Highlights
- The RTS/FPS hybrid is a niche sub-genre that has recently gained traction with modern entries like Warshift and Executive Assault 2.
- These games allow players to experience the chaos of combat through a first-person perspective, adding an immersive element to the traditional RTS gameplay.
- From managing troops and building bases to taking control of vehicles and engaging in FPS combat, these games offer a unique and dynamic gaming experience for strategy and shooter fans alike.
The RTS genre is massive, but there’s a niche sub-genre that hasn’t received so many titles and that’s the RTS/FPS hybrid. It’s a sub-genre that started to become popular back in the 2000s and has since fallen into obscurity. However, some modern entries are starting to bring this interesting concept back to life.
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The best part of strategy games is when all the action kicks off, and players can sit back and watch the chaos unfold. What makes things even more exciting is when players can directly take part in the meticulously curated setup through a first-person perspective. Whether they’re older entries or new early-access developments, experience the havoc of combat through an immersive first-person point of view.
10 Warshift
Warshift can be a little clunky at times, but it provides a huge sense of scale from the perspective of a ground or air vehicle. Players control military forces who are in grand combat against an alien species, set in the year 2062.
Mix the RTS elements of base construction and managing troops with player-controlled steel armada fleets. The use of these powerful vehicles, whether destructive tanks or hovering aircraft, takes place in the first-person, allowing players to experience the alien combat directly. It’s a unique concept and what makes it even more impressive is the fact that it was made completely by one person!
9 Executive Assault 2
Executive Assault 2 builds on the first entry and delivers a more immersive and impressive performance. Players build their bases in space and command fleets of starships in epic sci-fi battles. Taking control of starships from a first-person perspective makes the player feel like they are taking part in a galaxy-wide conflict.
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Players can also take control of robot soldiers and join the combat directly on foot in a more traditional FPS setting. It can be a little rough around the edges but if the setting and atmosphere can be appreciated then there’s an amazing RTS experience waiting for players in Executive Assault 2.
8 Abatron
Abatron is an early-access game where players can take control of any unit. An experience and leveling system makes for an intriguing dynamic and creates a mechanism where the battlefield can completely shift in another direction in a matter of seconds.
The base-building mechanics are smooth and managing troops is simple and effective. The battlefield is a derelict planet surface, reduced to nothing more than a battlefield. The combat is entertaining, and the FPS perspective makes the alien combat feel real. The only downside is the lack of updates the game has received over the last few years.
7 Battlezone 2: Combat Commander
This is an older entry in the Battlezone series, dating back to 1999. Players build bases and control their fleets in first-person, and despite the dated graphics, it’s a very immersive experience. Battlezone 2: Combat Commander is one of the first RTS/FPS hybrids and perfectly sets the tone for future games in the genre.
If players love taking part in combat, and they appreciate a fun sci-fi setting, then Battlezone 2: Combat Commander is the perfect place to start. This is the original version, however for fans looking for better visuals, Battlezone: Combat Commander 2018, provides a remastered and more polished update.
6 Natural Selection 2
The unique part of Natural Selection 2 is the ability to control either human marines or xenomorph aliens. Each team has a commander whom the player takes control of to issue commands and deploy supplies to the rest of the squad. The overseeing RTS elements are simple and effective, and the atmosphere is incredibly dynamic.
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The multiplayer FPS elements and style take clear inspiration from classic shooters such as the Quake series, and spaceship hallway fights can feel extremely claustrophobic. Natural Selection 2 is a more combat-focused RTS/FPS hybrid, and the shooting mechanics feel crisp and clean.
5 Call To Arms
Call to Arms is a modern warfare take on the RTS/FPS mix, providing a fresh setting and an interesting experience. Managing troops through a bird's eye view perspective is simple and effective, and it gives players the classic RTS perspective from older RTS military games. The implementation of player-controlled troops, as a first-person shooter, allows the combat to feel more raw and real.
What makes Call to Arms special is that players can only take over the FPS view for a limited amount of time, adding to the strategy elements. When will be the best time to take control and get involved in the combat directly? It’s up to the players to work out.
4 Silica
Silica is shaping up to be one of the best entries in this niche genre. The only thing holding it back is the fact that it’s still in early access. Players take control of a choice of 3 factions fighting for control of a planet named Baltarus. The visuals are clean and immersive and the desert-like planet provides a unique atmosphere.
Whether players lead from above as a commander or take control of a foot soldier in first-person, Silica is an entry that feels incredibly realistic and truly immerses the player. Perhaps the most impressive parts of the game are the smooth animations and fluid combat.
3 Savage 2: A Tortured Soul
Savage 2: A Tortured Soul is a fantasy RTS with FPS elements. 2 teams fight against each other, The Beast Horde and The Legion of Man, in a fantastical setting that wouldn’t look out of place in a scene from Lord of the Rings. It falls into another great niche category of gaming: fantasy shooters.
Its slower pace allows for more tactical thinking and the combat in third or first person makes the game feel more like an RPG than an RTS. Spells form a big part of the strategy side of the game and can be cast either through the overarching commander perspective or the combat-focused FPS perspective. For players who prefer a fantasy setting, this is the definitive RTS/FPS experience.
2 Total Conflict: Resistance
With a “Very Positive” Steam rating (at the time of writing), Total Conflict: Resistance is the definitive modern warfare RTS/FPS game, despite it being in early access. It combines the best of both worlds from the RTS and FPS genres respectively. Form alliances, bribe enemies, and obtain a strong hold on the battlefield through Total Conflict: Resistance’s deep strategy management elements.
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Once players have a strong hold of the battleground in the overhead/map perspective, players can jump into the combat directly and take control of vehicles or troops in first or third person. With a clean UI and stunning visuals, fans of modern warfare strategy games don’t want to miss out on this entry.
1 Sanctum 2
Sanctum 2 has been out for a little while, releasing back in 2013, but it’s still the definitive blend of strategy and FPS. It’s effectively a tower defense game, played entirely from the first-person perspective. It’s pure science fiction and one of the most entertaining and innovative entries in gaming. Surprisingly, the mix of tower defense strategy elements and first-person shooting merges extremely well, making for a very fun experience.
Hold back alien forces as players defend and upgrade their base, decipher the best layout for turrets, weapons, and perks, and even fight back with up to four friends in an entertaining co-op mode. Sanctum 2 is one of the best fusions of FPS and strategy out there, and it’s not one to miss out on.