Real-time strategy (RTS) games have long been popular among gamers who enjoy thoughtful gameplay requiring management of resources, building structures and units, and outmaneuvering opponents. While more associated with PC gaming, console platforms like the PlayStation 4 have seen quality RTS titles ported over or developed exclusively for them.
If you own a PS4 and want to experience the best the RTS genre has to offer, this list showcases the top games available, from both major franchises and indie developers.
A Brief History of the PlayStation 4
The PlayStation 4 (PS4) is Sony‘s current-generation console and successor to the hugely popular PlayStation 3. First announced in February 2013, the PS4 launched in North America on November 15, 2013 with European and other territory launches following in the subsequent months.
Out of the gate, the PS4 focused on simplicity and streamlining the user experience. The DualShock 4 controller added new features like a touchpad and headphone jack, while a revised user interface made navigating menus easier. Most notably, the PS4 architecture was designed from the ground up to enable seamless online multiplayer and social capabilities.
As of January 2022, over 117 million PS4 consoles have been sold worldwide. It has far outsold competitors like the Xbox One and Nintendo Switch to become one of the best-selling consoles ever made. Much of this success can be attributed to some truly groundbreaking exclusive games over the years.
While not traditionally considered a platform for real-time strategy fans, there are quite a few excellent RTS games available on PS4. Let‘s look at the top titles the platform offers.
7 Best PlayStation 4 Real-Time Strategy Games
#7: Orcs Must Die! Unchained
Release Date: July 18, 2017
Developer: Robot Entertainment
Key Features:
- Blends tower defense with MOBA elements
- 4 playable heroes with unique abilities
- Tons of weapons (over 40)
- Horde mode with 100+ enemy types
If you‘re seeking an action-packed RTS/tower defense hybrid, Orcs Must Die! Unchained deserves your attention. The game builds on the Orcs Must Die! franchise with fun heroes to control, a myriad of traps and weapons to employ, and intense skirmishes versus AI or human opponents.
It garnered mostly positive reviews, with 70% on Metacritic based on its strong gameplay foundations. However, the title was ended up being shut down in 2019. But if you can find a copy, it offers engaging tower defense battles.
#6: DG2: Defense Grid 2
Release Date: September 23, 2014
Developer: Hidden Path Entertainment
Key Features:
- Huge single-player campaign
- Competitive and co-op multiplayer
- Robust map editor to create custom levels
- Range of upgradeable defensive towers
The original Defense Grid pioneered the tower defense genre on consoles and PC. This sequel builds on that foundation with new modes, expanded progression, and multiplayer capability.
The campaign offers hours of addictive gameplay that challenges you to survive waves of aliens using smart tower placement and upgrades. Outside of this, you can join 2-player co-op to tackle story missions or face human opponents in competitive challenges.
Reviewers praised the sequel as a meaningful step forward for the series, earning 71 on Metacritic. If you want a standalone tower defense fix on PS4, Defense Grid 2 is a great pick.
#5: Sudden Strike 4
Release Date: August 15, 2017
Developer: Kalypspo Media
Key Features:
- Historically-accurate real-time gameplay
- 20+ story missions across WWII battlefronts
- 9 playable commanders, 100+ authentic units
- Competitive multiplayer
For warfare RTS fans, Sudden Strike 4 offers realistic, tactical World War II battles spanning the European and African fronts. You control infantry, tanks, and air units across large maps modeled after real engagements during the Second World War.
It received very positive reviews for its strategic depth and faithfulness to history, earning a 76 critic score on Metacritic. With three campaigns chronicling different sides of the war, this is a meaty RTS for military buffs to sink their teeth into.
#4: This War Of Mine: The Little Ones
Release Date: January 29, 2016
Developer: 11 Bit Studios
Key Features:
- Gritty survival premise during city siege
- Craft weapons/items to aid survival
- Base defense from human threats
- Play as child characters
This War of Mine: The Little Ones is a standalone DLC that builds on the original title‘s emotional journey of civilians enduring a fictional war. You control survivors struggling to gather supplies and food while protecting your shelter from dangerous bandits.
The introduction of child characters needing care adds a new dimension to decision-making. Reviewers praised this emphasis on civilian experiences amidst wartime, giving the game an 80 Metacritic score. It‘s a fresh, survival take on wartime RTS gameplay.
#3: Desperados III
Release Date: June 16, 2020
Developer: Mimimi Productions
Key Features:
- Tactical stealth action in Wild West
- 5 outlaws with unique skillsets
- Huge enemy camps to infiltrate
- Lethal & non-lethal approaches
Desperados III mines a distinctive niche, transferring RTS mechanics into a story-driven stealth tactics experience. Set in a vivid Western setting, you guide a gang of five outlaws possessing unique abilities ideal for infiltration missions.
Critics adored the game, awarding it an 80 critic average on Metacritic. It offers a fresh strategic challenge perfect for players tired of traditional base building and unit production. If you want an RTS with more adventure and characters, Desperados III delivers.
#2: The Tomorrow Children: Phoenix Edition
Release Date: September 6, 2022
Developer: Q-Games
Key Features:
- Dystopian Soviet setting
- Survival city builder hybrid
- Missions to gather town resources
- Up to 10 player co-op
After the original game was taken offline in 2017, The Tomorrow Children was revived and re-released as The Tomorrow Children: Phoenix Edition in 2022 – and what a glorious comeback it is..
Blending survival mechanics and city building extras, players work to construct towns in an alternate Soviet society living underground while gathering vital resources. The crazy premise works thanks to fun construction elements and the ability for up to 10 players to build cooperatively together.
In its new incarnation, The Tomorrow Children stands as a distinctly original PS4 exclusive RTS worth experiencing.
#1: Shadow Tactics: Blades of the Shogun
Release Date: August 1, 2017
Developer: Mimimi Games
Key Features:
- Command ninjas in Edo Japan
- Stealthily take down targets
- 5 heroes with unique abilities
- Meticulous, challenging missions
Earning outstanding review scores, Shadow Tactics: Blades of the Shogun creatively mashes up stealth action and tactics. Set in Edo Japan, you control a group of five specialized ninjas tasked with assassinating military leaders.
You must utilize each hero‘s talents like sniping, sabotage traps, and disguises to work through complex, multilayered missions. It received widespread critical acclaim for its smart design and strategic satisfaction, claiming an 84 Metacritic score. This is undoubtedly one of the most rewarding, polished RTS experiences found on PlayStation 4.
Where to Buy PlayStation 4 RTS Games
The games featured above represent the best real-time strategy titles available on PS4, but there are a few other notables worth checking out like Halo Wars 2, Ancestors Legacy, and Tooth and Tail.
As one of the largest online marketplaces around, Amazon offers all these RTS games new and used:
Beyond Amazon, several other top retailers sell both physical and digital PS4 games:
- PlayStation Store: Buy digital copies to download directly to your console
- GameStop: New and pre-owned PS4 RTS games
- Best Buy: Deep electronics retailer selling all the latest titles
What to Know Before Buying PS4 RTS Games
The RTS genre stems back to the early 90s, so many gameplay principles have been long established. But modern technology and the PS4 hardware open the door for innovation.
When evaluating PlayStation 4 real-time strategy games to purchase, keep a few key aspects in mind:
Gameplay Depth: Look for titles offering complex mechanics beyond just gathering resources and building bases. Extra elements like stealth, unique heroes, and environmental interactions indicate meaningful variety.
Visual Fidelity: Don‘t expect cutting edge graphics, but lighting, textures, environments, and technical performance should meet expectations for a late-gen PS4 game.
Progression Systems: The best RTS games feature compelling meta progression. As you play, options expand including items to craft, new units to produce, and technology upgrades.
Multiplayer: Almost all top recent RTS games offer online multiplayer matches or co-op modes. Since competing against friends (rather than just AI) offers more long-term enjoyment, multiplayer functionality is ideal.
Final Thoughts
The RTS genre enjoys devoted fans thanks to rewarding, mentally-involving gameplay. Mastering real-time strategy requires diligent practice, but victory delivers huge excitement.
While the PlayStation 4 may not offer the sheer volume of titles found n PC, the console boasts some shockingly good RTS games. From the stealth action thrills of Shadow Tactics to the online insanity of Orcs Must Die! Unchained, PS4 players have solid options.
Hopefully the above list of the absolute best PlayStation 4 RTS games provides a helpful entry point to this legendary genre. All the mentioned PS4 games offer their own unique brand of strategic entertainment perfect for both casual gamers and diehard real-time addicts.