While the RTS genre spent most of the 90s finding new ways to present itself both in terms of visuals and new systems, the 2000s was a time of fantastic refinement for the genre. Real-time strategy games took time to find what really made them so spectacular, then hone in on those aspects to create some of the best titles in the genre.
Games from this erawere making good on the promises of RTS titles from the 90s, using new technology afforded to them by PCs and consoles. Some of them created brand-new IPs that are still going strong today, while others sought to expand the legacy of older titles. This era was also home to some fantastic licensed RTS games, where the worlds ofStar Wars,The Lord of the Rings,andStar Trekjoined the fray.
Star Warswas fresh off the conclusion of the prequel trilogy in 2006, but the franchise was still going strong in nearly every other aspect. So whenEmpire At Warlaunched a year after the prequels wrapped up, it showed that this long-standing space fantasy was anything but done. It used thebreadth of the licenseto create one of the absolute best RTS games on the market.
Star Wars Empire At Warallows the player to control either the Rebel Alliance or the Galactic Empire, set between the events ofEpisodes IIIandIV. This is a perfect jumping-off point, blending aspects of the prequels with the original trilogy. It is a true delight for anyStar Warsfan, creating an intoxicating game loop that is almost impossible to put down.
Among the many games published by Sierra Entertainment over their nearly thirty years of existence,Empire Earthis a contender for one of their best. Set overthe course of history, chronicling 500,000 years and featuring 21 total civilizations to build up into a dominant world power.
Empire Earthcould be compared toCivilization, a franchise it does take some obvious inspiration from. But by forgoing the turn-based affairs of the Sid Meier-created series,Empire Earthmixes the fantastic, long-form journey to the future thatCivilizationcreates with some fantastic RTS game design. Unique units for each civilization and an addictive gameplay loop makeEmpire Earthone of the era’s absolute best.
Now on its fourth mainline release,Age of Empiresis an RTS franchise that has been making some of the best games in the genre.AOE3starts out with a small settlement of land and a tiny batch of humans, setting them off on a quest to explore and expand their small empire into something much more impressive.
InAOE3, the introduction of the Home City mechanic was one of its biggest and most fascinating innovations. This secondary homestead acts as the capital city, with the ability to level up and offer unique units and supplies. It’s among one of many reasons thatAOE3is not only one of the best games in the franchise but one ofthe best RTS gamesof all time.
RTS games were rather ubiquitous in the industry by the time ofCommand & Conquer: Red Alert 3’srelease in 2008. It was going up against newcomers likeSupreme CommanderandSins of a Solar Empire, but despite all that,Red Alert 3towered above them to become the best title in theC&Cfranchise.
It was hard to compete withC&Cduring its heyday, andRed Alert 3is one of the prime examples. Featuring the USA, Soviet Union and Japan as playable campaigns,Red Alert 3takes a break fromthe usual shenanigans of Kane, instead focusing on a global conflict that is so much fun to engage with. Units feel powerful and unique, while the maps are some of the best designed in the series.
For all its prevalence in the first-person shooter genre,Halois also equally competent in its spin-offs. Maybe even more so, as some of them are potentially more compelling than the shooters, as perhaps none of them are better thanHalo Wars. This huge-scale, absolutely fantastic RTS was released at the tail end of the decade, allowing players to pit the UNSC against the Covenant.
Set 21 years before the events of the first game,Halo Warswasone of the best titlesavailable on the Xbox 360 at the time, later finding a home on the PC. Its slick combination of fantastic RTS base building, skirmishes and unit construction mixed with some staggeringly beautiful CG cutscenes makes it one of the genre’s best.
3Giants: Citizen Kabuto
Metascore: 85
Giants: Citizen Kabutowas developed by Planet Moon Studios, a group of former Shiny Entertainment employees. The first of multiple games under a contract with publisher Interplay,Giantswas their attempt at blending the world of a sci-fi third-person shooter with a real-time strategy game. The jump between fun shooting and highly addictive RTS gameplay is one of the game’s greatest assets.
InGiants: Citizen Kabuto, players can take control of multiple races of creatures. The third-person sequences are backed by a shooter that feels excellent for this era, which then combines with a base building and unit construction. It is one of thePS2’s most oft-forgotten titles, but one that is still just as funny and engaging to play today.
Developed as a spiritual successor to theTotal Annihilationseries,Supreme Commanderwas one of many titles developed by Gas Powered Games during the 2000s. Among their strong roster of RPGs and RTS games,Supreme Commanderis easily their most accomplished and magnificent title.Supreme Commandertakesplace in the distant future, where a war between three factions is brewing.
With the Strategic Zoom system,Supreme Commandertakes players deep into the battlefield. Zooming out far enough will turn the map into a 2D image, further advancing the strategic options, but it also allows the player to get down into some more intimate looks. It was one ofSupreme Commander’sbest features, one that future games in the series would improve on.
1Rise Of Nations
Metascore: 89
AsCivilizationwas at the top of the turn-based grand strategy game mountain, a new company founded by former Firaxis and MicroProse devs stepped in. But they weren’t making a turn-based game, they were making an RTS that combined the best ofCivilizationand soughtto create something unique.Rise of Nationsoffers eighteen different civilizations to take control of and cultivate their territory to achieve victory.
Expanding the borders of one’s territory, creating and maintaining units, as well as building unique buildings and world wonders, is done so well. Its highly engaging gameplay loop is a huge part of why people still playRise of Nationsto this day. The single-player campaign called Conquer the World is also a great addition, adding an expansive and long-form story mode that caps off this perfect package.
