Real-Time Strategy Games With Fast-Paced Gameplay

Key Takeaways

Real-time strategy games require quick thinking, tactical expertise, and good reflexes for building empires and commanding armies.
Tooth And Tail stands out with animal units and fast, frantic gameplay on relatively small battle maps.
StarCraft 2 improved on the original classic, offering some of the best real-time strategy gaming.

As someone who’s been gaming since the era of floppy disks and dial-up modems, I can confidently say that these real-time strategy (RTS) games are absolute gems! Each one offers a unique twist on the genre, from the updated classic that is StarCraft Remastered, to the expansive battlefields of Supreme Commander.

For many years, real-time strategy games have been a popular choice among gamers, offering action-packed gameplay that requires quick decision-making, strategic prowess, and sharp reactions. In these types of games, players can construct empires, lead armies, allocate resources effectively, and conquer opponents on various battlefield layouts.

In some games, there’s a strong emphasis on strategy and resource accumulation, while others prioritize intense, frenetic fighting. The top real-time strategy (RTS) games are characterized by their rapid action, requiring players to adapt swiftly to events unfolding on the battlefield, all while managing their own units skillfully. These games often combine defensive strategies such as base building with offensive tactics like unit control.

7 Tooth And Tail

An RTS With A Twist

In contrast to most Real-Time Strategy (RTS) games, Tooth And Tail offers a unique twist. Instead of the usual theme of humanoid or extraterrestrial armies clashing for supremacy, this game is set in an animal-inhabited world, where they’re engaged in a brutal civil war.

In the role of a commander leading diverse animal forces, the player is tasked with winning each intense skirmish. The gameplay is swift and action-packed, often ending in just a few moments. This rapid pace requires quick thinking from the player, who must constantly adapt to changing game dynamics on the compact battlefield map. In summary, Tooth And Tail is an excellent choice for this list, thanks to its fast-paced action and unique setting.

6 Homeworld: Deserts of Kharak

Stepping Back In Time

Platforms: Microsoft Windows, macOS
Released: January 20, 2016
Developer: Blackbird Interactive
Genre: Real-time strategy, Strategy

The game, titled “Homeworld: Deserts of Kharak“, serves as a prequel to the entire Homeworld series. It takes us back in time, focusing on the mission to retrieve the wreckage of the mothership, which eventually transforms into the technological foundation for building the motherships featured in the subsequent games.

In the heart of a desolate desert, the gameplay in Homeworld: Deserts of Kharak takes on an intensely strategic nature. Unlike typical real-time strategy games where players fortify their bases before launching attacks, this game requires you to seize and manage specific regions across the map while constantly moving to collect resources. The fast-paced battles can be relentless, as the enemy AI often executes cunning flanking moves and targets vulnerable positions.

5 Ashes of the Singularity: Escalation

So Many Explosions

As a die-hard fan of the legendary real-time strategy game, Total Annihilation, stepping into Ashes of the Singularity: Escalation feels like returning home after a long journey. In many ways, it’s a spiritual successor that carries on the legacy, transporting us to the distant future where we pick our allegiance between two powerful factions and lead them to victory.

In substantial conflicts, you might find hundreds of combatants involved. Managing such a multitude can prove challenging at times, bordering on being utterly overwhelming. The sheer volume of gunfire, projectiles, beams, and explosions in these massive skirmishes is so immense that the primary screen appears more like a vibrant visual display than a conventional game.

4 StarCraft Remastered

An Updated Classic

StarCraft is an influential strategy video game that remains enjoyable to play even today, but its appearance may seem slightly outdated. In 2017, Blizzard wisely chose to update the game by enhancing textures in high definition, making it more appealing for modern real-time strategy gamers.

The enhanced edition of StarCraft retains the intense, frenzied action that characterized the initial release. Few games have been able to replicate the heart-pounding anxiety a player experiences when confronted by a Zerg rush in StarCraft. Those nerve-wracking minutes spent anxiously anticipating whether one’s base defenses can withstand an overwhelming onslaught of Zerglings are unforgettable. It’s no wonder that StarCraft held such a prominent position in competitive esports for so long, as mastering the game’s breakneck speed requires genuine skill.

3 Supreme Commander

Large Maps And Huge Battles

In terms of real-time strategy games, not many can boast maps as vast as those in Supreme Commander. It stands out in numerous aspects, serving as a distinctive real-time tactical game. The strategic landscape demands vigilance across the entire map because the enemy AI is cunning and often unpredictable. To aid players in this regard, there’s a user interface tool that offers a bird’s eye view of the entire map for better situational awareness.

Initially, the game progresses at a leisurely pace, however, as more and more combat units are generated on the battlefield, the tempo of fighting intensifies significantly. Over time, massive battles involving hundreds of units become commonplace. The player must stay vigilant, responding promptly to enemy maneuvers, continually producing their own units, and gathering resources without interruption.

2 Company Of Heroes 2

Historical Real-Time Strategy

Company of Heroes 2 is a fast-paced real-time strategy (RTS) game set during World War II with distinctive characteristics. Among these unique features are a destructible environment and a tactical combat system, allowing players to position their units for protection.

As a dedicated gamer, I’ve found myself immersed in a world where the battlefields are expansive and the AI opponents are cunning. These foes have the knack for identifying vulnerabilities in my defenses with merciless efficiency. It’s not just about amassing superior firepower; it’s about making shrewd tactical moves and ensuring both offense and defense are solid. This isn’t your run-of-the-mill Real-Time Strategy (RTS), it’s a game that challenges me to think, plan, and adapt.

1 StarCraft 2

An Improvement Over The Original

Starcraft 2, along with its additional downloadable content, provides some of the finest real-time strategy gaming experiences. Blizzard has done an outstanding job in reworking one of the most impactful RTS games ever made, making it more appealing to contemporary gamers while enhancing gameplay mechanics as well.

As a dedicated gamer, I’ve got to say that even the campaign in StarCraft 2 is lightning-fast. Yet, it’s the multiplayer skirmish matches where things really heat up. Pro StarCraft 2 players are so skilled they clock their mouse clicks by the second, and they’re masters at issuing commands swiftly and effectively. Keeping pace with a skirmish map demands hours of practice, no doubt about it. No other game could grab the number one spot on this list like StarCraft 2 does.

2024-10-10 09:04