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This year seems to be an exciting year for strategy game enthusiasts. There are plenty of exciting titles coming. Here are the most compelling strategy games of the year.
This year is shaping up to be the year of the building strategy games. Anno 1800 and The Settlers, the two biggest and best series of the genre, will return, followed by Tropico. Those who want to conquer rather than build should also be excited as there are great titles for them in the form of Imperator: Rome and Warcraft 3: Reforged.
Anno 1800
Release Date: April 16, 2019
The king of the building strategy returns: Anno 1800 wants to combine old virtues with a completely new scenario. The game is set in the industrial age. The goal is to unite thriving metropolises through trade routes across various islands to create an economic empire.
The new era brings with it some peculiarities. You need to keep an eye on your workers more than ever because not every citizen is suitable for every job. An educated engineer only puffs his nose if you deploy him into the field or the steel plant. Even ordinary workers should not be under too harsh conditions; otherwise, they may strike.
In many other aspects, Anno 1800 mixes older and newer serial components. Like in the past, you play with several other players on a map, and goods are simulated as objects in the game world. However, as in Anno 2205, you manage your economy across multiple maps again because you can send expeditions to exotic regions and establish colonies there.
Battlefleet Gothic: Armada 2
Release Date: January 24, 2019
Space strategy Battlefleet Gothic lets you put your Admiral cap back on in 2019. Again, you command battleships from the Warhammer universe in tactical battles. The mighty flying combat cathedrals are like cumbersome sailing ships than fast-moving space ships. The aim is to cleverly outmanoeuvre the enemy and then fire a full broadside on the enemy ship.
Compared to its predecessor, Battlefleet Gothic: Armada 2 wants to be one thing above all: Bigger! There are a total of 12 factions to choose from, and this time several of them bring their campaign. In three story campaigns, we play as Necrons, Tyranids, and, of course, as always, the empire of humanity.
You can equip your fleet with new ships and upgrades between missions. In Multiplayer this time, all ships are unlocked from the beginning; in the predecessor, you had to play for a long time to unlock ships.
Civilization 6: Gathering Storm
Release Date: February 14 2019
Gathering Storm is the second major expansion for Civilization 6. The eponymous storm manifests itself in the form of a series of catastrophes. You have to survive volcanic eruptions and floods. The exciting thing is that they are often a double-edged sword. A river that overflows leaves fertile soil.
You influence natural disasters. If you ruthlessly start the industrial machine, clear forests and pump CO2 into the atmosphere, you drive climate change forward. In the same way, you can counteract it with advanced technologies such as renewable energies.
There is also a whole series of other innovations. Gathering Storm has eight new civilizations in its luggage and brings back the World Congress and Diplomatic Victory.
Desperados 3
Release Date: At Some Point in 2019
Ah! I can’t wait to play this one. I have been longing for this for quite some time now. And I have played Desperados: Wanted Dead or Alive some 14 to 16 years ago, and I still miss it. Luckily a Munich-based studio is bringing back my beloved video game title. The studio has already proven itself with Shadow Tactics. I am sure they will demonstrate that success again with a new adventure by John Cooper.
Desperados 3 remains true to its predecessors. You control a group of up to five specialists with unique abilities, sneak through isometric levels, and pass the guards’ light cones. Our team includes newcomers like the trapper Hector and old friends like Doc McCoy.
In the original Desperados, we used to be immediately recognized everywhere as an enemy. Now we can stroll along the main street without attracting attention. This, in turn, allows us to probe the situation calmly and perhaps discover crucial clues to our mission.
The settlers 2019
Release Date: Fall 2019
The settlers have made some missteps. For a long time, when The Settlers became Champions of Anteria for the usual RPG mix, it looked like the series had been buried. But in 2019, The Settlers returns with the original inventor Volker Wertich back at the helm!
So it’s not surprising that the reboot is back to classic serial virtues. It is not a real-time strategy game with no RPG bonds but is simply pure building strategy again. You will raise villages, lay roads, and plan goods cycles for a flawlessly optimized economy.
Compared to the original series parts, the new settler wants to offer more diversity, especially in the later game, not only by more goods and buildings but also by different victory conditions. Instead of conquering an area, You can also inspire its inhabitants with an impressive arena fight and let them overrun us.
Imperator: Rome
Release Date: April 25, 2019
Imperator Rome is a new grand strategy game developed by Paradox Development studios and a sequel to Europa Universalis. The studio has vast experience producing strategy games like Crusader Kings and Stellaris.
In Imperator: Rome, you stand at the head of an ancient faction like Celts, Greeks, or Romans. Paradoxically, there is a lot to think about. Governmental systems, trade, diplomacy, and the traits of your group all determine our strategy.
The developers want to dovetail some of the best elements of previous Paradox games. Crusader Kings 2 comes with sophisticated characters who have their ambitions and who we have to handle cleverly. Carrying the wrong man can quickly take backfire if he suddenly no longer supports our Senate’s policy!
Also, another interesting factor in Imperator is that it is more mod-friendly than any other Paradox game we have seen so far. The developers want to provide tools in the future with which modders can easily change the game. Like other Paradox games, Imperator should also be steadily supplied with DLCs.
Iron Harvest
Release Date: At some Point in 2019
Iron Harvest takes an alternate timeline after the First World War, which is better than ours because it has steampunk ‘Mechs. In 1920, a new conflict between the Saxon Empire, the Republic of Polonia, and the state of Rusviet began.
Playfully, Iron Harvest is strikingly reminiscent of Company of Heroes. With relatively small groups of troops, we strike tactical skirmishes and wrestle on the map for sectors. Infantry alliances must fight from cover to cover and use abilities like grenades.
In between, the mighty but clumsy ‘Mechs are stomping and also want to be positioned correctly. A few hits into the vulnerable backside wreck even the most powerful war machine!
In addition to multiplayer battles, Iron Harvest also offers extensive single-player campaigns and tells all three factions’ stories. Each story revolves around three playable heroes who, like Warcraft 3, play a crucial role both playfully and narratively.
Total War: Three Kingdoms
Release Date: May 23, 2019
Three Kingdoms seem like an attempt to unify Total War: Warhammer with the historic parts of the series. Although it will be the first full-fledged historical Total War since Rome 2, it takes some liberty with the story. But what suits it well is the highly romanticized era of the three empires, whose heroes are nationally known legends in China.
You will also see hero warriors who single-handedly strike entire regiments. At least in standard mode, we can alternatively play a more authentic historical game.
The heroes remain the core of the game. They should develop their personality more than ever and even establish relationships with each other, influencing diplomacy.
If our best general in the field has earned the respect of an enemy, an alliance could be more accessible. Because agents are eliminated, the heroes now take on all the roles themselves. We can even smuggle a General into the enemy as a spy and let him ascend to the heir to the throne!
Tropico 6
Release Date: January 25, 2019
Tropico is another building strategy series making a return this year with Tropico 6. This may not be the biggest, but certainly the funniest! In Tropico 6, we once again make our banana republic into our very own Caribbean paradise.
This time we have an entire archipelago open on most maps. Like Anno, each island has its resources, and intelligent dictators need to build a skillfully interlinked economy. We use means of transport from the simple bridge to the cable car.
And if it does not work out, we divert our citizens from the misery by stealing the Eiffel Tower. In Tropico 6, we send our agents on a rampage worldwide to steal a variety of attractions.
Warcraft 3: Reforged
Release Date: At some Point in 2019
As much as we rejoice over the return of Anno and Settlers, Warcraft 3 is the most prominent strategy celebrity on the list. Hardly a strategy game has reached its class in terms of gameplay and story. All the more reason that Blizzard gives it a lavish remake! Warcraft 3: Reforged is not content with just a few sharper textures but replaces each model with a more detailed one. And then it uses the same for new, more comprehensive animated cut scenes!
Reforged also delivers new content. The iconic Stratholme mission has been redesigned to fit the World of Warcraft map better. Also, some characters like Jaina and Sylvanas get more depth in the story. Blizzard responds that after Warcraft 3, they both rose to more critical key positions in Warcraft history than initially thought.
The developers promise that old mods and cards should remain widely compatible for all changes, albeit, with limitations, more complicated ones like Dota might not work directly.
Final Words
This concludes our list of the most promising strategy games of 2024. The list includes already released titles and upcoming strategy games that will be released this year. I hope you enjoyed the list. Stay Blessed.
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