In the past couple of years, strategy games have been going through a sort of an existential crisis. The classic franchises like Total War, Civilization and Starcraft are still around, they are as strong as ever and keep on setting the bar too high for potential competitors who want to have their say in this gaming niche.
It seems, however, that 2015 may bring us some original titles which will stand a chance against the strategy giants, or at least be able to walk with them shoulder to shoulder. Here are the games we are looking forward to:
Battle of Empires: 1914 – 1918
Out of all the war strategies which have been published since the dawn of the PC gaming industry, a surprisingly small number take place during the First World War. The reason probably lies in the fact that the Second World War is somehow more commercially exploitable, but the whole thing is still pretty mysterious. A developer called “Great War Team” decided to start fixing this so they will soon offer us a beautiful strategy game which puts us in the middle of the conflict between the falling empires at the beginning of the century.
Satellite Reign
Tactical RPG/strategy hybrids may be just what we need to refresh the genre, and Satellite Reign seems very promising. This Syndicate-like game will suck the player into a cyberpunk world full of power shifts, class fights and criminal activities. The game play will be that of a role-playing game, but the tactical aspect will show up during the fight and mission planning. The game is still in the early access phase; however, it is expected to be finished by the end of the year.
Total War: Attila
Once upon a time, Creative Assembly managed to hit the right formula for creating a massive, complex, immersive strategy experience, which they decided to call Total War. Ever since then, this franchise has been one of those that serve as a model for comparison. In the next sequel which should be out very soon, we will get to meet Attila, the famous leader of the Huns and he will bring with him not just horses, but improved siege engines and Family Tree politics as well.
Starcraft 2: Legacy of the Void
Another one of the games that really do not require a special introduction, Starcraft 2, is probably why you have bought that Asus gaming laptop in the first place. The third and final instalment of the Starcraft 2 trilogy is called “Legacy of the Void”. That’s a cool name for a cool game in which we will get a chance to experience the Protoss part of the story and help them try to reconquer Auir, their home planet.
Galactic Civilizations 3
Whether you became a fan of “Civilization: Beyond Earth” or not, you will admit a bit of healthy competition is always good. Galactic Civilizations 3 will require a mean machine to run properly because the developers are planning to thrust the player into a world in which hundreds of planets are simulated at the same time. We can’t wait to see how that works out!
Grand Ages: Medieval
The high middle ages have their representative on this list, too. Research, expand and conquer is a well-known formula that tends to work well if developers know what they are doing. City building elements in combination with a 30,000,000 km2 game world – what can possibly go wrong? Ok, a lot of things, but we have a good feeling about this one!
Dota 2
If you are on the lookout for a challenge, Dota 2 is the game for you. A game that requires a lot of time and commitment, but which will also reward you magnificently for your effort. The amount of heroes and items at your disposal means you’ll never have to play the same game twice, and Dota may begin to get on the nerves of those around you. If you are prepared to give Dota the best of you, it will certainly reward you handsomely.
