Best Historical RTS Games

Historical settings are some of the most common in the RTS genre. Thanks to the abundance of wars that have taken place throughout history, there’s a variety of settings, themes, and time periods to choose from when combining RTS games with historical events.

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However, with so many historical RTS games on the market, it can be hard to discern which are the best. There’s no denying that the Total War franchise has somewhat of a monopoly on historical RTS/war games, other games have been given a fair shot for variety’s sake.

8 Hegemony 3: Clash Of The Ancients

This RTS war game tasks players with building an empire while handling resource management and large-scale battles with their Roman armies. Putting players in command of Rome years before their empire came to fruition, Hegemony 3 tasks players with capturing and defending the surrounding territories from Etruscan, Greek, and Gallic enemies.

Hegemony 3 puts a massive focus on keeping cities sufficiently supplied, so resource management and protecting resources are vital to success. Despite this, players can expect similar gameplay to the Total War franchise.

7 Cossacks 3

This traditional isometric RTS plays similar to games like Age Of Empires and is based on events that took place in the 17th and 18th centuries. The best part about Cossacks 3 is its impressive large-scale battles that feature thousands of units.

Cossacks 3 also features the unique mechanic of ammunition, with gunpowder units being able to run out mid-battle, adding an important element of resource management. Along with regiment-based RTS gameplay, Cossacks 3 also features the typical city-building gameplay that fans of Age Of Empires have come to expect.

6 Total War: ATTILA

Set on the verge of the infamous Dark Ages, Total War: ATTILA is one of the darkest and most difficult Total War games thanks to its hazardous terrains and weather, as well as the lack of a home province and often lack of food.

Total War: ATTILA takes the focus off of conquering and puts it on sheer survival, forcing players to manage their resources carefully and ensure that their armies have food and shelter. Total War: ATTILA is set in 395 AD as the fertility of the surrounding land begins to dwindle.

5 Total War: Shogun 2

Set in 16th-century Feudal Japan, Total War: Shogun 2 has players fighting among several warring clans to become the new Shogun. Regarded by many fans of Total War to be one of Creative Assembly’s best entries, Total War: Shogun 2 was a milestone for the franchise that introduced many new players and still holds up today.

Total War: Shogun 2 features many historic staples of Feudal Japan and has a great presentation. Total War: Shogun 2 is also one of the most accessible entries in the franchise with its thematic and easy-to-understand UI, as well as its clear rock-paper-scissors style unit types.

4 Stronghold Crusader

This sequel to Stronghold has an HD version on Steam and takes place in Arabian territories during the Crusades. The game features a thematic Middle-Eastern soundtrack, a variety of interesting units that change up the original Stronghold gameplay, and expansive maps to conquer.

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Stronghold Crusader features four historical campaigns that primarily take place around the First, Second, and Third Crusades. The game features the likes of historic figures such as Richard the Lionheart as well as Saladin, Sultan of Syria. With the original Stronghold’s remaster on the horizon, there’s never been a better time to look into the franchise’s history.

3 Age Of Empires 2

Originally released in 1999, Age Of Empires 2 recently received a definitive edition in 2019 that introduced new players to the iconic RTS title and made it more accessible than ever before. Age Of Empires 2 is set in the Middle Ages and features several historic factions and campaigns.

Age Of Empires 2 is famous for its city-building mechanics and focus on resource management as well as unit management, tasking players with simultaneous macro and micromanagement. Age Of Empires 2 also features an abundance of strategies and ways to play the game, making it an engaging and versatile experience.

2 Total War: ROME 2

Total War: ROME 2 takes place in an impressive variety of environments across Europe, the Mediterranean, and the ancient Near East, starting in the year 272 BC. The game tasks players with managing a civilization while fighting large-scale battles with a variety of units in real-time, similar to many Total War games.

Total War: ROME 2 features an abundance of factions that add to the historical backdrop of the game, with ten factions being available to the player. Despite initial performance issues on release, Total War: ROME 2 has gone on to be a fan favorite in the franchise and still holds up today thanks to the updates it’s received over the years.

1 Company Of Heroes

Arguably one of the greatest RTS games of all time, and certainly one of the greatest WW2 strategy games ever made, is Relic Entertainment’s Company Of Heroes. While Company Of Heroes 2, and even the more recent Company Of Heroes 3, may have their fans, the original game is still debatably the best thanks to its fast pace and attention to detail.

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Company Of Heroes begins on D-Day with the invasion of Normandy and takes players through several pivotal battles of World War 2, leading Allied soldiers through a gripping and cinematic narrative in a historical setting with impressive attention to detail, immersive presentation, and fantastic sound effects. Even today, Company Of Heroes holds up as one of the greatest historical RTS games of all time.

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