It might have been mentioned before, probably more than a hundred times already but I’m really not a big fan of zombies… no problem at all with horrible monsters, blood lusting demons or vengeful ghosts but the rotting undead just freak me out! If the end of the world turns out to be a zombie outbreak and not a mad max like scenario then you can be certain that I’m not playing at all XPP But my relation with Zs in pop culture is also somewhat masochistic and, like a moth to a flame, I end up consuming a ton of this content even if paranoia and nightmares are the certain by-product so it’s no wonder that when “They are Billions” came around, waving its old school RTS style and undead fulled dread, Mugen here had to dive right in the mess!
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“They are Billions” is akin to classics like Age of Empires or Settlers in its core mechanics but this RTS/tower defense/sim management/survival hybrid also adds a couple of good twists of its own to the mix that make it one of the most balanced and addictive games of its genre I’ve played lately. The early access version only has one mode available – Survival – in which your main objective is to establish, expand, manage and defend a colony for a set number of in-game days (something in between 80 and 150 if I’m not mistaken) from the Zs that populate the map and the hordes that rush you from time to time – something way easier said than done! Since the terrain is randomly generated at the beginning of each game, the only thing the player knows for certain when going in is that the resources are scarce and risky to get, the base small and, apart from a handful os soldiers, almost defenseless. Quickly gathering materials and expanding is a must but here’s where the fun begins, do it half assedly or focus too much in one area of development in particular and you’ll find yourself lacking in something else (food, money, space or defenses) that may cripple and doom your efforts very rapidly! Good planing and efficiency are the masters here and even then you’ll need to keep on your toes.
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As you spread your lovely meat/brain smell all over the map, the Zs will get more aggressive and start randomly probing your defenses but these pesky munchers only pose a real threat when they come in the form of big, panic inducing hordes that’ll test everything you’ve done so far and let me warn you, at this point, lack of funds/resources or bad planing will spell “the end” in a blink. If you think that a single horde is a pain in the ass then wait until you see the final one that not only comes from every side but also, THEY ARE BILLIONS!! XD You’ll start sweating like crazy and praying to unknown gods while you helplessly watch the carnage that unfolds before your eyes!
Can’t say for sure how many hours I’ve played by now but only a handful of times did I reach this final part and man, those were some soul crushing defeats… that made me start a new map almost immediately! It may get a little repetitive but it’s so well-built that it’s truly addictive! I’m very very curious to see what we’ll get with the full version.
A Geek and the Sea 