“Kirov Reporting” The Most Iconic Voice Lines In Real-Time Strategy (RTS) History
Voice Lines are an integral part of what makes an amazing real-time strategy (RTS) game. They serve a multitude of purposes, both in terms of gameplay, by giving confirmation to the player that a unit was selected, an order was issued, and will be carried out, and just overall informing the player of what’s going on in the game, even if they’re not paying attention. While those are important aspects, the best RTS games also utilize these voice lines to add character.
Games have been home to some absolute bangers when it comes to voice lines, from Scorpion’s “Get Over Here!”, to G-Man’s ominous warnings”The right man in the wrong place can make all the difference in the world”, to Dark Souls memery with “Praise the Sun”, a single voiceline alone can make or break a whole franchise. In this list, I have compiled those that I consider to be the best voice lines in real-time strategy (RTS) games. For the sake of fairness to other franchises, I have limited this list to one entry per video game; otherwise, the list would have been dominated by Stronghold and StarCraft 2. This is a joke list, so feel free to add your own favorites down there, in the comments!
10 – Total War: Shogun 2: “Shameful display!”
Total War: Shogun 2 is already known for being one of the best strategy games ever made, and it’s certainly one of my favorites, but for a game that takes itself so serious, the fact that the now infamous voiceline “shameful display!” being said in the most stereotypical japanese way possible made it all the way to the final version of the game was instantly recognized as an oddity by players and for a good while, the “shamefur dispray!” meme became one of gaming’s most funny memes of the early 2010s, alongside other classics like Skyrim’s “I used to be an adventurer like you. Then I took an arrow in the knee”.
9 – Warhammer 40,000: Dawn of War- Definitive Edition – “Walk softly, and carry a big gun”
Gabriel Angelos, the leader of the Blood Ravens’ 3rd Company during the main campaign of the amazingly perfect real-time strategy (RTS) classic Warhammer 40.000: Dawn of War, has a commanding voice and is an impressive figure on the battlefield, shouting barks like “I command in the name of the Emperor!”, “He who stands with me shall be my brother” and “My faith is my shield”. One voiceline describes the man perfectly: carrying a massive two-handed warhammer, he says, “walk softly, and carry a big gun”, and if you don’t think that’s the epitome of cool, then I’m sorry to say, but you don’t know what being cool is.
8 – Commandos – “Alarm!”
People say that you cannot listen to pictures. While that’s technically true, I disagree with that statement. Show me any screenshot from Commandos: Behind Enemy Lines, and I can instantly hear the following: “Yes, sir!” “Consider it done”, “Just leave it to me”, “That’s easy”, and “Coming right over, sir”, with the “sir” always being particularly emphasized in a weird way that I’m not sure conveys a sense of respect or a disgruntled agreement to my orders. And while those are all memorable voice lines one will hear hundreds of times during a single playthrough, there’s one in particular that’ll trigger a panic attack in every Commandos player, and that’s hearing “Alarm!” being shouted in the most German way possible. That’s the sound that your mission either just got way too tough, or your commandos have been found out and killed, and it’s time to restart. So many memories.
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