1. Rise of Kingdoms
2. World of Tanks Blitz
3. Brothers In Arms 3
4. 1941: World War Strategy
5. Modern Combat 5: Blackout

War has existed for as long as humans have, as has the dramatization of war in various mediums. From the Illiad and the Odyssey, the two epic Greek poems about war, to the countless movies Hollywood produces every year on the subject, war has always fascinated us. The bravery and heroism of the battlefield is something that has enticed all of us for ages. One medium that allows us not only to engulf ourselves in the stories of war but to be a part of it is the video game. It is perhaps the only medium where you can control the soldier’s actions whose story you are witnessing and can make decisions based on your understanding of what is the right or wrong thing to do in a particular scenario. War games have dominated the video game market for several decades. Even when all video games were 8-bit or 18-bit, war games sold easily, and gamers loved playing them. Over time, as graphics and game development have improved over time, it has become much easier for developers to create engaging war games that have phenomenal gameplay and tell incredible stories about the realities of war and what it is really like to be on that battlefield. An example of this is the Call of Duty franchise, which has created blockbuster war games for almost two decades. 

However, one thing to note is that most of these war games that rely on good graphics and narrative prowess are made for PC or consoles. Most game review articles also only focus on games made for PC or consoles. For this reason, in part one of this two article series, we’ll be looking at five of the top eleven war games for Android, all of which can be played on an emulator such as BlueStacks, including first-person shooters, third-person shooters, strategy games, etc.

1. Rise of Kingdoms (Free)

Not a game that is wholly based around war and warfare, Rise of Kingdoms is instead a world-building game, where war is an integral part of how you create a kingdom that survives and flourishes for a long time. The world-building genre is saturated with mediocre games that do not focus a lot on the player’s experience. Thankfully, Rise of Kingdoms is different. At the beginning of the game, you are asked to pick between several empires such as the Ottoman, Spanish, Arabian, Chinese, Roman, German, English, etc. Once you’re done picking, you are made to go through a tutorial that teaches you the basics of the game, such as training troops, acquiring a general, moving buildings around to suit your aesthetic choices, etc. Resources are found through the City Hall building, which is the most crucial building and should be upgraded as frequently as possible. Players also collect resources through daily chest drops and can get more chests through in-app purchases. Upgrading the city is also essential since it helps the player collect higher-rated soldiers, which means the player is more likely to win against a kingdom with lower-rated soldiers.

Players can only upgrade two buildings simultaneously, but this process can be sped up by using gems. One improvement that the game can make to create a better experience for their users is to get rid of the piecemeal system that the players must go through to attain Generals for their armies. Generals are critical for any kingdom to win against invasions, etc., and to earn these Generals, the players must collect a certain number of Idols that represent said Generals. It is only after the user has collected the stipulated number of Idols that the General joins the player’s army ranks.

The warfare of this game does not differ much from other world-building games. Having said that, it is still of excellent quality and very enjoyable. Warfare is also a great way for players to acquire resources. You can take a certain amount of Generals to war with you, and to battle, you must click on your army and then the opponent’s army. Three stars can be unlocked for every mission you partake in, and after the task is accomplished, the user gets a completion reward.

Players also can scout their potential opponents and see what kind of offense and defense they’re using. This is incredibly helpful if you want to play the game based on tactics and skill since you can use those Generals who you think will be most effective against your opponent’s army. But, at the end of the day, if the opponent’s military has a higher overall strength than your army, then you are almost guaranteed to lose. 

Overall, the game has a wonderful design, and the art style is unique and incredibly appealing to the eye. The gameplay is excellent, and so is the world-building aspect of the game. The wide variety of characters, weapons, buildings, etc., keep the game exciting and fresh. The monetization aspect of the game can get a little frustrating, but if you’re playing this game to pass the time and not to have the biggest kingdom or the strongest army, this shouldn’t be much of a bother. 

Created by LilithGames, with over 15 million downloads, Rise of Kingdoms is rated 4.2 stars out of 5 on Google Play Store.

For a comprehensive guide on how to play Rise of Kingdoms, check out this article. 

For a more detailed look into the expeditions of this game and how one must play through them, check out this article.

2. World of Tanks Blitz (Free)

World of Tanks Blitz is a war game that was initially created for PC but was revamped and brought back for the Nintendo Switch and also for mobile devices that run Android and iOS. Although, as expected, due to the spec limitations, the game doesn’t look as great on mobile as it did on the PC, it is still a delightful game to play and is loved by gamers worldwide. The premise of the game is simple. Users must team up in teams of 7 and destroy the tanks of the opposing team. The team capacity has been reduced from 11 for PC to 7 for mobile, along with a smaller map, which leads to more intense matches with a higher likelihood of players engaging in combat.

Unlike many other war games where spending money is encouraged to gain an advantage over one’s opponent, World of Tank Blitz only matches you with players who have similar tank ratings to keep the matches fair and exciting. This does not mean, however, that one cannot or should not buy new tanks at all. There are various tanks to choose from, all with different specifications and different strong and weak points. This variety of tanks is also important in a team versus team format since it encourages players to choose their tanks based on tactics and strategy to win against the opposing team.

A vital aspect of the game is the realism of the tanks that the players can use. All the tanks in the game are based on real-life tanks used by the armies of various countries worldwide, with accurate dimensions, speed, strength, etc. Players also have the option of selling tanks that they no longer require to unlock more robust tanks. Created by Wargaming Group and with over 35 million downloads, World of Tanks Blitz has a rating of 4.3 out of 5 stars on Google Play Store.

Here is an article for those who want a quick rundown of how to play this game and all the tips and tricks that are important to remember when playing this game. 

Here is a guide for absolute beginners who would like to understand how World of Tanks Blitz works and the basics of the game.

3. Brothers In Arms 3 (Free)

The story of Brothers In Arms 3 is predictable. A team of Ally soldiers must work their way through a bunch of Nazis to win the game. Nothing special, right? However, what makes the game incredibly special is how excellent the game looks, how smooth the gameplay is, and how fun it is to play in general. Returning to the game mechanics of the first Brothers In Arms game, Brothers In Arms 3 is a third-person shooter (Brothers In Arms 2 was a first-person shooter) that closely resembles a shooting gallery game. The game levels are pretty small, which was likely done intentionally since most mobile gaming is quite start-stop, and most players don’t have the time to sit through 20-30 minute long missions that don’t pause in the middle. The game is not open-world, with players having to follow a fixed path. Although the game shows you open trenches and trails, it doesn’t let you walk to those places. Despite this, the game feels open and is fun to play regardless. 

Since most of the game’s focus is on shooting, the movement mechanics feel a little underdeveloped. While walking back and forth feels fine, moving side to side is quite tedious and slow, meaning it isn’t easy for you to strategically position yourself in places that will allow you to kill your enemies discretely. You can take cover by crouching behind objects and use the crosshairs to aim and shoot. This game’s shooting mechanics are very nice, primarily due to the distinct sound every gun has, the recoil these guns produce, and the extensive collection of firearms that a player can choose from.

The only caveat to this game is how it makes use of its in-app purchases. Playing through missions costs energy, and as you progress and the levels get more challenging, they start to cost more energy. If you die during the mission and need to play it again, you’ll have to expend the same amount of energy as before. This makes it difficult to play levels if you’ve used up all your energy, and to play, you must make an in-app purchase to buy more energy. Another thing to keep in mind is that certain missions require you to use specific weapons. Now, you can unlock these weapons by spending in-game currency earned by completing missions, but since this takes time, many players choose to use real money to buy the weapon instead.

Created by Gameloft and sitting at almost 15 million downloads, the game has a rating of 4.3 out of 5 stars on Google Play Store.

4. 1941: World War Strategy (Paid)

1941: World War Strategy is based directly on a board game by the name of Axis & Allies. It is a clone created by ElectroWolff for Android that follows the game rules of Axis & Allies closely. The idea of the game is simple: players can choose to play as one of five countries, the Axis powers of Germany and Japan, or the Allied forces of Soviet Russia, the USA, or the UK, and the main objective is to help your country and its affiliate forces win the world war. The game follows a dice-roll-based system to settle combat scenarios. There are nine different units to be controlled, including the army, navy, and air force. The game graphics are completely high definition, and the touch controls are easy to use. The map is interactive, and players can attack different countries using the nine different combat units. The game also offers detailed statistics about the player’s chosen nation, enabling them to use their resources wisely and strategically. The AI of the game is very intuitive and plays exceptionally well regardless of difficulty. The game emphasizes strategy, and it is not enough to use brute force to defeat enemies since the AI will work its way around such tactics.

The game offers over 57 land territories, 48 sea zones, and, as mentioned, nine different units. Players can use tanks, battleships, and bombers to win against the armies of opposing countries. Countries are conquered once their troops have been destroyed and their capital city captured. Users can also play locally with teams of five. The game also offers full replay capabilities and great sound design, adding to the overall experience of playing this game. The game is paid, costing $1.49, but with such intense gameplay and the fact that it brings a truly iconic board game, Axis & Allies, to life, it is well worth the price. With over 50 thousand downloads, 1941: World War Strategy is rated 4 out of 5 stars on Google Play Store.

5. Modern Combat 5: Blackout (Free)

Although it was released in 2014, Modern Combat 5: Blackout still holds up as one of the best war games and one of the best first-person shooter games for mobile. Before Call of Duty: Mobile, it was Modern Combat that was revered as the best war game of all time, and although over time, its appeal has decreased due to new games flooding the market, most critics still agree that the Modern Combat series is still incredible and worth playing. Offering both single and multiplayer modes, the game closely resembles both Call of Duty and Battlefield and tries to bring to mobile devices what the games mentioned above brought to the table for the PC and console. Although it cannot offer as vivid an experience as a Call of Duty game for PC due to specification differences and limitations, it still does a great job in engrossing the player with a great storyline and even better gameplay. However, one thing to keep in mind when playing this game is that it does not work offline. You must always be connected to the internet when playing this game, or else you won’t be able to play the single-player mode of the game either.

The single-player campaign mode takes you to various countries, starting in Italy, where you learn how to use the controls and how to play the game, to Japan, where you must fight on the streets of Tokyo. Although the narrative of the game is complex, the gameplay itself is simple yet effective. Players must clear an area of opponents and then move on to the next area until they’re done with the mission. Users also get to engage in side missions that include special-ops missions and multiplayer missions with players worldwide. Completing these side missions also helps unlock the next chapter of the story quicker, so it becomes almost necessary to finish these missions along with the main storyline.

Continuing with the tradition of combat specialization, Modern Combat 5: Blackout allows you to choose from various categories of soldiers such as Sniper, Assault, Recon, and Heavy Assault. Each of these has its own pros and cons, and the player can choose whichever category fits their skill set best. These categories also come with their unique set of weapons and accessories, all of which can be unlocked by gaining experience through gameplay. Another important aspect of the game is the skill points earned by playing the game as well and which help you upgrade your class characteristics. For example, upgrading your gearbox if you’ve chosen the Assault class allows you to carry more grenades post-upgrade. Similarly, selecting the Bulletproof upgrade from the Heavy Assault class reduces damage incurred by fifteen percent.

The multiplayer mode of the game is just as enjoyable as the single-player mode. There are various types of games that can be played in multiplayer such as team battle, free-for-all, capture the flag and squad battle. There are also different maps that are bigger in size and are more detailed than in single-player mode, allowing you to explore as much as you want and to have the best gaming experience possible. The only downside to the multiplayer mode is the imprecise controls, which can often result in your character’s death if you aren’t paying all your attention to the game. The hip-fire is uncontrollable, and it is a matter of chance more than it is of skill if you or your opponent gets killed by hip-fire. This, and the fact that the game cannot be played offline, are the two biggest cons. However, regardless of these cons, Modern Combat 5: Blackout stands as one of the best first-person shooter war games for Android.

Created by Gameloft and with almost 35 million downloads, Modern Combat 5: Blackout is rated 4.2 stars out of 5 on Google Play Store.

To find the remaining five games in this list, head over to the second part of this article.