8 Real-Time Strategy Games That Need Remasters

Key Takeaways

• Rise of Nations is a classic RTS with 18 civilizations and a focus on conquering and expanding territory.
• Command & Conquer: Generals tells a story where US & China team up to defeat the GLA, but a remaster isn’t in sight.
• Earth 2150, set in a recovering world, offers 3 factions, but has yet to receive a remaster despite its engaging gameplay.

Real-time strategy games are very fun to play, as they typically offer multiple factions to choose from, various tactical approaches, and an unmatched feeling of satisfaction when victory is finally achieved against a formidable enemy. This genre has been present in gaming for more than two decades, and over time, it’s only grown and been improved significantly, resulting in better, more attractive games every year.

While innovation and having several new options to choose from is great, there are some real-time strategy titles that were left in the past even though they’re absolute jewels. While many people who play them don’t mind the outdated graphics and game mechanics, it couldn’t hurt to get a more modern rework of them to elevate the experience. Here are some great real-time strategy games that need remasters.

8 Rise of Nations

A Classic With Over 18 Civilizations

• Focused on expanding territory
• Four to eight unique units

Rise of Nations is one of the greatest real-time strategy games ever made, and it focuses on the conquering and expansion of territory. As players gain more territory, they can construct buildings, cities and forts and gain access to more resources that they’ll need down the line for various purposes. Among the many tasks that can be done in Rise of Nations is the repairing of damaged buildings and the gathering of resources to do so.

This title features 18 civilizations, each with 4 to 8 unique units that players can choose from. In some cases, units are based on the nations that would have had them historically, adding another layer of complexity and realism to the game. Terrain also plays a key role in the game, and knowing it better than the opponent is a key aspect to emerging victorious from war.

7 Command & Conquer: Generals

A Great Installment In The C&C Franchise That Demands A Remaster

• Two superpowers unite to bring down a formidable threat
• Many players have requested a remaster for years to no avail

Taking place in the near future, Command & Conquer: Generals presents players with a story where the United States and China work together to try to defeat the Global Liberation Army, otherwise known as the GLA. Like other real-time strategy games, this title allows players to take control of all three factions throughout the game to plan out different strategic approaches and gain an edge in battle with their wits.

While arguably not the best installment in the Command & Conquer franchise, Command & Conquer: Generals is still a blast to play and holds the real-time strategy genre’s standard high. Unfortunately, the game was never remastered, although players have been asking for it for several years. Whether their prayers will ever be answered is yet to be seen, but even if they’re not, the original still has a lot of replay value.

6 Warhammer 40K: Dawn Of War

The Title That Kicked Off The Dawn Of War Franchise

• Players must use Requisition and Power to win
• With Space Marine 2 being recently released, a remaster of this title is unlikely to happen any time soon

The world of Warhammer 40K is vast, complex, and full of more lore than most fans of the franchise have ever had time to read to completion. Warhammer 40K: Dawn of War allows players to command infantry squads and vehicles to defeat their opponents and carry out their strategic plans. To create combat units, players must turn to production buildings and use Requisition and Power, the two resources needed for this war effort.

Warhammer 40K: Dawn of War was so great, that it inspired a trilogy of the same name, dazzling players for many years after the original was released. Unfortunately, this hype and success have not been enough to justify creating a remaster, even though thousands of players frequently request one on online forums. With the recent release of Space Marine 2, it’s unlikely that, if a remaster ever comes, it will be any time soon.

5 Star Wars: Empire At War

A Great RTS Game That Was Overshadowed By Dozens Of Other Games In Its Universe

• Players must use the planets they control for their resources
• A great deep-space RTS

While the Star Wars franchise has spawned many great games in the last 25 years, few are based around the real-time strategy genre, which is what makes Star Wars: Empire at War so special. Unlike other titles in its genre, Empire at War doesn’t rely on building workers, recruiting units and gathering resources, but rather allocates said resources to players depending on how many planets they control.

The more planets players own, the more resources and wealth they’ll have, allowing them to gain an edge in battle and obtain unique bonuses, as well as discounted prices for certain items. As opposed to other games on this list, it’s not that surprising that Star Wars: Empire at War has never had a remaster, as the gaming universe around this franchise has expanded immensely since the late 90s. This has likely kept developers busy making other masterpieces, like Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic, or the more recent Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order.

4 The Lord Of The Rings: The Battle For Middle Earth 2

An Outstanding RTS Game Covering Some Of Tolkien’s Work

• Set in the War in the North
• Many different factions for players to choose from

Few franchises have amassed such a large following as Tolkien’s The Lord of the Rings, which has inspired a fair number of TV shows, video games, and, of course, movies. Set in the northern region of Middle-earth, The Lord of the Rings: The Battle for Middle-earth 2 covers the events of the armed conflict known as the War in the North. This title features six different factions that players can choose from—three from the forces of good, and three from the forces of evil.

The available factions are: Men of the West, Elves, Dwarves, Isengard, Mordor, and Goblins. Each faction has unique traits that players must take into consideration before diving into battle to ensure they have the best odds of winning. While The Lord of the Rings‘ gaming universe was vast when this title was released, it appears to have slowly but surely died off in the late 2000s. And while some great games, such as Shadow of Mordor have been released since then, the golden era was arguably between 2000 and 2006, which explains why Battle for Middle-earth 2 hasn’t been remastered.

3 Total Annihilation

A Futuristic Conflict Between Two Opposing Factions

• Set in a very distant future
• The Galactic War Between the CORE Empire and the ARM Rebellion is really interesting

Players who love futuristic real-time strategy games will surely remember Total Annihilation, as the game is set several thousands of years into the future and revolves around the events of a galactic war between the CORE empire and the ARM rebellion. Throughout the campaign, players will have the chance to show their might on various planets and moons to defeat their opponents and emerge victorious in battle.

While Total Annihilation isn’t the only (or the best) real-time strategy game set in the future, it delivers a wonderful experience that’s lots of fun and has captivated players for years. This makes it really unfortunate that a remaster hasn’t been released in over two decades since this title came out. Hopefully, one day it will be a possibility and players will get to experience this title once again, but through more modern lenses.

2 Company Of Heroes

An Amazing Title Set In A Dark Period Of Human History

• A great RTS focusing on a real-life event
• Players must take control of several points of interest

Set during World War 2, Company of Heroes puts players in control of two U.S. military units during the bloody Battle of Normandy in the midst of the Allied liberation of France in the same period. When this title came out, real-time strategy games focusing on real-life periods had been around for several years. However, as this title proved, it’s not always necessary to break the mold to deliver a wonderful experience to players.

Like other games in this genre, Company of Heroes relies heavily on resource management and the reinforcement of troops. Players must plan their moves carefully and ensure that they’re taking a more strategic approach to battle if they want to win. Taking control of points of interest is also key, as the more points players control, the more resources they’ll get. And the more resources they have, the easier it will be to win. Players have been asking for a remake for years, but sadly, to this day, it still hasn’t happened.

1 Earth 2150

Three Factions Fight In A World Recovering From Destruction

• Platform(s): PC, macOS
• Released: June 12, 2000
• Developer(s): Reality Pump Studios, TopWare Interactive, Zuxxez Entertainment
• Genre(s): Real-time strategy
• The Earth is just recovering from a long period of war and destruction
• Three different factions to choose from

As its name suggests, Earth 2150 is set in the 22nd century, during a period where the world is slowly recovering from many years of famine and war that left it and society destroyed. Surprisingly, this title does not have as many factions as others in its genre, as there are only three: The Lunar Corporation (LC), the United Civilized States (UCS), and the Eurasian Dynasty (ED). This would make it seem like the game might feel a little restricted, but that’s not the case, and the gaming experience is a blast.

Sadly, as it’s happened with many titles on this list, Earth 2150 never got a remaster, as the developers focused more on releasing Earth 2160, a direct sequel to it. At the time of writing this article, Earth 2150 is already 24 years old, so it’s unlikely that a remaster is ever released, no matter how many players want it.