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Star Wars: Empire at War is a 2006 real-time strategy (RTS) game developed by Petroglyph Games and published by LucasArts. Set between Episode III and Episode IV, it focuses on the fledgling. Looking for the best Star Wars computer games available today? Our guide to the best Star Wars games for PC has five of the greatest games of all time, along with an upcoming title that fans of Star Wars simply cannot miss. Whether you're looking for the best first and third-person shooter, RPG, strategy game, or MMO, our guide has all the best games for any gamer looking to get a Star Wars fix.

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What are the best Star Wars games for PC? Much like the films on which they are based, there are plenty to choose from, and the quality is wildly variable. Some match the heady heights of Yoda lifting Luke’s X-Wing, the iconic reveal of Luke’s old man, and the Death Star attack run. However, if you’ll exqueeze us, some Star Wars games risk putting the reputation of one of the most famous space operas of all time in big doo-doo.

Thankfully – in large part to sheer weight of numbers – Star Wars has probably generated more great licensed games than any other film series. From the deep, philosophical wrangling of Knights of the Old Republic to the breathless adrenaline rush of podracing in Episode I: Racer, we’ve cut the original trilogy wheat from the prequel-grade chaff to bring you the definitive list of the best Star Wars PC games. Even for the most half-witted, scruffy-looking nerf herders, like you.

1-16 of 56 results for Video Games: 'star wars strategy game' Skip to main search results. Star Wars Yoda Stories PC Game. ESRB Rating: Everyone by LucasArts. Fun Fact: Battlefront 2 is the only Star Wars game with content from all three movie time periods - Prequel, Classic and Sequel. Well, okay, apart from Disney Infinity. Star Wars Jedi Knight II: Jedi Outcast. Kyle Katarn returned to the PC in Jedi Outcast, the finest Star Wars experience ever crafted. Treading a similar path to its predecessor, Kyle once again must progress from mercenary to Jedi due to cutting ties with the Force after almost falling to the dark side.

Plenty of pretenders to the throne of best PC Star Wars game have been suddenly silenced but, even though we’ve been waiting for a (Star)killer videogame that properly befits the license for a while, there are still plenty of ways for you to unleash the Force. So, before the Superlaser is trained on our little Yavin 4 cubbyhole, here are the best Star Wars games on PC.

Star Wars: Original Trilogy (2007) Jakks Pacific TV Game; Star Wars: Republic Squadron (2009) Jakks Pacific TV Game; Stand-alone titles By year. The following is a list of Star Wars games that are stand-alone titles that do not form part of a series, released primarily for consoles, personal computers and arcade. The titles are grouped together depending on the decade on which they were released. Star Wars: The Arcade Game (1983) - Colecovision.

The best Star Wars games on PC are:

Star Wars: The Old Republic

Star Wars: The Old Republic has always had a bit of an identity problem. One half tries to be a continuation of the Knights of the Old Republic single-player games, split up into several class stories that let you experience the Star Wars galaxy as a Chiss Imperial Agent or Sith Warrior. The other half is one of the best MMOs around, but it’s pretty traditional.

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It’s the class stories that are worth the intergalactic journey alone: they’re ambitious, authentically Star Wars and epic in scope. The fifth expansion, Knights of the Fallen Empire, puts the focus almost entirely on this part of the game. Knights of the Fallen Empire is, essentially, a single-player game stuck inside an MMO. It’s great, evocative even of Knights of the Old Republic II. Even though this Star Wars game tries hard to wriggle free of its genre, but as the closest thing we have to a KotOR sequel, it’s a must play.

Lego Star Wars: The Complete Saga

The original Traveller’s Tales Lego game, Lego Star Wars is proof that a great idea can live forever. The Complete Saga covers episodes I to VI, recreates the adventures of all key characters in blocky form, and asks you to break everything in your path on your journey towards defeating the Empire.

Best played as a local co-op game, its gentle puzzles and good-natured humour makes it a strong pick to play with your smaller family members. If you don’t hoard it for yourself, that is. And, thanks to the custom character creator, you can make Boba Fett a Sith Lord.

Star Wars Knights of the Old Republic 2: The Sith Lords

The first Knights of the Old Republic was a fairly traditional tale, despite its twists and turns. Its sequel, with Obsidian taking over from BioWare, is more ambitious. It has all the trappings of a Star Wars PC game romp – the lightsabers, the Force and its Light and Dark dichotomy, exotic alien words, wookies – but it’s all contained in a much bleaker, more philosophical narrative.

And, as much as it allows players to dabble in the Light and Dark sides of the Force, it’s an exploration of the grey area in between them. But it’s exciting, too: with lightsaber duels, absorbing new companions to recruit or corrupt, and the chance to make new enemies at every turn make this action-adventure game quite the space odyssey.

Star Wars: Republic Commando

Proof that not everything that came out the prequel trilogy was childish junk, Republic Commando is the Rainbow Six of the Clone Wars. Cast as special ops clone trooper RC-1138, you take on missions accompanied by three other commandos that can be bossed about with a variety of orders and context-sensitive commands. As influenced by Halo as it is Tom Clancy’s famous multiplayer game, the tactical elements of Republic Commando didn’t stop it from being a brisk run-and-gun. It is Star Wars: Republic’s Commando’s simplicity that we need to see more of.

Frequently considered one of the most underrated Star Wars games, this is notable for being completely Jedi-less and trading epic combat for a grittier, ground-level feel. Entertaining touches like modular weapons, a wrist-mounted blade, and a visor wiper that brushed away enemy blood splatter ensure Republic Commando has a charm all of its own.

Star Wars: Empire at War

The core films tend to focus on intimate struggles; Luke and Vader, Anakin and Palpatine, Han and Lando. Yet Star Wars is defined by these personal relationships and how they fit into the backdrop of a much larger conflict. The perfect setting for an RTS game, then. LucasArts have published numerous strategy games set within the Star Wars universe, but Empire at War is easily its best.

Hey,I know this is an old thread but I had this issue recently.I installed 5KPlayer and I was able to run the movie,don't know for how long this software will be free and if it's gonna hit me with the usual you're trial is over stuff,but it fixed the issue and was able to play the movie. Some DVDs have Interactual Player bundled with and then you try to play them, the software is launched instead. Use VLC Media Player and manually open the DVD then it should play correctly. If you're using other player, then install a set of codecs and avoid using Interactual Player. Users also mentioned that it comes bundled with the Dell laptops. Interactual player error pl4013 windows 10. Windows Media Player spit out this error: 'Windows Media Player is currently unable to play DVD video. Try decreasing the number of colors displayed on your monitor or decreasing the screen resolution. For additional solutions, click More Information to access the DVD Troubleshooter.' I tried other DVD playback programs like InterActual. Device Interactual Player Windows 8 Faucet HomeImprovement by lordpuffer258. Was the information these issues under DirectShow playback only. Yes, my password Interactual Player to play the DVD.

Set between Episodes III and IV, Empire at War chronicles the escalating conflict between the Empire and the Rebel Alliance. A campaign map containing numerous planets allows you to research technologies and establishing planetary defences, adding a dose of grand strategy.

Skirmishes take place on land using troops and vehicles and in space using cruisers and fighters, which culminates in the classic assault on the first Death Star. Considering the vast amount of 3rd person action games that make up the bulk of the Star Wars games library, this is a welcome change of pace. Sadly though, when it comes to a Star Wars: Empire at War sequel, one was pitched to EA, but “nothing has resulted” so far.

Star Wars: X-Wing vs Tie Fighter

The X-Wing series is treasured by PC gamers for numerous reasons. Not only are they terrific at capturing the feel of Star Wars’ most exhilarating intergalactic battles: they’re also surprisingly demanding simulation games that replicate some of the intricacies of flying fictional fighter crafts through the inky blackness of space’s endless vacuum.

X-Wing vs. TIE Fighter is the third in the series and, looking back, it was parsecs ahead of its time – although the original Star Wars: X-Wing, 25 years on is naturally rather dated. It’s a pure multiplayer game that offers team-based competitive modes where each player fulfills a specific combat role. Then the Balance of Power expansion pack introduced a story campaign that can be played in co-op with eight players. These features are the bullet points from the back of a late 2000’s shooter, but X-Wing vs. TIE Fighter came out in 1997, making it the most futuristic Star Wars game ever made.

Star Wars Episode 1 Racer

Whatever you think of Episode I, there’s no denying that its podrace was a tremendous spectacle and a great insight into the sporting world of a far away galaxy. Episode I Racer turns this high-octane sequence into a whole game: players take on the role of a star podracers and embark on a season of races on numerous planets. Each track shows off each planet’s unique mythos, such as the Spice Mine Run on Mon Gazza that wound through its vast spice extraction facility.

Winnings can be used to improve your podracer or purchase Pit Droids for enhanced repairs. New racers are unlocked through play, with the ultimate prize obviously being Sebulba and his rival-toasting flamethrowers. The podracers benefit hugely from the licensed sound effects from the films, and while it may be an ugly game by today’s standards, this is a racing game that manages to salvage something strong from that treaty-happy first prequel. Experience this chapter’s breakneck speed as Episode I: Racer is on GOG now, too.

Star Wars Jedi Knight: Dark Forces 2

Jedi Knight: Dark Forces II sees Rebel mercenary Kyle Katarn return to embark on a revenge mission to bring the Sith who killed his father to justice. Katarn is one of the Expanded Universe’s greatest characters; abandoning the Empire to fight for the Rebel Alliance in the original Dark Forces game, the sequel sees his greatest transformation: from gruff gunslinger to a powerful Jedi.

Grievous bodily harm: Try these brutal fighting games

This volte-face saw this FPS game feature lightsaber combat, with an impressive array of Force powers in there, too. This Star Wars PC game also has a morality system, and your actions against non-hostile characters determine whether you’ll slip into darkness or remain on the true path of the Jedi.

Star Wars: Dark Forces

Kyle Katarn’s first adventure, long before he picked up a lightsaber, sees him doing covert work for the plucky Rebel Alliance and uncovering a dastardly Imperial plot to unleash a massive army. Katarn’s mission? Shoot all the Imperials. At 20 years old, it no longer looks its best. But, back in 1995, it was a way to experience Star Wars from a completely new perspective.

The level design is superb for the time, too: this is a Star Wars PC game that is elaborate and ripe for exploration in a way that modern, linear shooters rarely are. Thankfully it’s also available on GOG and Steam, so you won’t have to hunt for ages to find an ancient physical copy. What’s more, following interest from Nightdive Studios, it looks like this shooter will be restored to former glory in Unreal Engine by an Obsidian developer in a Star Wars: Dark Forces remake.

Star Wars: Rogue Squadron

It’s all black and nothingness in space. For the scenic view, try swooping over one of the galaxy’s many scenic planets from an X-Wing cockpit. That’s precisely where Rogue Squadron takes you: this is a flight sim that takes place firmly within its atmospheric confines. You may be less free compared to the X-Wing series, but this doesn’t stop Rogue Squadron being a stellar flyer.

Rogue Squadron is fast and tight, letting you easily swoop over ground targets, riddle them with blaster fire, and engage in violent chase sequences. Your range of vessels is small, but the X-Wing, A-Wing, Y-Wing, V-Wing, and Snowspeeder all have their own characteristics, making mission replays vastly different in feel, if not in circumstance. Even better, this another Star Wars game with a remaster on the way: a Star Wars: Rogue Squadron remake is in development in Unreal Engine 4 by fans.

Star Wars: Battlefront 2

Hailed as the finest Star Wars multiplayer FPS, Battlefront II is Battlefield injected with a little LucasFilm magic. Split across both generations of Star Wars, you take part in some of the most iconic battles of the Clone Wars and the Galactic Civil War. Four classes split into distinct combat roles, and a strong collection of vehicles ensures there’s plenty of variety in the way you can blow the opposition to bits.

Battlefront II is a war game that’s largely focused on frontline combat between grunts, but the sequel brought the Jedi and other legendary soldiers to the fold. Cleverly preventing everyone wielding a saber, Jedis are only unlocked after the team scores a set amount of points. It makes their presence on the field feel special, provided the player in control knows their way around a blade, of course.

Unfortunately this remains our pick as the best Battlefront game, despite two modern efforts from DICE. Despite their beauty and pitch-perfect sound design, the monetisation systems at launch defined the reboot. Although they have since been toned down, you can find out more in our Star Wars Battlefront 2 review, just in case you were living under a rock in 2017.

Star Wars: TIE Fighter

If you’d rather take to the skies on your own, then TIE Fighter is the route to take. It’s unfolding narrative is frequently cited as one of the best Star Wars tales around, and that’s certainly down to the tone it takes. Rather that sniggering like an evil villain, the Imperial forces in TIE Fighter genuinely believe they’re fighting an army of terrorists, and playing as a TIE Fighter pilot never feels like being ‘the bad guy’, but rather an important cog in the machine that will crush a threatening insurgency.

Strap in: Here are the best simulation games on PC

Aside from the great story, TIE Fighter lets you strap into the cockpit of one of sci-fi’s greatest ship designs, and operating it feels every bit as cool as you’d expect. You also get to fly alongside the Dark Lord himself, which lets face it is in everyone’s top five Star Wars fantasies.

Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic

Prequel can be a bit of a dirty word in Star Wars circles. Prequel prequel however is a reason to celebrate, because it means you’re talking about BioWare’s Knights of the Old Republic, the seminal RPG set 4,000 years before the rise of the Empire. Based on the old d20 ruleset, KOTOR is essentially Dungeons & Dragons: Star Wars edition, and is every bit as brilliant as that sounds.

A rich universe that delved deep into aspects only hinted at in the core films (Boba Fett’s descendants the Mandalorians feature heavily), the game was set during the Republic’s heydays. The threat of a Sith warrior known as Darth Malak hangs heavy in the air, made worse by the fact that he’s the apprentice of Darth Revan; a shadowy unseen power who’s Vader, Sauron, and Voldemort combined. As with any BioWare RPG, it’s your job to stop him, and you’ll join a team of Jedis, smugglers, pilots, and mercenaries on your journey, as well as taking command of your own Millennium Falcon-wannabe the Ebon Hawk.

Knights of the Old Republic is one of the best RPGs on PC for many reasons; its strong cast, great use of the license and its packaged sound effects and music, strategic party-based combat, and some lovely visuals for the time. But ask anyone what the best thing about KOTOR is, and they’ll instantly talk about a very specific plot point. Even now, 11 years after launch, I refuse to write it down for fear of destroying one of gaming’s best narrative sucker punches. But if you’ve played KOTOR through, you’re already well aware that its tale is better than most of George Lucas’ scripts.

Star Wars Jedi Knight 2: Jedi Outcast

Kyle Katarn returned to the PC in Jedi Outcast, the finest Star Wars experience ever crafted. Treading a similar path to its predecessor, Kyle once again must progress from mercenary to Jedi due to cutting ties with the Force after almost falling to the dark side. Built on the Quake III engine, the shooting is naturally solid, but it’s the lightsaber combat that really marks Jedi Knight II as a masterpiece.

Being able to cycle between light, medium, and heavy combat stances offers a depth to lightsaber combat that hadn’t been seen before, and to date has yet to be beaten, although Jedi Fallen Order’s lightsaber combat comes close. Duels felt intense and evoked the awe that the film’s best clashes inspired. Even cooler was if you inputted the ‘saberrealisticcombat’ cheat code into the game’s console. Suddenly saber swings would slice off limbs and heads, leaving hissing cauterised stumps. Even accidentally walking past people with the blade extended would cut them down.

Combined with Force abilities that felt every bit as powerful as they looked and a path of progression that saw you become ever more competent with your abilities, Jedi Knight II is the true, unrivalled Jedi sim.

UPCOMING STAR WARS GAMES

Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order

Jedi: Fallen Order is already shaping up to be one of the better Star Wars games of recent years, with Souls-esque combat and plenty of humour – a new hope for narrative Star Wars games, if you will. Respawn’s lead combat designer has drawn parallels between Jedi: Fallen Order and Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice, De Heras says that the games are “very similar,” adding to the stack of influences the developers have already cited, such as Dark Souls and Metroid Prime. The gameplay and combat we’ve seen so far shows shows off lightsaber combat where striking, parrying, and dodging are key to success.

Fallen order: Check out these upcoming PC games

Jedi: Fallen Order is set “shortly after the events of Star Wars: Episode III – Revenge of the Sith,” and features all the wall running, back flipping, and satisfying combat you’d expect from the Titanfall developers. Force powers play a big part in the game, progressing you through areas and helping you to solve puzzles, not to mention letting you pause time and control stormtroopers like marionettes. This latest Star Wars game will be single player only, focusing on storytelling and revolving around trainee Jedi Cal Kestis, a survivor of Order 66. Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order releases on November 15, but if you can’t wait till then, check out our Jedi: Fallen Order gameplay preview.

There you are, the very best Star Wars games on PC. While they might not always be as thrilling as when you first watched those iconic Star Destroyers gliding through the Final Frontier, hopefully they’ll make your forget about the prequels. Well, at least for a bit.

More Star Wars: The Old Republic:

In the meantime, be sure to catch up on everything related to the Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order release date. Will we finally get a fresh game that’s worthy of the timeless franchise? Either way, for those of you – who are likely pro Sith – that disagree with our list, well, we find your lack of faith disturbing.

Our editors independently research, test, and recommend the best products; you can learn more about our review process here. We may receive commissions on purchases made from our chosen links.

The Rundown

• Best Overall: Civilization 6 at Amazon, 'Allows you to achieve domination both aggressively and diplomatically.'
• Best Science Fiction:Stellaris at Steam, 'This niche strategy game is vast and unlimited in its potential.'
• Best Fantasy:Total War: Warhammer II at Steam, 'This game pits elves against lizardmen in fantastical brawls.'
• Best Business: Offworld Trading Company at Steam, 'Success isn't just down to violence, but keen business acumen.'
• Best Military: Imperator: Rome at Microsoft, 'This is a tale of political intrigue and violent battles.'
• Best for Epic Battles: Total War: Three Kingdoms at Walmart, 'The best game that the franchise has ever seen over the course of two decades.'
• Best for Novice Players:StarCraft II at Amazon, 'Relies on heavy intense strategies to counterbalance your opponents. '
• Best Console Game:Halo Wars 2 at Amazon, 'An epic game that faces you off with space marines and aliens.'
• Best Combat: X-COM 2 at Amazon, 'Want to shoot aliens and not worry about resource gathering? X-COM 2 has you covered.'

Our Top Picks

Best Overall: Civilization 6

Star Wars Real Time Strategy

Considered one of the finest strategy games ever, save yourself the time and immediately buy Civilization 6. The beauty behind it is its sheer sense of scale and potential. The idea is that you develop a civilization from a tiny rudimentary settlement and eventually turn it into a world power that's capable of great things.

What kind of world power your civilization becomes is mostly down to you. You can achieve victory through military domination (wiping out all other empires), through technological superiority or even cultural influence. It's all down to the many steps you take as you progress in your bid to achieve some form of fame within the world. Being able to choose a kinder path or a more violent route is a great twist in a genre that's typically more aggressive.

It's possible to explore and discover new cities and technologies that are scattered around the world, as well as engage in trade talks and negotiations with other world leaders. In every session, how things unfold is randomized so you can't predict how the A.I. opponent will react based upon past game sessions, giving the game plenty of longevity and replayability. There's also multiplayer in both competitive and cooperative modes, allowing you to join up with friends online.

Being able to tackle things in completely different ways ensures that this is an ideal strategy game for aggressive players as well as more diplomatic and thoughtful types. It's a must-have for strategy enthusiasts.

Best Science Fiction: Stellaris

Many strategy games aren't considered the most accessible strategy games out there. As the name suggests, they tend to focus on the loftier ambitions of the genre - being convoluted and involving a lot of careful thinking and planning. Stellaris is one of the more accessible strategy games out there while still easily challenging its players along the way.

Set in space, players take control of a species during the early stages of that race's quest to explore space. Arguably, that's the most fascinating part of any science fiction journey and it leads to plenty of potential from Stellaris. You can choose to manage an empire, engage in a plethora of warfare, or learn to pursue the diplomatic route and forge partnerships with other civilizations. There's a certain amount of flexibility here with each route offering a different form of challenge.

The game's broken up mostly into three key areas - the early game of exploring and colonization, followed by governing, and finally, the ability to trigger galaxy-wide implications based on your actions. That means that Stellaris is always thrilling stuff. With seemingly endless choices available to you, this is something that will last hundreds of hours.

Best Fantasy: Total War: Warhammer II

The Warhammer fantasy universe is a rich and diverse world to use in the context of strategy gaming, and Total War: Warhammer II truly embraces it. Kind of like a more bloodthirsty version of Lord of the Rings, Total War: Warhammer II has you pitting different factions against each other in an epic war.

There are four factions to choose from including Lizardmen, High Elves, Dark Elves, and Skaven. Each forms part of the narrative-driven campaign mode so there's a compelling story to follow along in conjunction with the action. Combat is available in two different ways too. There's the turn-based open-world campaign mode, as well as a real-time strategy option. In either case, planning many moves ahead is vital to your chances of success.

You need to concentrate on army building and conquest, as well as resource gathering to stand a chance of surviving. That means plenty of multi-tasking and figuring out which objective to prioritize and when. Researching new technologies is just as important here as dominating through sheer force. Being able to discover new areas is a particular joy, invoking Age of Empires style memories. No longer do you have to focus on just having the biggest army.

Elsewhere, there's a multiplayer mode as well, so you can spend time competing with friends and other players online, with the promise of no two games being the same. If you previously owned the first Total War: Warhammer game, you can combine the two to gain access to a huge combined campaign called Mortal Empires which further extends the fun. For fans of the Warhammer universe, it's a bit of an unmissable game that can easily last hundreds of hours.

Also check out our picks for the best PC war games.

Best Business: Offworld Trading Company

Economic warfare is the name of the game in Offworld Trading Company - a game that tackles strategy from a more original perspective than most. Set on Mars, players are placed in charge of one of four off-world trading companies. It's down to their shrewd business skills if they want to become the winner. This is achieved by buying a majority stake in every off-world trading company in the game and it's far from a simple task.

The key to success mostly comes down to resource gathering. The game has 13 different resources including materials such as water, aluminum, iron, silicon, carbon, as well as more complicated ideas such as Hydrolysis reactors which can break water apart into oxygen and fuel. How the resources work out for you depend on how the game plays out. As in other forms of business, supply and demand fluctuate constantly so it's down to you to figure out when to buy and sell and how best to work your way up in the trading world.

The underground black market also plays a part if you want to get your hands a little dirtier with the option to purchase things like underground nukes that can wipe out resources before your opponents reach them, or arrange mutinies to slow them down further. There's a keen sense of real science and real economics here which makes Offworld Trading Company more distinctive than most. In particular, it'll really grip those with an active interest in financial systems or business ethics.

Best Military: Imperator: Rome

For those players who look at the Ancient Roman Empire and wish they could participate in it in some way, there's Imperator: Rome. It's a vast experience that primarily focuses on nation-building and empire accruing. Because of that, it can be quite daunting at times.

You have to keep an eye on a lot of things such as how best to develop your population, but also best to keep them happy. An unhappy population can lead to treachery and rebellion which anyone with a brief knowledge of history will know never leads to a good ending for the leader. Combat also plays a significant role here with each culture having a different way of waging wars, so your choice at the outset of which clan to use makes a big difference in the long term.

Just to give you even more things to consider, you also need to manage the Senate and keep court together and well controlled. Plus, there's the matter of investing in infrastructure and maintaining your resource bases. The game has over 7000 cities to discover, along with over 83 different regions so you're definitely going to have plenty of time to sink into the world of Imperator: Rome.

Best for Epic Battles: Total War: Three Kingdoms

Star Wars Galactic Battlegrounds

When it comes to real-time strategy games, the Total War series stands the test of time. But in the case of Total War: Three Kingdom, developer Creative Assembly went above and beyond expectations to craft the best game that the franchise has ever seen over the course of two decades. At its most basic level, it explores the Chinese Three Kingdoms period in a respectful and absolutely gripping manner.

Real-world heroes like Liu Bei stand in for iconic figures from Western history for a massive, complex game with a campaign mode as fascinating and endlessly entertaining as its singular battles. With a setting that works well with the Total War brand and balanced mechanics to level it all out, it's a remarkable showcase of not only developer talent but the massive potential for the genre as well. Even if you find the setting uninteresting, you might change your mind after a few rounds of battle.

You may also be interested in checking out our picks for the best PC games of the year.

Best for Novice Players: StarCraft II

Debatably the most popular Real Time Strategy (or RTS game) series in existence, StarCraft II is the sequel to the 1998 hit game StarCraft. Where most games that center on a war features only two factions, the plot of the StarCraft games are all about a rock-paper-scissors approach to the combat and playable guilds. The military might of the Terrans fight the insect-looking Zerg who also fight the Protoss alien race in a three-way brawl to control the galaxy.

Unlike most other eSports titles, StarCraft II relies on heavy intense strategies to counterbalance your opponents. Each one of the three factions that you play as has their set of pros and cons. Blizzard (the company behind the game) has a tendency of making their games easy to play, but hard to master.

It boasts a single player mode of over 70 missions with three different campaigns, huge multiplayer content and community made arcade modes. StarCraft requires more time-sensitive strategically made decisions with the constant feeling of urgency. If you’re up for a challenge and faster-paced gameplay, StarCraft is the choice.

Starcraft is one of the best PC exclusives ever. Check out our list of the best PC games you can buy right now.

Best Star Wars Strategy Games Pc

Best Console Game: Halo Wars 2

Based on the ever-popular first-person shooter games, Halo Wars 2 is an epic real-time strategy game that picks up right in the middle of the story. The set-up is simple but the lore is expansive: there's a war raging on between the Covenant alien forces and the humans trying to prevent them from annihilating the universe using ancient forerunner technology. In Halo Wars, you control armies, ground vehicles, aerial brigades, and even the occasional laser from outer space. You'll see plenty of familiar Halo-centric staples, such as the energy swords the Elites wield, the Spartan super soldiers, and the Warthog jeep.

Similar to another great series, Command & Conquer, Halo Wars will also have you gathering resources, building units, and attacking the enemy defenses. The developers focused on creating a story focused campaign, by paying attention to every detail in the cut scenes to preserve the rich narrative the Halo games have built up for two decades now (between comics, web series, novels, and more).

Halo Wars is also the best RTS game on consoles because the first game was designed to be played with a controller. It removes some of the hassle more complicated games in the genre can have and makes the controls streamlined so you can play this RTS from your couch in comfort. This allows the multiplayer to feel just like the Halo shooters, which makes it all the more fun.

For more rad multiplayer options, take a look at some of the best split-screen PC games. Also, peek through our list of the best offline strategy games.

Best Combat: X-COM 2

Keen to blow stuff up but also want to think ahead and plan your moves carefully? X-COM 2 is the game for you. Part of a franchise that's been around since the 1990s, it focuses on the efforts of a military organization trying to fight off an alien invasion.

Oftentimes, that means levels play out much like a game of chess. You and the AI enemy take turns to position your troops and trying to snipe at them from a distance. Cover plays a hugely valuable role here with a soldier out in the open pretty much destined to be killed. It's important to think ahead and work out safe routes to get near enough to the enemy to be able to take them out. That's made all the tenser by the fact that your soldiers can die permanently (depending on the difficulty level you set) meaning you can feel surprisingly sad at the death of a loyal part of your squad if you screw up.

Star Wars Real Time Strategy Games Pc

The soldiers can be upgraded along with your base so that you end up more powerful and with better equipment and weaponry. There's no focus on resources gathering here though, unlike other strategy games, with the emphasis squarely on combat. If you're keen to fight first, talk later, this is the strategy game for you.