7 – Order of War
Developer: Wargaming | Release Year: 2009 | Genre: Real-Time Strategy
Talk about an underrated gem of a game! I didn’t even know this was on sale on Steam. I thought it was abandonware and left to rot online, but not at all! See? While doing research for these articles, I even surprised myself! Before dominating the free-to-play arena with World of Tanks, Wargaming crafted Order of War, a cinematic real-time strategy game published by Square Enix that aimed to capture the massive scope of 1944’s pivotal battlefields. Focusing heavily on the Western and Eastern fronts, the game abandons micromanagement in favor of grand, sweeping maneuvers involving hundreds of soldiers, tank columns, and heavy artillery. I’ll be upfront with you, and from what I remember, there were no major mechanics at play here like other games on this list, and this was just a traditional, explosive RTS game with a massive scale that looked impressive for the time, and that was enough for me! I actually think I finished both campaigns, but I won’t swear on it. If you can, pick it up; it usually goes on sale for less than two dollars, and there’s even a demo, imagine that!
6 – Commandos: Strike Force
Developer: Pyro Studios | Release Year: 2006 | Genre: First-Person Tactical Shooter
One of the reasons I do these write-ups is that it forces me to revisit and remember some forgotten details of times gone by, and I found myself surprised by the fact that this is a game from 2006, and not from 2002, but that’s beside the point. The Commandos franchise is legendary for its punishing isometric stealth puzzles, but Commandos: Strike Force took a radical leap by transitioning the formula into a first-person tactical shooter, set on console, no less. While purists at the time were hesitant about the perspective shift, the game was really solid, played very well, gave players some interesting tactical cunnandrums to deal with in very creative ways, and was pretty good at setting the stage for large firefights too. Missions were expansive and sandbox-like in a way that was ahead of its time. While history hasn’t been kind to this unusual experiment, memorable missions like the desperate village defense of White Alamo still hold a dear place in my gaming heart.
5 – Hidden & Dangerous
Developer: Illusion Softworks | Release Year: 1999 / Deluxe 2002 | Genre: Tactical Shooter
Long before modern tactical shooters diluted their mechanics to appeal to casual audiences, Hidden & Dangerous delivered a stark, unforgiving look at Special Air Service (SAS) operations. Players select a squad of operatives from a detailed roster, customize their gear loads down to the weight of ammunition, and set out into massive, open-ended maps. The game features a fully realized tactical map overlay where you can plot intricate paths, assign synchronized attack orders, and set conditional behaviors for your squad mates before taking direct control of any single soldier. A single stray bullet will kill your operatives permanently, making patience, reconnaissance, and careful crossfires absolutely mandatory. It is a masterwork of tension, atmosphere, and deep tactical planning. Now, to be completely transparent with you, this one is quite rough to play in 2026 (it was quite rough in 1999 and 2000), so do be aware that this might take a while to get used to.
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