Best Games Where You Can Influence A Faction War

War… war never changes. Except in some games, it literally does, depending on which side the player is on. Games depicting power struggles are a dime a dozen, yet few titles actually allow players to reshape these political battles to influence which side is victorious. Most faction battles run on rails, but these games let players install rulers of their choice, sabotage supply lines from the shadows, backstab their closest allies, or instigate revolts.

Players can broker peace, lead conquests, or destabilize entire regions from within. Whether they prefer being a peaceful negotiator or a bloodthirsty warlord, these games hand gamers the proverbial (or literal) knife, and let them decide where to put it.

Thalmor Not Included (But They’re Always Watching)

Beneath the veil of lore about dragons and Fus Ro Dahs, the world of Skyrim is embroiled in a civil war between the Imperial Legion and the Stormcloaks. Keen observers may note how this war isn’t just hearsay, but woven into the very way the cities operate. Jarls are replaced, and allegiances can visibly shift.

The playable Dragonborn isn’t merely an observer either. Players can choose to storm forts, hold sieges, and assassinate enemy officers, all affecting key characters, quests and the political atmosphere in every hold. Though the Thalmor pull strings from the shadows, it is the player’s choices that shape the future of Skyrim.

Mount & Blade 2: Bannerlord

From Mercenary To Monarch, One Siege At A Time

Bannerlord is a dynamic sandbox where player-created characters can join or create their own kingdoms in an ongoing continent-wide war. What makes it truly stand out is the fact that nothing is on-rails. Faction control is entirely dictated by player and AI decisions, making no two campaigns feel alike.

Players can experience the journey from mercenary to warlord not just by conquest, but also through swearing fealty to emperors or marrying into noble families. War or peace, diplomacy or betrayal, all allow players to influence the war, be it from the war-room or courtroom. Mount & Blade 2: Bannerlord takes war-simulation to the extreme by allowing players to unite kingdoms under their banner or break them from within.

Dragon Age: Inquisition

When Siding With The Wrong Faction Might Doom The World

Dragon Age: Inquisition takes place during a chaotic power struggle between the mages and templars, culminating in a civil war in Orlais. Players must choose which side they support early on in the game, which shapes major questlines and the fates of key NPCs. Aside from the existing factions in Orlais, the Inquisition itself becomes a growing faction itself, gaining influence and territory as players make key decisions.

Dragon Age: Inquisition lets you captain this ship of high-stakes political intrigue, navigating your way towards power, choosing who gets to stay your mate and who walks the plank. By the game’s end, certain player decisions affect the outcome of entire nations, with major geopolitical ramifications.

Total War: Three Kingdoms

History’s Most Strategic Soap Opera

Set during China’s Three Kingdoms period, Total War: Three Kingdoms combines turn-based empire management with real-time strategy battles, allowing players to rewrite history to their liking. Gamers get to play as one of 12 warlords, each with their own unique political ties and rivalries that evolve over the course of the campaign.

Aliiances, betrayals, power struggles initiate and shift through player decisions, be it through diplomacy, duels or a show of military might. It’s not just the player’s own faction either; enemy powers can be pitted against each other, coalitions can be formed, and leaders can be undermined from under their nose. Each campaign in Three Kingdoms is a volatile powder keg.

GreedFall

Colonial Politics, Plagues, And Pacts With Nature

GreedFall takes place on a colonized island with four major factions: religious zealots, scientific guilds, mercenaries, and native tribes. Players take control of a neutral diplomat, navigating tensions between settlers and natives while uncovering the mysteries of a supernatural plague. Decisions during key quests can affect the relationships between factions, possibly leading to all-out war.

Each faction offers unique quests, companions and ideological perspectives on the conflict. How players choose to handle negotiations can have cascading effects, leading to alliances or betrayals between groups. The moral choices in GreedFall define not just the political outcome, but the entire fate of the island’s people.

Fallout: New Vegas

Yes Man Remembers Everything You Did To Everyone

Beyond allowing players to side with one faction to influence the power struggle between the NCR, Caesar’s Legion, Mr. House ,and Independent Vegas; Fallout: New Vegas throws in a curveball by allowing you to betray them all, going the anarchist route and siding with Yes Man. The choices made across dozens of quests trickle down, influencing many outcomes.

Player decisions can affect faction reputation, availability of support, and who has control of key settlements. Entire towns can be wiped out or spared depending on whom the player chooses to support or hinder. Every action in Fallout: New Vegas feels like a domino in a large interconnected web of factional consequences.

The Witcher 2: Assassins of Kings

Two Sides, One Sword, And No Easy Answers

Geralt is faced with a tough choice right from the get-go, having to side with either Roche or Iorweth, splitting The Witcher 2’s narrative into two distinct paths. Human nationalism, or elven resistance? The decision is made all the more difficult by the fact that both sides have their own morally gray motivations.

Entire chapters play out differently depending on the choice players make at the start of the game, with different cities, quests and characters. Geralt’s involvement decides which leaders ascend to power and who falls during the turmoil, culminating in a conspiracy involving the broader Northern Kingdoms conflict. Beneath the patina of swords and monsters, The Witcher 2 is a masterclass in morally tangled faction warfare.