Summary
At its 2006 launch, thePlayStation 3heralded a visual and processing upgrade compared to the PS2. While the PS3 doesn’t hold a candle to the PS5 today, the PS3 became home to classics such asGTA 5,Batman: Arkham City, andThe Last of Us, all transitioned to be memorable titles in their respective series.
However, hardcore PS3 fans may also remember the console being the platform for some of the best strategy games outside PC releases. While console-based RTS titles weren’t the norm then, certain strategy games became must-plays on the PS3.
10Stormrise
Despite its ambition held back by its execution,Stormrisemakes quite a valiant attempt to delivera console-based RTSwithout the technical precision of keyboard and mouse controls. Set in a world devastated by fire storms, a cataclysm known as the Event has evolved its survivors into the Sai while others put into cryogenic sleep are reawakened as the Echelon. As the two parties clash, players are sent straight to the action asStormrisetakes its PS3 RTS action across three fronts.
Unlike other RTS titles,Stormriselets players wage war on the ground, the seas, and even the skies. Players also don’t have access to construction options, instead relying on capturing and defending resource nodes. The Whip Select system lets players switch between units much faster than conventional selection. Unfortunately, the gameplay can be throttled in more intense situations where both icons and units litter the screen.
9Worms Revolution
Being the last PS3 title in the franchise,Worms Revolutiongoes all out in introducing new mechanics to make the entry more appealing to gamers. As withotherWormsgames,Revolutionneeds players to control a team of worms to eliminate the opposing team’s roster. They can do this by moving around platforms and using their loadouts to target enemy worms and their environments.
Unlike otherWormstitles,Revolutionintroduces new ways of introducing worms to a world of hurt. Dynamic physics and water areas can motivate players to approach levels with unique strategies. Moreover, a class system among worms adds a layer of strategy to each stage, as some worms have averaging stats, move faster with weaker attacks, move slower/have stronger attacks, and buff teammates during their turn.
8Sid Meier’s Civilization Revolution
Fans ofSid Meier’s Civilizationmay be surprised that aCivilizationgame has arrived on a console of all places, butSid Meier’s Civilization Revolutionproves there’s potential in enjoying a simplifiedCivexperience. Instead of being a port,Civilization Revolutioncreates aCivtitle from the ground upwith console gameplay in mind.
The game retains coreCivmechanics, particularly developing a chosen Civ across eras. Combat and access to diplomacy and tech tree options have also become much easier. WhileCivilization Revolution’s fast-paced nature seems a far cry from the originalCivconcept, it remains a must-play for PS3 owners who want a quickCivexperience without booting up the PC.
7Command & Conquer: Red Alert 3
WhileCommand & Conquer: Red Alert 3continues the war between the Allied Forces and the Soviet Union, the latter’s time travel assassination of Albert Einstein led to the emergence of a third-world power, the Empire of the Rising Sun. This time,Red Alert 3introduces the Empire’s transforming buildings, mechas, and psychic schoolgirls.
However, where the PS3entry to theRed Alertfranchiseshines is its innovation in the console-based RTS genre, particularly with the CommandStick system. This allows players to control almost every game aspect via pressing R2 and manipulating a radial screen. While the CommandStick presents a faster way to cope with the demands of real-time strategy, its lack of efficient maneuvering leaves much to be desired.
6Tom Clancy’s EndWar
AlthoughTom Clancy’s EndWarhas become a commercial failure, PS3 owners should consider giving the game a shot for its innovative approach to console gameplay. Setin World War 3 in an alternate 2020s, theTom Clancygame departs from a deep narrative and instead thrusts players headfirst into the theatres of war. Unlike usual RTS titles focusing on big-picture gameplay,EndWartakes players up close to the points of view of the units they control.
While the game plays like a typical RTS via the controller,EndWarrevolutionizes strategy gaming with the option of playing via pure voice commands. Thanks to an in-depth tutorial, players can precisely command units to do certain things via their headset, giving gamers a fulfillment of military commander fantasies.
5R.U.S.E.
While set underthe familiar backdrop of World War 2,R.U.S.E.takes the strategy genre out for a spin as it blends wartime combat with mind games against opponents. Unlike other strategy titles where all units can engage with each other, teams can only attack enemy units if they possess the right weapon and fight under proper circumstances, demanding the right timing and foresight on a player’s part to succeed in engagements.
However,R.U.S.E.shines as a strategy game by including Ruse Maneuvers that emulate intelligence gathering in warfare. Thanks to these techniques, players can secure the advantage through deception and spying on opponents. Players can attempt to reveal what units enemies have prepared, hide their units, fake the appearance of units they possess, or even disorient enemies by making unit actions incompatible with standard countermeasures.
The release ofValkyria Chroniclestransformed it into quite a standout in strategy games, particularly for its anime aesthetic in its fictionalized Great War backdrop. The story is a retelling ofthe fictional “On the Gallian Front” book starring Welkin Gunther, the leader of Squad 7 of the Gallian Military after the neutral country becomes the target of warring nations.
However, whereValkyria Chroniclesshines is its depth in gameplay. After players train and develop units under different Classes, they’re taken to a map where they deploy their squad and accomplish other objectives. Moving and attacking with units occur in fully 3D environments, where players consume points moving units and aiming for various opponents on sight. This approach to tactical strategy under the backdrop of a fictional historical event makesValkyria Chroniclesa game worth trying.
3Greed Corp
Although buried under a pile ofother turn-based games released for the PS3,Greed Corphas one of the best mechanical interpretations of its theme. Set in a dying world, four factions duke it out for supremacy as they eye total control of the world’s remaining resources. All this action occurs in a randomized hexagonal board where each piece has a movable area and a harvest location.
However, the game’s title kicks in as players move around the map with their troops and harvest resources on the ground through a risk mechanic. The more a player is greedy and takes too much from an area, the hex can collapse and take everything in it. This active risk component adds a layer of complexity to an otherwise straightforward title, making it a must-play strategy game for PS3 owners.
2World In Conflict
Set during an economic collapse in 1989 that sparked World War 3, players ofWorld in Conflicttake control of US Army’s Lieutenant Parker to preserve international peace. Taking cues from their devs Massive Entertainment’s previous title,Ground Control, gameplay inWorld in Conflictrelies heavily on real-time tactical management.
Instead of other RTS titles where players count on abundant resources and fixed bases for rush strategies,World in Conflictlimits a commander’s access to deployable units and reinforcements. Creating a forced reliance on tactics allows players to focus more on minute details on the battlefield, such as using cover, flanking opponents, and utilizing toolkits based on enemy weaknesses. This more simplified approach to strategy transforms the game’s wide-area view into a war sim for the console.
1X-COM: Enemy Unknown
Despite itsnature as a remake of 1999’sX-COM: UFO Defense, the alien invasion inX-COM: Enemy Unknownis a fitting threat to the game’s “tacticool” aesthetic. Players ofX-COM: Enemy Unknownare in charge of the eponymous combat unit, using the world’s resources to recruit and train units, purchase and upgrade gears, and even manage diplomatic relations in the war effort against the alien invaders.
At its core,Enemy Unknownearned critical acclaim for its manageable difficulty and replayability, all courtesy of its approach to tactical gameplay. Aside from its base-building mode, the brunt of playthroughs comes in the form of combat where players manage a small squad against a backdrop of destructive environments, various opportunities for cover, and unique abilities. Controlling almost every character’s minutest movements gives the game a militaristic charm one would expect in a war against aliens.
