4 – Company of Heroes 3
I get this question often: Is Company of Heroes 3 worth it in 2025? Well, my answer is: Yes, it is. Is it perfect like the first Company of Heroes? No. Is it as grand as the second? Also no. But is it a good real-time strategy (RTS) game set in the World War II Mediterranean Theater, covering both the Allied invasion of Italy and the Axis North African campaign? Yes, that is. Company of Heroes 3 still retains the series’ acclaimed focus on intense, tactical, company-level combat where managing cover, line of sight, and unit abilities is crucial to victory. The game innovates with a new Dynamic Campaign Map for the Italian front, offering a large, turn-based “sandbox” where players guide their forces, manage supply lines, and make strategic decisions that impact the campaign’s narrative and outcomes. Much has been said about the quality of said campaign at release, on how broken it was, but having played it recently, I think it’s the best and most interesting part of the game.
3 – Total War: Medieval II – Definitive Edition
This time, Total War: Warhammer III is giving its place to one of my favorite games of the Total War series (just right after Rome), Total War: MEDIEVAL II – Definitive Edition! This is the complete package of the classic 2006 grand strategy game developed by Creative Assembly. The core experience combines a deep, turn-based strategic campaign—spanning from 1080 to 1530 AD across Europe, the Middle East, North Africa, and the New World—with massive, real-time tactical battles featuring thousands of units. I still remember that during my University years, way after the game came out, listening to my peers constantly talking about how they managed their empires through diplomacy, religion, trade, and assassination, while their generals led armies in brutal, cinematic combat. Great times indeed.
2 – Tempest Rising
Tempest Rising was, quite possibly, the most anticipated classic-style real-time strategy (RTS) game ever. Developed by Slipgate Ironworks, it promised to bring back the days of the highly popular Command & Conquer series from the 1990s. The game is set in an alternate-history 1997, decades after a nuclear World War III, where global superpowers now vie for control of a mysterious, potent energy resource. Yes, it’s still ridiculous, and it’s still as corny as you’re expecting it to be. The best part of the game is, of course, the campaign and the units it has, even though I still think they could have gone a bit further with them and made them even more unique (really, no paratrooper bears?). Tempest Rising is still worth your time and money, especially if you’re a fan of the older C&C titles. It’s just 25 dollars for this one!
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