OcUK Staff Top Fives: Simon’s Top Five Strategy Games

It’s no secret that we here at Overclockers UK are big into our gaming. We live for new game hype and love to replay our old favourites. Over 2024, we’ll be sharing our own top fives across a spicy selection of genres. This month we’re looking at Simon’s Top 5 Strategy Games. 

The strategy genre has had a long and illustrious history in gaming, since its conception in the late 80s. Hitting its peak in the late nineties and continuing into the new millennium, the strategy genre has now become a bit more niche in its appeal after spawning the hugely popular MOBA genre. But it’s still going strong with new releases and remasters of classics regularly being dropped. So, if like me, you enjoy taking a break from relying on twitch reflexes and instead want to flex your brains and micro, then check out my favourite strategy games. 

Gemfire 

Now, this is an obscure choice. Firstly, it’s a strategy game that was on console, and there aren’t many good ones. Second, it’s old, as the version I played was on Mega Drive. Third, it was never released in Europe. My brother had a Genesis copy he picked up while on holiday in America, and back then it was possible to play some NTSC games on a PAL console. 

Anyway, Gemfire is set in a land called Ishmeria, ruled by a despot King, Eselred. Using the power of the magical crown Gemfire, he oppresses his subjects to do his bidding. However, his kindhearted daughter Princess Robyn, removes the magical gems from the crown, whereupon they scatter across Ishmeria into the hands of one of the many powerful families. With the help of the six wizards contained within these gems, it’s up to these families to overthrow Eselred and return freedom to Ishmeria. 

The game is quite advanced for its age, with multiple systems to juggle if you are to stand any chance of overthrowing Eselred. This includes building a standing army, and recruiting mercenaries, such as a squad of bugbears or an olog-hai, to carrying out acts of espionage like bribing an enemy vassal to switch sides or destroying the crops of a region. There’s so much to consider, that I could hardly comprehend it all when I first played it.  

But then there are the fun battles. For the day, these were highly advanced. Moving one of your many little units around a 10×8 map, trying to position yourself for a side or rear attack against an enemy unit, and then watching as opposing forces meet in stunning 16-bit cutscenes. Being a sword and sorcery dork, it was everything I could wish for. 

Dawn of War Series 

Little cheat here, in that this is more than one game. In fact, it’s two with multiple expansions as well. And before you ask, we do not acknowledge the existence of a third game. By order of His Most Holy Inquisition, that Heresy has been expunged. 

I’ve chosen Dawn of War and its sequel for two different reasons. The first game is a staple for my friends and I, one we always play when we get together. It’s become a well-worn comfort blanket. We were all in awe when Relic put out those original trailers, talking about all the mechanics you’d see in game – it really was like bringing the tabletop game to life.

Dawn of War offered a new take on the RTS genre. Base building was still vitally important, allowing you to advance your technology level. The major change came in how units are managed, in place of building masses of units, you’re limited in how many you can support, generally around a dozen squads and a similar number of vehicles. This fresh take on the genre is what made us put down StarCraft and make the switch. 

Now, Dawn of War 2 is a different beast, it has a phenomenal single player campaign. The story had me coming back again and again, especially when Chaos Rising and its betrayal mechanic were thrown into the mix. Dawn of War 2 masterfully wove a tale that engrossed you in the lore of the Blood Ravens chapter of Space Marines, and their attempts to survive the xenos and heretical threats they face.

Sid Meier’s Civilization 6 

It was a tough call on which Civilization game to pick. I’ve only played five and six, but still have hundreds of hours in each. I know, what you’re thinking, I’m such a casual. I do, however, love a game of Civ with friends. It’s nice and relaxed and allows for plenty of time to banter. 

It’s an easy game to pick up but has so much depth you’ll never be able to fully master it. What makes it so much fun is that every decision counts, one wrong move in the early game can leave you scuppered for hundreds of turns in the future. For example, researching fishing as your first technology, doesn’t make too much sense if you are starting in the desert, perhaps mining would be a better choice. Similarly, though, you need to be able to adapt. If Gandhi pips you to building the Pyramids, what are you going to use that reclaimed production for, so it doesn’t go to waste?  

There are multiple routes to victory in Civ. This means that you never know what others are aiming for. Cleopatra could be chasing a scientific victory, meanwhile, Harald Hardrada is perhaps aiming for a religious one. You need to carefully ensure you are always one step ahead, or maybe just crush them with your military instead.  

Of course, Civilization is the pinnacle of the just one more turn game. It’s so engrossing that you will lose time. You’ll be concentrating on getting that Hagia Sophia built when suddenly you realise it’s 3am, and you should’ve been in bed hours ago. Oh well, you’re this far in, might as well just finish this turn, and then you’re lost again!  

XCOM 2 

Moving from a grand scale strategy game to a more personal one, my next pick is 2016’s XCOM 2. The phenomenal sequel to XCOM: Enemy Unknown. The surprise reboot of the 90s classic series. 

Instead of leading large civilisations or squads of massed infantry, XCOM 2 puts you in charge of a small group of four to six soldiers. These guys are vital in pulling off daring missions across the globe, with little resources. You’re the leader of a resistance group in a world where the Aliens won. As such you have minimal resources, a couple of scientists and engineers, a dozen or so soldiers equipped with basic gear, and a mobile base that has seen better days.

 I love this story, it’s what made me come back to the game over and over. That and the brutal gameplay on offer. Be ready, XCOM 2 will kick your ass. Especially on the harder modes, where you have a limited number of saves. No reloading after a bad turn on those modes! 

Thanks to this, you’ll come to love your troops, they’ll be like your children. Wanting to keep them safe from harm, but knowing they must go out there and experience the harsh realities of the world. Luckily, these experiences will mould your troops into hardened bad asses, who can take down the forces of ADVENT and their Alien masters in no time at all.  

The customisation of your troops is thoroughly satisfying, leveling them up, unlocking skills, and equipping them with the latest equipment dreamt up by the R&D boffins. However, this all comes at the cost of being overly attached, should a mission go wrong, and you should lose one of those precious squaddies, it can be soul destroying. Even worse, is if you lose all your team, that is a death sentence. Hopefully, you shared the love amongst all your troops, instead of concentrating on a small number. Otherwise, you’re going to lose so much time getting back up to speed, and time is a limited resource in XCOM 2. If you take too long, ADVENT and their Alien overlords will eventually complete their plans, and it’ll be all over for humanity. 

Honorable Mentions 

Now, I’d probably get lynched if I didn’t mention Warcraft and Starcraft at least once somewhere in here. It’s not overexaggerating to say gaming would not be where it is today without these two series from Blizzard. Without Warcraft, you don’t have Warcraft 3’s custom game creator. If you don’t have custom maps, then there is no Defense of the Ancients. If you never have DotA, we don’t get the MOBA genre. Then there’s Starcraft, the game that exploded the competitive gaming scene with its massive tournaments over the years. 

If you’ve seen my gaming set-up article, it should come as no surprise that Vandal Hearts for the PS1 also ranks way up there for me. This is another tactics style game like XCOM, just nowhere near as punishing. You command an eclectic group of characters on a journey that takes them from simple guard patrols to a full-on rebellion against an evil dictator. A fantastic title from Konami’s golden age of gaming. 

Now combining my love of both computer and board games, I’ve got to mention Risk. The granddaddy of any of my picks, this game has been around since 1959! And I’ve been playing it for decades! Risk was a game I’d play with family when I was younger, then introduced to my friends when I was older, and continue to play today. The only thing is, the dice are never with me, and I always lose! This is somewhat remedied by the modern version you can play for free on Steam, where it utilises a percentile system over the true randomness of a D6, which gives me an actual chance to get a win. Occasionally. 

Command & Conquer 

Now if you’ve read my Top 5 FPS blog, you’ll remember I mentioned Dark Forces was the first FPS I ever played. Well without Command & Conquer that wouldn’t have happened, as C&C was the game that got me into PC gaming. 

I first saw it at my local game shop. I had gone in with my dad looking for a Mega Drive or Gameboy game, but the owner had this on show and let me have a go. I was hooked, and my Dad, who spoiled me something rotten, went and got our first PC because of this. 

In Command & Conquer: Tiberium Dawn, to give it its full name, you can play as one of two factions. The UN-backed Global Defense Initiative (GDI) or the Brotherhood of Nod, a militaristic religious organisation under the leadership of the enigmatic Kane. Each faction offers a distinct campaign to follow. GDI seeks to weed Kane out of his lair somewhere in Europe, meanwhile NOD explores Africa looking for a way to gain control of a secret superweapon. Each campaign is made up of around fifteen missions, with the GDI one being the easier of the two, it is the one I finished back in the day, whereas NOD I had to wait a few years before I could finish it. 

The best part of the game, though, is the FMV cutscenes. Every mission starts off with a briefing from either Brigadier General Sheppard, if you’re playing GDI, or Seth and later Kane himself, if you choose Nod. They feature excellent acting and are the perfect way to get you pumped up to go on a mission. Joe Kucan, who played Kane, is of course the MVP of these scenes, just exuding a commanding presence that keeps you hooked.  

Even better, you can enjoy both Command & Conquer: Tiberium Dawn and Red Alert today, because EA did something good for once and released an excellent remaster bundle of both games. This outstanding collection includes the base games, their expansion packs, and they even included the wacky Ants and Dinosaurs special campaigns – what’s more to love?! 

Oh, and one more thing – Kane lives in death! Yes, I know that’s Tiberium Sun, but it still stands.

Best Gaming PCs for Strategy Games 

Many strategy games often call for more CPU processing power than graphical muscle. Luckily for you, you can find a wide range of gaming PCs here at Overclockers UK that feature high end processors from both Intel and AMD.  

OcUK Gaming Mach 3 

The OcUK gaming Mach 3 offers exceptional gaming performance at a fantastic value. Plus, the Mach 3 is a pre-built gaming PC, meaning it is ready to go with next day delivery available! This powerful gaming PC is equipped with an AMD Ryzen 7 5700X3D CPU and innovative 3D V-Cache technology, a breakthrough in CPU cache memory that delivers phenomenal performance in gaming workloads. This is paired with 32GB of 3200MHz DDR4 RAM, for blazing fast operation even during the largest battles. Furthermore, with an NVIDIA RTX 4070 Super GPU, you’ll easily be able to play your games at 1440p with silky smooth frame rates and gorgeous graphics.  

Acer Predator Helios Neo 16 gaming Laptop

With a gaming laptop, you can keep engaged with your favourite strategy titles while on the road. The Acer Predator Helios Neo 16 is an awesome choice, capable of playing a wide range of modern titles, whilst offering excellent reliability. Boasting an Intel Core i7-14650HX CPU and an NVIDIA RTX 4060 GPU, this laptop delivers beautiful graphics with consistently high frame rates. Furthermore, the highly portable chassis and 90-watt-hour battery make it the perfect choice whether you’re at home, in the office, or travelling.  

OcUK Gaming Katana 

The OcUK Gaming Katana is a powerhouse computer, perfect for playing the latest strategy games at high resolutions. This configurable PC boasts an Intel Core i7 14700KF CPU, which is capable of reaching clock speeds of up to 5.6GHz. We have paired this phenomenal processor with 32GB of blazing fast 5600MHz DDR5 RAM, to handle even the most complex workloads. Alongside these, the Katana is equipped with an NVIDIA RTX 4070 Ti Super GPU for producing beautiful graphics and silky smooth frame rates in any game. Moreover, this is a customisable gaming PC, so there are many options available for switching components to suit your requirements in our configurator. 

Fight, Win, Prevail

Well, that’s my top five strategy games, I’m sure there’ll be ones you think I’ve missed, or that I shouldn’t have chosen. Let us know about them in the comment section below.