Real-time strategy games have never been known for strong and memorable narratives, instead earning fame and popularity through their initially innovative gameplay during the 90s and early 2000s. This fame and popularity eventually burned out, arguably due to the fact that the RTS structure became repetitive and standardized, stagnating the genre until most studios stopped bothering to make them.
However, with the RTS genre making a comeback with the recent success of Age Of Empires 4 and a definitive edition of Stronghold on the horizon, there's never been a better time to go back and play the RTS games that made the genre so iconic; a good narrative is arguably key to keeping players engaged with a game, especially during the often lengthy campaigns retro RTS games offer, and these old-school RTS games manage to provide players with an often compelling and immersive story.
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8 Ground Control
This science-fiction RTS game released in 2000 and features fast-paced action in often expansive and varied 3D environments in a story-driven campaign with high production value; the game is set in a far future in which two factions battle it out on an ancient planet.
Although the story may be generic in terms of science-fiction stories, Ground Control features a dual-faction campaign devoted to two military leaders on opposing sides, and the presentation of the game's story in particular helps it to stand out.
7 The Lord Of The Rings: Battle For Middle-Earth
Although it leans on the pre-existing story and the emotional connection fans of The Lord Of The Rings may already have had, The Lord Of The Rings: Battle For Middle-Earth is a solid RTS game from 2004 that remains one of the most faithful video games in The Lord Of The Rings franchise.
The Lord Of The Rings: Battle For Middle-Earth features two campaigns: the "good" campaign, in which players take control of Rohan and Gondor, follows closely to the story of the films, while the "evil" campaign has players take control of Isengard and Mordor, and features an alternate ending in which Sauron wins. The game even goes to great lengths to faithfully recreate iconic battles such as the Battle for Helms Deep.
6 StarCraft
StarCraft
This high-concept pulpy sci-fi story tells the tale of three factions interlinked in a mess of chaos, intrigue, and ancient evils. The game features three factions; the Terrans, the Protoss, and the Zerg, all of whom are at odds with each other for one reason or another.
However, the Zerg are the clear and concise villains of StarCraft's story, which itself is packed with great characters, a fast-paced narrative, and heaps of betrayals, back-stabs, and climactic battles interspersed with evocative cutscenes. StarCraft's atmosphere is almost palpable, especially in some of the quieter moments of the story, and is supported by strong voice acting.
5 Warhammer 40,000: Dawn Of War
Developed by the revered studio Relic Entertainment, the team behind Homeworld, Dawn Of War is widely regarded as one of the greatest video games to use the Warhammer 40,000 setting; the game faithfully represents the universe's distinct factions, telling a short but evocative grim-dark story full of great characters brought to life by talented voice actors.
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While Dawn Of War's story may not be the most complex, its narrative is supported by in-game cutscenes instead of the 3D animations of games like StarCraft that have arguably held up somewhat better over the years. For fans of the grim-dark universe of Warhammer 40,000, Dawn Of War is an RTS with solid action-packed gameplay propelled by a simple yet fast-paced narrative.
4 Warcraft 3
Featuring four warring factions as opposed to the original two of the previous games in the series (Orcs and Humans), Warcraft 3 added the Undead and the Night Elves to the mix, not only increasing the variety of the gameplay, but complicating its story as well.
Each race in Warcraft 3 has its own unique campaign, with all four stories working together to form an interwoven narrative that players can only get the bigger picture of after completing every campaign. Warcraft 3 also features engaging in-game cutscenes supported by a great cast of voice actors, as well as heavily stylized graphics that manage to hold up today.
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3 Command & Conquer 3: Tiberium Wars
As an entry in the revered Command & Conquer series, C&C 3 released to critical acclaim back in 2007 and features three campaigns on opposing sides of an explosive war, taking place over the course of thirty-eight missions interspersed with Command & Conquer's iconic full motion video cutscenes.
C&C 3's cutscenes are where the game's narrative shines, with pulpy tongue-in-cheek dialogue and live-action performances from talented actors. The gameplay and story both revolve around the "Tiberium" resource, the valuable green crystals that the game's factions fight over.
2 Company Of Heroes
Company Of Heroes
This first entry in the revered but somewhat turbulent Company Of Heroes series was developed by the aforementioned Relic Entertainment (the studio behind both Dawn Of War and Homeworld, as well as 2011's Space Marine) and features a wide selection of vehicles and troops designed with care that are often historically accurate. Furthermore, the game's 3D models and texture work still look great today, as long as players don't look too close.
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Company Of Heroes focuses its narrative on smaller, individual stories, stringing together a narrative that follows strong characters in gritty, boots-on-the-ground situations. The campaign takes place across multiple theaters of war, and arguably remains one of the greatest WW2 narratives in video games even today.
1 Homeworld
Homeworld
Homeward tells the tale of a people who have lost their planet and must take the last of their civilization on an arduous journey across space to reclaim their long-lost home world with a powerful mothership that acts as the center of gameplay.
Homeworld features an emotional and heroic narrative told through evocative cutscenes, talented voice work, and well-written dialogue all brought together by the game's riveting space battles and unique original soundtrack. With a remastered edition that also includes the acclaimed sequel, and Homeworld 3 on the horizon, there’s never been a better time to play through this cinematic sci-fi story.