8 of the Best World War 2 Video Games in History

World War 2 is a conflict extensively explored within video games. It is a conflict explored in a wide variety of gaming genres, such as first-person shooters, flight simulations, real-time strategy, and turn-based strategy. There are hundreds of games based on World War 2, but only a few of them have truly defined genres. These are some of the best World War 2 video games to play.

Company of Heroes

The original Company of Heroes, based on the Allied invasion of Normandy, revolutionized real-time strategy games. Rather than focus on the more traditional base building, this World War 2 video game placed greater emphasis on squad-level tactics and cover mechanics. This is one of the best World War 2 video games because of its dynamic, destructible battlefields, unmatched sound design, territory-based resource economy, and tactical gameplay that few other RTS games have ever matched.

Company of Heroes III

Company of Heroes III is the premier modern real-time strategy game that builds on the foundations of its predecessors with a turn-based campaign map added to its real-time battles. This game shifts the focus to the Mediterranean and North Africa theaters of World War 2. Players love Company of Heroes III because of its updated cinematic destruction, broad campaign scope and variety, and deep tactical combat, which is the hallmark of the CoH series.

Call of Duty 2

Call of Duty 2 has an almost legendary game status because of how it revolutionized the first-person shooter genre. This game threw players into immersive Soviet, American, and British campaigns with revolutionary HD graphics for its time. It incorporated pioneering regenerating health and battle chatter systems. Call of Duty 2’s cinematic intensity, large-scale combat, and immersive campaign design made it one of the best World War 2 video games in history.

Although an old game, you can play Call of Duty 2 on the Xbox One, Xbox Series X, and Xbox Series S thanks to their backward Xbox 360 compatibility. You can play all its single-player campaigns, but the multiplayer servers for Call of Duty 2 are no longer open. The game is available on the Xbox Store for download.

Hearts of Iron IV

Hearts of Iron IV is the ideal game for players who prefer World War 2 strategy rather than direct battlefield action. This is a real-time grand strategy game in which players take control of the wartime nations by managing their diplomacy, industrial production, tech research, and military doctrine. Hearts of Iron IV is one of the best World War 2 video games mainly because of its deep and rewarding strategic gameplay, sandbox alternative history freedom, and substantial replay value.

Medal of Honor: Allied Assault

With an aggregated Metascore of 91, Medal of Honor: Allied Assault is one of the most highly-rated World War 2 games. This classic first-person shooter places you in the boots of a U.S. Army Ranger and OSS Operative for an enthralling World War 2 romp across North Africa and France. It is one of the best World War 2 video games because of its intense scripting, iconic soundtrack, movie-like set-pieces, and authentic weaponry. The cinematic intensity of Medal of Honor’s legendary D-Day landings became a blueprint for scripted campaigns in many other first-person shooters that followed this game.

Call of Duty: World at War

Call of Duty: World at War returned the COD series to its historical roots in World War 2’s Pacific and Eastern Front battlefields. This is a game that delivered a darker, grimmer portrayal of World War II’s battlefields with its visceral gore and atmospheric set pieces. COD: World at War is one of the best World War 2 video games because of its raw realism, co-op gameplay, gritty 1940s multiplayer, and pioneering Nazi Zombies mode. The unlockable Nazi Zombies mode in this game became something of a cultural phenomenon.

Panzer Corps 2

If you’re looking for an absorbing WW2 turn-based strategy game, check out Panzer Corps 2. Panzer Corps 2 is a World War 2 game that focuses entirely on operational-level warfare. This is another of the best World War 2 video games because of its astonishingly detailed roster of accurate World War II units, deep tactical layers, massive branching campaign, and clean visual style. Panzer Corps 2 also offers a wide variety of game modes beyond its primary campaign, including engaging co-op and competitive multiplayer.

IL-2 Sturmovik: 1946

IL-2 Sturmovik: 1946 is the holy grail anthology of the classic IL-2 flight simulator that includes almost all the planes and expansions from that series. This is a game in which players can take to the skies by flying a wide variety of vintage World War 2 aircraft for aerial dogfights. The accessible flight realism, immersive single player, and highly detailed environments make IL-2 Sturmovik one of the best World War 2 games. With more than 200 flyable planes and dozens of historical campaigns to boot, IL-2 Sturmovik: 1946 also packs in a huge amount of base content.

War has never been so much fun as it is in the best World War 2 video games above. You can experience the thrill of global war in various ways by playing the games above. Check out the Company of Heroes games if you prefer to get stuck into more tactical RTS games. The Call of Duty and Medal of Honor: Allied Assault games are better for players who prefer to get stuck into gun-blasting action and see World War 2 from a more first-person perspective. Or you can explore war strategy in games like Hearts of Iron IV and Panzer Corps 2.