The release of Days of Doom brings a new wasteland apocalypse to fans of the genre. If you’re a post-apocalypse fan this turn-based strategy will surely deliver a twinge of excitement. In search of sanctuary, you and your team must work to build up resources if you ever hope to find the oasis in these demented lands. The zombies resemble those from Left 4 Dead, in their wide variety of both type and ability.
Zombies won’t be your only monstrosity to fear either. Aside from scavengers and the like, raptor-like lizard people will drag you down by their side if you let them. You never know what else might be lurking along with them though. To live, first, you must survive. To survive, your only option is to approach the problem as a team with a tactful approach and work to grow your numbers in the field.
Credit: SneakyBox / AtariGaming Experience
Traveling to The Great Beyond
Despite how it might seem Days of Doom isn’t just about combat. You must find your way through the wasteland, which won’t be an easy feat. Following the routes planned out on your map you’ll have to work your way through 5 unhabitable environments if you hope to find the rumored sanctuary shelter. Each step will consume your fuel so you’ll need to conserve to progress any further than you did before. While the early stages can feel fairly easy, it quickly scales until you begin to get clobbered.
The boss fights can be especially challenging, and just when you think you made it to the end of one stage of your journey. You definitely may have come to an end, just not the one you’d hoped. You best hope none of your crew takes a pounding they won’t recover from either, because it’s all downhill from there. Picked off one by one, that’s how most of your runs will likely end.
Credit: SneakyBox / AtariTrial by Combat
Like many tactical-style games, the startup with this title can take a bit of extra time, so don’t expect to hit the ground running. Days of Doom uses rogue-lite elements in playstyle, so build up your base before you set out on another expedition. The first few attempts can definitely feel a little frustrating, but in large part that’s just due to picking up the specifics about the mechanics and items so you can plan. In case you weren’t sure, team damage is enabled so be careful where you aim that thing! Also, a final warning that had to learn the hard way, the toxic fumes are in fact flammable.
It’s once you grow your posse size that you can really catch the wind beneath your wings. The starting team size of 3 feels restrictive at first, but it simplifies the gameplay mechanic’s learning curve. Figuring out the intricacies of movement, attacks, range and more from allies and foes alike can make you unstoppable. So, with that weight lifted from your shoulders, you’re free to disembowel your opponents. To get to that point, however, it may cost you a pretty penny before you can tear through the competition.
Final Thoughts
The gorgeous art style and smooth animations truly make this game feel nostalgic even on the first playthrough though. One small detail that I personally was quite fond of was the simple fact that the large enemies move between the traditional tiling. This makes them both feel more menacing during their approach but also leaves them more vulnerable due to a larger hurt box. Despite the game’s slow initial pickup of pacing, it really comes into its own once you have the fundamentals down. While that grind can feel a little grueling, limiting my choices in these brawls made me improve my strategies without a doubt! Once I was finally able to get more of my team on the board at a single time I felt unstoppable. Besides, if you keep coming up short with another loss, I’m sure you’ll get em’ next time.
‘Days of Doom‘ is available now. For those interested, it’s available on Steam, Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4/5, Xbox One & Series X|S, and Atari VCS. It could even be a great game for the road, and themed at that!
