What are Some Substantial/Fun Single Player RTS Games Out There?

[osnameless]

For whatever reason I have had the compulsion to get back to Red Alert 2.

And I am having a blast! Something about that game makes it hold up incredibly well no matter how much time passes. The ridiculous premise of a World War III, the corny, amazing cutscenes, the setup, the aesthetics which surprisingly are still pleasant on the eyes to this day.

Most importantly however is its accessible and relatively simple systems. I have been going through the two campaigns and it's just such a great game to boot up and get into.

Now I can't say I am a seasoned RTS player, but I am feeling quite the RTS itch, and while Red Alert 2 is doing a pretty good job of scratching that itch (I am planning on finishing RA2 and Yuri's Revenge), I want to explore what's else out there.

First of all and as the title suggests, I really am not one for multiplayer in general. Video games have always been a solo interest for me, and that includes RTS. So I am just trying to find out what other RTS games out there today that are known for their single player portion.

Again, I am more on the casual side, but I am willing to put in the hours to learn systems and all that.

Something else to consider is a good campaign. Like I can just play casual matches, but I kinda feel like completing some campaigns that have some kind of plot to them.

I am open to any settings: medieval, modern, futuristic, as long as it's done well.

In short, I think I am looking for recommendations for:

A kinda accessible single player RTS with a good campaign/missions/challenges/casual matches (just a good single player really) and compelling aesthetics (I know this shouldn't matter, but I really couldn't get into Red Alert 3 because I couldn't digest the looks).

Thank you ERA!

 

[UnluckyKate]

SC2 trilogy is still best sp rts out there imho.

Red Alert 3 holds up very well, played it last year. Good fun, crazy units

 

[sredgrin]

Homeworld and the prequel. The prequel is probably a lot more accessible simply because it's earthbound and thus you don't have to worry about flying around in empty space so much.

I really like the Dawn of War series. Dawn of War 2 has a great campaign, but it's hero unit focused (to the point where it can sometimes feel like a light party based action RPG rather than an RTS). So the lack of Macro can make it approachable. The series was frequently a staple of Steam sales for ages but lately I haven't seen it show up as much.

And of course everything Blizzzard made.

Total War series in general too, though it'll depend on how much you like managing the TBS overworld campaign too.

All games with huge and meaty single player content.

 

[MrCibb]

For a modern setting one, I'll throw out the original Company of Heroes. Which is currently 80% off on Steam, so might be worth a punt as it's so cheap.

Probably one of the best RTS campaigns I've played, really good fun, the gameplay's solid as you'd expect from Relic and not overly complex. Aesthetics-wise is the only trip up going off your post as it's just a WW2 setting, lots of browns and stuff. Graphics are alright but might look a bit dull for some.

 

[osnameless]

Red Alert 3 holds up very well, played it last year. Good fun, crazy units

Click to shrink...

I kinda liked what they did with the whole adding the Empire of the Rising Sun and removing nukes, but I have been struggling with picking it up on account of being turned off by the aesthetics.

And yes I know this is a weird reason to dislike an RTS.

 

[Gernau Morat Gurgeh]

The original Company of Heroes has one of the best single player RTS campaigns ever. Still looks fantastic as well.

 

[Jane]

Ever tried the Pikmin series?

 

[Deleted member 28523]

Age of Empires 2: DE. There's like 200 levels across 30 campaigns or something ridiculous like that. Company of Heroes is also a good choice.

 

[Roytheone]

Starcraft 2 has the best campaigns, the story is trash but the missions great.

Battle for middle Earth 2 is also excellent but good luck trying to find where to buy it :(

 

[Samiya]

Homeworld Remastered
Homeworld 2 Remastered
Homeworld Deserts of Kharak
World in Conflict
Battle for Middle Earth

 

[Fliesen]

Starcraft 2 + the two Addons are the GOAT.
There's perceivable progress throughout the campaign (like with research, upgrades etc.), mission objectives are very varied.

But i do also replay the C&C Tiberium Wars (and Kane's Wrath) campaigns on a regular basis.

 

[osnameless]

SC2 trilogy is still best sp rts out there imho.

Red Alert 3 holds up very well, played it last year. Good fun, crazy units

Click to shrink...

Okay! I kinda glossed over it. But it's sure worth a try.

Thank you!

Homeworld and the prequel. The prequel is probably a lot more accessible simply because it's earthbound and thus you don't have to worry about flying around in empty space so much.

I really like the Dawn of War series. Dawn of War 2 has a great campaign, but it's hero unit focused (to the point where it can sometimes feel like a light party based action RPG rather than an RTS). So the lack of Macro can make it approachable. The series was frequently a staple of Steam sales for ages but lately I haven't seen it show up as much.

And of course everything Blizzzard made.

Total War series in general too, though it'll depend on how much you like managing the TBS overworld campaign too.

All games with huge and meaty single player content.

Click to shrink...

Total War was the first name that popped up in my mind.

I like this thing where I go through a whole series from the first game until the last. Is that a good idea or am I just being silly?

Hero-based games really not that intriguing to me, but I will read up Dawn of War and see if I warm up to it.

For a modern setting one, I'll throw out the original Company of Heroes. Which is currently 80% off on Steam, so might be worth a punt as it's so cheap.

Probably one of the best RTS campaigns I've played, really good fun, the gameplay's solid as you'd expect from Relic and not overly complex. Aesthetics-wise is the only trip up going off your post as it's just a WW2 setting, lots of browns and stuff. Graphics are alright but might look a bit dull for some.

Click to shrink...

The original Company of Heroes has one of the best single player RTS campaigns ever. Still looks fantastic as well.

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That's seems right up my alley. I don't mind bleak or monocolored aesthetics and the WWII is always a good settings.

What I am curious about is why didn't you recommend Company of Heroes 2? is it just not that good or more multiplayer-focused?

Ever tried the Pikmin series?

Click to shrink...

No, and sadly I only have a PC at the moment :(

Age of Empires 2: DE. There's like 200 levels across 30 campaigns or something ridiculous like that. Company of Heroes is also a good choice.

Click to shrink...

Yup! Age of Empires 2 or Total War was where I was headed next. Thank you!

 

[Bony Manifesto]

I kinda liked what they did with the whole adding the Empire of the Rising Sun and removing nukes, but I have been struggling with picking it up on account of being turned off by the aesthetics.

And yes I know this is a weird reason to dislike an RTS.

Click to shrink...

Not as weird as me not playing it because it, and the other C&C games of that era, are locked to 30FPS. And before someone says 30FPS is fine for an RTS game, I say that panning around the map (which is what you're doing pretty much constantly) looks and feels awful at such low frame rates.

 

[Gernau Morat Gurgeh]

That's seems right up my alley. I don't mind bleak or monocolored aesthetics and the WWII is always a good settings.

What I am curious about is why didn't you recommend Company of Heroes 2? is it just not that good or more multiplayer-focused?

Click to shrink...

CoH 2 is very much worth playing, but was more mulitplayer focused and as a result the single player is not quite as good. The campaign is still better than most out there though, and there is a standalone expansion thing set in the Ardennes that is very much worth playing. Basically, the first is an all time classic that the sequel couldnt quite measure up to but is still good in its own right.

 

[Shelbyville Milhouse]

Not your typical RTS game but They Are Billions is an amazing game

 

[sredgrin]

No, don't play Total War in order, there's a few flat out bad games. You should pick history or settings you think you'd enjoy the most. I wouldn't go further back than Medieval II, that was arguably the first great game in the series. Maybe Rome as well, not sure how it holds up.

I'd suggest Medieaval 2, Rome 2, Shogun 2, either of the Warhammers, or Three Kingdoms. The latter 2 have more "story" elements due to their leaders having personal quests and personalities if that's a factor as well.

 

[afreaknamedpete]

If you have a PS3 or a PS2 (or you use a PS2 emulator with the game disc) you can play Grim Grimoire.

It's not very deep, it has no multiplayer, it's not objectively a GOOD RTS campaign. But it is short enough (20 hours or so) that it doesn't wear out it's welcome and provided you can tolerate anime aesthetic it has AMAZING 2D art. The story is simple but pretty charming as well, like the premise is that you're in a Harry Potter rip-off magical school (except magic duels = RTS battles) and stuck in a time loop trying to save the school.

 

[CaptainDreads]

Grey Goo plays a lot like C&C games and has some interesting factions. Very middling reviews but I had fun with it.

 

[Kyaw]

Company of Heroes 1 and 2 and their expansions.

World in Conflict for sure. If you get anything out of this thread, play World in Conflict. The graphics might be juuuust a tad out of date but i think it'll still serve well.

Both has the most memorable stories and sequences in RTS I've experienced.

Starcraft 2 campaign after these two, story is ok but it's a fun campaign.

 

[Chivalry]

World in Conflict

 

[KDR_11k]

The AI War games are designed around player vs AI gameplay with very asymmetric design. It's 4X-like in scale but since it doesn't do colony management and populations and stuff I think it counts as an RTS.

 

[Pellaidh]

If you haven't played it yet, Warcraft 3 is still my golden standard for RTS campaings. Good story, interesting missions, and the gameplay is very approachable while still being incredible. Starcraft 2 is also okay, with much worse story and more complicated gameplay, but with more interesting mission design.

Dawn of War 2 was also pretty cool, with gameplay that feels more like a mix between RTS and RPG with focus on small unit counts, which also makes it very approachable. The story is pretty much standard Warhammer 40k fare, so nothing super groundbreaking but the universe itself is pretty cool.

World in Conflict is also very good, and again focuses on smaller scale engagements and no base building.

If you want something skirmish based rather than campaign based, Rise of Nations is also a classic. It's pretty similar to Age of Empires, but it takes place throughout the entire human history much like Civilization does, and it also isn't as focused on pure military aspects.

 

[Chixdiggit]

Age of Empires 2 DE is king for me. Should be in everyone's library.
Also agreed that They are Billions is a fantastic game that is definitely not your typical RTS. Be warned it has a learning curve and can be rage inducing but worth the time.
Some other good ones not mentioned:
Ancestors Legacy
Shadow Tactics
Northgard

 

[ghostcrew]

Starcraft 2 has the best campaigns, the story is trash but the missions great.

Click to shrink...

Yeah, I'm gonna repeat the recommendations for Starcraft 2. It's really great.

 

[Chixdiggit]

Also anyone with a VR headset should check out Brass Tactics. Not super deep but a lot of fun and controlling your battlefield in VR is great.

 

[SuikerBrood]

Age of Empires 2:DE would be my suggestion. The historically based campaigns are a lot of fun. And they'll give you enough content to play for days.

I also enjoyed Northgard and StarCraft 2 is a game nobody should miss out on.

 

[Samiya]

Yeah, I'm gonna repeat the recommendations for Starcraft 2. It's really great.

Click to shrink...

Except for everything about the story and characters.

 

[Samiya]

osnameless the Homeworld games are currently on sale on Steam right now, I would get the Remastered Collection and Deserts of Kharak:





They're largely considered the best RTS singleplayer campaigns out there. Highly recommended.

 

[Sean Mirrsen]

Total Annihilation is a great old RTS without too many complicated systems. It's the progenitor of Supreme Commander and other games that tried to emulate it, and in many ways it is still superior to them. Unencumbered by complexity, it's a straightforward slugging match between commanders competing for control of, and working to manage the inflow and outflow of, resources.
Singleplayer campaign is its one big weakpoint, it's rather light on 'story' - both sides' campaigns are just a sequence of increasingly large battles, with little to nothing in the way of scripted events or cutscenes. But it is still quite interesting to play. The primary fansite, TAUniverse, has a good many resources on how to play the game on modern systems, including a fanmade unofficial patch with many improvements, and a great variety of mods.

The Homeworld series I can definitely recommend, even if it's on the complex side. A full-3D RTS can be hard to grasp at first, but once you wrap your head around it it'll play just as well as any 2D RTS. The 'sensor mode' having a defined horizontal plane really helps.
In specific, I would recommend looking at the oft-overlooked Homeworld: Cataclysm game, a sort of thematic departure for the series, an "interquel' between the first and second main game. It has great story, and is the closest thing you could probably have to having an RTS with horror overtones. It's released on GOG as "Homeworld: Emergence".

An unusual pick from me would be one of the first "realtime strategy" games ever, a Genesis/Megadrive game called Herzog Zwei. It's a nice little blast from the past, an action-RTS where you control a transforming robot/aircraft that also acts as your "cursor" for selecting, moving, and giving orders to your units.
Do find and read the manual before trying to play it, the game doesn't really explain the controls and order options, or even the goals of the game and how to reach them. The "campaign" is also the classic "beat all these levels at all these difficulties" affair, but the uniqueness of the action and the excellent music that accompanies it makes it one of my favorites.
There's a modern "spiritual remake" of sorts, called AirMech, which you can also check out - though it has even less of a story, from what I remember.

 

[osnameless]

Starcraft 2 has the best campaigns, the story is trash but the missions great.

Battle for middle Earth 2 is also excellent but good luck trying to find where to buy it :(

Click to shrink...

Starcraft 2 + the two Addons are the GOAT.
There's perceivable progress throughout the campaign (like with research, upgrades etc.), mission objectives are very varied.

But i do also replay the C&C Tiberium Wars (and Kane's Wrath) campaigns on a regular basis.

Click to shrink...

Yeah, I'm gonna repeat the recommendations for Starcraft 2. It's really great.

Click to shrink...

Okay, seems like there's a consensus around SC2. I should try it out.

That sounds great!! I am really looking for something like that, gradual upgrades and expansion.

Thank you!

Homeworld Remastered
Homeworld 2 Remastered
Homeworld Deserts of Kharak
World in Conflict
Battle for Middle Earth

Click to shrink...

I honestly never heard of Homeworld before, I should read up on it with it being on sale!

Thank you my friend!!!

CoH 2 is very much worth playing, but was more mulitplayer focused and as a result the single player is not quite as good. The campaign is still better than most out there though, and there is a standalone expansion thing set in the Ardennes that is very much worth playing. Basically, the first is an all time classic that the sequel couldnt quite measure up to but is still good in its own right.

Click to shrink...

That makes sense. Thank you so much for the answer! I am gonna probably try them both.

Not as weird as me not playing it because it, and the other C&C games of that era, are locked to 30FPS. And before someone says 30FPS is fine for an RTS game, I say that panning around the map (which is what you're doing pretty much constantly) looks and feels awful at such low frame rates.

Click to shrink...

Haha, when I booted it up a few days ago, I was taken off by the aesthetics, like I don't remember being off-put by them before, and then I found out it's capped at 30 FPS, and apparently removing the cap messes up the gameplay, and yeah, didn't really give it much of try after that.

 

[osnameless]

Not your typical RTS game but They Are Billions is an amazing game

Click to shrink...

The graphics are sure unique and the settings sound incredible. Thank you, it's something I will be looking forward to try for sure!

No, don't play Total War in order, there's a few flat out bad games. You should pick history or settings you think you'd enjoy the most. I wouldn't go further back than Medieval II, that was arguably the first great game in the series. Maybe Rome as well, not sure how it holds up.

I'd suggest Medieaval 2, Rome 2, Shogun 2, either of the Warhammers, or Three Kingdoms. The latter 2 have more "story" elements due to their leaders having personal quests and personalities if that's a factor as well.

Click to shrink...

Got it! I think I am gonna start up from Medieval 2. Thank you so much for taking the time.

If you have a PS3 or a PS2 (or you use a PS2 emulator with the game disc) you can play Grim Grimoire.

It's not very deep, it has no multiplayer, it's not objectively a GOOD RTS campaign. But it is short enough (20 hours or so) that it doesn't wear out it's welcome and provided you can tolerate anime aesthetic it has AMAZING 2D art. The story is simple but pretty charming as well, like the premise is that you're in a Harry Potter rip-off magical school (except magic duels = RTS battles) and stuck in a time loop trying to save the school.

Click to shrink...

Okay, that sounds like an anime I'd watch. A silly premise and some time-travel shenanigans. Sadly, I don't think I'd enjoy something like that without a mouse and keyboard.

Thank you!

Grey Goo plays a lot like C&C games and has some interesting factions. Very middling reviews but I had fun with it.

Click to shrink...

That's all I needed to hear, probably gonna try it!

Company of Heroes 1 and 2 and their expansions.

World in Conflict for sure. If you get anything out of this thread, play World in Conflict. The graphics might be juuuust a tad out of date but i think it'll still serve well.

Both has the most memorable stories and sequences in RTS I've experienced.

Starcraft 2 campaign after these two, story is ok but it's a fun campaign.

Click to shrink...

World in Conflict

Click to shrink...

World in Conflict looks and feels really unique. The way the camera is set up is intriguing.

Even though I am looking for base-building stuff, I am definitely gonna keep it in mind. Thank you!

 

[osnameless]

The AI War games are designed around player vs AI gameplay with very asymmetric design. It's 4X-like in scale but since it doesn't do colony management and populations and stuff I think it counts as an RTS.

Click to shrink...

To be honest, I wouldn't mind a 4X game. I want to get into them, but just always been put off by the learning curve. This one looks interesting though, thank you.

If you haven't played it yet, Warcraft 3 is still my golden standard for RTS campaings. Good story, interesting missions, and the gameplay is very approachable while still being incredible. Starcraft 2 is also okay, with much worse story and more complicated gameplay, but with more interesting mission design.

Dawn of War 2 was also pretty cool, with gameplay that feels more like a mix between RTS and RPG with focus on small unit counts, which also makes it very approachable. The story is pretty much standard Warhammer 40k fare, so nothing super groundbreaking but the universe itself is pretty cool.

World in Conflict is also very good, and again focuses on smaller scale engagements and no base building.

If you want something skirmish based rather than campaign based, Rise of Nations is also a classic. It's pretty similar to Age of Empires, but it takes place throughout the entire human history much like Civilization does, and it also isn't as focused on pure military aspects.

Click to shrink...

Warcraft 3 is another game I wanted to try for the longest.

Now, based on the recent controversy, I take it I should probably steer off the Reforged edition, right?

Rise of Nations also sounds a good pick.

Thank you!

Age of Empires 2 DE is king for me. Should be in everyone's library.
Also agreed that They are Billions is a fantastic game that is definitely not your typical RTS. Be warned it has a learning curve and can be rage inducing but worth the time.
Some other good ones not mentioned:
Ancestors Legacy
Shadow Tactics
Northgard

Click to shrink...

Thank you for the very useful post. Northgrd looks beautiful, and yeah They Are Billions definitely piqued my interest.

As I said in a previous post, World in Conflict has a unique feeling to it, but I am kinda looking into some base-building.
I am gonna probably try it anyway.

 

[osnameless]

Age of Empires 2:DE would be my suggestion. The historically based campaigns are a lot of fun. And they'll give you enough content to play for days.

I also enjoyed Northgard and StarCraft 2 is a game nobody should miss out on.

Click to shrink...

I was surprised by Northgard. The game looks really beautiful!

Total Annihilation is a great old RTS without too many complicated systems. It's the progenitor of Supreme Commander and other games that tried to emulate it, and in many ways it is still superior to them. Unencumbered by complexity, it's a straightforward slugging match between commanders competing for control of, and working to manage the inflow and outflow of, resources.
Singleplayer campaign is its one big weakpoint, it's rather light on 'story' - both sides' campaigns are just a sequence of increasingly large battles, with little to nothing in the way of scripted events or cutscenes. But it is still quite interesting to play. The primary fansite, TAUniverse, has a good many resources on how to play the game on modern systems, including a fanmade unofficial patch with many improvements, and a great variety of mods.

The Homeworld series I can definitely recommend, even if it's on the complex side. A full-3D RTS can be hard to grasp at first, but once you wrap your head around it it'll play just as well as any 2D RTS. The 'sensor mode' having a defined horizontal plane really helps.
In specific, I would recommend looking at the oft-overlooked Homeworld: Cataclysm game, a sort of thematic departure for the series, an "interquel' between the first and second main game. It has great story, and is the closest thing you could probably have to having an RTS with horror overtones. It's released on GOG as "Homeworld: Emergence".

An unusual pick from me would be one of the first "realtime strategy" games ever, a Genesis/Megadrive game called Herzog Zwei. It's a nice little blast from the past, an action-RTS where you control a transforming robot/aircraft that also acts as your "cursor" for selecting, moving, and giving orders to your units.
Do find and read the manual before trying to play it, the game doesn't really explain the controls and order options, or even the goals of the game and how to reach them. The "campaign" is also the classic "beat all these levels at all these difficulties" affair, but the uniqueness of the action and the excellent music that accompanies it makes it one of my favorites.
There's a modern "spiritual remake" of sorts, called AirMech, which you can also check out - though it has even less of a story, from what I remember.

Click to shrink...

Thank you for the very detailed post.

The Homeworld series is completely new to me, and I need to look into it.

But Total Annihilation sounds great. I don't mind not having a story that much as long as there are plenty of missions to finish.

 

[karnage10]

Grey goo, starcraft and warcraft are very similar to red alert and might be exactly what you are looking for.

That said I think trying total war is very fair since the meat of that game are huge battles. There is no other game similar to total war.

Total War was the first name that popped up in my mind.
I like this thing where I go through a whole series from the first game until the last. Is that a good idea or am I just being silly?

Click to shrink...

In total war going through the series is a bit silly. THe original shogun1 and medieval 1 are completely surpassed by their sequels and thus IMO not worthing playing unless you want to expreince video game history

I'd recomend trying warhammer 2 first. It is one of the biggest games ever made. The warhammer trilogy (3rd game hasn't come out yet) is all about having the content of each game merge with the other titles in the series. So ifyou own warhammer 2 and warhammer 1 you get a MASSIVE map with the content of both games. It is something super impressive that i never saw in the video game industry.

 

[KDR_11k]

Hm, thought of some more:


The Creeper World series is like a more stationary version of Perimeter but you fight against a liquid enemy. It flows down hills and slowly floods the whole map. It borders the Tower Defense genre but you're usually on the offense, trying to reclaim the land bit by bit from the waves of Creeper. 3 is the apex of the series so far, I don't think as much of Particle Fleet and CW 1 and 2 are practically superseded by 3 with its more advanced design.


And of course Perimeter itself. Possibly the origin of the energy network style of RTS/tower defense base design. It's a very strange game, in line with some of the other weirdness from Russia. Avoid the sequel though, it's just shit.

 

[Robspassion]

Frostpunk is also not your typical RTS and focuses more on survival but I love the game nonetheless and it has really nice graphics.

 

[capitalCORN]

I just found out gog has Warwind now. Anyways, play Sacrifice and Battle Realm.

 

[Dictator]

Dawn Of War II's single player campaign, and CHaos Rising are most excellent. They have RPG elements and a good all-around story too.

 

[osnameless]

There has been a lot of great recommendations to keep me busy during this whole quarantine thing.Thank you ERA!

Grey goo, starcraft and warcraft are very similar to red alert and might be exactly what you are looking for.

That said I think trying total war is very fair since the meat of that game are huge battles. There is no other game similar to total war.

In total war going through the series is a bit silly. THe original shogun1 and medieval 1 are completely surpassed by their sequels and thus IMO not worthing playing unless you want to expreince video game history

I'd recomend trying warhammer 2 first. It is one of the biggest games ever made. The warhammer trilogy (3rd game hasn't come out yet) is all about having the content of each game merge with the other titles in the series. So ifyou own warhammer 2 and warhammer 1 you get a MASSIVE map with the content of both games. It is something super impressive that i never saw in the video game industry.

Click to shrink...

Thank you so much. I wanna see how Warhammer does that. I will be sure to pick it up.

Hm, thought of some more:


The Creeper World series is like a more stationary version of Perimeter but you fight against a liquid enemy. It flows down hills and slowly floods the whole map. It borders the Tower Defense genre but you're usually on the offense, trying to reclaim the land bit by bit from the waves of Creeper. 3 is the apex of the series so far, I don't think as much of Particle Fleet and CW 1 and 2 are practically superseded by 3 with its more advanced design.


And of course Perimeter itself. Possibly the origin of the energy network style of RTS/tower defense base design. It's a very strange game, in line with some of the other weirdness from Russia. Avoid the sequel though, it's just shit.

Click to shrink...

Thank you! Creeper World actually looks interesting.

Frostpunk is also not your typical RTS and focuses more on survival but I love the game nonetheless and it has really nice graphics.

Click to shrink...

Yeah, I already own it by virtue of me loving This War of Mine so much. I am going to see how much I like it. The idea of facing harsh conditions instead of an enemy, blending survival and RTS sounds really interesting.

I just found out gog has Warwind now. Anyways, play Sacrifice and Battle Realm.

Click to shrink...

I am trying to look into older games for some reason, just to see how their systems will hold up, so both are great recommendations.

Dawn Of War II's single player campaign, and CHaos Rising are most excellent. They have RPG elements and a good all-around story too.

Click to shrink...

I am a bit put off by the whole RTS/RPG thing, but I think I should give it a try. Thank you for this and the great work you guys do at DF!

 

[elenarie]

Starcraft 2 is the best RTS game ever made. So yea, would highly suggest that.

 

[Acu]

I'm playing SC2 campaigns for the first time now, finishing with Zerg's, and it shows how great this series is. From concept, to characters, to progressive difficulty. The micro and macro management is something taught well trhough mechanics and if the campaign missions are not enough for you, there are tons of optional challenges, vs AI and achievements based on difficulty from every mode.

Sad that this game required its online esport community to thrive, only to get obscured by greater, much more accessible and adaptable games.

For me, the last true great RTS series.

 

[osnameless]

Starcraft 2 is the best RTS game ever made. So yea, would highly suggest that.

Click to shrink...

I'm playing SC2 campaigns for the first time now, finishing with Zerg's, and it shows how great this series is. From concept, to characters, to progressive difficulty. The micro and macro management is something taught well trhough mechanics and if the campaign missions are not enough for you, there are tons of optional challenges, vs AI and achievements based on difficulty from every mode.

Sad that this game required its online esport community to thrive, only to get obscured by greater, much more accessible and adaptable games.

For me, the last true great RTS series.

Click to shrink...

Okay. I really, really should try Starcraft 2. That sounds like exactly what I was looking for.

I really wanted to jump to RA3, but I can't get over the ugly aesthetics.

 

[DukeBlueBall]

Age series
COH series
Dow 1+2
CNC generals + mods
Starcraft series
WC3
Halo Wars series

 

[SmartWaffles]

On top of common ones like SC2, Homeworld remastered and the new spin off game Deserts of Kharak are both excellent.

Also for SC2, outside of the campaign, there is MP COOP which is arguably the best in the genre, plus an endless library of amazing custom games for absolutely free.