There is a vast world of amazing strategy games out there. Whether they are Turn-Based or Real Time Strategy (RTS) there is something for all strategy game lovers out there. Everyone has heard of games like Final Fantasy Tactics, XCOM, Command and Conquer, Civilization, and Age of Empires. So I am going to shine some light on strategy games that might not be as mainstream, but are still great games. These won’t be in any particular order and aren’t like a top 5 list. So let’s check out these games!
Lord of the Rings: Battle For Middle Earth 2
The Lord of the Rings: Battle for Middle Earth 2 was an RTS developed by Danger Close and published by EA. Released for Microsoft Windows and Xbox 360, this game allowed you to wage war in the vast Lord of the Rings world. When this game was released it allowed for many strategies when it came to base building and attacking. It also had a completely different AI system and management tools which allowed complex strategies as well as the spell casting that was in this game. You could create and upgrade your fully-customizable Middle-Earth hero as you played. Or if you prefer you could lead new heroes from the Lord of the Rings movies and fiction into war.
You could build your castles anywhere on the map providing a plethora of unique strategies. You would defend your castle with unique fortresses, walls, and many other defenses. Discover many places in the world such as Mirkwood, Misty Mountains, and more. All this while deciding the outcome of The War of the Ring through a turn-base strategy mode set on the Living World Middle-Earth map. If you want to reign victorious you could use powerful spells like cataclysmic lightning strikes, summon dragons, or even cause volcanic eruptions. These are just a few of those powerful spells. This is one of the many strategy games that people forget existed and I really enjoyed it.
Fire Emblem Radiant Dawn
Fire Emblem Radiant Dawn is a little different because it is a Turn-Based Tactical Role Playing Game instead of just a strategy game. It was developed by Intelligent Systems and published by Nintendo for the Wii. It is the tenth entry in the Fire Emblem series and acts as a direct sequel to the 2005 GameCube title Fire Emblem: Path of Radiance. If you were to try and purchase this game it maintains a steady value. I bought a copy back in 2015, which was 70 Dollars USD still. Don’t forget data from a completed Path of Radiance save file can be transferred to Radiant Dawn via a Nintendo GameCube memory card, which can lead to characters obtaining statistical gains.
Throughout the game, since there is a lack of a main character you get to use a multitude of characters from different factions. As you play you get the chance to build relationships and bonds with other characters which leads to some benefits. So when you end up in a permadeath situation it hits home that much more. Radiant Dawn improves upon Path of Radiance with some modifications to combat. This strategy game introduces the highest level of weaponry, known as “SS”, which requires a unit to have used a particular weapon type many times. This provides another unique aspect to Radiant Dawn along with other improvements as well. If you enjoy tactics games and love Fire Emblem characters this game is for you. One of my all-time favorites in this genre.
Age of Wonders Series
The next strategy game we are going to talk about is the whole series of Age of Wonders. This strategy series is developed by Triumph Studios with a few different publishers depending on the game. If you subscribe to Xbox Game Pass chances are you have seen the most recent installment in this series which was Age of Wonders: Planetfall. These turn-based strategy games are great for many reasons, but one big reason is that each game has a different set of playable leaders and races. My favorite is the first one where you get to play as Elves, Dwarves, Undead, Frostlings, and more.
Each game in the series has its own unique aspect and story. You might use undead and dragons in one game, but in another, you see dinosaur-riding Amazons and the Cyborg-Zombies of the Assembly. Age of Wonders: Shadow Magic was heavily focused upon magical beings and spells. Age of Wonders: Planetfall had a more sci-fi setting and was about reclaiming your future by exploring the past. Being that there are a total of 5 different games in the series I believe every strategy game lover can find one that they would enjoy. Definitely a series you should check out.
Natural Doctrine
Now we jump over to Playstation where we have the next strategy game called Natural Doctrine. Natural Doctrine was released for Ps3, Ps4, and Vita and was developed by Kadokawa. It wasn’t a highly acclaimed game when it was released and to me is more for hardcore strategy fans. It was said that Natural Doctrine originally was too hard of a game, so an easy mode was released for it in 2014. This update provided strategy hints for each level, and the number of save checkpoints was increased. Natural Doctrine is a fantasy simulation-type tactics RPG based on the concept of natural selection. The game features single and multiplayer modes with versus and cooperative play and is cross-play and cross-save compatible. There are 10 characters you get to experience with Geoff being the main protagonist.
You must use different strategies as you fight through a plethora of enemies such as goblins, minotaurs, orcs, and plenty of other monsters. You will have plenty of weapons as well as magic at your disposal. This was my favorite game I played on Playstation 3 when I played, but I am a hardcore strategy fan. Trust me when I tell you this game was hard till the easy mode update. When it came to the difficulty of the game and easy mode Cory Galliher of Popzara said this:
“The easy mode means the game isn’t a total loss for those of us who don’t have the tactical mind of Patton and the patience of Gandhi. Despite this, it’s hard to recommend the game to any but the most hardcore SRPG players.”
So for my hardcore strategy game lovers, I can recommend Natural Doctrine to you.
Endless Legend
Last but not least is the grand strategy game known as Endless Legend. Endless Legend was released on PC and developed by Amplitude Studios. People say Sci-fi may be a mainstay in 4X strategy games, but fantasy has also made a splash as a popular setting for compelling grand strategy experiences. Amplitude Studios utilizes both sci-fi and fantasy in Endless Legend which makes it a very unique style of game. Endless Legend is a great representation of Amplitude Studios’ pedigree. This also shows that they have a great eye for unique styles and innovative designs.
Not only do they have a unique and subversive science-fantasy setting. Endless Legend has some of the most diverse and creative factions in any grand strategy game. They are both very distinct in appearance, but more importantly, in gameplay. Requiring some meaningful different strategies and approaches to maximize their features. The combat system is somewhat lacking, but Endless Legend makes up for it with immaculate art direction and innovative mechanics. This is the only one on the list I haven’t personally played but have watched friends play for hours on end. I too will be trying this one out, just as everyone else should.
Wrap Up
Like I said in the opening there are plenty of strategy games out there. I am also sure I didn’t mention some that others would like me to have mentioned. You have games like Company of Heroes, Stellaris, Cities: Skyline, and the Total War Series, as well as many other great games. These are just a few to kind of wet your whistle so to speak. Strategy games are mostly focused on the PC. With all the great technology we have these days, these games are slowly inching their way to consoles as well. We also know that Paradox Interactive is one of if not the best dev for strategy games. Stay tuned as I will be writing more articles like these in the future.
