The Ultimate Challenge: Top 8 Hardest Tactics Games
Experience the ultimate test of strategy and decision-making with these 8 toughest tactics games From the haunting Othercide to the legendary XCOM series, each game will push you to your limits and challenge your every move Are you ready to take on the hardest of the hard?
In tactics games, players are required to consider the battlefield terrain as they move their units around to gain the upper hand against opposing forces. This adds another layer of complexity to the gameplay, as victory cannot be guaranteed by simply placing units in the front line. The strategic placement of key units on the map can ultimately determine the outcome of the battle. For those seeking a challenge, here are some tactics games that will put your strategic skills to the test.
8 Othercide
The Lovecraftian-inspired tactical game Othercide, developed by Lightbulb Crew and Focus Home Interactive, puts players in charge of a group of Daughters, each with unique roles as melee, defense, and ranged support. However, the game's challenging combat system adds an extra layer of difficulty, as players must carefully manage their action points to avoid exhaustion and delay their turn. Healing is also a strategic choice, as players must sacrifice a Daughter of equal strength to restore the health of another.
These mechanics, along with the randomly-generated combat stages and enemy locations make this game one of the more difficult tactics titles in recent years.
7 The Banner Saga Series
The Banner Saga series offers players the opportunity to shape the destinies of two distinct characters based on their choices. Drawing inspiration from Nordic mythology, the games feature a delightful and captivating ensemble of characters that can be collected across all three installments.
Players face a challenging gameplay experience due to the Strength and Damage mechanic of the game. The Damage of a unit depends on the amount of Strength it has, which reduces as the unit takes hits. Consequently, units with lower Strength have weaker Damage. With the game's diverse terrain and enemy types, players must strategize to achieve victory in later stages.
6 Wild ARMs XF
In Wild ARMs XF, also referred to as Wild ARMs Crossfire, the gameplay has been enhanced with tactical elements, which sets it apart from the previous titles in the Wild ARMs franchise. The game maintains its Western theme and features characters armed with predominantly ranged weapons to take down enemies on the map. While these weapons deal damage from a distance, their reliability diminishes as enemies move further away.
The game's objectives per stage can be a source of frustration for players due to the unfavorable odds that are often stacked against them. As a result, a significant portion of the game is centered around trial-and-error problem-solving.
5 Into The Breach
In Into the Breach, players are tasked with controlling powerful mechs and defending establishments against monstrous creatures. The objective is to protect buildings and save civilians from being annihilated by the enemy's destructive rampage. The game's tactical gameplay provides a self-contained experience for players to fully immerse themselves in the action-packed world of mech battles and monster-slaying.
Players have the freedom to dictate the movements and attacks of their units on the battlefield. However, it is crucial to prioritize protecting the mechs as the player's health is linked to the number of civilian structures that remain intact. Additionally, the stages and building locations introduce rogue-like elements, requiring players to adapt to defend the civilians and eliminate monsters while considering the map's hazards that could tilt the battle in their favor or against it.
4 Tactics Ogre Reborn
The pioneering game, Tactics Ogre, is often credited with setting the foundation for tactical games such as Final Fantasy Tactics. Even though it is not as well-known as the latter outside of Japan, Tactics Ogre still boasts a loyal fanbase.
Fortunately, Tactics Ogre Reborn, the game's recent remake, has breathed new life into the beloved classic by introducing a number of quality-of-life improvements. The revamped trajectory viewer makes it much simpler to determine whether ranged attacks can hit targets, and certain classes have been granted new skills that enable follow-up moves capable of inflicting severe damage.
The game developers have implemented a party-wide level cap to prevent players from becoming too powerful and easily winning main story battles. This decision was made to maintain the challenge of the game and encourage players to strategize using their team composition, understanding of terrain, and unit abilities, creating a fair and balanced playing field.
3 Final Fantasy Tactics
Final Fantasy Tactics has become a staple in the tactics genre, showcasing Square Enix's ability to excel in multiple genres. Although RPGs and tactical games share similar mechanics, each game has its unique set of mechanics that sets it apart from the other.
The grid movement system and map terrain utilization in Final Fantasy Tactics prove to be successful elements learned from Tactics Ogre by Square Enix. A crucial aspect of gameplay lies in strategic team composition and job selection, as each job possesses unique skills that can significantly benefit the player. While power leveling is possible, it's important to note that enemies outside of story missions scale with the player's current party level. Permadeath is also present but is more forgiving, as players can revive units before their death timer expires.
2 Fire Emblem: Radiant Dawn
In Fire Emblem: Radiant Dawn, players are transported to a world of high fantasy and medieval swordplay, continuing the legacy of the beloved Fire Emblem franchise. As with previous titles, the game features permadeath, adding a level of intensity and challenge to each battle. While characters can level up, the randomness of stat increases can make it a tedious process to boost specific attributes. Dedicated players may find themselves replaying battles to ensure their favorite characters are strong enough to face any challenge.
1 XCOM Series
Owners of Fire Emblem: Path of Radiance for the GameCube can transfer important characters to the Wii version of the game. However, players should be aware that the difficulty level starts off quite high and they may find themselves relying on the mid-battle saving feature frequently.
Undoubtedly, the XCOM franchise is renowned for being one of the most challenging tactical game series in the market. It stands out from other similar games by introducing a unique cover-shooting mechanic, making the gameplay even more engaging. Players are in charge of a team of highly trained soldiers, who they lead through diverse urban and jungle settings, facing off against an alien invasion.
Losing your ace soldier in XCOM can be a heart-wrenching experience due to the game's permadeath feature. Moreover, players have to tackle the unforgiving RNG system during battles, making them feel like the game is working against them. Even soldiers with weapons training can become unreliable in the heat of battle, adding to the challenge.
To succeed in XCOM's missions, players must meticulously plan their moves, equip their soldiers with the best weapons, and hope for favorable RNG outcomes during combat.
