When you hear the words “tactical shooter,” it’s easy to think of familiar names like Ready or Not or Rainbow Six Siege. But Zero Hour, developed by a small team in Bangladesh, deserves its own space in the conversation. While it often gets compared to Ready or Not, there’s an interesting twist: Zero Hour was actually announced first! And now after a few years in Early Access state now it’s being released in 1.0 version. Is it worth a shot? How’s the gameplay like?
Let’s start with the things that caught my attention right away. First up: grappling to different floors. This is a mechanic I didn’t expect in a tactical shooter, and it adds a vertical layer to gameplay that you won’t find in many similar titles. Then there’s the dog. Yes, you heard that right. Zero Hour includes a tactical dog, which feels both fresh and unexpected in a game like this. And let’s not forget gun modding – it’s a bit better than Ready or Not, giving players more freedom to tweak their weapons, though it’s not without its limitations.
Another mechanic that deserves praise is the ability to breach doors with any shotgun. Unlike games that require a specific breaching shotgun, Zero Hour lets you get creative with your loadout. I also appreciated the sprint and prone mechanics, which make the game feel more dynamic and fluid, especially in close-quarters combat (CQB) situations.
The difficulty selector is a small but welcome feature. In contrast to Ready or Not, where you need mods to adjust difficulty, Zero Hour makes it easy to tailor missions to your preferred challenge level. And the revive system? A nice touch. I lost count of how many times reviving a friendly turned the tide of a mission.
The game also breaks some taboos: hostages can include kids or babies. It’s not something you see often in video games, likely due to the sensitivity of the subject. But Zero Hour takes that risk, and it adds emotional weight to certain missions. You’re not just saving faceless hostages; sometimes, it’s about protecting the most vulnerable, which can dramatically shift the stakes.
Another cool feature is the ability to cut power to make the map more NVG-friendly. But beware, the AI is smart enough to react. I once cut the power, only for the enemies to light a fire to regain visibility. In another instance, they used a flare, which made my night vision goggles (NVGs) useless. This level of adaptability from the AI really took me by surprise.
However, not everything in Zero Hour is perfect. The AI, while better than some shooters, could use a little more polish. There were moments where teammates got stuck or failed to act logically. It’s nothing game-breaking, but it’s noticeable during high-stakes moments.
Character customization is also pretty bare-bones. In a game that places so much emphasis on tactical realism, the lack of deeper customization options feels like a missed opportunity. The same goes for optics choices. While gun modding is decent, I found myself wanting more variety in the scopes and sights available. Another odd issue is that some weapon icons don’t match the actual weapons. For instance, what looks like a Mossberg 590 has the icon of a Benelli M4. It’s a small thing, but it can lead to confusion when choosing your loadout.
Now, let’s talk about co-op. I’ve seen mixed opinions on this mode, but personally, I found it fun. You can play with up to 9 AI bots on your side, and while I haven’t tried co-op with other players yet, I can imagine it’s even better with real teammates. The game’s gunplay feels great, and there’s a lot of customization to experiment with, including ballistic shields and red dot sights with flip magnifiers. However, I wish you could shoot your secondary weapon while using the ballistic shield – a minor letdown, but it’s still fun to play around with.
As for PvP, it’s not really my thing, but I know a lot of players enjoy it. The maps are well-designed, and each round forces you to adapt. One of the most interesting PvP strategies I found was cutting the power as attackers. Defenders are then left with just flashlights, creating some tense, unpredictable moments. The map design also changes between rounds, so a door that was accessible in one round might be blocked in the next, forcing you to rethink your approach. Communication is key here, as lone-wolf tactics won’t get you far unless you’re a sharpshooter.
Zero Hour: Zero Hour isn’t just a clone of Ready or Not – it brings enough unique mechanics to stand on its own. From grappling to multiple floors, to the dog, to its fresh take on hostage rescue, the game has plenty of charm. It’s far from perfect, though. AI needs some tweaking, customization could be deeper, and PvP might not be for everyone. Still, for fans of tactical shooters who are looking for something new at a budget-friendly price, Zero Hour is definitely worth considering. – Tom Henry
