Total War: Shogun 2
As Total War evolved after Rome it suffered bloat and other growing pains, but Shogun 2 was finally the one to get
it right. A gorgeous setting and strong theme bolster the strategy side, where the honor of your clan leader and the
struggle between Buddhism and Christianity play a key role. Battles offer distinct differences between clans (Chosokabe
archers for life) and some especially fun special troops, like the bomb-throwing kisho ninja. Shogun 2 also introduced a
two-player co-op campaign to the series, which is an amazing (though slow) way to conquer the continent.TOP TIER
Xenonauts
Its deep strategic systems and clean turn-
based combat make Xenonauts a triumph
of rebooted game design. If you’re an
old fan of the X-COM series, forget about
finding your old install disks or putting
up with 20-year-old graphics: playing
Xenonauts is the best way to relive those
glory days with deeper systems. And if
you’re new to X-COM, this game will let
you explore the series’ classic roots with
added depth and details.Rise of Nations
Age of Empires gave us the chance to
encompass centuries of military progress
in half-hour battles, but Rise of Nations
does it better, and smartly introduces
elements from turn-based strategy games
like Civ. Instead of marshalling troops from
a single base, you build cities all over the
map to grow your nation’s borders. When
borders collide civs race through the ages
and try to out-tech each other in a hidden
war for influence, all while trying to deliver
a knockout military blow with javelins and
jets. There aren’t enough games that let
you crush longbowmen with amphibious
tanks and stealth bombers.Unity of
Command
Strategy expert Tim Stone described this
as a “fresh and friendly” wargame, praising
the convincing, challenging AI. You’ll need
to use genuinely clever battlefield tactics
to beat these computerised generals. The
simple interface removes the usual barrier
to entry that most wargames have, but
there are hidden depths to uncover as you
learn the intricacies of its systems.