Summary
Tactics gamesare often known for being slow, deliberately paced endeavors, where the point is to make sure every move countsand every possibility is accounted for. GameslikeHearts of Iron 4show the kind of precise management and administration that goes into effectively running a good war campaign—which is what a large numberof tactics games (though certainly not all) cover in similar levels of depth.
However, sometimes, players don’t want to sit down and simmer for seven hours over whether the 22nd Battalion should be deployed to the north-western front or the north-north-western front. Some games manage to retain the depth and strategyof many celebrated tactics games while also ensuring that actions on the battlefield or map screen happen fast.These tactics games all maintain a fast pace,but are ranked by how quickly the first bouts of action can occur, as well as how fast it is to set up a game and grasp its core components.
Total War: Shogun 2features incredibly immersive 3D battles that showcase the ferocity of the soldiers fighting for dominance in feudal Japan. Combat and the ‘meat’ of the game—vying for territory—begin as soon as the first handful of opening turns are done, meaning players get into the action straight away.
Whilea myriad of differentsettings will carry thefuture of theTotal Warseries,Total War: Shogun 2is a strategic tactics game like no other. Even years after its release, it remainsan incredible title for fans of the series and the tactics genre.
A divergence from standardTotal Warfare in more ways than one,Total War: Warhammer 3has become one of the most popular installments in this franchise, in no small part due to how faithfully this title brings about many classicWarhammerfactions into the digital world. Players will already begin with large armies fielded and the path to their opponents in view, so there really is very little time ambling about before the meat of the game begins.
The intensity of immediate battles is compounded by the fact thatthis isn’t the simplest gameto pick up, and fans coming intoTotal War: Warhammer 3without much experience in eitherTotal WarorWarhammermay find themselves overwhelmed early on.
It doesn’t get much more iconic thanXCOM 2, easily one of the tactics genre’s biggest games. Negotiating small-scale battles with a tight squad of talented but all-too-mortal soldiers, players must try to make every hit and movement count in order to best some truly terrifying extraterrestrial foes.
Plentyof creative thinkinggoes into making sure the player’s squad is efficient and effective, but once a round starts, players must begin thinking fast immediately. The game is a bit notorious for its high difficulty and addictive nature, especially once players have gotten the hang of its most basic mechanics.
A great game for both veteransand beginners to the 4X genre,Age of Wonders 4is an excellent strategy game that becomes tactical on the combat front, with players positioning small squads of units against one another in a sprawling, immersive game of fantasy chess. It’s a game that takes the macro and the micro both in stride, and is an excellent choice for any fans of strategy or tactics games looking for a new time sink.
The gameplay really starts at full throttle from turn one. There will be guarded resource nodes nearby ready for procuring if the player’s first army can take them, and most factions already have a scout unit produced that can begin scouring the map for potential friends and foes. Battles themselves are also often fast-paced, with elemental weaknesses and advantages based on unit types stacking up quickly.
So many superhero movies with great concepts dedicate two-thirds of their film to origin story fluff, and then cram all the action, narrative stakes, and tension into that remaining chunk. For superhero aficionados who haven’t givenMarvel’s Midnight Sunsa try, worry not; the action in this title starts right away. Players are quickly drawn into the stakes of the game, and combat starts almost immediately, with battles that rarely drag on.
Even working through the ranks of heroes’skills and affection levelsis a fast process. Although there are many levels until maximum affection is reached, players will find themselves constantly pushing through them with brief cutscenes showing how the protagonist is bonding with, say, Eddie Brock or Tony Stark.
Day and night shift quickly inThronefall. Take the day to prepare, then hunker down for battles at night. It’s a simple but effective loop that has made this game very prominent despite its relatively short time on the shelves.
Players can strategize and plot for as long as they need to during the day, but nighttime battles are often lethally swift and to the point, with the player discovering very quickly if the plan they set in place was successful or not.
From the masters behind one of thebest indie roguelikes,FTL, comesInto the Breach. Anyone who’s ever wanted to play as huge mecha smashing in the face of kaiju on tight, blocky chess boards got their wish granted when this game came out seven years ago.
With gameplay as speedy as it is difficult, players have to navigate not just beating down huge monsters in a never-ending time loop but also doing it in a way that minimizes collateral damage.
Games ofMechabellumare often fast and lethal; the player has a plan, and the opponent has a plan. One of those plans will fail spectacularly; then the round ends, and both players strategize and change up their tactics for the next round.
There is an intense level of depth and strategy to the combat inMechabellum, and the robot-based battles often conclude in a flash. Trying to figure out the advantages and disadvantages of every unit type is the longest part of this super-fast title.
