Puzzles & Survival: Z Express 12+

You can’t advance without spending money. Even the game moderators admit there are players cheating the system, although they claim those players are being banned on a near-weekly basis. I think I spent about $30 total so far to reach a level where my gains are constantly being attacked by far superior forces that I absolutely cannot retaliate without causing even more losses.

And at this level, everything is a slog just to maintain position. Your buildings don’t generate enough resources to rely solely on what you can produce to advance. You have to constantly hustle and play this game hours per day just to gather enough resources to advance one research project, or one set of units, or upgrade one single building. I have a full time job, I don’t need a game that wants to be another full time job.

After all this, it’s clear this game was written by dudebros for other dudebros, because there’s a lot of big breasted women in various alluring outfits, but of course all the male characters are rugged tough guys or literally a knock off of the Joker. There’s apparently even a G.I. Joe event but I’m not sticking around to see it. This game is going into the “seemed interesting until I downloaded it and actually tried to play” category, and I’m deleting now.

I’ve been playing for about a year and a half now. And this game is so rigged to make you spend money. Far worse than any game I have played before. I have spent a lot on the game and still can’t get things that really help. On two different accounts not one apex weapon. It’s supposedly roll of the dice to get one. But I see players after a few months getting them. This isn’t only me and if they would read what the people playing have to say they would see how many people this makes mad. I saw a message sent to a player from admin that after 100 straight back to back weapon crafts that you would get an apex. But guess what that was a big fat lie. Also in ultimate challenge when you have to use specific colored heroes, those colors very seldom show up. I have been on one for months trying to win with 5 and 6 star heroes but if that color doesn’t show up you can’t even get a hit in. I don’t mind spending on games as long as I feel like it’s worth it but I have found that most of the money spent on this game is worthless. I love the concept of the game and several events that are enjoyable. But unless you have deep pockets I suggest finding a different game to play. Hopefully they will read some of the reviews and listen to people, especially the ones like me that they have made a lot of money off of.

So, I have some complaints. I really like this game, it’s quite fun and I spend a lot of my time playing it and growing and talking with my alliance. But the characters… this is sad but expected. As seen in so many mobile and video games these days, the male characters are strong. They’re covered in muscles and cool gear and rugged beards. But most importantly, they are wearing clothes that you would expect a rational person to wear during a zombie apocalypse. The female characters are not. They are grossly over-sexualized and unrealistic, especially compared to the male characters. They’re wearing short or open clothes, while the male characters are wearing pants and shirts and other layers. No woman or rational person would wear a jacket unbuttoned with an exposed bra and shorts while in a zombie apocalypse. It seems as if this game was not made with the input of other women, and if it was, it was ignored. I’m sad that in this day and age, in a simple game, you still see things that are only made through the male gaze. All in all, this game has good play and strategy, but it’s a good example of normalized misogyny and sexism.