Best WW2 Games – Top 10 Games About World War 2 (2024)

The Second World War was one of the most significant events in modern history, so it’s no surprise that World War II games are popular to play.

Below, you will find a list of the top 10 best WW2 games to stream, featuring both classic titles and more recent releases.

Top 10 Best WW2 Games

1. Call of Duty 2

When this game was released in 2005, it was regarded as the best World War II game and the top game available on the market.

Even though many games have been released since then, Call of Duty 2 remains highly regarded among gamers.

In this game, you experience iconic WW2 scenes, such as D-Day, while following Russian, American, and British troops, similar to the original Call of Duty.

A new feature in the second game is that you can play with North African troops, as the British fought in the desert.

Call of Duty 2 was the first among the older games to introduce features like health regeneration, making the search for health kits no longer one of the most critical tasks to worry about.

The soldiers around you are significantly more advanced compared to those in earlier games, as developers have begun integrating improved AI into the gameplay.

The soldiers are not merely passive background extras; you truly sense that they are almost on the same level as your character, enhancing the experience of playing Call of Duty 2.

Overall, there are numerous reasons why this game is still regarded as one of the best WW2 games, as well as the top first-person shooter in the world.

The progression of each battle is something that had not been seen in the previous generation of games, which explains why it was such a success when it was the latest installment in the Call of Duty franchise, and why, 17 years later, it still stands the test of time.

2. Battlefield 1942

You may be surprised to find this one here, as it has not been available on Origin for quite some time due to Gamespy going out of business.

However, there are numerous community servers on the Internet where you can still experience the game in all its glory, and it simply wouldn’t feel right to exclude Battlefield 1942 from a list of games about WW2.

The reason Battlefield 1942 is so special and was revolutionary upon its release is that it transformed the approach to multiplayer gaming.

Games in the FPS genre that preceded it, even if they were among the best titles globally, primarily featured multiplayer modes centered on speed and maximizing kills. In contrast, Battlefield shifts the main focus to cooperation.

This also meant that, in addition to acquiring new vehicles of various types, the game placed a much greater emphasis on map control and combined arms warfare.

It also offers great diversity in what you can do. For instance, you might be bombarding coastlines from your ship while your co-players are busy flying around in bombers.

Clearly, this indicated that you had a significantly better chance of winning.

You can play on two different sides of World War II. You might choose to be part of the British troops stationed in El Alamein, or you can opt to join the Imperial Japanese Navy, which has its forces in Iwo Jima.

Both of these options sound equally interesting, allowing you to take control in various directions.

3. Red Orchestra 2: Heroes of Stalingrad

Like many events in human history, this time period can occasionally be portrayed with a distinct sense of Hollywood in the background.

However, similar to classic Russian novels, this game will not only provide you with accuracy in weapons and vehicles but also in the historical events that occurred during World War II, and it will do so in a brutal manner.

As the name implies, Heroes of Stalingrad transports you to the Eastern Front, which sets it apart from many other games. That said, you should be aware that this first-person shooter is challenging and requires you to exercise caution and uphold strict teamwork throughout the entire experience.

The primary challenge in this game arises from being a single cog while the machine-gunners provide covering fire.

This is how you ensure that the players on the field are advancing.

Tanks are remarkable weapons in this game, earning a reputation as murder machines once fully crewed.

However, with great power comes great responsibility. Operating the tank without a full crew will make you an easy target, so you must exercise caution in that regard.

Overall, this game provides a highly realistic perspective on the numerous factors you must consider when everything around you is engulfed in flames.

A rewarding aspect is that after you successfully complete something, you experience a genuine and distinct feeling of victory.

While most World War II titles focus on the Pacific theater or Western European nations, this game transports you to a different aspect of WW2, featuring real-time tactical battles that allow little to no time for distractions.

4. World Of Warships

Wargaming has released a considerable number of WW2 games, and World of Warships is the third title they have launched.

They drew inspiration from World of Tanks, incorporating all the successful elements that people loved and adapting them for the sea.

As anticipated, opting for ships instead of tanks has introduced significant changes to the game, as naval battles require a distinctly different fighting strategy.

Most importantly, the story progresses at a significantly slower pace, and the battles require much more time to resolve.

The primary change this may introduce to your gameplay is that you will need to approach every battle with greater consideration and be significantly more tactical in naval combat than you were in the ground-based WW2 games.

When you’re out on the open sea, you don’t have anywhere to hide, which makes you more vulnerable to your enemy.

However, the positive aspect of this situation is that your enemy is largely in a similar position, which means that extensive planning will be necessary.

However, when you play World of Warships, you can enlist the help of air support. On your decks, you’ll find fighters and bombers that are prepared for action, and once you deploy them, the battle transforms into an RTS experience.

The plans you create and the steps you take in your efforts to win are filled with uncertainty, and that suspense is, in my opinion, what makes this game one of the greatest WW2 games of all time.

Having confidence that your plan will succeed is enjoyable the first and perhaps the second time, but it quickly becomes repetitive, rendering the experience tedious.

This indicates that the game offers significant replay value, particularly because Wargaming has committed to regularly updating it.

5. Enlisted

Enlisted is a first-person shooter game that aims to adapt the highly popular War Thunder into an FPS format.

This is a highly tactical multiplayer game set in World War II, and it closely resembles Battlefield.

However, in addition to these similarities with other games, this one possesses some unique qualities, one of which is the mechanics of the squads.

During the game, you can unlock various squads that can be used to enhance different aspects of your equipment.

As you begin playing, you’ll notice that each player leads their own team, which is customized with named soldiers that are, of course, controlled by AI.

Once your character is killed, you will be transferred to another one of your soldiers and continue fighting in that role.

In this game, as in many others, you can bring up to 4 squads into battle with you. Once all of them are defeated, you are also defeated, and the game ends. Hopefully, this won’t happen to you too frequently.

If you want to keep your squads alive for a longer time and gain some additional advantages, you can purchase extra slots using in-game currency.

There are two options for playing this game: you can either go to the Eastern Front and experience the Battle of Moscow, featuring Soviets and Nazis on the battlefield, or you can head to the West and participate in the Invasion of Normandy, where the Western Allies and Nazis are engaged in combat.

As you progress through each stage of the battle and achieve victory, you will receive additional squads, weapons, and equipment.

However, there is a third option available to play in an open beta format, and it is the Battle of Berlin.

Additionally, the fourth installment, released in August 2021, is the Battle of Tunisia, providing you with a diverse range of locations to explore.

6. Strategic Command WW2: World at War

If you are familiar with the War in Europe game, you will likely enjoy playing World at War, as it expands the experience to a global scale.

This strategy game stands out from other top games set during World War II, as it is a sandbox game.

You can play anywhere, and your game will be uniquely tailored from Europe to Korea.

Depending on the country you choose to play as, you will have complete control over everything related to it – from strategic resources and industries to the production of military assets.

Your actions regarding your country will directly influence the course of the World War.

This game has been around for a long time, dating back to the early 2000s (yes, that was 20 years ago, not 5), and it continues to engage many players. The grand-strategy wargaming in this game is of exceptionally high quality.

You can play as either the commander of the Axis or as the leader of the Allied powers. But what happens to the other nations?

If you enjoy that type of real-time strategy game and gameplay, you can opt to have the other nations controlled by AI.

You manage all the internal operations of your nation and determine where to allocate the majority of your investments, selecting from research, diplomacy, mobilization, and arms maintenance.

7. Men of War: Assault Squad 2

Men of War is a series of various games that, despite their humble beginnings, have gained significant popularity as some of the best WW2 games.

If you’re still uncertain about which World War II-themed game to choose, this one is certainly worth considering.

One of the great aspects of this game is that the experience of playing it is highly immersive, which is not always true for war-related topics.

Each combat you engage in will unfold with a depth typically found in battles within turn-based games set in World War II.

Despite its depth, this game is not difficult to understand; it is even regarded as quite easy to learn and engage with.

When you lose a battle, the consequences are severe, but when you emerge as the hero of the story, the excitement is unparalleled.

As I have mentioned before, this game is part of a series that features many different additions. However, this particular installment, in my opinion and the opinion of many other players, truly deserves the medal of honor.

Official support for this game is no longer available; however, the Internet has fostered a dedicated team of modders and players who continue to keep the scenarios alive.

If you ever become bored with World War 2, you can select scenarios from a variety of different events, ranging from World War 1 to the Cold War.

If you want to play this in multiplayer, you should know that there are five different multiplayer options available. The most interesting one I recommend is Assault Zones Extreme.

This is an eight-on-eight version of the combat, meaning each fight will demand extensive strategizing.

This game is regarded as one of the best WW2 games due to its depth and attention to detail, as well as the challenge it presents in winning battles.

8. Hearts of Iron 4

If you enjoy playing sandbox-style World War games and are looking for your next gaming experience, you should definitely consider Hearts of Iron 4.

In this game, you select a country that you want to lead, choosing from any country that has existed since 1936.

After selecting your side, your task will be to guide this nation through World War II.

You will experience three distinct ideologies as you strive to conquer everything in an open-ended manner.

Depending on the developments in this area, the war in your playthrough will yield different outcomes.

You can also create your own Divisions and navigate the war in that manner.

It may be a bit more complicated to begin, but there are many templates and guides available on the Internet that can help you navigate this process.

You have your own battle planner, allowing you to customize your attacks down to the smallest details.

Once you have developed the ideal strategy, the AI-controlled soldiers will carry out all your directives.

One tricky aspect of this game arises from its nature as a sandbox game, which means that achieving the historically accurate ending is just one of several options, rather than the sole option, as it would be in a game primarily focused on strategy.

Some people may enjoy having that kind of freedom and exploring scenarios as if they were occurring in a parallel universe, while others may take issue with the fact that historical accuracy is not the primary focus of this game.

9. Steel Division 2

If you are both a game enthusiast and a history buff, but you prefer not to engage with hardcore war games, particularly first-person shooters like Call of Duty, and instead seek something more strategy-oriented, then Steel Division 2 is the game for you.

In this war game, you will be positioned on the eastern front. Since the developers have placed a strong emphasis on historical accuracy, you will experience the genuine challenges that the Axis and Russian forces encountered.

If you choose to play against the Soviets, you should know that although there are many of them, they are not equipped as well as you might expect. Therefore, there is always a high chance of yielding against them.

When confronted with the SS troops, you will notice that they are significantly better equipped and organized in a more efficient manner.

However, their main issue in a fight is that they severely lack energy.

As you may know, this is a sequel to Steel Division: Normandy ‘44. While the first game was good, the second one excels at depicting the scale of this World War.

As I mentioned, achieving historical accuracy was one of the primary focuses during the game’s development.

You will have control over large maps, tanks, troops, and aircraft, so many outcomes will depend on the decisions you make.

Another intriguing feature you can explore is the Army General mode, which allows you to incorporate an RTS story campaign into your gameplay if you desire.

This mode allows you to develop long, well-considered strategies and make significant decisions, enhancing the overall experience.

In the game, there are four mini-campaigns that will guide you through the Belorussian Strategic Offensive Operation, a key factor in the Soviet forces’ breakthrough against the Axis.

Most of the action will occur on a strategic map, demonstrating that this game is ideal for history enthusiasts.

10. IL-2: Sturmovik 1946

In the end, I present to you the most iconic classic among WW2 games. IL 2 Sturmovik 1946 is an older game, yet it remains one of the best simulation games, not just within the realm of war games but in the broader category of simulation games overall.

In this game, you experience a blend of the original IL-2 Sturmovik, its sequel, and all the expansions created for them.

This will undoubtedly provide you with many amazing activities to enjoy while you progress through this one.

In addition to the older components of the IL-2 Sturmovik games released before 2007, the 1946 version includes nine additional campaigns and numerous extra jets.

The central premise of the game is an alternate version of World War II, where Germany and Russia resolve their conflicts primarily through their air forces.

Even though the missions are scripted, they offer enough alternatives that this game maintains high replay value and remains engaging.

The battles are highly dynamic, similar to those in the pre-1946 version, and you can expect to encounter intense fights, bombings, raids, and dogfights.

If you are younger and have never played this game, I highly recommend it. If you belong to the generation that played and loved it, I don’t understand why you aren’t planning a nostalgia game night with it right now.

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