The base building genre has become mainstream in recent years, with new contenders coming in on a regular basis. Unfortunately, it has become so saturated that any newcomer is usually just a slightly different version of the same games that have already been released. Fleets of Heroes hopes to breathe new life into the genre by changing a lot of the staple mechanics of the game while still preserving the core of base building gameplay.
Fleets of Heroes places players in charge of building up a town in space. What truly sets the game apart from all others in the same genre are the different options it provides players when it comes to progressing. No longer are players forced to loot and raid each other for the sake of precious resources. The game has an open trade system that allows cooperative gameplay. Those who have regular trade partners can choose to specialize in production of specific resources and just exchange goods with their friends.
The game also has different game modes for players to explore. The basic story campaign called Conquest Mode allows players to learn the ropes of the game through a series of computer-controlled enemy bases. Each base has a slightly better defenses than the last, giving players the chance to test out their skills before facing off in PVP. The PVP Combat mode pits players against each other, with the winner walking away with various rewards.
Another feature of Fleets of Heroes is the well fleshed out talent system. This gives the players a chance to develop a unique experience with each base. Players can customize their respective talents to focus on traits that will work well with their respective play styles. The decision to invest heavily in a particular talent tree or spread out for a well-rounded build is entirely up to each player.
Fleets of Heroes was released for iOS on December 20 and it can be downloaded for free from the App Store. The game requires iOS 9.0 or later as well as 496MB of space.