4 – Arma 3
I know what you’re thinking: “Nuno, isn’t Arma 3 set in the future? How the hell is it in a list of your favorite historical games?”. Easy there, I know that, but the reason Arma 3 is in this list is because I don’t play Arma 3 with the in-box content, and instead use it as a basis to download mods and create my own scenarios and experiment with tactics (and yes, I also use it to take an unhealthy amount of screenshots you often find here).
Arma 3 is the best game if you’re looking to recreate any battle that has taken place in the 20th and 21st centuries, even the most obscure ones, because it’s up to you to put something together to your liking. There are literally thousands of high quality mods ranging from the First World War, the Russian Civil War of 1917-1922, the Spanish Civil War, World War 2, Korean War, Colonial Wars of Independence, Vietnam, what-if Cold War, Desert Storm, the Invasion of Iraq, Afeghanistan, and I could be here all day and still wouldn’t cover 1/100 of what’s available on the Steam Workshop. I have used it for academic experimentations, conversations with University professors, and After-Action Reports (AARs) about the Russo-Ukrainian war.
3 – Total War: Shogun 2
I don’t think any game has done so much to popularize Japanese history as Total War: Shogun 2. Arguably, the best Total War game of all time, the game masterfully blends the high-level, turn-based strategy challenges of managing your clan during the Sengoku Jidai period and rising all the way to the top to become the Shogun, alongside what I think are the best real-time strategy tactical battles the series has ever seen in a historical Total War. Massive, visceral (and brutal), every unit is meticulously recreated and animated, creating an unmatched sense of immersion that no other historical Total War game has ever managed to give me.
I love Rome: Total War, but Shogun 2 is just on another step, because it seems that every decision Creative Assembly made while building just came together perfectly. I think the clear goal of becoming the Shogun, the limited scope of Japan, and the turbulent time period (the introduction of new weapons, the arrival of the Europeans, and new religions) are just the perfect fit for the Total War formula. And don’t even get me started on its two amazing expansions: Rise of the Samurai and Fall of the Samurai, which are the definitive best of any Total War game, ever.
2 – Call to Arms – Gates of Hell: Ostfront
By now, you probably have noticed a trend in the fact that I enjoy playing around with video games that give me the tools necessary to experiment with History. Well, for nearly two decades, one of the prime examples of that was Men of War, but as of right now, in 2025, the best game set in World War 2 has to be Call to Arms – Gates of Hell: Ostfront. The game isn’t a true simulation of tactical combat in World War 2, but it manages to mix a lot of tactical depth with a stunning presentation, plenty of high-quality content (Men of War had a lot of filler), a lively multiplayer community, hundreds of mods, and the capacity to easiyl allow its players to play around with the map editor and create their own missions. The game is still in active development, has top-tier DLC content, and a new one focused on the British and German armies during the early war is coming soon! Super excited for that!
Leave a Reply