Here's our list of the Best Warship Games for PC
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Do you love to roam the seas in search of other ships to blow up, sink or steal? I do, but does everyone? Do even most of us? Let’s face it, the naval warfare genre isn’t for everyone. Some love it, some don’t care one way or the other… But for those few and proud Argonauts who are up for the challenge of commandeering floating vessels upon the high seas or sailing mega starships in the vacuum of space there are many great warship games to play in 2016. Whether you are fighting in a naval action against the Imperial Japanese navy in World War 2 or fighting as a scurvy pirate against the mighty British Empire in the age of exploration, you will enjoy your experience with these great warship games.
15. Steel Ocean
Fight massive online battles in Steel Ocean
Steel Ocean is a World War 2 naval action game pitting as many as 16 sea captains’ vs 16 opposing captains’. You can choose from six historically accurate classes of warships including light cruisers, heavy cruisers, destroyers, battleships, aircraft carriers and the all-powerful stealthy submarine. By earning XP in battle you can unlock and upgrade over 100 different ships from all nations that fought in the Atlantic and Pacific theaters of war.
This game is very fast-paced, throwing you into combat in the first few minutes of each match instead of allowing you time to coordinate with other allied warships and looking for a tactical advantage. That, mixed with the subpar graphics make this game fun, yet not the most fulfilling warship experience that we are looking for. If you enjoy quick, cheap thrills, then this is your warship game.
Full steam ahead as you fire your guns at the enemy
Prepare your carriers to launch massive torpedo assaults on the foe
14. Naval Action
Take to the seas in the age of the mighty sail and blast your enemy's ship to splinters
Naval Action is a superb ship sailing sim (say that five times fast) still in the early alpha stage of development, but it has some very interesting features that we are very excited about. This game takes us back to the age of sails in the 1700’s, which has been capitalized upon by numerous franchises recently (Assassin’s Creed, Rogue, Black Flag, Sid Meier’s Caribbean) and never disappoints.
This is the most realistic sailing sim on the PC gaming market today. But, instead of trying to explain it myself, I’ll let the director of the game, Maxim Zasof, explain it for me, “It is easy to stand on the shoulders of giants, but in our case most of the mechanics we did are innovations- they were never done this way before. Correct tacking, boxhauling, tracking shots, yard control: we made all those mechanics realistic, but fun and useful in combat. We invented them.”
The high level of graphics in this game mixed with the deep level of historical authenticity make this a must play game for the true naval aficionado’s this year.
Line up a broadside and blow hundreds of holes in the enemy captains ship
Be careful in stormy seas, they can be very treacherous
13. Atlantic Fleet
World War 2 most likely wasn't as fun as this game is
Atlantic Fleet is a World War 2 sim in, you guessed it, the Atlantic Ocean. This game is a sequel to the previous Pacific Fleet, which had some serious flaws and played more like a Google Store game than as a serious strategy PC game. This sequel turned out quite a bit better, thank God.
Atlantic Fleet is geared just as much towards World War 2 history buffs as it is to hardcore strategy gamers because of the historical authenticity of each ship as well as the tactical combat. In this turn-based game you give movement orders to all the ships in your fleet at the beginning of each turn then aim your guns and blaze away at the enemy with each successive turn until only one of you is left standing. You can also bring aircraft carriers into battle and employ dive-bombers and torpedo bombers to bring the tactical advantage of air power to the game.
Steady your ship as you prepare to fire a massive broadside
This is what you don’t want to see happen to your ship…
12. Man O’ War: Corsair
Warhammer will never feel the same after you play this game
Man O’ War: Corsair is a naval adventure game taking place within the world of Warhammer and based upon an old Warhammer board game of the same name. In this Steam early-access game your goal is to lead a crew of seamen to become rich or famous- or infamous for those who are interested, in an open world.
Sail the seas of the Warhammer world and visit neighboring ports to trade and recruit other ship captains as allies, as well as fighting enemy ships and dodging the all-powerful sea monsters which are certain to destroy your ship if you don’t have to guts to fire broadsides at these terrifying foes. With over fifty ports and a huge map there is plenty of money to be made and Orks to be killed in this fantasy naval combat game.
Hold onto your hats as you prepare to board!
Holy Crap…. That doesn’t look good
11. Windward
Sail the seas in a quest to attain wealth and glory
In Windward you are tasked with choosing four factions, or rather four styles of gameplay: exploration, combat, diplomacy, and trading. You must lead your small fleet from port to port over a rather large oceanic map and buy/sell goods to make money or attack other ships or ports.
The redeeming qualities of this game are the good graphics and visual effects of the procedurally generated world. From watching cannon balls rebound from fortifications to seeing the sun shimmer on the open waves this game has a very aesthetically pleasing appeal and with a little more depth to the gameplay could have been a very good game.
Surround and destroy enemy ships and lighthouses
Repair and rebuild at friendly ports
10. Battlefleet Gothic: Armada
Take your battle from the ocean's of Earth to the vacuum of space
Space… the final frontier for warship gaming. In this adaptation of a Warhammer 40K board game, Battlefleet Gothic: Armada gives us a real-time sci-fi combat game in the wide open realm of outer space. Being able to control up to 10 ships (though usually around 5) makes this game more of an epic strategy game instead of a smaller single ship tactical game as most of the games on this list are. Each ship in your fleet has a veritable array of stats to keep you up to date on their status’ in real time, including hull integrity, morale, possibility of mutiny, ability to fight off boarding enemy ships, etc… All can be viewed from a UI that is very easy to read and important to each battle. The RPG system used in this game allows you to level up your Admiral and therefore unlock many new ships and upgrades, which usually give you a tactical advantage with either much more speed or firepower for your fleet.
The playable factions in this game are familiar to most Warhammer fans: Imperial Navy, Space Marines, Chaos, Ork Pirates, Eldar Corsairs. Each faction has unique advantages and disadvantages against the other factions, as well as having unique weapons and skills.
With a long single player campaign capable of giving you 10-20 hours of solid campaign play this game satisfies those who crave a large game. With a large campaign map, you can explore and fight for as long as you feel like playing. The story of the campaign also makes you deeply invested in the well-being of your empire and fleet. If you’re a Warhammer fan, strategy fan, or sci-fi fan, this game is for you.
Take the Warship battles into space
Lead massive fleets in space in explosive battles
9. Dreadnought
Get back into space and fight epic battles with your powerful warships
Dreadnought is a sci-fi, multiplayer RPG game that takes place in space. Being in closed beta development phase this game is very raw yet has many features that give us a lot of hope for the future. As the name implies, this game is about very large spaceships capable of unleashing an intense amount of firepower into other ships. The 5 vs 5 multiplayer game modes make your team’s selection of ships very crucial to the tactical goals that you wish to achieve. Choose from and mix up your team with the massively powerful yet very slow dreadnought class, the slightly smaller, quicker and tougher destroyer class, the sniper-like long distance DPS Cruiser class, the healing Tactical Cruiser class, or the small, quick, and surprisingly high-powered gunship Corvette class. All classes are recommended on each team to achieve maximum tactical effect during battle. The handling and positioning of your ship makes all the difference between victory and defeat. Flank attacks are crucial.
The graphics and battle map in this game are nothing less than stunning. Explosions are very realistic and the movement of your ship feels very smooth and fluid. Using all of your ship’s abilities to achieve victory is more difficult than you would imagine going into your first battle.
This game is a very fun, if limited, type of game. The PVP aspect gives it the appeal of long playability as well as the desire to improve your ships and unlock new abilities.
Fly ships through the skies and into space to wage war
That’s a laser… This definitely doesn’t look good
8. Battle Group 2
Destroy as much as you can and stay afloat in Battle Group 2
Battle Group 2 is a tower defense style warship game. Imported as a phone game to a PC game, this game certainly lacks a lot of the impressive graphics, story, and cinematics of most AAA games while giving it a very fun arcade feel. But, the playability and intensity of this game is what really makes it fun.
Battle Group 2 puts you in command of 2 warships moving horizontally across the screen in top-down 2-D animation while defending against waves of attack planes, helicopters and other enemies trying to destroy you. Solely depending upon how fast you can click your mouse to achieve victory, this game is an adrenaline packed arcade adventure. Throw in a few boss battles and you get a very fun game.
Run the gauntlet and just try not to sink
Unlock these high end ships to do maximum damage
7. Blood & Gold: Caribbean!
Arghh... Get scurvy me matey's in Blood and Gold: Caribbean
Just as the title suggests, this game takes place during the age of rum and scurvy, the revolutionary era of pirates and colonization. For those of you who enjoy the Mount and Blade franchise then you may already recognize this game because it is built upon the Mount and Blade: Warband engine. But, instead of building and leading armies you build and lead your own ship and crew.
The gameplay is very fun, if you enjoy the mount and blade style RTS campaign map and battles. You can choose to ally with one of the many colonial nations and travel from port to port making a profit from trading goods, or you can choose to become a pirate and hijack said goods from do-goody British or Spanish merchants.
This is a sandbox game where you can literally go anywhere you want and do anything you want. Want to play blackjack at a local tavern when you decide to put in to port? Do it. Want to visit a plantation, or Aztec ruin? Do it. Want to be recognized as a noble, trustworthy seaman? You can do it. Want to be a dastardly scoundrel intent on making a fortune and toppling all who get in your way? Do that as well. The world is literally at your fingertips.
It’s all about the broadsides…
The more natives that you can get on your side, the better
6. Battle Fleet 2
Join the fight in WW2 with Battle Fleet 2
This smaller, pocket sized game is a highly anticipated sequel of the original Battle Fleet of years before. Taking place in the pacific theater of World War 2, this turn-based high seas strategy game leads you to command armadas including frigates, battle cruisers, aircraft carriers, battleships, and destroyers to annihilate enemy fleets. You can command famous historical ships such as the Yamato and Yorktown while you’re trying to achieve victory in the Pacific Ocean.
The campaign map in Battle Fleet 2 is very interesting because of the Risk-like nature of it. Being divided into about 20 zones or tiles that you must lead your armada into to fight a tactical battle and capture.
The good AI and engaging campaign makes this game worth playing. It has very good playability and is surprisingly fun for a small game.
Protect your carriers, because once they are lost you are in trouble
Always be prepared to attack, and keep an eye on your ammo
5. Leviathan: Warships
Hoist the sail as you do battle in Leviathan: Warships
Paradox Interactive Studios never seems to disappoint with any venture, even in the world of pocket gaming. The same rings true for Leviathan: Warships. In this game you take control of the fleet of the fictional Commonwealth Navy in a fictional naval world. In this turn-based RTS you can upgrade aspects of your fleet’s stealth capability, resilience, and firepower after each victory. Each turn begins with the player moving and managing the weapons systems for each ship in your fleet to customize the offensive and defensive capabilities of each vessel. The next phase of each turn begins the top-down 2-D RTS combat where you try to outthink and outfight your enemy.
The campaign mode of Leviathan is very open, allowing you to play five challenge and 2 versus modes which can be played by up to four players cooperatively on a dozen maps. This game is highly geared towards satisfying multiplayer enthusiasts but can also be enjoyable on a single player campaign.
Always keep your fleet together. A broken fleet is doomed
Make sure to always upgrade your fleet when available
4. Victory At Sea
Attack, attack, attack, in this WW2 themed warship game
Victory At Sea is another arcade-style naval battle game set during WW2. Although this game is a sandbox style game, it also has many fast-paced and highly adventurous combat mechanics.
In the combat of this game you basically point your ship in a direction you wish to travel and hope that your broadside cannons can get the right angle and range and fire at a ship coming at you from the side. You must choose from the beginning of each battle what general behavior you want your fleet to operate with. You must weigh the threat of the enemy versus the power of your fleet. It’s a very simple game with few high level tactics or strategies involved. You start out with a single destroyer in either the Atlantic or Pacific Ocean and you attack fleets or blockade ports to receive XP and add more ships to your fleet. The quests that can be obtained from your home ports are often very frustrating, but they are realistic in the context of what would be needed to achieve victory at sea in WW2. If you are a history buff then you will most likely love the mechanics involved in Victory at Sea, especially in the custom game mode. In this mode you will be able to arrange each fleet to your liking and engage, whereas in the campaign mode you must build your fleet and try to prevent the enemy from building theirs.
Hit them in the flank and they’re sure to end up on the bottom
Very beautiful graphics in this WW2 epic
3. Uncharted Waters Online: Episode Atlantis
Prepare to become fully immersed and spend dozens of fun filled hours in this MMORPG
Uncharted Waters Online is a historical MMORPG that takes place again in the age of the mighty sail and exploration. Set between the 1400’s-1600’s this game gives players the opportunity to play as one of the six great historic naval powers of the time: England, The Netherlands, France, Spain, Portugal or Venice. You fight to conquer uncharted territory in the New World of the America’s. You are in charge of directing the adventures of your customizable crew and pretty much living it up in a sandbox MMORPG world.
In the beginning of the game you are given a thorough education in the fundamentals of this deep and fairly complex game. You literally can choose to go to school which will teach you almost everything you need to know to get started, which is a huge help when first starting out. What I thought was the coolest aspect of this game was the ship building process. Instead of just walking up to a dock to buy a brand new boat you have to collect pieces for your boat over time in order to build it into a mighty warship or a fast, money making, merchant goods runner. This gives the ship construction as much of an RPG feel as just traditionally leveling and gearing up your character.
The outdated graphics of this game certainly knock it down a few pegs, but other than that this game is very much worth your time if you like MMORPG’s or sailing sim games.
Take command of your fully customizable ship and ride the wind
Organize a fleet of allies and take the fight wherever you please
2. Tempest
Prepare for life as a pirate in Tempest
Tempest is a game in the early access stage on Steam. In this game you must take command of a pirate ship and try to knock out as many land-lubbers as possible. This is more of an arcade game than a sailing sim, but the comforting and entertaining aesthetic feel of the UI and graphics combined with extensive ship upgrades and personalized decorations make this game very fun. You can sink or steal enemy galleons, destroy forts, or summon giant Kraken’s with magical artifacts that you can discover or plunder (but this isn’t always advisable) to your pirate heart’s content.
The RPG element of this game is very primitive, probably due to the early access status, but it does look very promising. There are ways to level up individual crew members by sending them into training and apparently heroic figures from taverns on shore can be hired to provide buffs to your ship and crew, although this system isn’t exactly clear to me at this point.
Raise the jolly roger and loot all the booty!
Beware of fire… Even surrounded by water, wood burns up quickly
1. World Of Warships
The Mecca of warship games, welcome to World of Warships
Following up upon the huge success of its predecessors World of Tanks and World of Warplanes, World of Warships truly delivers the goods. In this Pacific World War 2 you are immersed into the naval combat between the Imperial Japanese Navy and the United States Navy. You play against other players on a large online server in a team deathmatch to gain XP and currency which is used to purchase new ships and upgrade your current favorite ships.
The downfall of this game is the exorbitant price required to unlock the highest tier vessels. Like other freemium games, World of Warships forces you to either play about 4,000 games or pay upwards of $200 to unlock the highest tier ships in each Navy. However, the free to play version of this game is still an extremely fun tactical adventure. With great graphics and very deep fighting mechanics this game has unlimited playability.
Maybe a little too close for comfort…
Lead from the helm of your ship, captain. It is your battle to win
This concludes our list of the 15 Best Warship Games To Play in 2016. Now you are fully ready to raise the jolly roger and kick back with a bucket of rum and conquer the high seas. Feel free to leave any comments or suggestions below about Warship games that didn’t quite make the list.
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