Summary
Real-time strategy gamesare known for being very entertaining, full ofexciting co-op campaignsto take on, and brimming with different factions that players can choose from depending on their personal preferences. While it could be argued that the golden era for this genre was between 1990 and 2007, many titles are still really fun to play.
A good real-time strategy game will be fast-paced but probablywon’t focus on speed too much. At the same time, it will have epic music, but it will be designed not to be distracting, and will only truly shine when players pay close attention to it. Here are some of thebest real-time strategy games with the best music.
Set mainly in the northern regions of Middle-earth and the war happening there,The Lord of the Rings: The Battle for Middle-earth 2is an amazing real-time strategy game that is about to turn 20 years old. Some of the factions that players can choose from in this title are Elves, Men of the West, Dwarves, Goblins, and more.
As is expected from anything coming from J.R.R. Tolkien’s works,The Lord of the Rings: The Battle for Middle-earth 2features an amazing soundtrack that will have players captivated in the blink of an eye.
Focusing on military combat, resource management and base construction elements,Halo Warswas a very risky move when it first came out, as it strayed considerably from the tried and tested success of its universe’s FPS mechanics. Luckily, this risk paid off and delivered players one of the greatest real-time strategy games to date.
Honoring the tradition of its main branch in the franchise,Halo Warshas outstanding music that pairs well with the adrenaline-rushing situations players will find themselves in as they fight and resist the forces of The Covenant.
The core concept ofRise of Nationsrevolves around territory and everything that comes with it. Players can only construct buildings in their territory, but they can also slowly start conquering their enemies' territories, expanding their ownership of the land and increasing their construction possibilities.
Like other real-time strategy andRPG games that punish poor resource management,Rise of Nationsrequires players to make carefully planned decisions and take strategic approaches to ensure their survival. The soundtrack ofRise of Nationsis outstanding, and any player who’s ever heard it while enjoying this title can attest to this.
Real-time strategy gamesfocusing on deitiesand mythology aren’t anything new, but few titles can pull it off likeAge of Mythology: Retold.This great title focuses onsome of the best godsin folklore and has strong influences from the Greek, Egyptian, and Norse civilizations. Similar to the original, this title requires strategic planning, a lot of patience, and a good deal of resource management to emerge victorious.
As would be expected in a title covering gods from various civilizations,Age of Mythology: Retolddoes a great job of delivering a soundtrack that reflects the epicness of every encounter.
WhileCommand & Conquer 2: Red Alertdoesn’t contain as many factions as other titles in its genre, this doesn’t mean that the gaming experience isn’t fun. This title’s main objective is to defeat the opposing faction’s commanders, who can either be controlled by AI or other humans. Players will have to make it their top priority to both protect their own bases and commanders, as well as to destroy their enemies' to ensure their victory.
AlthoughCommand & Conquer 2: Red Alert’s soundtrack isn’t as rich-sounding as others on this list, it still delivers a wonderful experience and raises the stakes considerably. Players looking for a fresh take on theCommand & Conquerfranchise shouldtest the different mods available for it.
TheWarcraftuniverse is vast and full of possibilities, which is probably why the franchise is over 20 years old and still going strong. InWarcraft 3: Reign of Chaos, players must gather and manage resources, train their units and heroes, and build various bases that they’ll have to protect at all costs. While doing all this, players will also have to figure out different strategic ways of dealing with their enemies to ensure victory.
Warcraft 3: Reign of Chaoshas many factions,including strong orcs, that elevate every element within this title to new heights. Moreover, the game has such great music, that even the song on the main screen is absolutely epic, and foretells the amazing experience players are about to have.
Age of Empires 2focuses on building towns, gathering and managing resources and training armies to defeat opposing forces, regardless of where they come from. The game features 13 different civilizations that players will be tasked with advancing through four Ages, which are the Dark Age, the Feudal Age, the Castle Age, and the Renaissance Age.
Players can alsounlock different technologiesthat they’ll have to choose carefully in order to get the most out of them and gain an edge over their enemies.Age of Empires 2has amazing music, which feels very true to its setting and gives every Age a layer of depth that a few other similar games lack.
TheCompany of Heroesfranchise is great, and while some titles are better than others, they all shine in one way or another.Company of Heroesis the first installment of the epic trilogy of the same name, and it presents players with an amazing experience that many are still talking about today, even after almost 20 years since it was originally released.
Unlike other titles on this list,Company of Heroesdoes not feature a medieval ensemble, but rather focuses on the adrenaline-rushing events of its setting and builds on that to deliver an outstanding soundtrack.
