Summary
TheRTS genrewas one of the most popular genres in gaming, especially on PC,throughout the 90sand early 2000s. Games likeWarcraft,Starcraft, and the game that arguably started it all,Dune 2, created a boom in the genre that lasted a long while.
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Despite a long hiatus, the RTS genre is beginning to pick up popularity once more with anticipated releases of games likethe indie strategy games,Cataclismoand the much-awaitedDungeons 4, as well as the already released popular remasters in theCommand & ConquerandAge Of Empiresfranchises. However, many RTS games traditionally follow modern and/or historical themes, and the few of them that step outside these boundaries tend to fall into the category of mythology (such asAge Of Mythologyand the more recentNorthgard). These RTS titles focus exclusively and intentionally on themes of fantasy, offering a variety of experiences from small indie titles to iconic franchise sequels.
This minimalist RTS game features a wonderfully simplistic aesthetic and stripped-back gameplay that takes the often complex mechanics of RTS games and makes them accessible for everyone while remaining engaging for those already acquainted with the genre.
Thronefalltasks players with manually controlling a hero character with a basic attack and ability and managing an economy in order to efficiently build and defend a small kingdom. Players can build a variety of units to help them defend from the waves of enemies, giving them basic orders with intuitive controls.
Thisretro RTS gamefeatures six distinct fantasy races, each with its own unique strengths and weaknesses; the race a player chooses to play can even affect their economic decisions, as each of them needs some resources more than others.
Furthermore,Kohan 2: Kings of Warfeatures factions that each have their own benefits, with certain races being able to choose between specific factions. The variety in races and factions helps to build out the world ofKohan 2and take advantage of its distinctive fantasy setting.
This fantasy strategy game combines RTS mechanics with the base-building gameplay of the old-school classic,Dungeon Keeper.Dungeons 3is arguably one of the best games to interpret the design ofDungeon Keeper, not only because it recreates the joy of dungeon building, but because it innovates by adding a second layer of gameplay.
InDungeons 3, players have to worry about building and defending their dungeon from heroes while simultaneously mounting attacks on the world’s surface, which is where the majority of the game’s RTS mechanics come into play. Furthermore, players are forced to engage with the surface in order to complete objectives. Those who may have already playedDungeons 3can look forward to the upcoming and much anticipatedDungeons 4.
This latter entry in the reveredStrongholdseries addedfantastical elements to the traditionally medievalRTS games in the franchise.Stronghold Legendsincludes three playable factions with their own distinct sets of units, including frost giants and werewolves.
Furthermore, the game takes inspiration from medieval folklore by including the Knights of the Round Table, as well as campaigns centered around King Arthur, Siegfried, and Vlad Dracula.Stronghold Legendsstill features the “castle sim” gameplay of its predecessors, but the fantasy elements help inject the game with some much-needed whimsy.
Although it was released to critical acclaim back in 2005,Dungeons & Dragons: Dragonshardrarely gets much love in the modern era, despite its innovative dual-layer design that likely influenced the design of games such asDungeons 3.
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Dragonshardhas players going through the motions of a traditional RTS on the game’s surface, but in order to get valuable resources, players must take small parties of elite heroes down into the dungeons below the map, offering a completely unique and dynamic RTS experience that manages to captureelements of the tabletop game.
Fans of fantasy games are more than likely fans of - or at least highly aware of - the iconic franchise ofThe Lord Of The Rings. Be it Tolkien’s original series of books or Peter Jackson’s faithful film adaptations,fans ofThe Lord Of The Ringswill be right at home in this RTS sequel.
The Battle For Middle-Earth 2features both a good and evil campaign, as well as talented voice work (including some members of the original cast) and an engaging narrative that fans are sure to enjoy. The game also features six playable factions that allow players to command a variety of Tolkien’s iconic fantasy races.
This sequel innovated and built upon the already solid foundations laid out byTotal War: Warhammerto create one of the most polished and expansive experiences in theTotal Warfranchise, with its extremely distinct factions that all encourage a variety of playstyles.
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Being one of the onlyTotal Wargames to take place in a fantastical setting,Total War: Warhammer 2is a rare treat that will satisfy fans of the original and arguably surpasses it, debatably making it the best game in the trilogy.
This third entry in Blizzard’s revered series ofWarcraftRTS games is arguably one of the best, with its engaging narratives supported by talented voice work, cartoony 3D visuals that debatably still hold up today, and fast-paced gameplay.
Outside ofWarcraft 3’s iconic fantasy racesand solid story, it’s an engaging traditional RTS with varied gameplay that has aged quite well.Warcraft 3was extremely innovative for its time, with its high-fidelity graphics and intuitive UI (something that many RTS games of the time were sorely missing), and it remains one of the best fantasy RTS games to date.
