WAR! What is it good for? Well, it’s a good backdrop for making video games, history has taught us that. In fact, as ironic as it sounds, certain war games have been some of the most anticipated gaming titles ever. Sure, I could make a LONG list with this topic, but I’m going to focus on some of our favorites. Here are picks of the Best War Video Games of All Time!
#10 War Thunder
When it comes to MMOs, the fun is being able to play with all kinds of players and doing all sorts of things. War Thunder takes the MMO genre and puts a military spin on things by giving you access to all types of military vehicles and putting them to work on massive battlefields.
Just the general scale of this game is impressive. For example, there are over 2500 vehicles you and the other players you’re alongside can wield to make the battlefield your own. So you’ll have plenty of variety to make your army as robust as it can be, and find something to fit your playstyle.
History is on full display in War Thunder, as you won’t just have access to historical units throughout the ages but be able to partake in battlefields from wars long past. In fact, you can forgo doing multiplayer battles and take part in campaigns that’ll let you relive some of these battles!
But I’m sure most of you will want to see just how grand the MMO-style battles can be, and you’ll have the chance to make each one unique. So work together with your comrades in arms and come out on top!
#9 Spec Ops The Line
A common misconception about war games is that they’re all about the “war” and not about the “stories” that are laced within each conflict. I have many games on this list that challenge that perception, but few are as deep, gripping, and sometimes disturbing as Spec Ops: The Line. This is a game about morality within war, and not unlike Bioshock, the twist ending is quite renowned.
The game is set in an alternate world where Dubai has been ravaged by a devastating sandstorm. An army regiment led by a famous commander was sent to try and save the people, but things went wrong and the unit was left behind while trying to save everyone.
However, soon, a radio message from the commander is heard, and a three-man Delta Squad team is sent in to find survivors and seek out the truth, if it can be found.
What follows is a gripping tale about the choices soldiers and leaders must make for the “good of all” and who is truly responsible for the horrors that are inflicted on the innocent. This game shook a lot of people when it was released, and so if you’re up for a true “war story” mixed with combat, this is the one you’ll want to try.
#8 Valiant Hearts: The Great War
Who said every war game had to look like a “realistic view of the world?” I never said that, and Valiant Hearts: The Great War is an excellent example of a unique tone set against the backdrop of World War I. If you liked the puzzle-solving, side-scrolling focus of games like Brothers: A Tale of Two Sons, then you’ll understand the journey you’re about to embark on.
The unique twist of this game goes beyond the visual style. The title puts you in the midst of four characters and their loyal dog as they attempt to survive World War I and help a soldier reunite with his lost love. Each of these characters’ stories will weave in and out of each other’s, and it’ll help showcase the war in a different light than you’re expecting.
As you travel around, you’ll have to solve puzzles and keep yourselves safe to avoid getting caught or causing trouble.
Don’t be fooled by the comic-style art, however, this game is meant to be an emotional experience. Every character here is fighting not just for their lives, but to try and keep their humanity. Do what you can for them and help them get to the end of their journey.
#7 World of Tanks
Tanks are easily one of the most epic parts of warfare from the eyes of those who see it from afar. They are big, monstrous machines, and their firepower must feel like a rush when fired. Not unlike with War Thunder, this game gives you the chance to drive them yourself. The “twist” is that World of Tanks is ONLY about the tanks, and that’s okay by me.
You might wonder how many tanks could reasonably be in a game like this. The answer to that is over 600! That’s spanning all of warfare and the various nations that have built tanks for one reason or another. You’ll get to pick the ones that you feel are best and then head to the battlefield with them.
Just remember, while a tank is cool and powerful, it’s not invincible. Plus, you’ll be working with other players, so the last thing you’ll want to do is rush into the fight only to get blown up because foes quickly ambush you. So be smart while you have fun driving your tank.
#6 Hell Let Loose
What do you get when you take the style of Call of Duty and mix it with the team battle component of Fortnite? You get something like Hell Let Loose. This game isn’t just a shooter; it’s a 50v50 team battle simulator that will put you in the depths of World War II on different sides and see which team is good enough and cohesive enough to come out on top.
Hell Let Loose doesn’t just have a backdrop of World War II. It has you re-enacting classic battles across the European battlefields with your own style and flair. Regardless of whether you’re on the side of the Allies or the Axis powers, you’ll need to pick your units carefully and then deploy them alongside other players to try and gain dominance over your position.
It’s not just about taking out the enemy; it’s about getting supply lines and keeping them for your side. If you don’t work together as the massive force you’re supposed to be, you will get picked off slowly and lose.
Use the terrain, each player, and even the vehicles you have access to via the battlefield to come out on top. Or don’t and die painfully.
#5 Enlisted
Most war games focused on soldiers will only have you commanding one unit at a time so that you can go and run through the battlefield and do what you feel is best. However, in Enlisted, you’ll get a more MMO-style feel as you’re asked to command a squad of soldiers as you fight across deadly terrain! So, in all honesty, it took a lot of cues from the various games on this list.
You’ll be positioned in World War II, and you’ll have to choose what kind of squad you’ll lead into battle. Depending on what you choose, you’ll get carted off to places all over the map and then told to survive as you try to fight off other players and their squads!
Every squad plays differently, so you might have to test them out to see which fits your playstyle given the unique weapons each will have compared to the others. Some will even get vehicles you can use to give your side an edge.
With sixteen different kinds of units, over 300 vehicles to use and fight, and a map editor to create your own battlefields, you’ll be quite busy once you start your journey.
#4 World of Warships
I showed you how tanks do it on the battlefield, so how about showing you how it goes with mighty ships with powerful cannons at their beck and call? If you liked World of Tanks and how that played, you’ll feel right at home with World of Warships.
Like before, World of Warships is a free-to-play title. So if you’re looking for something fresh to do but don’t want to spend anything, dive in and see how well you are with commanding navy vessels! The more you play, the better ships you’ll have access to, and that means you’ll get to upgrade and overhaul your fleet as you progress!
There are over 600 ships to command in the game, and that includes many of the most legendary vessels from numerous nations across many wars. Regardless of who you choose, you’ll have plenty of space to place and battle with them in via the game’s many massive maps.
Just remember, this is a war game; it’s not just about having the best ships or the most powerful fleet; it’s about how you use that fleet to overcome your foes. Strategy is crucial, as you would expect, so be mindful, Commander, of every direction you give your ships.
#3 This War of Mine
Not all war games are about you being soldiers trying to kill the enemy. This War of Mine took a more subversive look at things in the way that titles like Papers Please or Valiant Hearts did. In this game, the true “goal’ wasn’t to fight the war, it was just to survive in the warzone you were in.
The title takes place in a city that is literally besieged by an enemy force. You and a few others take refuge in a multiple-story house and do your best every day to survive. During the day, you scavenge the house, look for supplies within it, and try to reinforce things so that you can be safe. Then, at night, you’ll dare to venture out into the city and see if you can find more supplies. But as with all things, there is a cost.
After all, you’re not the only one living in the city. You’ll have to make hard choices on who to steal from and if you’re willing to kill others just to live another day.
The game is difficult; I can attest to that myself. You will be scarred by each playthrough you do. Plus, the game has story-focused DLCs that explore the world and its people even more. So, if you’re looking for a truly deep war game experience, I recommend This War of Mine.
#2 Battlefield 1
I’m sure you can predict the game franchise I’m saving for last, and so it’s only fair that in the No.2 slot, I pick its biggest rival from Electronic Arts. The Battlefield franchise has had many iterations over the years, but most feel that Battlefield 1 was the entry that pushed the franchise to certain heights.
So what made Battlefield 1 compared to other war games? First off, it was one of the few that the “war stage” of World War I was shown off in the best light possible. Say what you will about the Battlefield franchise, but they strive to make it a visual and auditory spectacle, and they certainly succeeded with that here.
Speaking of the setting, one of the game’s perks was being part of battles that weren’t just large in scale but had destructible environments, ensuring that you could replay the battles in unique ways depending on how you took to the battlefield.
Furthermore, the title had plenty of vehicles for players to hop into and further change the tide of the fight. That included being in planes, armored trains, and even using battleships to rain down ammunition on foes.
When you add that to the massive multiplayer battles Battlefield 1 offered? You can see why so many people gravitated to it.
#1 Call of Duty Franchise
I know, big surprise, right? The Call of Duty Franchise is THE war series that gamers come to year after year without issue. I don’t even need to compare it to other franchises because you KNOW what this game is all about and how it dominates the industry with its multiplayer and other gameplay elements.
The irony here is that this wasn’t the first war game of its kind. Medal of Honor came first, and then Call of Duty was the “clone” of it to try and bank off what they did. However, over time, the game from Activision became better and higher-quality, which gamers kept returning for more of.
However, arguably, the biggest thing that made the Call of Duty Franchise successful was its ability to reinvent itself successfully. I speak of when people were really tired of being set in World War II, so that set off the “Modern Warfare era” that helped make the series what it is today. That first Modern Warfare not only was Game of the Year in many people’s minds, but it showcased how big it could be, and the series has arguably been trying to copy its success ever since, as recent entries have proven.
Oh, and when they added the zombie mode? That was just icing on the cake. No matter what version you like the best, Call of Duty isn’t going anywhere so long as it keeps selling millions of copies.
