Battle Aces

Release Date: TBD (beta this summer)

Platforms: PC

Battle Aces is another RTS led by ex-Blizzard developers. You might have caught it during the Summer Game Fest showcase where it debuted with a flashy anime trailer that set many viewers up for crushing disappointment when the words “real-time strategy” eventually followed. But Battle Aces isn’t your standard RTS. It’s much closer to something like Clash Royale, the mobile deck-building tower-defense game.

In Battle Aces you unlock new units, build a “deck” out of the ones you want,” and then go into battle against opponents on a super small map where matches are only expected to take about five minutes or so. Resource extraction is all automated outside of investing in a limited set of additional base nodes, and building units is almost instantaneous. Where the strategy comes in is trying to counter-play against your opponent’s army, capitalize on big swings to cripple their resource extraction, and incrementally build up advantages until you crush their final base Dota-2 style. As with Stormgate, competitive play isn’t where my RTS love lies, but Battle Aces felt approachable and low commitment enough to pique my interest once it’s out. — Ethan