Multiplayer-Focused RTS Games With Great Single-Player Story Modes

Key Takeaways

• Real-time strategy games offer engaging multiplayer matchups for competitive players.
• Fans of single-player modes have access to story-driven RTS campaigns in various games.
• Titles like
  Age of Mythology: Retold
  and
  Warcraft 3
  offer immersive narratives beyond just multiplayer.

Real-time strategy games are a joy to play, with most players loving the competitive multiplayer matchups of the best games in this genre. Fans love the idea of outpacing the opposition and either amassing an army strong enough to conquer their foes or achieving a victory by other means.

However, some players love the single-player modes in this genre and don’t want to get the short end of the stick from titles that are geared toward multiplayer. Thankfully, these players have their fair share of amazing story-driven RTS campaigns to choose from, including ones in games that may seem to prioritize multiplayer over everything else.

8 Age Of Mythology: Retold

Arkantos’ Story Is An Epic Tale For The Ages

Age of Mythology may not have captured the same fanbase as Age of Empires 2, but there’s no denying that the game has dedicated players who continue to enjoy the many multiplayer modes present in this mythological spin on the AoE formula.

Age of Mythology: Retold promised players more of the same, and one thing old fans wanted to jump into was the game’s amazing story campaigns, which had a lot of thought and effort put into them. It was clear that being free of the chains of history that bound other games in the genre aided the narrative quality quite a bit, and new fans will be surprised after checking out the immense quality of the campaign.

7 Empire Earth

Numerous Campaigns Across The Game’s Diverse Ages

Empire Earth is one of the wildest RTS games ever made, encompassing ages that start from prehistoric times before letting players move on to the future. Players will love multiplayer matchups where speedrunning through the ages takes precedence before players can amass the strongest army possible and go to war.

This unique take on the genre’s gameplay helps the campaigns shine too, letting players experience everything from stories based on historical events to original tales that are rife with fun dialogue and scenarios. It helps that Empire Earth‘s gameplay is very similar to Age of Empires, making it all the more familiar for players who want to jump into the single-player content without too many problems.

6 Warcraft 3: Reign Of Chaos

An Epic Fantasy Story With Some Of Gaming’s Most Iconic Characters

There was a time when Blizzard Entertainment was hailed by many as one of the best video game companies around, with games like Warcraft 3 further cementing this image. The RTS gameplay was as engaging as anything on the market, but a huge part of what made this game a mainstream success was its epic plot.

Multiplayer may have kept Warcraft 3 relevant in the long run, but what initially endeared this title to fans was an epic story that let players control heroes and witness their descent in some of the most epic storytelling an RTS game has to offer.

5 Homeworld

An Impressive Sci-Fi RTS With A Campaign To Match

At the time of its release, Homeworld was one of the most impressive RTS games ever made. Its learning curve was pretty steep, but it rewarded players who learned from their failures and understood how to amass an impressive fleet and overpower their opponents.

Homeworld‘s multiplayer was a joy to play for hardcore RTS fans, but everyone could jump into the campaign and enjoy a riveting story where they must help the Kushan recover their home world. It’s an excellent story that will help players learn the ropes before they choose to jump into the multiplayer side of things.

4 Command & Conquer: Tiberian Sun

A Campy Story That Helped This Game Become More Popular With Fans

Tiberian Sun is one of the best Command & Conquer games players can get their hands on. The game’s presentation was turned up a notch from previous entries in the franchise, ensuring that multiplayer matchups could be breakneck and intense during the cinematic battles players were treated to.

What made things even better was the campy single-player story that went all in on its hammy FMVs while letting players explore a riveting sci-fi setting. The objectives in the campaign are varied enough to capture any player’s attention and encourage them to uncover the charm of this beloved RTS game’s story.

3 The Lord Of The Rings: Battle For Middle-earth

The Two Campaigns Ensure That This LotR RTS Remains Beloved By Many

Any Lord of the Rings fan would love the idea of playing an RTS game set in the series’ world. Battle for Middle-earth accomplishes exactly that, serving up an excellent multiplayer experience that dedicated fans continue to enjoy on unofficial game servers.

The “Good” campaign covers the events of the story from the books and films and lets players play an active role in the victories of the Fellowship. However, most fans love the “Evil” campaign for providing an alternate take on the story, which is a treat for long-time fans of The Lord of the Rings.

2 Age Of Empires 4

Structures Its Campaign Like A Documentary

Fans were elated to hear that a new Age of Empires game would be released after a lengthy wait, with Age of Empires 4’s release appeasing many fans. This sequel emulates Age of Empires 2‘s best qualities and builds on some of its gameplay elements in a way that fans will adore.

The multiplayer side of things boasts the quality players would expect from the AoE series, but it’s the single-player campaign that will surprise many fans. The game makes the brilliant decision of structuring the campaign like a documentary, which makes complete sense given that this is a re-telling of real-life martial conflicts from throughout history.

1 StarCraft

Another Iconic Blizzard RTS With A High-Quality Campaign

Another amazing RTS game that was a revolution in its time, StarCraft introduces a sci-fi world with three unique races to choose from. The Terrans, Zerg, and Protoss are a joy to control, and each brings their strengths to the table, which makes for a balanced multiplayer experience.

However, it would be impossible to brag about StarCraft without mentioning the story-focused campaign rife with amazing writing. The fact that the sequel is considered inferior from a narrative perspective despite being more mechanically sound speaks volumes about the writing chops Blizzard brought to the table for this title.