Sometimes, you want a shooter that’s frenetic, fantastical, and outright fun, like Doom Eternal or maybe, back in the day, Half-Life. But there’s another type of FPS, the more austere and self-serious simulation-style shooter like Ready or Not or the earlier Rainbow Six games. Zero Hour is definitely one of these. Boasting scarily realistic movement and gunplay, it feels like the descendant of the superlative SWAT series, and now, finally, after four years of early access, it’s officially launched in full.
Created by M7 Productions and Attrito, Zero Hour is an FPS game where methodical strategy, teamwork, and precision are the keys to success. There are more than 23 weapons and 18 tools and pieces of equipment, but more than anything, you and your team (in PvP, there are two squads of five; in PvE, you can also play in a squad of up to five) need to communicate and work in unison.
As well as effective teamwork, Zero Hour, like the best tactical shooters, is all about doors. On the one hand, they’re your shield and your savior. On the other, they’re omens of imminent death. Anyone could be waiting on the other side, and before you blow off the hinges and make entry, you need to be sure you’re prepared.
Enemies will set booby traps, but you can disable those with explosives. Knocking a door down with a battering ram will disorient anyone on the other side, but it puts you in direct danger – maybe it’s best to remain in cover, use the back kick, and throw a swift flashbang.
There are several game modes including bomb defusal, team deathmatch, and hostage rescue. You also have your own German Shepherd attack dog who can hunt down and disable enemies on your behalf – and yes, you can name them and give them pets on the head.
Though it first arrived on Steam all the way back in 2020, Zero Hour officially launches out of early access on Monday September 9 with update 1.0, available for $11.99 / £9.29. You can find it on Steam.
If you’re interested in other games like Zero Hour, take a look at our favorite simulation games and multiplayer games on PC.
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