Highlights
- Age of Empires may be a beloved strategy game, but it was not the first of its kind. Herzog Zwei, Dune, Populous, and Command and Conquer all paved the way for its success.
- Herzog Zwei, released in 1989, featured arcade-style RTS gameplay with flying mechs, capturing enemy bases, and resource management. It laid the foundation for Age of Empires.
- Other influential strategy games like Dune, Populous, and Command and Conquer also contributed to the development of the genre with their unique gameplay mechanics and intriguing storylines.
For many, the first Age of Empires game on PC is the first strategy video game they would have played. Either that or one of the many sequels in the series. That is mainly because there have been many other strategy games that have the player trying to conquer the enemy by leveling up or advancing their civilizations. However, for every Halo Wars and Battle for Middle Earth style game out there, none seem to quite match up to Age of Empires.
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This is why it is shocking that the first Age of Empires is not the first strategy game. Age of Empires was released in 1997, but there were several great strategy games that came before.
6 Herzog Zwei
Herzog Zweii may not be a name that many players recognize. However, it was released for the Sega Megadrive in 1989, making it one of the first strategy video games ever. Released by Technosoft, this game is a sequel to the original Herzog game, which was a Japanese exclusive.
The gameplay in this strange title saw players manning flying mechs in a bid to outwit the opponent in this arcade-style RTS. Players could use the mech to deploy and command units of foot soldiers or vehicles and navigate them across the battlefield. The aim was to use these resources to capture the enemy base and destroy their resources. While it is very rudimentary compared to most modern strategy games, Age of Empires would not exist today without Herzog Zwei.
5 Dune
Dune is most likely known to people as a hugely successful film or iconic novel. However, most gamers will remember the adventure strategy game released in 1992. It came out on Sega CD and Amiga and spawned several sequels.
The gameplay follows the plot of the book, and the player must mine spice as the primary resource from the perspective of Paul Atreides. Dune features some aspects of strategy and puzzle solving, while also including key dialogue options necessary to progress the story. It may not play much like Age of Empires, but many people will argue that a lot of popular culture today would not exist without Frank Herbert’s Dune.
4 Populous
Populous is a video game that was released in 1989 by Bullfrog Productions for the PC. The first installment in this iconic franchise is one of the best-selling PC games ever and also has the honor of being one of the first god games as well as a strategy game.
The game is played using a similar isometric view to Age of Empires The aim of this strategy game is to advance through 500 levels. The player does this by increasing the number of followers for the command shaman. The shaman only has a limited amount of manner to conduct divine powers to attract followers, so players need to focus on resource management as well as recruitment. The thing that makes Populous so close to Age of Empires is possibly the variety of maps available. Players can play on a desert, snow scape, volcano, or grasslands.
3 Command and Conquer
Command and Conquer came out in 1995 on multiple platforms including PC, PlayStation, the Sega Saturn, and Nintendo 64. The game takes place in an alternate version of history where the world is divided into three main factions: the Global Defense Initiative, the Brotherhood of Nod, and the United Nations. Each faction wants control of a place called the Tiberium, and they can get it by controlling key areas through real-time strategy gameplay.
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Like Age of Empires, the player needs to gather resources and develop a base before sending out their military to conquer the enemy base. As the story suggests, the player has access to troops with guns or vehicle units instead of anything historical.
2 The Ancient Art of War
While many titles have claimed to be the very first strategy video game, only one can actually claim that title. Developed by Evryware, The Ancient Art of War was released on PC and Mac in 1984.
Given that this game was released so early, there wasn’t much going on. The game is based on a book of the same name by Sun Tzu, which was written in four hundred B.C. The game works on a simple rock, paper, scissors format where the player controls four troop types; Archer, Knights, Spies, and Barbarians. Each one has an advantage or disadvantage over the other so picking the troop correctly is vital to taking or defending a fort. The player wins by taking all the enemy forts. It isn’t much, but The Ancient Art of War needed to walk for Age of Empires to run.
1 Z
Z stands for Zod, and he is a character that players will see a lot of when playing this strategy game from 1996. This game was released on PlayStation, PC, Sega Saturn, and Mac, and is unlike other strategy games at the time.
Instead of players gathering resources to build structures in Z, buildings already exist on the map. The player must then send out troops to take over these buildings to improve their army or create new resources. Anyone who does not enjoy the early game in Age of Empires will most likely enjoy the odd approach taken by Z.