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As our StarCraft II: Wings of Liberty-inspired PC exclusive love affair will soon come to an end due to the incoming Halo: Reach, friends and I discussed which game genre consoles have never held a candle to PC in: the RTS genre. That inspired this post on the three top RTS games of the last five years (ever would be way too hard).

StarCraft

You knew this would be here, right? Though we’re unsure about how accessible Blizzard has really made it for newcomers – the game is a truly overwhelming experience – it has unparalleled polish. Many have described this as, from a technical perspective, the best RTS game of all time and it’s hard to disagree. Blizzard has, unbelievably, managed to balance the rock-paper-scissors mechanic that makes the RTS game genre so compelling to fans. The original StarCraft was genre-defining, StarCraft II: Wings of Liberty is the first title since to redefine the genre and walks onto anybody’s top RTS games list.

Company of Heroes

Yes, this likely comes out of left field for many, but fans of this title will tell you how insanely brilliant Company of Heroes is. It’s brutally visceral, unbelievably detailed, and possibly the simplest-to-understand RTS game ever built – you control a company of heroes soldiers tasked with completing certain objectives, which involve explosions, gun fire and the like, against an opposing side. Simple enough, yes? But it’s that simplicity, how it polishes what we expect of an RTS game to the nth degree, that makes Company of Heroes brilliant even now, a full four years after release. It’s a pity the recently released stand-alone chapter, Company of Heroes: Tales of Valour is a shadow of the original’s unrivalled majesty, but don’t let that deter you. The original is still brilliant today.

Civilization IV: Colonization

Though it is the second expansion pack atop an already brilliant title and coming in the wake of an equally brilliant expansion pack, Civilization IV: Colonization wins us over for refining a franchise that already had plenty going for it. What makes Civilization great is it’s about more than just combat. You’re tasked with building a civilization, good sir/madam, and all the challenges and excitement that go with that have been built into the game. If you have even an inkling of love for the genre and value top RTS games, this game is a must-play, if for no reason other than the reminder that gaming can be more than just blowing things up and killing.

We know we’ve gone and hacked some of you off. There are too many top RTS games in such a niche genre as to not leave out someone’s sacred cow. So, we ask you, dear readers, which RTS game released in the last five years belongs on this list, and why?