2000s World War 2 Games That Are Still Great

2000s World War 2 Games That Are Still Great
  • The WW2 gaming genre has a rich history dating back to Wolfenstein 3D, offering players a variety of realistic and action-filled experiences.
  • Gamers can engage in iconic battles like D-Day in Medal of Honor: Frontline, tackle strategy and destruction in Company of Heroes, or liberate Paris in The Saboteur.
  • Dive into the tactical side of WW2 with games like Commandos 2 and Brothers in Arms: Road to Hill 30, offering challenging missions and historical accuracy.

Ever since being in the mainstream, gaming and WW2 themes have been closely tied together. The most notable early example would be Wolfenstein 3D, which was released in 1992. From that point onward, and likely also thanks to the film Saving Private Ryan, there has been an abundance of WW2 games that have been released over the years.

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World War 2 is one of the most popular settings for grand strategy games. These are some of the best on offer.

From Medal of Honor, to Call of Duty, to the aforementioned Wolfenstein, 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 of WW2-themed game releases. For those looking for a fun WW2 experience, the 2000s is a great era to check out.

Medal Of Honor: Frontline

A Memorable Classic That Offers A Realistic Vision Of WW2

Medal of Honor: Frontline
SystemNintendo, Xbox, PC, PlayStation
Platform(s)PS3, PS2, Xbox (Original), PC, GameCube
ReleasedMay 28, 2002
Developer(s)EA
Genre(s)FPS

One of the older titles on this list, Medal of Honor: Frontlinewas released during the sixth console generation, yet it still 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.

Company Of Heroes

Strategy Meets Epic WW2 Destruction

Company Of Heroes
SystemPC
Platform(s)PC
ReleasedSeptember 12, 2006
Developer(s)Relic Entertainment
Genre(s)Real-Time Strategy

With the third game in the now iconic Company of Heroes series 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 where Company of Heroesreally shines.

Featuring fully destructible environments and smart squad AI, Company of Heroes players 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 Saboteur

An Open-World Game Set In Nazi-Occupied Paris

The Saboteur
SystemXbox, PC, PlayStation
Platform(s)PS3, Xbox 360, PC
ReleasedDecember 8, 2009
Developer(s)Pandemic Studios
Genre(s)Action-Adventure, Open-World

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 in a Nazi-occupied Paris with 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.

2:43
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War is a theme often encountered in video games, and these open-world games excel in their depiction of historical and fictional wars.

Gameplay-wise, The Saboteur has 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 has a good number of side missions that can be completed before or after finishing the main game.

Call Of Duty: World At War

A Gritty And Action-Packed Look At World War 2

Call of Duty: World at War
SystemNintendo, Xbox, PC, PlayStation
Platform(s)Wii, PS3, Xbox 360, PC
ReleasedNovember 11, 2008
Developer(s)Treyarch
Genre(s)FPS

The ever popular Call of Duty series has featured a WW2 setting in many of its titles, including some more recent ones, which has meant that the best of these, seen in World at War, has fallen a bit to the wayside. This gritty, action-packed entry attempts (and succeeds) to show 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 a Call of Duty title, featuring well-designed maps and fun weapons to use and upgrade.

Commandos 2: Men Of Courage

A Strategy Game In Which Players Sneak Behind Enemy Lines

Commandos 2: Men of Courage
SystemNintendo, Xbox, PC, PlayStation
Platform(s)Nintendo Switch, PS4, PS2, Xbox (Original), PC, macOS, Xbox One
ReleasedSeptember 20, 2001
DeveloperPyro Studios, Zonic
Genre(s)Tactical, Action, Strategy

Officially the oldest title on this list, Commandos 2: Men of Courage shows its age with the graphics and gameplay department, but there's more than enough charm to make it still be worth playing.

7:55
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The best grand strategy games are often played out over several centuries, with some leaning into the immersion and role-play aspects of these eras.

This is an RTS game with 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.

Brothers In Arms: Road To Hill 30

A Tactical WW2 Experience

Brothers in Arms: Road to Hill 30
SystemXbox, PC, PlayStation
Platform(s)PSP, PS3, Xbox 360, PC
ReleasedNovember 20, 2006
Developer(s)Ubisoft Quebec, Ubisoft Montreal
Genre(s)Tactical, FPS

The first game in the Brothers in Arms series, 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 30 is also one of the more accurate-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.

More
14 Best War Games For Fans Of Single-Player, Ranked

Gamers who enjoy playing war games by themselves will find plenty to occupy their time with the following examples.

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