Summary
There was a time when FPS (First-Person Shooter) and RTS (Real-Time Strategy) games were equally popular, but today the RTS star has long-faded, while FPS games reign supreme. If you ask me, it was the consoles that did them in.
Great RTS Games Are Few These Days
If you load up Steam and search for RTS games by date of release, there are essentially no big-budget mainstream titles anymore. Like other less popular genres such as point-and-click adventures, it’s indie developers that are still keeping the fire burning for real-time strategy.
The last RTS game that made some noise prior to me writing this wasHomeworld 3. The long-awaited sequel to probably my all-time favorite RTS series. Sadly, that game was something of a damp squib. Before thatDeserts of Kharak(a spinoff prequel of Homeworld) is the next title that comes to mind. Of course,Age of Empires IV, a new release in another legendary RTS series, also made headlines and, in this case, the game is actually brilliant.
So where are the RTS games?
Consoles Drive the Video Game Market
The thing is, despite what PC players may want to believe, it’s consoles that drive video game development. Consoles like the PlayStation 5 and Nintendo Switch are the target platforms, and then PC ports are the happy byproduct of that. It’s rare for games to be PC-first these days.
Traditionally, RTS games have not sold or worked well on consoles, and since you want to sell your game to as many people as possible, it makes sense to pick a genre and game design that works well on the hardware the majority of people have. However, that still leaves the question as towhythere are so few RTS games on console.
RTS Games Need a Mouse and Keyboard
The simple answer is that RTS gamesreally need mouse inputto play well, and if you also have a keyboard, that’s a big bonus as well. Being able to quickly click on buttons, maps, or dragging to select units is crucial. At the same time, a keyboard lets you bind unit groups, and quickly activate specific actions using shortcuts.
With a controller, things aren’t nearly as easy. There’s simply too much going on in a typical RTS game to manage it with a controller.
Console RTS Games Exist
That said, there have been more than a few spirited attempts at getting RTS games to work well with a controller on a TV. While there’s no shortage of turn-based strategy games in the4X genreon console, the list of notable RTS games is extremely short.
There’s the original PlayStation port ofCommand & Conquer.We hadHalo Wars, which tried to adapt the RTS formula to work better with a controller scheme, and, famously, Halo started out as anRTS game for Macs, of all things.
Tom Clancy’s EndWaroffered players the option of voice control as an attempt to compensate for controller limitations, but was a major commercial failure. And, as I mentioned above,Age of Empires IVhas been lauded for doing a great job at bringing the RTS series to consoles.
These Are the Best Modern RTS Games To Get
Despite mainstream RTS games being few and far between, if you’re a PC gamer, you still have access to a vast library of amazing RTS games.
If you’re curious about what this genre can bring, I’d recommendStarcraft RemasteredandStarcraft II.Homeworld Remastered Collectionis at the top of my personal list. The various Command & Conquer games still play just fine on modern systems, if you don’t mind the retro graphics. If not, there’s alwaysCommand & Conquer Remastered.
TheAshes of the Singularitygames are cult classics, as isSupreme Commander. You’ll find most of these titles on Steam, though for Starcraft you’ll have to use Blizzard’sBattle.Netclient.
TheTotal Warseries is absolutely phenomenal as well, and there’s really no wrong choice, but I prefer theWarhammer versions. Speaking of which, TheWarhammer 40K: Dawn of Warseries is also excellent.
There are many more, of course, but these are some of the best RTS games ever made, and I think a great place to start.
