It’s not every day that we come across a conquest game that diverges from the standard formula. In most cases, as soon as we download one of these games to try it out, we can predict, with great accuracy, 90% of the mechanics it will have to offer, as well as the overall quality of the game in question. That is why, every time we come across a game like Z-Day: Heroes of War, we are pleasantly surprised.
Z-Day is set in an alternate universe where the Nazi soldiers have won, and are working to dominate the world using their new bombs made of antimatter. The destructive capacity of these devices is unparalleled and the leaders of the enemy factions are constantly using them to rule the world with an iron fist. These factions have managed to destroy almost every government that dares to oppose their rule, and yours is one of the few that has managed to prevent their total destruction.
The game starts with your base being attacked by the New Race, a powerful faction of the Nazis. After a long combat in which the enemy used several bombs and explosives with antimatter, almost everything was lost. However, the enemy did not count on your aircraft, the Destroyer, which destroyed all the opposing ground troops and caused their temporary retreat.
The game presents its plot spectacularly, with the story being a catalyst for player immersion. Unlike other conquest games where the story is simply a pretext for waging war with other players, Z-Day’s plot hooked us to the point where we wanted to progress to discover a little more of it each time. However, this is a game, not a film, so it cannot subsist on a good plot alone.
How to Play?
Fortunately, when it comes to gameplay, Z-Day is no slouch.
As mentioned above, this is a conquest MMO RTS. The game is set in the time after World War II, so the troops and buildings have this theme. Your role will be to take command of one of the last bases to oppose the emerging Nazi factions, and prevent them from achieving world domination.
To achieve this, you will have to rebuild your defenses after the attack you just survived. You’ll also have to build production buildings to generate resources that you’ll be able to use for an endless number of purposes. As you would do in any conquest game, it will also be your job to recruit and train troops, fight against the Nazis and other players, and establish dominion over your server.
The Gacha Aspect
However, the factor in which this game differs the most from the rest is in the expeditions aspect.
This game mode is very different from the rest in the sense that it is not about building or advancing a base. In expeditions, you will take control of a group of elite soldiers who make their way through enemy territory to achieve an objective. This objective usually consists of collecting a valuable item, although you will also have to defeat bosses in some stages.
The maps here consist of grids in which you have to advance by clicking on each square to discover its contents. Each time you explore a new square, there is a chance that it will be an enemy, a power-up, or another object of interest. Depending on the contents of a square, you will have to take different actions.
The power-ups, for the most part, are just that; items that you can collect to strengthen your team during the mission. Enemies, on the other hand, must be destroyed quickly, being careful not to take too many casualties on your part. This is because the damage you take is not recovered, except by finding a first aid kit.
Combat in expeditions is simple; you just click on the enemy until it disappears. However, each enemy has both different attack and damage attributes, and every time you attack it, your team will also take damage. Also, there are several types of enemies with different abilities. Some, for example, are agile and can dodge your attacks, avoiding the damage you deal and counterattacking with ferocity. Fortunately, your squad has some leaders with special abilities, which have different effects.
In the screenshots above, we see how Nicole’s special ability allows her to rain destruction over an entire map, completely revealing all the squares and dealing damage to all enemies within the danger area. We’ll talk in more detail about expeditions in another article, but for now, all you need to know is that they add great variety to a genre infamous for offering the same content, but in a different wrapper.
Regarding the gacha element, this is the means by which you can unlock the different heroes that you will use during your expeditions. Using different war heroes will be crucial to obtain success in expeditions, especially when facing powerful bosses that will impede your progress.
Day Z: War Heroes-The Conquest Game with Gacha Elements
Undoubtedly, Day Z: Heroes of War is the shining example of a conquest MMO RTS that stands out from the rest. This is due not only to its innovative mechanics, as we have been explaining, but also to its degree of polish and simple, yet attractive art style. Moreover, the game runs excellently on BlueStacks, which is always a good thing for us.