The 24 Best WW2 Games of All Time

When the Medal of Honor series took top honors during the height of the WWII gaming craze, it produced arguably its most appreciated series entry - Medal of Honor: Frontline. We're fairly confident that you know exactly where you were and how old you were the very first time you played through this game's amazingly lifelike D-Day mission (WE'LL NEVER FORGET THAT MOMENT!). The entirety of this game's campaign holds up just as much as that kickoff mission, thankfully - variety is the main theme here thanks to missions that incorporate elements of infiltration, espionage, rescue, and recon work. Add on a rousing soundtrack and spectacular visuals (especially in the HD remaster!) and you have yourself one of the best WWII FPS games ever made.

Before the world's most popular military FPS adopted modern and futuristic warfare themes, it focused on the biggest firefights that defined the many facets of WWII. In our humble opinion, the Call of Duty series entry that gets the nod here on this list of the best WW2 games is most definitely World at War. With the development engine used to help Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare become a revered classic, this franchise's return to form combined fast & fluid gunplay, an exciting campaign that takes place mainly during the Pacific & Eastern Front theaters of WWII, traditional multiplayer modes, and the debut of a "Zombies" mode to make something truly incredible.

Battlefield V did such a commendable job of building upon Battlefield 1's "Operations" mode by evolving it into "Grand Operations" and throwing players into the fray of multiple stages of battles that mimicked real-world WWII campaigns. Then there's the "Firestorm" battle royale mode, which embraces total mayhem among 64 players as solo players or squads engage in shootouts and use various war vehicles to emerge victorious. Battlefield V's epic struggles come to life in the most graphically pleasing manner possible - we're sure you've caught yourself staring in awe as you take in all the mass explosions and severe gunfire erupting around you across the expansive combat zones this FPS features.

One gaming genre that tends to get a ton of WW2 titles on a regular basis is strategy games of the turn-based and real-time variety. Mention the name Company of Heroes and most fans of that genre will speak highly of its mastery of real-time strategy gameplay mechanics. Company of Heroes 2 earns its spot on this list of the best WW2 games thanks to a number of praiseworthy attributes - those factors include an abundance of new units to bring into battle, a system that emulates troop visibility during real combat encounters, map & troop-altering weather conditions, and a boatload of expansions that strengthened the game's multiplayer suite.

Hidden & Dangerous 2: Courage Under Fire not only relies on first-person gunplay - it also gives players the option to watch their soldier take down the opposing army's troops from a more intimate third-person perspective. This tactical shooter remains a great time thanks to a focus on leading a troupe of Allied soldiers behind enemy lines for some exciting secret missions that take players all over the globe. The highly immersive battlefields always lead to climactic moments where you and your soldiers sneakily eliminate your foes, blast fighter planes out of the sky, and clear out enemy encampments with well-placed explosions.

Enlisted is an MMO FPS where its WWII conflicts happen on a supremely massive scale - each player gets access to their own squad of soldiers that they can train and equip as everyone employs on-foot gunplay right alongside the use of armored vehicles and aircraft. Six major campaigns, such as the Pacific battle between the USA and Japan, set the stage for the many battles you'll hop into across signature modes such as "Invasion," "Confrontation," and "Armored Train Escort."

Hell Let Loose has the same sort of gameplay structure and high competitive multiplayer player count that Enlisted has. What you have here is another FPS where hundreds of solo players get caught up in fierce 50 vs 50-player skirmishes. Everyone can choose from one of 14 soldier roles, which include "Scout," "Machine Gunner," "Medic," and more as they try to come out on the winning end of some epic WWII warfare. Some of the iconic battlefields you'll find yourself on include Omaha Beach, Carentan, and Foy.

Before Gearbox Software spent its development resources on creating some of the best looter shooters the gaming public has ever played, it crafted a tactical FPS franchise called Brothers in Arms. It's best to get acquainted with the IP by checking out the very first installment, Brothers in Arms: Road to Hill 30. Based on a true story, players take control of the heroic Sgt. Matt Baker and his squad of 101st Airborne Paratroopers as they engage in WWII combat across the French countryside. With two sets of squad types at the ready ("Fire Team" and "Assault Team"), team command tactics empower this historical FPS and mark a strong first start for the Brothers in Arms franchise. When the topic of the best WW2 games gets discussed, this tactical FPS definitely enters the conversation.

Just like Gearbox Software, development studio Tripwire Interactive had its hands in crafting a series of WWII-themed FPS experiences before it got attached to its signature IP (which is Killing Floor, obviously). What started as a mod for Unreal Tournament 2003/2004 called Red Orchestra: Combined Arms quickly morphed into an official game called Red Orchestra: Ostfront 41-45. We suggest hopping right into Red Orchestra 2: Heroes of Stalingrad with Rising Storm, which has a competitive multiplayer focus. "Territory Control" features the sort of multi-map skirmishes that evoke the same sort of real-world military conflicts that defined WWII. The Rising Storm expansion produces more content in the form of combat focused on the Pacific campaign.

War Thunder is known worldwide as a quintessential game of combined militaristic forces that incorporate air, land, and sea vehicles that engage in explosive battles. The real-world inspirations will appeal to history buffs and the gameplay itself will most likely keep those same fans glued to their screens during all the militaristic skirmishes. With three different feels of play (Arcade, Realistic, and Simulator), you'll be able to experience the globe-spanning battles of War Thunder in a manner that feels the most satisfying. WWII historians will get a kick out of utilizing legitimate war vehicles from that era, as well as utilizing other vehicles lifted from the Vietnam War and the Cold War.

It should come as no surprise that a game kept firmly within the world of tank battles would earn a spot on this list of the best WW2 games. World of Tanks has been enjoying an admirable streak of success since 2010 and has ballooned to epic proportions because of a wide variety of selectable tanks based on their real-world counterparts. Explosive PvP warfare is the main attractive aspect of this game - once you're in it, it'll be hard to tear yourself away from all the team-based firefights World of Tanks is empowered by. With the World of Tanks Modern Armor expansion in place, it's possible to get embroiled in all of its World War II multiplayer/co-op mayhem with five different tank classes at your disposal.

Extraordinary naval warfare battles are the centerpiece of all the action contained in World of Warships, which features signature game modes that appeal to fans of both competitive and co-op play. If you're willing to embrace the slower and more tactical pace of warring naval ships, then you'll enjoy your time spent with this dedicated war game. You can hop into this one to get involved in some grand Standard battles, Domination mode, Arms Race mode, and Epicenter mode (which plays out like an even more epic version of Domination). The more methodical pace and historical WWII naval fighters featured in World of Warships come together to earn it a solid spot on this list.

You're starting to peep a bunch of the best WW2 games on this list that have a title that begins with "World of...," right? Welp, here's another one that gives fans of MMOs another worthwhile multiplayer experience for fans of historical WWII warplanes. World of Warplanes has a garage jam-packed with over 300 air fighters that are categorized under the following classes: fighters, multirole fighters, heavy fighters, ground attack planes, and bombers. Military and experimental aircraft from Germany, the Soviet Union, the United States, Japan, the United Kingdom, France, and China all helped World of Warships bring that air of authenticity games its ilk need to survive.

This may come as a shock for most of you younger gamers reading this right now, but Ubisoft actually had a line of WWII submarine simulators that fell under the moniker of Silent Hunter. The best one is arguably the third mainline series entry called Silent Hunter III, which focuses on players taking control of varied German U-boats during the Battle of the Atlantic in WWII. That tense feeling you'll get in your gut every time you take careful aim at the opposition and pull off a debilitating shot is simply unmatched for games such as this one. The epic submarine battles of WWII come into focus here and they look, feel, and sound as realistic as possible.

Alright, now it's time to revert back to the real-time strategy realm of WWII-themed games! Next up is a game called Steel Division 2, which takes everything that was great in its predecessor Steel Division: Normandy 44 and improves upon those features in the best ways possible. Operation Bagration, which saw the Soviet offensive clash with Nazi armies in Bielorussia, lets players embark upon massive tank and warplane battles with 600 historically accurate units. The game's main attraction here is most definitely its 10v10 online multiplayer battles and co-op option. It feels good to be a commander over your loyal troops as they head into battle based on your victory-demanding commands.

You might have figured Call of Duty: WWII would earn a spot on this list of the best WW2 games, but we decided to switch gears and mention another game that has a title quite similar to that aforementioned military FPS. Call of War: World War 2 is the perfect game for armchair generals as it pits you against a ton of other players in a bid to emerge as the ultimate victor with their chosen nation in tow. This MMO strategy game tasks players with claiming provinces, forging crucial alliances, building up their armed forces, and accruing a sizable economy during real-time strategy situations as other players do the same. Fans of grand strategy games will find a whole lot to love in this free-to-play WWII multiplayer staple.

The Commandos series has always gotten a good rap for putting forth quality stealth-based gameplay mixed in with solid real-time tactics. The strongest franchise entry we've chosen to highlight here is Commandos 2: Men of Courage, which features those aforementioned signature gameplay elements as players navigate a northern European submarine installation, the headquarters of the Japanese army, and so much more. Authentic WWII vehicles and weapons, which include jeeps, tanks, trucks, & bazookas, nine commando types, and a fun multiplayer/co-op mode implementation all come together in perfect harmony to make Commandos 2 as one of the best WW2 games of all time.

Another free-to-play strategy game that gives tabletop wargaming fans hours upon hours of military action to enjoy is Order of Battle: World War II. A classic turn-based, hex-based premise and a highly addictive gameplay loop make this selection feel like the perfect spiritual successor to Panzer General. Single-player and multiplayer campaigns are emphasized here as players encounter dynamic outcomes as they utilize an assortment of unit types, faction specializations, and unique commanders to dominate the operations that transpired during the Pacific Theater.

Here's another Ubisoft-published WWII game that some of you may remember if you got your primary gaming thrills on PC back in the mid-2000s. IL-2 Sturmovik: 1946 goes the flight simulator route for its action-packed conflicts - players can take to the skies in a bunch of real-world fighters and bombers across maps patterned after the Kyiv region, Manchuria, Burma, and more. Campaigns based on legitimate WWII events and alternate history outlines offer a nice variety of raging airborne battles. In its current state, IL-2 Sturmovik: 1946 comes with all of its post-launch expansions and features 300 aircraft to customize and bring into feverish combat encounters.

The Panzer Corps franchise has done an admirable job of putting out solid releases since its earliest origins in 2011. For this next pick on our list of the best WW2 games, we've decided to recommend the second mainline series entry. This highly strategic wargame features the familiar hex grid fans of that sub-genre have become used to while having players play from the perspective of every major power that fought in the European theatre. With 1000 unique units at your beck and call, taking down one's rivals can be done via single-player campaign challenges, co-op battles against AI-controlled factions, and multiplayer encounters.

WWII chroniclers have most likely done some extensive reading and watched countless documentaries about the Battle of France, Operation Overlord, Operation Market Garden, and the Battle of the Bulge. Post Scriptum lets players simulate those significant battles for themselves in a tactical FPS that emphasizes unrivaled authenticity and large-scale battles via on-foot shootouts & vehicle combat. Players have the ability to rely on the signature troop types that fall under the following factions that fought valiantly on the battlefield during WWII - those factions include the United States Army, British Army, French Army, and the German Wehrmacht.

The Hearts of Iron IP got its start all the way back in 2002. Years later in 2016, the latest series installment was released to plenty of critical and fan fervor. Hearts of Iron IV is a top-tier grand strategy computer wargame where players get to command any of the nations that found themselves smack dab in the middle of the most infamous WWII clashes. There's so much that goes into coming out on top in the face of the game's competing nations - you'll need to keep a close eye on the massive battle fronts, do extensive research on weapons & tons of other aspects, assign dangerous tasks to your specialized fighter divisions, and so much more. The option to play competitively or cooperatively with up to 31 other players makes Hearts of Iron IV an enticing option for gamers on the lookout for the best WW2 games.

The retro point-and-click adventure/puzzle game stylings of several 90s PC gaming classics have gotten a nice resurgence thanks to the work of Telltale Games. Other development studios obviously took notice of that gameplay style making a comeback, which is why we have inspired releases such as this one. Attentat 1942 is centered on a historically accurate plot where players must get to the bottom of Jindřich Jelínek's role and aggressive acts as a part of the Nazi regime. As his grandchild, you'll confront your family's past and be forced to deal with moral dilemmas while navigating the Protectorate of Bohemia and Moravia.

To perfectly convey the fear and uncertainty that persisted among those who witnessed Adolf Hitler's rise in power in 1933, Through the Darkest of Times presents a strategy game premise that follows a resistance group during that scary time period. Across four chapters that come to a close at the end of WWII, players help their group rebel against the fascist Nazi regime through sabotage, gathering intel, and recruiting more believers to their cause. The emotional pull of this game's retelling of real-world events is enough to keep you enthralled as you fight to push your group to the end all in one piece.