Emerge: Cities of the Apocalypse, a recently Greenlit Strategy/Defense hybrid, will be released in Steam on April 27, 2016.
A unique blend of turn-based resource management and real-time defensive combat, Emerge: CotA puts players into a decrepit, grimy post-apocalyptic world, with the goal to rebuild civilization and repel zombies and mutated beasts.
An action-point based system lets players perform various tasks each game turn, such as scouting nearby sectors, exploring their surroundings for random events, view recruits, maintain weapons, and many more. Also, you can build improvements such as labs and trading posts, and automated defenses to soften the invaders a bit before facing them head-on.
The area map is riddled with undead armies. When your turn ends, it’s theirs. And boy, meeting them isn’t pleasant. You and your squadmates shoot the invaders before they destroy your barricade. You can aim at their weak spots, use items and special abilities, and even set basic AI for your fellow warriors to, say, snipe distant zombies. There are lots and lots of different zombie types, from burning ones to armored ex-soldiers and conjoined twins. Sounds easy, eh?
An expansive research tree, a campaign with over 40 missions, lots of random events and unlockable classes, bonuses and challenges, “set Emerge: CotA far, far apart from the average mindless zombie shooters the market is so saturated with”, says Emilios Manolidis, solo developer, who threw over four years of his life into the Apocalypse development pit.
Reviews
“I know what you’re thinking: that you’ve seen some free flash games that do the same thing. And you’re not entirely wrong, but I haven’t seen one myself that does it this well, or that has this much going on.”
Rock, Paper, Shotgun
“It’s quite clear that Emilios Manolidis has put a lot of effort into this project […] After all, solo development projects are by no means an easy task, but it’s clear that this guy has worked his butt off to provide a finished product worthy of being played.”
Games Ring
About This Game
Emerge: Cities of the Apocalypse places players in a dystopian world filled with zombies and mutated creatures. Once glorious cities now stand in ruins, as the few remaining humans now live as scavengers, bereft of any organisation or hope.
But not any more! Choose a character and embark on an epic quest to restore civilization and eradicate the undead threat!
Key Features
◾EXPLORE AND EXPAND: Restore derelict metropolises, one turn at a time! How will you spend your Action Points this turn? Will you scout a nearby sector, then clean your weapons and check out a new recruit? Or will you patch the hole in your defenses and then blindly move into unexplored territory?
◾REDISCOVER LOST TECH: Plot your course over an expansive, multi-branched research tree! Bring forth scientific marvels, or start a second industrial revolution! Or perhaps, build a strong economy and make powerful alliances with merchants and mercenaries!
◾MANAGE YOUR TEAM: Choose your character class and find or recruit survivors. Gain experience and improve your team’s skills and equipment. Find and buy tons of weapons, mods and usable items! But beware, for fighting the undead can be deadly…
◾BUILD AND FORTIFY: The Apocalypse has ravaged cities’ infrastructure, and it’s up to you to restore them. Construct improvements in captured sectors to empower your cause. Produce automated defenses to help you weaken or eliminate invading undead armies!
◾FIGHT THE UNDEAD ARMIES: As turns pass, more dangerous undead appear. From acid-spitting zombies to undead, armored soldiers, there are no limits to the horrors you will face. Set your snipers to aim for the head, have a bunch of grenades ready, and pray they don’t reach your barricade in numbers!
◾UNLOCK THE FUTURE: Relieve the world from undeath in campaign or skirmish mode! Meet mysterious survivors and determine the outcome of random events! Unlock new areas, enemies, classes, bonuses and challenges and lots of extra content as you play!