after the game's release, the original Stronghold is still the best game in Firefly's castle builder series. The combination of RTS with creative, strategic building, missions and combat sometimes detracted from the game's trump card - a simple but effective medieval building kit.

The campaign isn't particularly memorable and the combat is slow and can be confusing, but playing the free-build mode is a very addictive experience, like playing Lego or sand-sculpting in childhood sandboxes. Of course, the tide always destroys the fruits of hard work, but watching everything fall apart is part of the fun.

Buyer's guide:Stronghold HD is available in Steam

The best strategy to kill your spouse

Crusader Kings 2 is a bloodthirsty bastard of Grand Strategies. You play as a medieval lord trying to gain more power, influence and territories in historically accurate medieval Europe. The game offers complex game mechanics instead of a pretty picture. You control the economy, the army and the people.

The personality element is what makes Crusader Kings 2 a very compelling game. You are part of a family dynasty, not an abstract nation. You can marry and have children, when you die, your heir will take the reins and everything will start again. In between all of this, you can use intrigue or brute force to increase your holdings, but the key is that you develop a real personal connection with your characters, your avatar. You will mourn his death, you will applaud his every triumph.

As a count or duke, you can stage a coup and rebel against your Lord to increase your power. As a king, it is quite easy to lose the Realm due to an invasion or rebellion. But as long as a member of your dynasty is still alive, you will always have a chance to win everything back. Don't be put off by the apparent difficulty, the more you play, the more you'll learn.

Buyer's guide: Choose to purchase a bundle with most add-on packs, including the latest (Old Gods).

The best strategy for e-sports fans

Starcraft II is a sci-fi strategy game about armored cowboys fighting against xenomorphic aliens and space elves. This is a classic real time strategy where you collect resources, build an army and kill enemies before they kill you, you will need to make quick decisions and click quickly.

Multiplayer is a huge part of Starcraft II. People will become your enemies; they will be able to click the keyboard faster than you and give orders faster than you. You will probably lose a lot of nerve cells, but you will get better gaming entertainment and you will be good enough to compete against players at the level of esports.

The single-player campaign is also quite interesting - Blizzard combined the frantic action with RPG elements, and the story of the exploits of the mercenary Jim Raynor. You will fight in a series of missions, many of them will have unique objectives - for example, try to collect resources on the map periodically filled with lava, defend against waves of zerg during the allotted time period. In between missions, you explore a kind of RPG hub where you can talk to people, research new technologies, and decide which mission to visit next. It's very difficult to implement an interesting real-time strategy storyline, and many are limited to cutscenes and dialogue in missions, but SCII, by forcing you to interact with the world outside the battlefield, actually makes the game story interactive.

Buyer's guide: Blizzard is one of the few companies that doesn't actually "make" DLC. Starcraft II has one expansion at the time of writing, Heart of the Swarm, with a second expansion (Legacy of the Void) due out at some point in the future. The expansion as a whole brings a few new units and tweaks to the multiplayer, but mainly advances the single player story. In the original game, you played as Terrans. In Hearts of the Swarm, you play as the Zerg. In Legacy of the Void, you will play as Protos.

The best strategy for playing dress-up with your dolls

XCOM was an unexpected hit. turn-based strategy that will require you to repel an alien invasion in a dynamic single-player campaign. It's a remake of the classic X-Com, and as a remake, it's one of the best.

You send teams of up to six soldiers into battle against little gray aliens, robots, insects, and more. Tactically intense firefights across city maps, countryside, aboard alien ships, all supported by easy strategy. The player's base is presented as an ant farm where you will research new technologies, perform autopsies, and request funding from a shady government agency.

In a word, it's fantastic.

The character customization is really cool. You can give your wars names and faces as you play the campaign they grow in your mind, they get backstory and fake accents. It is up to you to live or die for these soldiers, and you feel their every step, feel every plasma bolt that hits them, you feel their pain as your own. When they drop dead, mourn, eh new guy sent as a replacement... well, he (or she) won't get a name until he's proven himself.

Tactical combat is the essence of the game, and if you've never tested your commanding skills against real people, then XCOM invites you to try them out in multiplayer.

This real-time strategy game set in World War II throws you right into the middle of a fight taking place during the Allied invasion of Northern France. Starting with D-Day, you will make your way through several maps divided into tactical zones. You must establish a base of operations, protect resources, and fight for a just cause.

It's tricky - you have to make sure all the corners are covered and that your front line is safe, because if there are gaps, nothing will stop the enemy from wreaking havoc behind your lines. Infantry can build defenses and/or garrison buildings, and engineers can set traps or lay obstacles. Tanks and other vehicles will provide you with brute force, but they are quite expensive to build en masse. As a commander, you have support abilities that give you an additional advantage.

This game is the highest rated strategy game of all time - the single player campaign reminiscent of the movie Band of Brothers makes the story campaign more than just an online tutorial and the online community itself is well developed. The two factions (or four if you have the add-ons) are well balanced so that you will need more than just maneuvering or simple ranged combat with the enemy. In the nine years since the first release, the modding community has flourished, which means that you can get even more interesting gameplay.

Buyer's guide: Company of Heroes has two expansions - Opposing Fronts and Tales of Valour. Opposing Fronts is the only addon really worth buying. On the this moment a sequel has already been released, covering the Russian and Eastern fronts.

The best strategy where elephants and sports cars can collide in battle

Age of Empires is a classic real-time strategy series that is easy to learn, charming and can challenge the player if desired. You choose your civilization, create your city and your army, and fight other civilizations on the map. You advance through various "ages" or tech levels to upgrade your troops and buildings.

This game is half resource management, half tactical combat like Warcraft or Starcraft. You always start the game with your city center and a small number of civilians, but by the end of the match you can grow into a metropolis with walls, fire towers, and a large army. Age of Empires came out before the beginning of the era multiplayer games on the Internet, so the main component of these games is single-player campaigns and battle with artificial intelligence. Representing a series of specially created maps (with customizable goals), with famous person or a group of people from history. These missions don't have to be historically accurate, but they draw you into the story, and each battle provides a unique scenario for the confrontation.

Age of Empires 2 spans an abstract time period starting in the Middle Ages and progressing all the way to the early Renaissance. How do you like: Duke's Celtic raiders with his Persian elephants and medieval pikemen near Japanese fortresses? And those who know cheats can always play with sports cars with machine guns installed.

Buyer's guide: In January 2013, Microsoft released an "HD" version of Age of Empires 2 , Includes the base game and the expansion.

The best hybrid of Wargame (Wargame) and RTS

Wargame game. It will save you from unnecessary worries associated with the construction of bases and will allow you to focus solely on the battles. You command your own customizable army of tanks, infantry, artillery, and even combat helicopters and planes. The battles take place in highly detailed parts of the European countryside, which can be up to 150Km2.

Attention to detail is what drives WarGames, and it's what makes WarGame: AirLand Battle a brilliant game. Your tanks may be marching down the highway or trampling various crops in the fields, your infantry may be crawling through the forests or holding an important crossroads... but tanks need fuel, and weapons need bullets. If you don't support your troops with supplies, with a logistics system, your fireteam will literally get stuck.

For a high-level strategy game, there's a surprising amount of atmosphere. If you bring the camera close to "ground level", the camera will be shaken by artillery shells crashing into the ground. The forests will burn around you, and if things are going really bad for you, retreating, the skeletons of fallen tanks and infantry fighting vehicles remain behind to burn out.

Wargame offers - a brilliant dynamic single-player campaign. You can play as NATO or the Warsaw Pact and fight for control of Scandinavia using real-life combat units, off-map support... even randomized political events. If you prefer to play with real people, there is a great online community. Also, Wargame has a lot of multiplayer maps in stock, and there is support for battles in 10 vs 10 matches.

Buyer's guide: At the time of writing, the Wargame series consists of three games, the latest being Wargame: Red dragon, with an alternate story set in conflict in Asia

Best Strategy for Ambitious Caribbean Dictator

Tropico is essentially a city builder, but what makes it cool is its charm. You play as a dictator with a Caribbean banana republic theme and it's up to you to guide your island from humble beginnings to greatness.

How you do this is up to you. You can exploit your island's natural resources and turn it into an industrial center, or you can take advantage of the island's natural beauty and try to become a holiday destination for clueless white tourists. Or both. In Tropico, there are many options for where to place a residential complex or a factory, whether to assign pensions or call for military service. You bring immigrants to the island and they all need housing and jobs and you will have to build your economy and services. Throughout the game, your actions are wonderfully reported on the Tropico radio talk show, the host tries to make even the crappiest of your actions positive.

As your island grows, you will be able to start doing business with - America, Russia, or even China and Europe, everyone will want to influence you. They will offer you money and wealth if you only let them build a military base on the island, or let them export their waste to you. If you are not careful, you will have to deal with an uprising or an invasion. Either way, your regime will be overthrown.

Tropico is just a fun game: it's a city builder with a healthy dose of economics, commerce and politics.

Best Space RTS

Sins of a Solar Empire - this global real-time strategy focuses on building a big space empire. You have planets to colonize and develop industry and trade on, but when things get tough there are always groups of ships throwing bullets, lasers and missiles at each other in an endless struggle for dominance.

The game has a lot of things typical of the Sins series: your scouts will rush from planet to planet in search of new worlds to conquer. Your merchant fleets will move goods from place to place, turning the wheels of the economy, and your mighty battle fleets will rush from one crisis to another, because if pirates aren't knocking on your door, some other faction has come to lay claim to your property.

There is no single player campaign in the game: you just play an endless amount of skirmishes against the AI ​​using a wide variety of cards from the set, each with its own quirks and strategies. You can also create your own map using the editor and of course you can start the game online and play against real people.

Buyer's guide: Sins of a Solar Empire has three expansions. Lastly, Rebellion is a standalone expansion that includes all previous updates and features. There is also a DLC for the game called "Forbidden Worlds" which adds new planet types, new vehicles and several heroes.

The best strategy game with atomic weapons

DEFCON is a game about a war that cannot be won - a nuclear war. You are presented on a simple vector map of the world (in the style of the WarGames movie and other classic films), you are given a bunch of military equipment, and the world begins to slowly count down to Armageddon. You must make the best use of everything you have to come out on top in the soon-to-be-formed desert world.

Simplicity and abstractness of Defcon is its greatest advantage. You cannot stop all missiles and you cannot win every conflict. Regions will be destroyed, entire fleets will be lost, but... all you see is statistics on the screen. You gain points for killing more people at once, you lose points for every percentage of your original population. The player with the most points at the end will receive the "victory". Congratulations.

Defcon is an interesting game, but what makes it so addictive?! This is that the game is actually a battle of wits, akin to chess. The match will always start with DEFCON 5, and will count down the level of danger in the allotted time. The closer you get to DEFCON 1, the more you are allowed to do, but basically it all comes down to the good placement of your assets - your fleet and submarines, bombers and fighters, missile silos, radars. You and your enemies (up to 6 players or AI can play in the same match) will do the same actions, so you will need to have a premonition and the ability to guess the opponent's next move.

The game lasts no more than 45 minutes by default, although you can adjust this setting. The game is great fun for pure strategists and loads quickly and easily. We highly recommend playing against other players.

Buyer's guide: There are no add-ons or DLC, and the game itself is very cheap.

This space grand strategy will throw at you: space bugs, slaver raids, asteroids, even alien probes... and lo and behold, you accidentally meet another space empire. This is a dangerous universe and Sword of the Stars reflects this wonderfully and also gives the player an exciting and challenging game.

This living universe really works wonders on early stage games where traditionally almost nothing happens in global strategies before you face other factions. In addition, Sword of the Stars does something you don't often see in this genre of strategy games, it doesn't make all playable factions equal. Of course, everything starts with the same resources and planets, but each race behaves in a unique way - they have their own unique methods of traveling through space. It also binds the technology system to the factions: the game's technology tree is randomized for each new match, and each race has preferences for certain technologies.

Ship settings take up most of the game, and you will spend some of the time just setting up various designs ships. Like the Total War series, this game goes into real-time strategy mode when the shooting starts. You can issue orders to your fleet, set battle formations, and watch as two groups of ships grind each other into space dust. Nice.

The Soviet Union is invading America and it's up to you to push them back. Gone are the days when you had to build a base and manage resources, you have command points and goals. If your units are destroyed, you can use command points and call for reinforcements, and you must use strengths your units wisely, along with an impressive array of off-map abilities.

The single-player campaign is very cinematic and really pulls you in with the story. I almost wanted to join the Red Army after seeing the result of the Soviets storming West Berlin, and there is one scene in the middle of the game... well, I'll leave it up to you to figure it out for yourself. You basically play as a US Army officer helping to repel an invasion, but the Soviet Assault add-on adds missions from a Russian perspective, and this is critical to the backstory.

The game is a great example of tactical combat, taking advantage of the terrain, micromanaging troops, and it gets even better when you go online to play. Players can fight in matches with up to 16 players, and unlike a solo company, you must choose one of four roles for yourself, this will affect the units and auxiliary abilities available to you. Some roles are likely to be weaker against certain tactics, so you need to make sure you work alongside your teammates.

However, there is still no such problem that would not be solved by carpet bombing.

Buyer's guide: At the game World in Conflict there was only one addition - Soviet Assault. The add-on adds new missions to the story company for the USSR.

Best Large Scale RTS

Supreme Commander was the game that broke the PC, the demands on the processors were so high. This game is about the war of the future real-time strategy robo, it simplifies the management of resources and focuses more on building a beautiful war machine. You start with one indispensable device - the command machine, from which you build factories that produce units, they are necessary in order to wage war on your enemies.

The Player's army can potentially reach 1000 units, on land, at sea and in the air. You must carefully orchestrate a ballet of production, movement and attack, grinding your opponent down while keeping your command unit, as well as your factories and power grids, safe so that they can create more death machines. It's a brilliant and stunning game, and it's not for casual gamers.

Oddly enough, it was one of the few games that officially supported dual monitors, which meant you could have a scalable map on the second screen. This is a godsend that allows you to keep your eyes on the "big picture" of combat and is recommended if you're going to play seriously. There are few games that allow you to play on the same scale as Supreme Commander, and when you go to war on the Internet, that's when the real difficulties begin for you. Games like Starcraft require fast thinking and reaction speed, but they only allow you to manage with a couple of dozen units at most. Supreme Commander requires you to deal with a thousand units. Think about it.

Buyer's guide: There is no DLC for this game, only a standalone pack of the Forged Alliance expansion. It's better to get Forged Alliance, it fixes a lot of problems in the base game and also introduces an additional faction.

Best licensed strategy

If you are a fan of Star Wars, then this game is for you. Empire at War lets you take charge of the Galactic Empire or the Rebel Alliance and fight for galactic dominance. You take command of a mighty fleet and army; even send notable heroes like Luke Skywalker or Darth Vader into battle. You can also build a Death Star.

By far the best element of the game is the tactical space battles. Up to four players can fight on the same map (the map can have hazards such as asteroids or gas clouds), each player with their own space station, and the object of the game is simply to knock out your opponent by destroying his bases . Large ships, unlike small ones, have the ability to target, and can shoot down our weapons or shields, and many ships (and heroes) have special skills that can help turn the tide.

In addition to space battles, you can participate in land battles, lead a squadron of hover tanks or AT-AT walkers. This game is similar in mechanics to Total War in that it has a separate campaign interface where you manage an empire and your forces and then boot into the battle screen separately. The only difference is that everything happens in real time, and there are no queues.

It's a pretty big game that will be even better for you if you're a fan of the Star Wars universe.

Buyer's guide: There is no DLC, and only one expansion, called Forged Alliance - adds a third faction, completely different from the two that already exist, and also adds new units, abilities, etc.

A long time ago, when Westwood Studios was masterfully creating real-time strategy games, they wondered "what if there was no Nazi Germany?" The script they designed in the original game red alert in which the Soviet Union becomes all-powerful and freely conquers all of Europe. The original game sets the bar high, featuring two surprisingly diverse sides to the conflict, a dangerous arsenal of weaponry, and a heavy techno/metal soundtrack and story told through live video between missions. The second game in the series hits an even higher bar, arguably higher than almost any other Westwood Studios title.

Red Alert 2 followed the idea that the Allies defeated Stalin and his troops, after which they installed their puppet government in the USSR. Unfortunately for the Allies, the Soviets did not take their humiliation very well. They rebuilt their forces and attacked the Americans on all fronts. The game's plot is a bit contrived, but it sets the backdrop for an incredible series of playable campaigns for the Soviets and Allies, complete with plenty of impressive technology for both sides.

If that's not enough, you can go online and invite up to 7 of your buddies into battle. The game allows each player to choose a nation, with their own special units bringing an extra layer of strategy to each skirmish. Command & Conquer: Red Alert 2 didn't become Westwood Studios' swansong, but it may have been their main work. After Red Alert 2, they'll have other good games, but nothing captures the Westwood spirit quite like their second Soviet/Allied RTS game.

Best grand strategy

The mighty flagship from Paradox Development Studio. The Europa Universalis series has always been strong, impressive, intricate and with a sandbox approach to strategy. But with this confusion came many problems. Bugs, dumb interfaces, and poorly explained mechanics can turn players off before they annex their first nation.

Europa Universalis IV changed all that. The game is still a tough nut to crack and will require a lot of effort from players, but it is by far the most user-friendly game in the series. And while its myriad systems are still bewildering, it's entirely possible to just jump in and carve out a niche in history.

This is a game from the series "what if?". What if, if Italy swept through Ottoman Empire with a huge mercenary army? What if England and France became best friends and divided Europe, and did not fight each other? What if Scotland ruled the world? What to do, if.

Buyer's guide: Europa Universalis 4 has a lot of DLC and unfortunately they are not all in one pack yet. You can buy them individually on Steam, however. Packs and other support items can be ignored if you wish, but it's still worth picking up Wealth of Nations and Conquest of Paradise.

Best 4X (Global) Strategy

The best game for 4X lovers with goblin fanatics and halfling wizards

Is the desire to resurrect and give the classic series new life. This is a fantasy grand strategy.

There are a few scripted campaigns to play through, but the meat is in the randomly generated maps and customizable factions. Fundamentalist goblins can fight - with the help of holy war engines - elf industrialists, while armies of dire penguins march through the frozen wastelands. This is all amazingly stupid.

The game makes damn big fights. Multiple units can be linked together to create gigantic armies. Reminiscent of Total War sieges in terms of scope, but with well-thought-out turn-based combat and magic.

While diplomacy and city management are the weak side of the game, Age of Wonders shines during battles. An abundance of magic and special abilities, a diverse roster of units, and battlefields littered with obstacles make every battle a great puzzle.

Buyer's guide: You can buy Age of Wonders 3 on Steam, GOG etc., there is a DLC that expands the building mechanics and introduces the Hobit race.

The best strategy for Warhammer 40k

Dawn Of War is amazing. In many ways, it feels like a very traditional real-time strategy game, with a lot of building, strategy, and resource management. But looking at its predecessors, the game is similar to Company Of Heroes. We see Relic begin experimenting with morale, cover, units, and radically different factions.

Tension is at the heart of the whole game. The whole game is about advancing, capturing and holding territory. And all the time, resources are running out faster and generators are falling into disrepair. But the war machine constantly needs to be fed.

Addons expand the game by introducing more factions with their own unique mechanics. There are dastardly Eldar, bloodthirsty Orcs, numerous Imperial Guards - each faction offers various ways, play the same game. A total of nine factions were added.

Dawn Of War 2 has received a lot of changes, with combat smaller and more focused on tactics over strategy. It's still a great game, but in moving away from the genre's tradition, Dawn Of War has lost some of its magic.

Buyer's guide: The base game and all expansions were collected in Warhammer 40K: Dawn Of War Master Collection.

Best sci-fi economic strategy

Anno 2070 has said goodbye to its historical setting and Ubisoft's voluptuous economic strategy series is heading into a post-environmental calamity of the future. The game is still about making money and expanding your influence on the islands, but instead of a medieval or colonial power, the game is floundering with an eco faction and polluting industrialists.

An unpleasant feeling of despair permeates throughout the game. The world is fighting to survive and in the hope of making a profit, the decisions that are made can put the world in an even worse position. And social and environmental challenges add a new dimension of complexity.

Technology has a huge impact. The factions aren't limited to their island homes, and can build underwater as well, creating algae farms or dirty oil rigs.