4 console war games you need to play

When it comes to relaxing, many of us now turn to our computers, games consoles and even smartphones for a bit of harmless fun. While some people play simple games that require minimal thought – such as Candy Crush – others prefer something a bit more intense.

One genre of game that people can't seem to get enough of is war, with more and more challenges being released that are based on historic or fictional wars. In fact, many of you in the Armed Forces enjoy war games in your spare time, even if you're living the reality.

As well as being challenging, you can also play games with your friends, giving a slightly more entertaining aspect to the theme than having to deal with many similar situations in real life.

With so many great – and bad – games out there, we thought we'd take a look at some of the best and most popular to show you what you should play next:

Gears of War 4

Gears of War has become known as a great action series and not without reason. The most recent game moves away a bit from the story arc of the previous three, introducing new characters with a new mission.

As well as the plot getting a makeover, the enemy is different too – we all love a good robot bad guy – resulting in some pretty epic firefights that you're sure to enjoy. 

Just when you think everything is brand new, a favourite character – if you've played the previous GOW games – shows up and the plot starts to follow a more well-known path. While you're not going to be saving humankind in this game, it's definitely going to provide hours of entertainment.

Battlefield 1942

Those who love a good first person shooter based on real combat need to play Battlefield 1942. This game allows you to try your skills on several famous battlefields from World War Two across the Pacific, Eastern, North African and Italian fronts.

You get to be part of different Armies – choosing between Allied or Axis teams – depending on which battle you are fighting, with the conflicts following what actually happened in the most part, giving a largely realistic idea of what it was like at the time. 

The game also allows you to assume different roles, including engineer, scout, medic, anti-tank and assault, so you can really mix things up. This means there are hours of entertainment to enjoy.

Halo 5: Guardians

Fans of the Halo universe can't miss out on the latest game installment – although you'll have to if you haven't got an Xbox One as this is the only platform you can get it on. 

Another first-person shooter, Halo 5: Guardians has a more sci-fi storyline but this doesn't take away from the action-packed plot. It brings back Masterchief, although he's actually being hunted down by a second team of supersoldiers when he goes absent without leave to find Cortana. 

As well as great multiplayer options and epic storyline, the game has killer visuals that you can only truly appreciate when playing.

Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare 

We can't really do a list of games without mentioning Call of Duty. This may have been released in 2007, but it's still a great game that you're sure to enjoy. 

The plot of the game takes you back to 2011 from the viewpoint of either a British SAS Commando or US Force Reconnaissance Marine, with various locations to visit. It also has a multiplayer aspect so you can play online with friends, no matter where they are in the world.

There're several reasons this game is so popular even after almost ten years, and it won't take you long to understand what these are.