Hell Let Loose is a great WWII game.
Credit: Team 17
War will always be one of the most popular settings for video games thanks to the fact it isn’t something many of us would want to experience in real life. Going into an active war zone is something most will never even try, but being able to play war video games gives us a slight look at what that could be like, while also providing some entertainment. Some war games handle the subject better than others, and of course with the variety of genres available there’s a lot of different types of war games to try. From trying your hand at military strategy to being boots on the ground as part of a giant army, you can likely find a game that takes a look at almost every area of war. But if you want to know the best war games, take a look at the list below.
Top War Games
When it comes to war games there’s likely at least one in almost every genre you can think of. Obviously shooters and strategy games are two of the most common, allowing players to experience fighting in battle or commanding those fighters from the back lines, but there are interesting ideas in other genres as well.
When it comes to deciding the best war games, I’ve created a very loose set of rules to make sure there is some way to not include every game ever, as many feature some conflict. To be included on this list, war must be a key part of the game, not just a plot device, that the player is involved with in some capacity. Then, the war in question must either be based on a real war, or a fictitious one based in the past or present. Futuristic space wars are not allowed, and each franchise can only have one game in the list (otherwise we could just list every Total War game and have an almost complete list.)
10. World Of Tanks
If you like tanks, there is no better game than World of Tanks, who’d have guessed? Initially released in 2010 by Wargaming, World of Tanks has grown into a behemoth of a game with a dedicated fan base who just love tanks.
World of Tanks is an online multiplayer game where you engage in tank battles against other players, trying to destroy their tanks before they take you out. There’s a good variety of maps and modes to play, but it’s really all about the tanks, with hundreds of historical tanks impressively recreated in the virtual world. If you even have a passing interest in tanks then this is one to play, especially as it’s free to play on PC, Xbox 360, Xbox One, PS4, iOS, Android, Nintendo Switch and PS5. But it can be difficult to learn and a bit dry for non-tank fans.
9. Foxhole
If you wanted to make a game that tried to show every aspect of war, Foxhole would likely be it. Sure, there is a lot of shooting and tactics, but there’s also the tasks of moving supplies around the battlefields and making sure there’s enough food to keep your troops healthy.
Developed by Siege Camp and initially released into early access in 2017, Foxhole is an almost top down war game where you can play it in a variety of ways. Once you choose a side in the war, you can run to the frontlines and join the fight, although that probably won’t be too useful unless the rest of your teammates have scheduled an attack or are fighting one off. You can also do logistics runs, taking supplies to the frontlines or simply make the supplies in the factories away from the danger. This is one for players who like a slower, drawn out war experience that isn’t all action all the time, but it’s only available on PC.
8. This War Of Mine
Developed by 11 Bit Studios and released in 2014, This War Of Mine is a very different war game to the rest. It’s a survival game where you play as civilian characters who just need to try and stay alive after war breaks out in their area, and at times it’s harrowing.
Not one for the faint of heart, the game puts you in terrible situations where you’ll have to make difficult choices and perform uncomfortable acts just to stay alive. It’s a story very far away from the bombastic first-person shooters that dominate the war game scene, instead trying to show just how much war sucks for everyone. It’s an experience everyone who has ever played an first person shooter (FPS) should try just to see the other side of the conflict, but it’s not an easy game to play. It’s available on PC, Android, iOS, PS4, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch, PS5 and Xbox Series X/S.
7. Squad
The first FPS on this list, Squad tries to take a slightly more realistic look at modern day warfare with a larger and more tactical approach than the likes of Call of Duty. Developed by Offworld Industries and released into Early Access in 2015, Squad is one of the best modern day shooters.
Unsurprisingly, it focuses on playing with others in a squad, with battles featuring up to 100 players on giant maps. Sometimes your squad will go off and try to flank the enemy, while other times throwing themselves into the meat grinder of the front lines, or you could just drive supplies to the front lines and build encampments for the team. A good Squad match is unrivalled and incredibly satisfying, while also giving a reasonable recreation of modern day warfare, especially in the Middle East. If you want a modern shooter that is more than running down corridors and pulling triggers, this is the one for you, but it’s only on PC.
6. Total War Saga: Troy
The Total War games are the best historical battle simulators out there, and they do a solid job at encapsulating entire wars as well. You can experience military strategy at both levels, from seeing every individual member of your army on the battlefield to commanding legions of men across the continent.
Total War Saga: Troy is one of the more recent in the franchise, having launched in 2020, and outside of the Warhammer games, which are fictional and thus not eligible for this list, is one of the best modern titles from Creative Assembly. It takes place in the Trojan war and lets you fight epic battles with a tiny bit of mythos thrown in to this reasonably grounded and realistic game. If you want to command epic battles then this is the one for you, or you can just pick the Total War game that has the most interesting setting for you as there isn’t all that much difference between the more recent iterations. They are, however, all PC only.
5. Hearts of Iron IV
Another strategy game, Hearts of Iron IV, is less about fighting individual battles and instead commanding an entire war. It was released back in 2016 by Paradox but is still considered one of the best strategy war games ever, even with many others trying to take its crown in the years since.
Depending on where you choose to start your campaign, you’ll quickly find yourself embroiled in World War II and you can either choose to try and play things out in a true to history style, or prove that you could have ended the war in days by going an alternate route. You’ll push your pieces around the map like a general without having to see the brutality of every day war, but it’s your decisions that will impact the outcome of history. This is one for people who are really into the tactical strategy of warfare, specifically in WWII, which makes it fairly niche but if it sounds interesting it’s worth giving a go and sticking with its difficult to lean systems. It’s available on PC.
4. Hell Let Loose
Another WWII game, this one is the exact opposite of HOI as it takes you into the frontlines of the conflict in a massive online FPS. It is often compared to Squad as it features a lot of the same gameplay systems, with massive online battles, base building and more realistic shooting than most.
Developed by Black Matter and released in 2021, Hell Let Loose is a WWII shooter that has maps set in iconic locations from the conflict that truly deliver on the scale of the battles. The likes of Stalingrad and Omaha Beach are present and try to depict the way the actual battles were fought, just with 99 other real human players controlling your allies and enemies. If you want a modern WWII shooter that is more tactical than running around small closed off maps then this is the one for you, but it is best enjoyed with friends. Fortunately, it’s available on PC, PS5 and Xbox Series X/S.
3. War Thunder
War Thunder is a vehicle combat game that allows you to take to the skies, seas or land, but in tanks, and fight it out with other players. With a massive range of historical vehicles from multiple wars, it’s more fantastical than most on this list, but there’s surprising depth and realism here.
Developed by Gaijin Entertainment and initially released in 2013, War Thunder is now a massive war game that you can player entirely for free. You fight against other real players in large vehicular battles and there’s a huge range of very accurately recreated planes, ships and tanks to use. The community is incredibly passionate, and well known for leaking actual classified military documents when discussing the game. If you want a fun vehicle combat game that features well recreated historical vehicles then this is the one for you, and it’s available on PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One and Xbox Series X/S.
2. Valiant Hearts: The Great War
Both games in the Valiant Hearts series are worth checking out, but the 2014 original by Ubisoft Montpellier really stood out at the time and still holds up incredibly well today. That was because this war game is actually a 2-D narrative puzzle game, a genre you usually wouldn’t see with this subject matter.
But that unexpected genre and setting mash-up is what makes this work, instead of running around and shooting folks in the face for fun, you explore the world and complete puzzles to try and help a young German soldier find his love. It’s an incredibly told narrative that really shows the horrors of World War I and will surely pull on your heart strings throughout. Going in as blind as possible is the best way to experience this so I’ll leave it there, but this is one for everyone with a passing interest in WWI to experience, and it’s on PC,PS3, PS4, Xbox 360, Xbox One, iOS, Android and Switch, so it’s easy to play.
1. Arma 3
Make no mistake, Arma 3 is a tough game to get into thanks to the realism it tries to stick to, but once you get the basics down there is no war game quite like this, especially if you add in fan-created mods and experiences to expand the game further.
Developed by Bohemia Interactive and initially released in 2013, this PC game is all about trying to mimic real life warfare, right down to having to walk miles and miles to reach your target. But it does it incredibly well and is easily the most realistic modern war simulation out there. Fan made content and communities that organise massive battles on custom maps make this an incredible experience if you can find the right group to play with, but a lot of people take it very seriously, so be prepared for that. It’s almost like a virtual war recreation community, and when it goes well, there is nothing else like it.
Bottom Line
War is a popular setting for games and as a result there’s a lot out there. But when you play the top war games, you are always in for a treat, and the sheer number of them means there’s likely something for everyone if you look in the right places.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
What Are The Best Total War Games?
The Total War franchise from Creative Assembly is one of the best war game franchises ever, and it tackles so many historical conflicts that you really are spoilt for choice when it comes to which games you should play. However, some a considerably better than others, so while the best advice is to pick the one with the setting that interests you the most, there are some that you should check out regardless.
Total War Saga: Troy, set in the Torjan War, is a great starting point as it has slightly easier to understand systems and is a bit smaller in scale than many of the main series games. Total War: Three Kingdoms, which is set in the Three Kingdoms period in what is now China, is arguably the best modern full Total War game, but if you are ok deviating from the real world Total War: Warhammer III is the one to pick up thanks to its impressive scale and the freedom of a fantasy world to do what they see fit without the constraints of historical accuracy.
What Are The Best WW2 Games?
Back in the 2000s, WWII shooters were everywhere, but as the years have gone on it’s become less of a featured setting for war games. If you are in the market for a first person shooter then Hell Let Loose from Black Matter is the way to go, thanks to its epic scale and tactical gameplay. It’s historically inspired maps also make it a solid choice for those looking to experience the conflict from the ground.
If strategy is more your thing, then Hearts of Iron IV from Paradox is the one for you, as it lets you command one of the armies in the conflict from your armchair. It gives you the opportunity to rewrite history, maybe see what would happen if the Germans managed to invade the UK or if the allies could have pushed them back without the help of the Yanks. It’s deep and can be difficult to get started, but it’s the ultimate way to play out alternate WWII outcomes.
What Are Good Strategy War Games?
If the strategy of an entire war is your thing then there really is no better option than Hearts of Iron IV. Developed by Paradox it gives you the option to control any country involved in WWII and you can play out their involvement in any way you see fit, from historically accurate recreations to mind bending alternate reality stuff.
Other options come in the form of the Total War games from Creative Assembly, but these are better the the strategy of individual battles rather than a full war, with the wider conflict options being a little lacking in some titles.
What Are Good Military Strategy Games?
When it comes to military strategy on the battlefield, then Creative Assembly’s Total War games are the best out there, with all of the different games pulling off epic battles you’ll remember for a long time. These days the tech is so advanced that you can control thousands of men on the battlefield and have them enact your strategic decisions in real time, which will never not be cool.
The best game in the series really depends on what era you are looking to experience, but the more modern titles, after they have been out a few months for bugs to be ironed out, are always a good place to start. If you want to go back a bit further then Shogun 2 is still considered one of the best in the series.
What Are Great War Games For PC?
Most war games are on PC thanks to the extra computing power most gaming PCs have over modern day consoles, which means you have a massive library at your fingertips. If you want an FPS then Arma 3 is a great option for hardcore players who value realism above all else while Hell Let Loose is the best WWII shooter and Squad is the best option for modern day combat.
On the strategy side of things the Total War series as well as Hearts of Iron IV are solid options, with other genres such as vehicle combat being represented by War Thunder and World of Tanks. Then there’s the more narrative driven adventures of Valiant Hearts: The Great War and This War of Mine that tell great stories.
Source : Forbes