Summary
There is a plethora ofclassic strategy gamesout there, and most fans of the genre still flock back to them, often going as far as the 1990s and early 2000s, times in which many believe the genre peaked. While most hardcore fans won’t really care how a game looks, instead preferring how it feels to play - the same can’t be said for everyone. Most classicstrategy gameshave aged really well in terms of mechanics, map design, and combat, but only a select few havetimeless graphics.
While the recent burst of incredible and gorgeous strategy games such asTriangle StrategyandThe Banner Sagais a welcome revival for the genre, outlined below are some of the classic mainstays that still look amazing decades down the line.
While newer fans oftheCivilizationseriesmight be more familiar with the cartoon-esque graphics the franchise has now adopted,Civilization 3was arguably thepeak of the more realistic stylethe series initially championed. The game was the perfect blend of the subtle visual changes Firaxis Games has been making in each entry. WhileCivilization 3may get overshadowed by some of the more popular games in the series, itimproved the core gameplay loopwhile maintaining the franchise’s identity.
Civilization 3was arguably the peak of the more realistic style the series initially championed
An underrated feature many don’t point out is how good this game still looks. The visuals in this game don’t look out of place in any era of strategy games, and they certainly look great for a game over two decades old. This is also a big reason whymany fans replay itto this day. The importance of U.I. in strategy games cannot be overstated. Players need to manage tons of different menus and contrasting information at once, and inCivilization 3,theU.I. still looks solid. Some even prefer it over those present in newer titles. While the character portraits aren’t great, the map itself is amazing, and every buildable on it blends in.
Fire Emblem: The Blazing Bladeisthe quintessentialFire Emblemgame. As the first in the franchise to grace the Western market, it made quite an impact. By virtue of its solid gameplay mechanics, challenging maps, intricate map design, and fun characters, it quickly became afan favorite in the genre.TheBlazing Bladestill holds up as one of the best GBA games ever released.
Everything inTheBlazing Bladehas a timeless feel to it!
One ofTheBlazing Blade’s best features is itstimeless graphics. The beautiful pixel sprites with flashy animations still look cool today, and so do the bright and vibrant maps with different terrains. Thecharacter portraits also still look exceptional. Overall, everything in this game has a timeless feel to it, which has allowed it to hold up in every aspect since its release.
The originalAdvance Warsstill stands out as one of the best games released on the GBA and is astaple of the strategy genreas a whole.Similar toThe Blazing Blade,not only did this game harness critical and commercial success, but every aspect of it is seemingly timeless. While the core mechanics and gameplay loop are still an inspiration in games today, what is really striking ishow well the graphics have aged over time.
Not only did Advance Wars harness critical and commercial success, but every aspect of it is seemingly timeless!
The character portraits and sprites still look great and have a rustic charm to them, but what really stands out is the maps. Most maps areglowing with rich colorsand are littered with terrain. Be it the all-important roads, forests, or any building, they all look great, and what’s important is they look great over twenty years later post-release. It almost seems likeGBA strategy gamesare timeless in every way.
Warcraftgames have always been ahead of their time, andReign of Chaosfollows that trend perfectly.Warcraft 3was thefirst game developed by Blizzard to feature 3D models, and they did an incredible jobwith them. The cutscenes were a big leap for the genre at the time, and nothing in them would be jarring for a player to witness today. Moreover, the character portraits and in-game battles, while not entirely polished, look great and easily hold up.
With incredible leaps in gameplay and graphics, Warcraft 3: Reign Of Chaos has aged incredibly well!
A game released to universal appraisal, it can still be highlighted asone of the best in the genre. With incredible leaps in gameplay and graphics, this game has aged incredibly well. Notably, the vibrant andcolorful environmentsand the fantastical set pieces are still solid to look at, and they were easy to support on older computers back in the day.
Age of Empires 2is lauded as one ofthe greatest video gamesever made and is universally loved to almost a fault.AoE 2has had countless waves of players flocking to play it over the past quarter-century. Despite the release of some incredible games in the genre, it maystill be the industry standard.
Though a remaster currently exists, it’s hard to deny the timelessness of the original
What sets it apart is how timeless it is in nearly every aspect. The combat units look great, and the variety of different buildings across different empires have all been given equal care; most of them look solid to this day. While the map may look a bit dull in some areas, it still looksgreat in the grand scheme of things. Consequently,AoE 2hasthematic menu screens and U.I., and overall, it makes for agreat graphical package. Though aremaster currently exists, it’s hard to deny the timelessness of the original.
