Why You Should Play…Fahrenheit Indigo Prophecy Remastered
If like me and you are a fan of a lot of games created by David Cage then you have probably played Fahrenheit.
If however you are one of these people (also like me a couple of years ago) who had played Heavy Rain and missed Fahrenheit then, we suggest grabbing this title in our Indie sale. It’s also prime opportunity before Detroit comes out and you are sucked into another one of Quantic Dream’s mysterious and compelling storylines.
If however you have never played a David Cage/Quantic Dream game then there is no better place to start.
What can only be described as an interactive movie, Fahrenheit Indigo Prophecy takes players on a journey as they follow the story of Lucas Kane, as he uncovers the mystery of how he became possessed and murdered someone in cold blood.
As the story progresses you will uncover, who or what possessed Lucas and what powers he truly has. It is a great story which takes you on a twisting and winding path. What’s more the story is quite surprising and unpredictable, which is pretty classic for a David Cage game. Honestly you won’t guess how the story develops. Don’t even try. You’re trying aren’t you. Stop, I’m telling you that you’re wrong.
The soundtrack is a thing of its time, but with appearances by Marina Topley-Bird and Theory of a Deadman, it’s a great slice of early 2000s nostalgia.
Gameplay wise, the game is heavily reliant on your reaction times and quick thinking. It also has a handy tutorial by David Cage himself right at the start (he is in the game and everything) which is pretty cool. Ever wanted to meet David Cage? Well now you can, via the medium of video games.
Fahrenheit Indigo Prophecy Remastered is on our indie sale so go and grab it now and this awesome price!
Borderlands: 8 Signs You’re A Vault Hunter
We love Borderlands, do you love Borderlands?
When claptrap appears to help you out…
When a type of enemy shows up that you particularly dislike
When you meet a new character and you’re waiting for their cool intro
When you show up when a fights going down
When you watch the loot fly out like some sort of awesome firework
When you have to part with your favourite gun to make way for something that’s probably average
When you find a chest full of loot and deceive your fellow Vault Hunters
When you’re waiting for your mate to come online to play some BORDERLANDS
Happy Vault Hunting and remember….
Elder Scrolls Online: Sorcerer Class Guide
Why You Should Play…ABZÛ
ABZÛ is a game about being underwater, and it’s really really beautiful.
Now that’s not enough to recommend a game, although it really helps. But ABZÛ is more than just a tech demo, more than just a floaty beautiful experience, more than a dive into the depths of the ocean.
You start in the shallows of a tropical part of the world’s ocean and you set off on a voyage of discovery down, down, down. You’re not alone on your journey, as the whole ocean is alive with creatures, both big and small, and much of your time will be spent gazing in awe at the creatures that bob and swim and scurry around you as you descend through layer after layer of oceanic bliss.
There’s a story to it too, one I won’t spoil here, but it has feelings in it, and a twist. It’s a much more disturbing experience than I expected when I set off on my oceanic adventure, having some moments of real peril and danger down there in the deeps.
It combines that with moments of pure joy and pure elation, especially towards the end. I never thought I could feel emotions over fish, but ABZÛ proves that in fact, it’s more than possible. Austin Wintory’s amazing score helps this, as his evocative string motifs play pirouettes on your heart and your emotions as your little swimmer careens through the waters.
That’s before we even talk about the swimmer itself, and the way it moves through the deeps. Swimming is always a chore in videogames, but in ABZÛ the frustrations are removed and it feels like flying, flying through clouds of fish and light and dark.
Overall ABZÛ is an utter joy to play and experience, and one I’d recommend to anyone. Don’t believe me? Let renowned explorer Jacques Custard show you via the medium of his recent adventure.
Injustice 2: Beginner Tips
Injustice 2 was released last week and plenty of players are getting stuck into the the next chapter in the Injustice universe.
For newcomers to the series, the Injustice multiverse can be a pretty daunting place, especially if you are not familiar with fighting games or indeed NetherRealms’ fighting game formula. So here is some top tips to get your started and help you find your feet in Injustice 2.
Character Basics
If you aren’t well versed in fighting games, we do suggest practicing with your favourite characters as much as possible. The great thing about Injustice 2 is that there are plenty of modes to choose from in the Multiverse for you to get practicing.
We also suggest really focussing on moves and combinations of moves. Special moves are always good and effective but if you dig deep into a characters move set you will come across some combos that will do just as much damage if not more. Injustice 2 prides itself by not being a button mashy game as a lot of basic attacks don’t really chain that well. So read up on your combos.
Story mode
A good way to get a grip on most of the character roster is through Injustice 2’s in depth story mode. Not only does it give you a great story, but you have the opportunity to try out a variety of the game’s fighters.
Story Mode also nets you some great gear which can be used to customise your character and tweak them to your own specifications. Each time you make a choice in Story Mode you will earn a piece of ‘Epic Gear’ for the character you choose. This gives Story Mode some pretty good replay value if you are looking for some epic level gear for some of your favourite heroes.
On the first play through, Story Mode will net you a good chunk of source crystals as well, after completing the mode you should be about two thirds of the way to having enough crystals to unlock a premier skin for a character.
Earning Gear and Abilities
As well as Story mode there are several ways you are able to get some gear. Gear drops in pretty much every mode you play.
If you are after some particular gear for a certain character then we suggest playing the challenges in the Multiverse. If you are looking for more random loot drops that are not character specific then be on the lookout for Mother Boxes. Mother Boxes are Injustice 2’s answer to loot boxes and contain varying amounts of items of random gear for any character. The amount of gear you obtain from a Mother Box is dependant on what sort of Mother Box you receive. Players can get either a Bronze, Silver, Gold, Platinum and Diamond Mother Box.
Mother Boxes are obtained either by progressing to a new overall level (not to be confused with character level), or you can purchase them with in-game credits. Platinum and Diamond Mother Boxes can only be obtained by completing specific challenges, such as completing every character tutorial.
Any gear that has been equipped to a character will change their appearance as well at give them the necessary stat boosts. This is a great way for players to make the characters their own. If like most gamers out there you find yourself attached to a certain piece of gear, then you are able to spend tokens in order to bring the piece of gear up to your character’s current level.
Be aware though, it is very easy to lose hours of gameplay just in the Gear and customisation menus alone. So make sure you don’t forget to do some fighting.
Each character can also earn some new abilities which can be earned initially when a character reaches level 10 and at level 20, additional abilities can also be obtained from random Mother Box drops . Abilities are special moves that can be equipped to your character. They are either entirely new moves for you to learn or buffs for your current special moves.
The Multiverse
The Multiverse add a new level of challenge to Injustice 2 as players are able to take on challenges in order to level up their character and grab new gear. It is also worth noting that the Multiverse is also home to Injustice 2’s Arcade, Survival and Endless modes. These modes can be found on the Battle simulator planet and not through the game’s main menu as you would expect.
Beating the Battle simulator will unlock traditional arcade style endings for the character you are playing as. Any of these endings you have unlocked can be re-watched by going into your the summary tab in your characters customisation screen. This is also a handy way to keep track of which endings you have unlocked.
Some of the multiverse challenges require your characters to be a certain level before you are able to attempt them, so we do suggest levelling up your character to 20 (max level) before taking on some of the challenges.
Join a Guild
Last on our beginner’s guide is joining a guild. You can join any guild or make your own with friends. We suggest you do this as soon as possible as your you and your friends progression will unlock Guild Mother Boxes. There isn’t much difference between Guild Mother Boxes and standard ones, but guild boxes are easier to obtain as there are more players trying to unlock them.
This handy list should give you the footing you need in order to get stuck into Injustice 2. If you have any other beginner suggestions then let us know in the comment section below.
10 Signs You’ve Played Too Much Steel Division: Normandy 44
Steel Division is out, and it’s time to play it until you see in red and blue and want to hop on a plane to go liberate Normandy yourself, because you’re such a successful commander. In fact you should play it all weekend. Just be aware of showing these signs come early next week.
You prefer hedgerows to all other plants
When you think of crocodiles you think of fire not water
You unnecessarily pronounce everything in a German accent
When you need help you try to summon reinforcements
You wish people had a stress bar like in the game
When you go out, you go out in your Battlegroup
The frontline line is everything
Your house is your deployment zone
You never come towards someone from their front
Whenever you see a building you think it’s really important to get in it
Are you playing Steel Division right now? Tell us what you think.
Why You Should Play…Homeworld Remastered Collection
One of the recent remaster success stories, Homeworld was already a very well made RTS set in space. Even though blocky ships and starry backdrops don’t require much in the way of updating, the 4K resolutions and visual effects of the game look as amazing now as they did back when the original was released. The campaign is great too, the missions mold into one long journey through space, allowing your surviving ships to come with you into the next mission.
The user Interface has seen some work to make it look sharper and modern, and to fit with modern resolutions, but it was always quite well-made. It’s very minimalist so the screen is always dominated with the action: the ships, the stars and the space stations. All in all its an RTS so you should be remembering hot keys as best you can, so you can churn out and control your space fleet as best as possible.
The pacing is slower than most RTSs, especially if you’re used to games like Starcraft. Even building the smallest fighter crafts can take some time, and moving a fleet across the map takes a while too. But this is a RTS where you can be considered and tactical. This is never more evident than when trying to navigate the three dimensional space of the level. Most space strategy games ignore the z-axis in favour of simplicity, but Homeworld manages to pull it off without being too fiddly. You could say then that it is the one true space strategy game, where you can play space battles like you see and imagine from other universes.
If you grab the Remastered Collection you will get all of this as well.
- Homeworld Remastered Edition
- Homeworld 2 Remastered Edition
- Homeworld Remastered Steam Multiplayer
As a bonus, you will also receive free access to:
- Homeworld Classic
- Homeworld 2 Classic
ABZÛ – Voyage To The Bottom Of The World
Steel Division: Normandy 44 – The First Games
Steel Division: Normandy 44 has come out to critical acclaim. But did you know it’s not the first Steel Division game?
Here’s the entire Steel Division series up to the current date, see how many you’ve played!
- Steel Division: Normandy
- Steel Division: 2 Normandy 2 Division
- Steel Division: Normandy Drift
- Steel Division: The Normandies and the Divisions
- Steel 5
- Steel Division: Origins
- Steel Division: Mission to Moscow
- Steel Division: The One With The Tanks
- Steel Division: Black Flag
- Steel Division: Red Steel
- Steel Division 3D
- Steel Division: Stolen Division
- Steel Division: Black Ops
- Steel Division: Back in Training
- Steel Division: Grand Steel Auto
- Steel Division vs. Company of Heroes
- Steel Division: Lawsuit Edition
- Steel Division: Steel Divisioner
- Steel Division With a Vengeance
- Steel Division: The Steels Strike Back
- Steel Division: Endless War
- Steel Division: Return of the Division
- Steel Division: Attack of the Division
- Steel Division Does Pop
- Steel Division: Space 1999
- Steel Division: Human Revolution
- Steel Division: Dark Crusade
- Steel Division: Black Mesa
- Steel Division: Opposing Force
- Steel Division: Mecha-Churchill
- Steel Division: Godzilla vs Mecha-Churchill
- Steel Division: Mecha-Churchill Goes On Holiday
- Steel Division: Vietnam
- Steel Division: Montgomery Fights Germans
- Steel Division: Montgomery Fights Italians
- Steel Division: Montgomery On The Moon
- Steel Division: Back in Black
- Steel Division: Iron Chef
- Steel Division: The Serious One
- Steel Division: Kitchen Nightmares
- Steel Division: Punch a Nazi
- Steel Division: Groundhog Day
- Steel Division: Normandy 43, Liverpool 2
- Steel Division: Normandy 44
So there you go, you’re up to date with the Steel Division series! Now go buy Steel Division: Normandy 44 now.
Why You Should Play…Super Meat Boy
Super Meat Boy is the meaty platformer that started everything. Pretty much all indie-PC-platformers released now can see some DNA come from meat boy and his bloody adventures.
Starting out life as a small flash game back in the dark depths of time, Super Meat Boy expanded into a full title which kickstarted the wave of bastard hard platformers that we see today. Sticking to everything with an audible slurp, the eponymous meaty child bounds and slides around levels, all the while trying to rescue Bandage Girl from the evil Dr. Fetus.
Its controls are super tight meaning it feels brilliant to play. The other great thing about it is the post-level replay, showing you all your failed (and your one successful) attempts at a level. This means a tide of meat boys flows over the level, getting caught in traps and falling to their deaths, until one sole survivor bounds to the exit.
It’s got brilliant boss battles, which are designed for frustration but not in a way that stops you from playing. You’re going to want to take a few attempts at them, but their music and the sheer style of them keeps you coming back for more, and more, and more. This is a game, that like Dark Souls, is punishing but not unfair, so when you die you can try a different thing or you can learn from the experience to avoid it in future. Every second you spend playing Super Meat Boy is a second you spend getting better at it.
The game has a huge amount of collectables as well, so if you’re a junkie for completing a game you’ve got a tall order ahead of you, you can even play as different characters which change how you play. You can even dive into levels as the headcrab from Half-Life, which plays accordingly/
Combine all that with a brilliant soundtrack by Danny Baranowsky and a huge number of levels (featuring dark versions and retro levels), there’s a reason Super Meat Boy has had so many challengers to its throne, but remains king of the platformers.
Elder Scrolls Online: Warden Class Guide
Love Friday The 13th? Here’s Why You Should Play The Game
Based on the 1980s horror film which sprouted television shows, spin offs, comic books and now a video game, Friday The 13th: The Game is the twisted slasher survival game from Gun Media.
Taking you back to the infamous Camp Crystal, survive, never meant more in a survival horror game, with consequences etching around the decisions you make, the weapons you select and the way you chose to run. Friday the 13th: The Game is a third person horror, survival game where players can play as either a teen counsellor at Camp Crystal or as Jason Voorhees, for the first ever time in a video game.
The story feels a little clunky with a shimmer of comedic value relieving the tense gameplay. The premise is that playing as the counsellor, you and six other players at the camp must escape and survive.
Friday The 13th: The Game revolves around multiplayer, where you will team up with other players in order to survive and escape Jason. The ways in which you can escape are completely dependent on play, whether you team up with a fellow player or go at it alone. There are a number of options to outsmart the mass murderer, which could be crouching in the woods, or trying to escape via boat. Teaming up and banding together to defeat Jason seems like the best move, but it’s not always guaranteed that you’ll make it out alive.
Game progression is lengthy, but the rewards rightly so, come with sticking out full matches and unlocking customisation and upgrades. The sound effects are eerie and mimic the same threatening feel that the classic films get so right.
Playing as Jason is an incredibly fun feature, even if it’s a little disturbing, you’ll have access to a number of stalking abilities that will help you hunt down and pick off the group. The haunting voice of Jason’s mother trickles in the background as you lurch after unsuspecting victims.
Friday The 13th: The game is tonnes of fun and brilliantly entertaining, capturing the ambience of the classic films that will delight horror fans!
Playing Friday The 13th: The Game? Enjoying it so far? Give us a shout in the comments below…
Steel Division: Normandy 44 – Tips Before You Start
Steel Division has many levels of strategy and tactics that you can use to overcome your enemy. Because of this, you need to be aware of all the tools at your disposal, and make sure that you can read and use the battlefield for your own benefit, until you resemble the great General Eisenhower himself. We’ve got some tips to keep in mind before you start, so you can jump in and reach Berlin by teatime.
Take Cover
Cover is what is going to keep your units alive the longest, especially your infantry. The fields of Normandy are criss-crossed with hedgerows that stand taller than most tanks, and turn the battlefield into an ambush nightmare. These do provide heavy cover however (mouse over the land, if the mouse is green, it is heavy colour, yellow is light cover), and stop line of sight. If you need cover immediately, dive for a hedgerow. And remember, infantry can go through them, whereas vehicles can not – useful for escaping or sneaking up on vehicles, as infantry will plant anti-tank devices on vehicles when close enough.
Use Buildings
Buildings provide some of the best cover in the game, as well as a huge bonus in area of sight, particularly tall buildings like churches. Buildings are typically situated in clusters, such as farms and small villages along roads, meaning that holding them gives you a big advantage in controlling an area. You can get units behind enemy lines and secure buildings to cut off enemy reinforcements, which is a huge bonus. There is a downside to garrisoning in buildings, however. Once a unit is in a building, it’s very easily targeted by artillery, as they can fire indirectly and through fog-of-war. Another good way to clear occupied buildings is to pin the enemy with fire, then charge some infantry up to the building to force a surrender.
Be Smart When Moving
This is Normandy 44, not Normandy 17, so there’s no trenches to man day and night. This war is all about mobility. Getting into position to ensure victory is the tricky part. As mentioned before, hedgerows give good cover as well as breaks in line of sight, so use them to get out of machine gun fire, or note which units carry smoke grenades. Different units also have special move orders. Some infantry have Hunt (Q), meaning they will engage any enemy they come across. Vehicles have Go Fast (F), which makes them prioritise speed by taking roads when possible (just don’t confuse it with hotkey G, which is reverse).
Play The Single-Player
Yes, I know you want to jump straight into skirmishes, if not full-blown multiplayer. But wait, there is a very lean tutorial that is very much worth doing. The Boot Camp has several missions that cover the mechanics of the game, and help you understand the way everything works. And it doesn’t take long at all. Next you can move on to the Campaign, which features 3 separate campaigns featuring the US Airborne, the Panzer Division and Scottish Infantry. These feature missions that have unique objectives, getting you to learn the importance of certain parts of the game. For example in the first campaign mission you must simultaneously take and hold a village, and find and destroy enemy anti-tank guns. Doing this fast and efficiently leads to victory. The campaigns are not easy, and are an exciting challenge on their own.
Understand The Frontline
The Frontline is Steel Division’s unique mechanic that shows the clash of areas of influence between opposing forces. If an area is behind your Frontline, it means you have vision of it, and your enemy does not. Outflanking, encircling, cutting off lines of support and supply is all key to defeating your enemy; if an enemy force is cut off, then they will be much more likely to surrender. There are some special ways certain units react with the Frontline however. Airbourne units (which you can tell by the wings on its name) have no morale penalties for being surrounded. Whereas Recon units generate no area of influence, so they cannot push the Frontline, which can be a plus or a negative. Keep an eye on the way the Frontline is moving, ideally you want to be outflanking and encircling the enemy to take them out quickly.
Those are our tips for Steel Division: Normandy 44. How are you finding the game?
The Battleships Of Battlefleet Gothic: Armada
Fallout 4 – Best Companions
Fallout 4 is a game where you don’t have to face the apocalypse alone, if you want. There’s loads of people you can take with you, to make those eerie Bostonian nights a little less creepy, and to give you a little bit of backup against the hordes of rampaging…everyone…that infests The Commonwealth.
But which one is best? Here’s the final list, the last word, the 100% unarguable objective list of Fallout 4 companions, from worst to best.
Preston Garvey
“Another settlement needs your help.”
“Another settlement needs your help.”
“Another settlement needs your help.”
“Another settlement needs your help.”
No.
MacCready
‘Lets take one of the worst characters from Fallout 3 and show him all grown up in Fallout 4’. Yeah let’s not. He’s just as annoying as in the 3rd game, and now he’ll follow you home and take up valuable Sanctuary space if you let him. Send him back to Little Lamplight I say, no time for him.
Cait
She’s got attitude at least, but she makes up for that with being a bit too up in your grill. She’s not a fan of other people, or non-violence, or not taking loads of chems, so feel free to take her along with you. But be warned, she’s not a nice human being.
X6-88
The only real problem with X6-88 is that you spend the whole time with him wishing he were HK-47. It’s fine to have an evil robot, but whenever you see an evil robot there’s a worm inside you that just whispers ‘I miss HK-47’. That doesn’t mean there’s anything particularly wrong with X6-88, he’s just fine y’know? He’s ok.
Danse
Another fine companion, Paladin Danse is fine. He’s ok. Absolutely fine. Is he bad? No, he’s fine. Just absolutely ok.
Deacon
Still just only ‘ok’, but he gets a bit more of a pass due to his ever evolving outfit collection. Also he’s on the right side of history, the Railroad are just the good guys, don’t @ me.
Curie
Curie gets bonus points because she’s a cool robot that just wants to help with the power of SCIENCE. Also you can smooch her up, so maybe that’s something to consider for all you robolovers out there. When I encountered her I did hide for a bit though, cos I thought she was hostile and was about to blast a hole in me. Nope though, she’s a friend. A big white sphere friend.
Dogmeat
Look he’s a dog so that makes him the winner right? Nope, his awesome points for being a dog get outweighed by him not having any character progression or character quest, making every second you spend with him feel like a bit of a waste. You could be unlocking Nick’s quest or dressing Hancock up instead. If only there was a reward for taking Dogmeat out with you, other than doggo joy.
Strong
Strong’s awesome for his strength. All the games since Fallout 2 have featured a Super Mutant companion, from the Worf-voiced Marcus of Fallout 2 tot he Worf-voiced Marcus of New Vegas. Strong is strong, and he’ll bash your enemies leaving you free to loot and dance and do whatever it is you want to do in Fallout 4. The only bad thing about Strong is that I found loads of armour for him before getting him, which kinda ruined the surprise that he’d be joining me. But that’s a tiny niggle.
Codsworth
Codsworth wouldn’t be the highest rated Mr Handy droid in this list if it weren’t for him saying your name. It actually gave me chills when he greeted me with a hearty ‘Mr. Alex’. It’s a simple trick, but it’s done well and makes him feel like he knows me and that he and my character share a history. His glee and breakdown when meeting you after the opening of the game gives a bit more depth to the character too, making him overall a Good Robot. Be kind to Codsworth, he’s fragile.
Piper
The best worst journalist in The Commonwealth, Piper is a journo from the old school. She’s all about investigative journalism, she’ll get to the truth no matter what, all the time caring about her little sister. She’s a top companion, and she’d be further up this list if her prose wasn’t just atrocious. Seriously, someone hire her an editor, post-apocalyptic newspapers deserve better.
Nick Valentine
The best robot in the list, he’s a saint is our Nicky. A robot with heart, a robot with soul. Admittedly someone else’s soul, but it’s a soul nonetheless. Working the beat as a PI, you join him and help out with a bit of the old Private Investigations. He’s probably the only ‘pure’ person on the planet by the time Fallout 4 starts, and who wouldn’t want to help that charming robot gent as he flatfoots around The Commonwealth? He’d be number 1 in our list, except for one person…
Hancock
That’s Mayor Hancock to you. The most stylish gent in The Commonwealth, with a fine hat and a musical all about him (but don’t tell him about that last bit, he’ll just get a big head). He introduces himself to you in the best way possible, stabbing someone giving you hassle. He’s a loyal friend, a peaceful buddy, and also a violent chap. He’s a dichotomy is Hancock, but that just adds to the allure. Just look at those black eyes, who can resist?
Also the best hat.
That’s it, your definitive list of best companions in Fallout 4, and we can see from this scientific analysis that Hancock, is best.
You can get Fallout 4 here, for an apocalyptic price.
Still here? OK here’s the actual best companion.
Secret Best Companion: Dogmeat in a Bandana
WHAT A GOOD DOG
Morrowind Release Date, Trailer And Editions
Steel Division: Normandy 44 Out Now
If strategy games are more your bag, then Steel Division Normandy 44 is for you.
The latest game from strategy game publishers, Paradox Interactive, puts players in the middle of World War II. Set during the invasion of Normandy by Allied forces in 1944, you must command up to six different armies to win battles across the bocage-strewn lands of Western and Northern France.
If that doesn’t whet your apatite then we have an extensive article covering what we know about Steel Division: Normandy 44. You can check out the article right here.
If you want to get into the nitty gritty of Steel Division’s tanks. Then we have a break down of tank units you can use in the game here.
So what are you waiting for? Grab your copy of Steel Division: Normandy 44 from the Green Man Gaming store right now. You can even try and win a copy right here on our blog.
Mirage: Arcane Warfare Is Out Now
The creators of Chivalry: Medieval Warfare have released their brand new title, Mirage: Arcane Warfare. The game promises “an intense mash up of blood, magic and blades set in a strange fantasy world”
If you are not at all familiar with Mirage: Arcane Warfare, then why not check out our handy article on all we know about Mirage: Arcane Warfare. If that doesn’t give you all the information you need then you can also check out our interview with Alex Hayter from Torn Banner.
If for some reason you need a helping hand out there on the Mirage battleground, then why not check out our tips video below.
Now you are up to speed, you can but Mirage: Arcane Warfare from the Green Man Gaming store right now!
PC Strategy Games You Need To Own
The PC is home to strategy games, a genre which works so well with a keyboard and mouse (and a desk for your favourite hot beverage). Whether we’re establishing trade routes with an alien civilisation, setting up control groups and harassing your opponent’s resources, or moving your massive army of undead across the map, we love strategy games. Here are the ones we think you should have in your games library.
One of the most popular strategy series in existence, Civilisation is at the forefront of turn-based strategy games, in the specific genre of ‘4X’ (eXplore, eXpand, eXploit, and eXterminate). Its up to you to lead your chosen civilization – such as Greece, Aztec, USA, China – through the ages and to come out on top on your map. You can achieve victory through war, diplomacy, scientific achievement or bureaucracy. Every iteration of the game introduces new changes and mechanics that tweak the original 4X formula to make it better and better. There’s no game that’s more ‘one more turn’ than Civilization.
The most APM (actions-per-minute) intensive game on the list, Starcraft is the RTS that stands tall above all others. It simultaneously hosts the most balanced and exciting esport scene in RTS, and has plenty to offer for newer players and those not interested in living at a consistent 150 APM. The three separate campaigns are some of the best designed yet, their co-op mode allows you to take on vs AI missions with friends and level up your favourite commander, and then there’s all the normal skirmish, ranked and team games too.
Recently released, Steel Division gives you command of armies during the invasion of Normandy in 1944. Set up like a fully animated war game, players pick their units from a selection of cards, deploy them on the battlefield and push the front lines to envelop, crush and defeat their opponent. The game features many types of historical units, and different divisions contain different units based on their doctrines. Its tough, looks great, sounds great, and the battlegroup mechanic allows for some interesting experimentation and meta to form.
Invisible, Inc
Arguably more of a tactics game than strategy, Invisible, Inc combines cyberpunk with noir, and gives you a team of agents that must infiltrate corporations and achieve objectives, using stealth and turn-based strategy. Each level is procedurally-generated, so every mission needs exploration. Taking out guards and avoiding cameras is tough, and hacking terminals gives rewards but means you take more time. The clock is always ticking, and sometimes you just have to run and get out fast. A great little game for that strategy fix, and it looks amazing.
Total War: Warhammer
The Total War series, much like Civilization, is a cornerstone of PC strategy. It mixes the grand strategy and city building of Civ, but adds in real-time battles with thousands of units. Total War: Warhammer is the first of the series that doesn’t take place in a historical setting, adding magic, flying units, monsters and excitingly asymmetrical races that play very differently. Each race has its own objective, whether it’s simply to fight like the Greenskins, or to cross off all the grudges in the grudgebook like the Dwarves. There’s a play style to fit everyone, and it’s another one of those ‘one more turn’ addictive campaign games that you just can’t leave.
Our second 4X game on this list, this one is set in SPAAACE. If you’re not interested in reliving history and researching the written word and trade unions, why not play Stellaris and research fusion reactors and destroyers? Stellaris has a big focus on the ‘eXplore’ part of the genre, as your space-faring race starts off in one star system amongst hundreds. You’ll develop your technology in various ways, discover resources and other civilizations dead and alive, and take part in big space battles with your ships you’ve designed yourself. You can also create your own race to play, choosing how they look and act. There’s absolutely no reason to play as the xenophile humans.
Second Opinions
XCOM 2 – Milo
One of the best best turn-based strategy games ever, XCOM-2 is a turn based, squad based game where you control a team of combat specialists on guerilla missions with the aim of taking back control of alien-occupied Earth. In between missions you’ll be upgrading your base, building facilities and training new soldiers – which can be customised to no end. As soldiers grow in XP, they develop specialisms and unlock powerful abilities for their class, which includes rangers, snipers, heavy weapons specialists, robotic combat units and even psychic-ability users.
Combat comes with all the ups and downs of turn-based squad combats, with clutch shots to save the day to devastating critical hits on your beloved squadmates. In X-COM, when your soldiers die, they proper die. There is nothing in the world quite like the attachment you will form to your soldiers and when you lose that squaddie, you might just be heartbroken. And without a world-class alien-killer.
It’s got a solid campaign and great variety of missions, really improving on the few areas from the previous instalment that needed some love. If you like a challenge, then this is definitely one to pick up.
Frozen Synapse – Alex M
Frozen Synapse is a simultaneous turn based real time squad based strategy game. OK that’s probably confusing, but here’s how it works: you’re in control of a squad with a top down view of where your squad is and where your enemies are. You plan out each member of your squad’s moves, from running to looking in a direction, to crouching to laying down covering fire. You can also plan out what you think the enemy will do, and then simulate that to test if your plans will work.
Then you hit execute, and watch as it plays out in real time. Every order you give takes a chunk of time, which then plays out in the execution phase. This allows you a level of control and a tactical depth that means you’re in utter control of your squad, and any failures and successes are yours alone.
For squad based strategy, Frozen Synapse can’t be beaten, it has a well written campaign and also comes with a multiplayer mode that lets you play multiple matches at once, if you’re so inclined.
It also has a banging soundtrack.
Thats our list of strategy games you should own. Did we miss out any?