Many modern gamers often bypass the genre of strategies on the PC, but this is completely in vain. Only in these games can users try on the role of a real god with truly unlimited possibilities. As a rule, fans of strategies are real intellectuals. After all, only such players manage to build a truly prosperous empire.
In this article, we decided to talk about the best representatives of this genre who are worthy of our passage. All games from today's list came out over the past two years, that is, between 2016 and 2017. However, before we start giving out seats to the best of the best, we will tell you more about strategies on the PC as a whole.
What it is: general information
The main idea of the strategy genre is revealed in the economic, military and market competitive gameplay. The game works to ensure that the user develops strategic thinking in pursuit of the goal. Successful passage becomes possible only if the player shows a quick reaction, talent for military action, makes reasonable and logical decisions, is also familiar with the tactics of warfare and good at predicting possible outcomes of events.
On PC, strategy games occupy a worthy place among the best of the best and are almost a visiting card. It is in this genre that users can feel like real commanders or urban planners.
Gameplay options
The gameplay in strategies depends on many factors. This also applies to the preferred dynamics along with unexpected factors, and the speed of decision-making, which is most convenient for the user, and much more. If you take into account these important features, the gameplay in the genre of strategy can be divided into:
- Turn-based - the earliest representative of the genre, games in which began to appear on the shelves as much as 30 years ago. As a rule, the turn is observed during the moves, which excludes any dynamism or excitement from the gameplay. Fans of turn-based strategies always carefully weigh and plan their actions and analyze future consequences.
- In real time - in this type of gameplay, all moves are made simultaneously. Users get more emotions and dynamics, so there are so many young people among fans of real-time strategies.
- Global is the third and last gameplay that interweaves military and historical elements. As a rule, the main emphasis is placed on such a PC strategy for development. In other words, the player becomes the head of the empire and is engaged in its development.
Division into subgenres
Before starting the list of the best strategies on the PC, we will tell you a little about the main subgenres. It’s worth mentioning right now that many projects are currently making successful attempts to combine different elements, thereby creating a mixed genre.
- Economic strategies are a rather narrow sphere for a certain audience. These include the popular SimCity project, along with its add-on, "Cities of the Future." Users can engage themselves in economic and political management, calculating profits and the appropriateness of costs, resource allocation and other narrowly targeted activities.
- Strategies with a military bias - a mixed type, which often includes economic and historical elements. Such games boast a variety of subjects and internal mechanics. The best representatives include projects such as Warcraft and Heroes of Might and Magic.
- Strategies with a historical bias are another direction in which a certain historical event becomes the basis of game events. Sometimes it may include elements of a military subgenre. For example, Total War 2: Rome.
Below is a small list of strategies on the PC, which includes 4 projects that have been released recently. Each game is a worthy representative of its genre and is mandatory for passing to all enthusiastic gamers.
Banner saga 2
The second part of this rather popular and beloved by many small series continues the journey begun in Banner Saga 1. This means that all (or most) decisions made by the player earlier will have some consequences already in the new story.
At one time, the first part received a lot of praise from both fans of the genre and from third-party gamers who decided to try something new. Users noted a gloomy and melancholy atmosphere, a catchy story, interesting gameplay and, of course, memorable characters. In Banner Saga 2, players will return to the already known territory and continue the adventure in the province of Arberang.
In fact, "Saga 2" turned out to be an excellent strategy for personal computers, which managed to not only preserve all the advantages from the previous part, but also significantly increase them in the sequel. Such an adventure is simply not to be missed!
Infinite Cosmos 2
The second part of the successful Endless Space takes its place of honor in our today's top PC strategy. Following in the footsteps of its predecessor, “Endless Cosmos 2” managed to please fans with its galactic scale. The development team has remained true to its proven formula, collecting all the best from the first part and adding to this a little quality variety.
Several new races appeared in the game, and work was done to improve the control apparatus. Now users can take control of individual combat units (even the smallest), and not the entire army, as it was before.
Infinite Cosmos 2 opens up a ton of opportunities for its players. A huge civilization that needs a wise ruler, exploring a cold and inhospitable space, flights between uncharted planets, artifacts, ancient races that died out several millennia ago (or even more!), New life forms - this and much more will surely appeal to all fans genre.
Xcom 2
Those playing in the previous parts of the series should forget about what happened - the aliens still managed to capture our planet, and with it the majority of humanity. A handful of rebels managed to stay at large and it was to them that the player would join.
In terms of gameplay, the Xcom 2 has noticeably added to the complexity. Limited moves entail severe restrictions on the time frame allotted for one session. Players should increasingly reflect on their every move and try to anticipate the enemy’s response in advance. In addition, the very behavior of enemy artificial intelligence now poses a more serious danger than before. Aliens appear directly from the air, cracking down on a whole squad of heroes literally in seconds.
According to reviews, Xcom 2 is a great challenge to fans of the series, as well as new vivid impressions received in a well-known, but, unfortunately, not quite consistent universe.
"Warhammer 40,000: Dawn of War 3"
The current part of one of the most popular and beloved by players of the series - Warhammer completes our today's top best strategies on PC. With each new project, developers are trying to make even more improvements, while not departing from the main canon.
as the reviews show, the plot of Dawn of War takes a few steps back and talks about the period without spaceships. Of course, the loss of such magnitude that was present in the previous parts of the series affected the number of battles, but this did not affect the quality of the gameplay. Instead of alien races, players will have to face vampire clans, hordes of orcs, legions of gnomes and other armies of various creatures.
conclusions
In conclusion, we can say that every year several really worthy strategies enter the gaming market. Such fruitful stability cannot but rejoice, especially when it comes to such a narrowly targeted genre. There is definitely a hope that quality projects will continue to emerge, so you can not worry about the future of strategies.