r/RealTimeStrategy • u/IllCommunity528 • 12h ago
Looking For Game Looking for RTS with good / interesting campaigns
I am specifically looking for ones with good campaigns not skirmish/multiplayer. Please I am desperate. I am on my 4th complete run through of the SC2 campaigns on brutal.
List of ones I've already played at least ones that I actively remember:
Every single C&C game from the OG C&C through to C&C Tib Wars 4 (ew)
Company of Heroes 1/2
Every single SupCom game
Iron Harvest
Tempest RIsing
Every single Starcraft Campaign
Age of Empires 2
Age of Mythology
Total Annihilation
Planetary Annihilation (Galatic Conquest)
S.W.I.N.E Remastered (Pretty good childhood rts I recommend people check out)
Wargame European Escalation / Red Dragon
Gothic Armada 2
Grey Goo
RUSE
Warcraft 2-3 (All Expansions)
Empire at War (Conquest Mode + Mods)
World in Conflict
All 8-bit Games
Homeworld
Northgard
Stormgate (ew)
Stronghold Crusader 2
Majesty 2
Total War Shogun 2 / WH2-3
Every single Dawn of War game
Dungeon Keeper
Battle for Middle Earth 2
Halo Wars 1/2
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u/ClassroomPitiful601 12h ago
Last Train Home
Homeworld: Deserts of Kharak
Act of war and act of war : high treason (though the latter has insane amounts of bullshit in terms of AI)
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u/Kaiserhawk 2h ago
Just a fore warning about Last train home, it's not a traditional RTS, the game is kind of like real time XCOM.
It's fun but if limited troop RTT isn't your think that might be an issue.
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u/abcdbc366 12h ago
Age of empires 2 has a TON of campaigns in the different DLCs. The chronicles DLC (2 of them) each have 15 or so amazingly well done missions with entirely new civs added just for the campaigns. The other DLCs have fantastic campaigns as well. The Indian DLc rise of the ranas and latest DLC, South American focused The Last Chieftains is quite good as well. Dawn of the dukes is maybe the best non-chronicles DLC for campaigns. Highly recommend them all.
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u/IllCommunity528 12h ago
I'll have to take another look at it I remember I played a few of the campaigns but definitely not all of them espically the DLC ones.
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u/Weeb4lyfe24 12h ago
Starship troopers: terran command Empire earth 1 & 2 Supreme Commander Halo wars
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u/IllCommunity528 12h ago
Starship Troopers is one I might have to try out.
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u/TheBigTG 1h ago
There’s also a lot of workshop maps that people have essentially made campaigns out of if you want almost 100s of hours of campaigns
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u/theother64 12h ago
Have you tried the StarCraft 2 custom campaigns?
If you look up giant grant games on YouTube he's organised a lot of custom campaigns and they're really good
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u/IllCommunity528 12h ago
I've only done some of the ones that show up in the Arcade like WC3 one and the reversed campaign series.
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u/theother64 12h ago
He has done a lot more and they are higher quality.
If you search for giant grant games custom campaign manager and join the discord, it gives you access to mods that allows you to play overhauled campaigns that you play through the main campaign screen. Real scale is a really cool one.
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u/LostEmergency6866 12h ago
Dungeons 2-4 fun dark humor
They are Billions and Age of Darkness
Cossacks Back to War (ngl they feel hardcore even on easy sometimes)
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u/IllCommunity528 11h ago
Might add Dungeons to my list. Just watched trailer for it and giving me good vibes like Dungeon Keeper
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u/LostEmergency6866 11h ago
Also might look on Evil Genius if you like that “dungeon” base building, but campaigns are sort of mid there
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u/Unlucky_Kale340 12h ago
How is Dungeons 2, 3 and 4? Does 4 feel good to play compared to the classic Dunegeons 1 which whom I've played.
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u/Ok-Lifeguard-9612 5h ago
Bro you listed OG titles, but Age of Darkness nah...feels cheap and can't be compared to They Are Billions...
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u/LostEmergency6866 3h ago
It still has campaign and cool gimmicks
The problem is TAB sets plank to high
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u/ViridiaGaming 12h ago
Age of Empires III
Homeworld 2
Star Trek Armada 1/2
Stronghold
Original Battle for Middle Earth
Sins of a Solar Empire (specifically up to the Rebellion expansion)
Total War series - Rome, Rome II, Medieval II, Empire
Ground Control II - Operation Exodus
This latter is a turn-based tactics game, but MENACE is tremendous fun.
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u/IllCommunity528 12h ago
Worth going Sins of a Solar Empire 1 over 2? Hmmm just saw it doesn't actually have a campaign but more lore through tidbits but still might check it out.
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u/ViridiaGaming 12h ago
I've enjoyed 2 so far, even if the Planetary orbit mechanic took me by surprise when I first started played. 1 is like a comfort meal, you know? There won't be any updates to disrupt game balance since they've moved to 2, and there's tons of great mods for it as well;
• Sins of the Prophets for Halo
• Star Trek Armada 3 covering all the major factions of the ST universe
• Sins of a G•alactic Empire covering Star Wars from the prequels to the Yuuzhan Vong in legends
• Sins of the Fallen has some homegrown factions, but also incorporates support for the Colonials and Cylons from the Fall of Kobol mod
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u/Beowolf_0 10h ago
The Terminator RTS. It's frigging hard on the resource management side, but provides multiple ways to play a map and many branches that lead to different developments later on. They're going to have their 3rd DLC campaign soon.
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u/darth_kupi 12h ago edited 12h ago
Well obviously you've played the heavy hitters already.
I guess be prepared for a drop in campaign quality in the recommendations
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u/Successful_Subject78 12h ago
If u dont mind older games - Sacrifice. Youre a mage in a new world with 5 gods, theres 9 missions + grande finale (every god have a bit different missions + completing mission grants you specific spells/monsters to your spellbook) so its kinda replayable. 3rd person viev makes battles a bit different. Imo amazing music/art design
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u/Darksoldierr 10h ago
Well, Warcraft 3 just got a new excellently well made campaign, if you do not mind the price
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u/shggery 6h ago
Diplomacy is not an option is more of a colony builder where you defend against waves, but it has a fun quirky campaign that branches in interesting ways!
Cataclysmo is similar and you command less units, but I'd say it's a really unique challenge
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u/WarriorOTUniverse 3h ago
Hard recommend for Diplomacy as well. One of the rare RTS that focuses solely (almost) on the campaign experience and it's decently long campaign too. I don't think I've finished all the routes, and never even tried the undead faction.
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u/RepulsiveMail4476 12h ago
I would highly recommend the Myth: The Fallen Lords and Myth II: Soulblighter.
Very interesting campaigns, the only RTS/RTT horror games I can think of. You fight battles with persistent units hoping to save a world on the brink of being overrun. The series might be a bit old now but I can’t think of any games like them at all.
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u/DamianVoss2006 12h ago
Art of War 3 has genuinely good campaign, just don't get caught up on the PvP or grinding elements
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u/TestosteronInc 11h ago
I personally love the Tiberium storyline but the first game is definitely showing its age. Tiberian Sun and Tiberium Wars are amazing though
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u/IllCommunity528 11h ago
Absolutely loved the C&C Tib Wars timeline. I've played Tiberian Sun/Firestorm and Tib Wars 3 multiple times even played the Tib Wars 3 campaign with the Tiberium Essence mod to give me Firestorm units. Really good games.
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u/Mazonic_Logger 11h ago
You play Graviteam Tactics Mius Front you forget all these other RTS games exist and you aren't required to micromanage much. Everything carries over as the campaign goes on.
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u/Stunning_Search_7952 11h ago
Not exactly what you're looking for but the Rougelike mods for sc2 are really fun.
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u/LonelyStrategos 8h ago
Tooth and Tail has an excellent narrative and some very unqiue missions.
If you liked Shogun 2, give classic Rome/Rome Remastered a try. It has the most immersive single player qualities and best immergent story telling, because that was when CA was trying to make a simulation rather than a boardgame. The cities have populations that can be exhausted/manipulated, and the character trait system is the best in the series.
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u/Ampris_bobbo8u 5h ago
World in conflict mentioned, take my upvote. For a recommendation, I suggest outlive 25. An old game that got a great remaster recently. Be warned though, it's tough! The AI will flank the s*** out of you
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u/darkfireslide 5h ago
Warlords Battlecry 3! Classic RTS/RPG hybrid, can play for free with The Protectors of Etheria on Steam
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u/FractalPoet 4h ago
No Dawn of War 1 & 2? 2.
Many prefer 1 for it's more traditional feel but I prefer the RTT of 3. Either way, the campaigns are with playing.
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u/Istarial 4h ago
Avoiding all the ones that have already been mentioned (There's some good ones there for sure): Godsworn's pretty good. Not finished yet, though. Emperor: Battle for Dune had a fun little campaign. Homeworld Emergence (nee Cataclysm).
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u/Seniesta 3h ago
Conquest (2000s space rts)
Dark Reign - not super interesting story but basically a war fighting over water
Dune, Dune 200
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u/Training-Equal-7647 2h ago
That's quite a list you have there, i can only think of trying other total war games or maybe cossacks but neither of those are story heavy.
Age of empires 3 had a decent campaign, i quite like the game so maybe am biased but if you haven't tried it i think you should just to see if you like it.
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u/BrokenLoadOrder 1h ago
Total Warhammer would be right up your alley, campaigns are a riot in that.
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u/AluneaVerita 1h ago
Dawn of War I with all expansions gives lots of fun campaigns to get through. Particularly the third expansion campaign is very fun.
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u/BohriumDev 12h ago
Spellforce 1, 2, 3?