Summary
Ever since being in the mainstream, gaming and WW2 themes have been closely tied together. The most notable early example would beWolfenstein 3D, which was released in 1992. From that point onward, and likely also thanks to the filmSaving Private Ryan, there has been an abundance of WW2 games that have been released over the years.
FromMedal of Honor, toCall of Duty, to the aforementionedWolfenstein, gamers are never short of opportunities to scratch their WW2 itch. Due to the hundreds (if not thousands) of games in this setting (all with varying levels of quality and entertainment value), it can be hard to know which are worth playing, especially with a never-slowing influx ofWW2-themed gamereleases. For those looking for a fun WW2 experience, the2000sis a great era to check out.
One of the older titles on this list,Medal of Honor: Frontlinewas released during the sixth console generation, yet itstill holds up well to this day.Frontlineattempts to focus on realism first, with the playable missions being based closely on real world battles and campaigns that took place during the Second World War. It also features an authentic list of well-known WW2 weapons for a player to enjoy.
The missions themselves are fun and varied, with large-scale battles, like the Omaha beach assault on D-Day, to slower, stealth-based infiltration missions. After each mission is completed, players are given a performance evaluation with stats and a grading, which really adds to the replayability. To top it off, the fantastic soundtrack is the icing on the cake.
With the third game in the now iconicCompany of Heroesseries not being too far in the rearview mirror, now is the perfect time to jump back into the first entry. This excellent RTS game improves on the normal tropes seen within the genre, requiring control points to be captured to gain resources instead of having to gather those resources individually. This feature gives players more time to enjoy the action, which is whereCompany of Heroesreally shines.
Featuring fully destructible environmentsand smart squad AI,Company of Heroesplayers will feel like they are watching a war movie at times. The campaign includes 15 well-designed missions with a good range of objectives, and the multiplayer and skirmish modes add to the mix by allowing players to play as both the Allied and Axis factions.
The Saboteuris the final game released by the legendary developer ‘Pandemic Studios,’ and they made sure they went out with a bang. This open-world action game places the player ina Nazi-occupied Pariswith the goal of liberating the city via acts of sabotage. Occupied zones find themselves in black and white and only gain color when liberated, which is a nice reminder to show the player that they’re making a difference in the world.
Gameplay-wise,The Saboteurhas tight gunplay, and traversing the world is incredibly fun thanks to the great mix of vehicles and the ability to climb any surface. The open-world also hasa good number of side missionsthat can be completed before or after finishing the main game.
The ever popularCall of Dutyseries has featured a WW2 setting in many of its titles, including some more recent ones, which has meant that the best of these, seen inWorld at War, has fallen a bit to the wayside. This gritty, action-packed entry attempts (and succeeds) toshow the horrors of war, and it doesn’t pull any punches when doing so.
The campaign features a great variety of missions in different world locations, from the Pacific and all through Europe, and never outstays its welcome. The multiplayer mode is fun as would be expected from aCall of Dutytitle, featuring well-designed maps and fun weapons to use and upgrade.
Officially the oldest title on this list,Commandos 2: Men of Courageshows its age with the graphics and gameplay department, but there’s more than enough charm to make it still be worth playing.
This is an RTS gamewith a steep learning curve and a real emphasis on strategy. All squadmates the player controls have their own skills and abilities, from a demolitions expert to a green beret, and these will have to be utilized correctly to have a chance of success through 12 well-designed and challenging missions.
The first game in theBrothers in Armsseries,Brothers in Arms: Road to Hill 30, puts the player in the shoes of Sgt. Matt Baker as he leads his squad of 101st Airbourne Paratroopers through France just prior to the D-Day invasion. Upon first glance, this may look like the usual run-of-the-mill WW2 FPS, but the real focus is on tactics, as enemy squads are just as deadly as the paratroopers, so suppressing and flanking foes is key.
Road to Hill 30is also one of the moreaccurate-to-history WW2 games, as the overall story is closely tied to real events and battles, and the environments were designed to look as they would have in 1944.
