Top 10 Greatest Video Game Battles of All Time

Top 10 Greatest Video Game Battles of All Time You’re sure to get your fix of massive conflict playing through these games. Welcome to WatchMojo.com, and today, we’re counting down the top 10 greatest video game battles of all time. For this list, we’ll be looking at the best playable large-scale battles in gaming, so no cutscenes or boss fights here. Because we are covering important battles in a games story, a spoiler warning is in effect!

#10: Helm’s Deep

“The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers” (2002) Just like the movie it’s based on, this “Lord of the Rings” hack ‘n’ slash culminates in the defense of Helm’s Deep against Saruman’s army. The battle begins with the player assuming the role of Aragorn, Legolas or Gimli as you defend the keep walls from the orcish onslaught. From there, you move to the battlefield to defend a breach in the wall before making your final stand in the Helm’s Deep courtyard. The game does a great job of putting you in the shoes of Middle Earth’s greatest heroes and making you feel like a major part of this iconic conflict.

#9: The Battle of Bunker Hill

“Fallout 4” (2015) Bethesda’s follow-up to 2011’s “Skyrim” wasn’t as highly-acclaimed as many of its the studio’s earlier games, but “Fallout 4” did succeed in making the player feel like an integral part in a war between multiple factions. At no point did they succeed at this better than the Battle of Bunker Hill, midway through the game’s main storyline. The battle plays out differently depending on which factions the player is friendly with, but it’s always the first major interaction between the game’s warring factions: the Brotherhood of Steel, the Institute, the Railroad, and potentially the Minutemen. The battle puts you on the ground to pursue your faction’s objective in the midst of a chaotic wasteland battleground.

#8: The Siege of Talmberg

“Kingdom Come: Deliverance” (2018) This European middle ages warfare game puts you in the shoes of Henry, the son of a blacksmith who finds himself as a soldier fighting for revenge and his homeland. The game was hyped for its immersive open world and large scale battle sequences. Though the battles may not have lived up to the potentially unreasonable expectations of some fans, they are still incredibly fun. The game’s final quest has you taking part in an all-out castle siege to take back your homeland from invaders. With its realistic combat and visual style, the game succeeds in making you feel like a soldier waging war in the middle ages.

#7: Battle for Sector Beta

“Star Fox Zero” (2016) Despite mixed reviews from critics, “Star Fox Zero” pleased hardcore fans by returning the series to its roots. The most memorable mission in the game, Battle for Sector Beta, is a large, multi-stage space battle that consists of taking down enemy capital ships before being tasked to infiltrate the main ship, in many ways similar to the Battle of Katina in “Star Fox 64.” The mission features appearances by fan favorites Bill and Katt, and ends with a surprise attack by Star Wolf. This return to the classic space combat style of the series was a welcome one for fans, culminating in an excellent battle across the space.

#6: Battle for Earth

“Halo 2” (2004) The best video game battles are the ones that make you feel like the hero, and few game series do that as well as “Halo.” It was going to be hard to top the original “Halo’s” Silent Cartographer beach landing mission, but Bungie was able to pull it off. Near the beginning of the game’s campaign, as the Covenant invades Earth, Master Chief is tasked with defending the planet from the alien onslaught. As Chief, the player makes their way across the city of New Mombasa both on foot and driving a Scorpion tank, repelling Covenant forces as you go. The result was one of the most satisfying missions in the long-running FPS franchise.

#5: Desperate Alliance

“StarCraft” (1998) When playing through the Terran campaign of this sci-fi real time strategy classic, it’s not long before you come to this intense standoff. The mission’s objective is simply to defend your base and survive the Zerg onslaught until the timer runs out. The mission is both difficult and fun, making the player feel like they are part of a intense alien conflict. Balancing resource and unit management forced players to learn the game fast or fall to the Zerg. Whether you decide to go on the offensive or play it safe and protect your base, this video game battle manages to stand out from the rest.

#4: Battle of Endor

“Star Wars: Rogue Squadron II: Rogue Leader” (2001) The climactic battle of the second Death Star is brought to life in this space combat classic. In the final mission of the game’s campaign, you take control of Wedge Antilles and are tasked with holding off the Imperial forces until the Death Star’s shield generator is deactivated before taking the fight to the Death Star itself. The game does an excellent job of placing you in the midst of a massive and iconic space battle in the Star Wars universe, and holds up exceptionally well even today. Finally, at the game’s conclusion, the player destroys the Death Star and makes their big escape alongside Lando piloting the Millenium Falcon.

#3: Complete Mayhem

“Bully” (2006) A prep school riot serves as the backdrop of one of Rockstar’s most memorable missions. At the conclusion of “Bully,” main character Jimmy Hopkins has earned the respect of each of the school’s factions one-by-one, but arch-enemy Gary has gotten Jimmy expelled and instigated a riot. Jimmy teams up with the allies he’s made over the course of the game to quell the school’s riot and expose Gary, eventually getting himself re-admitted to Bullworth Academy. The level serves as a perfect cap to the hilariously ridiculous game, one that we hope Rockstar might revisit one day.

#2: The Battle of Kaer Morhen

“The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt” (2015) One of the highlights of CD Projekt Red’s modern day RPG classic was this defense against the Wild Hunt assault on the Witcher stronghold of Kaer Morhen. Taking on the role of Geralt of Rivia, players are tasked with protecting the fortress from a supernatural army known as the Wild Hunt. The player begins by making several strategic choices that can affect the outcome of the battle. When the assault begins, Geralt must protect the stronghold from being overtaken by the Wild Hunt forces. It’s an immensely enjoyable experience with strong gameplay, superb storytelling and a fitting emotional payoff.

#1: D-Day

“Call of Duty 2” (2005) It doesn't get much more iconic than this. Back before it became the military FPS behemoth that it is today, “Call of Duty” was a young upstart franchise looking to overthrow “Medal of Honor” as the king of World War Two games. With the game’s second numbered installment in 2005, players eventually found themselves storming the beaches of Normandy as an American soldier, watching allies being gunned down as the deafening sounds of artillery and conflict surround you. It’s a truly stunning experience that feels incredibly cinematic, and one that the “Call of Duty” games have been unable to recreate in the years since.