Much Awaited K9 Attack Dog Now Available in Zero Hour : Games : Gamenguide

(Photo : M7 Productions/Photo taken from Steam)

Developer M7 Productions deployed a new content patch for Zero Hour just in time for Christmas. Update 5 brought a lot of gifts for players to enjoy, including the highly anticipated arrival of the K9 Attack Dog, and more.

Man's Best Friend

Players who start a new campaign in Zero Hour after updating their game clients to the latest version will now be assigned as dog handlers. They are in charge of training a small puppy into a reliable K9 attack dog that they can use in their missions. Players also have the ability to name a dog, improving their connection with them as they progress through the campaign.

After completing a few missions, players will then be able to use the K9 attack dog in their future endeavors. Because missions in Zero Hour have different objectives, the dog will be equipped with different equipment to suit the players' needs. M7 Productions is looking to expand this moving forward. It will be interesting to see how the company improves this in the future.

As players finish more missions with their dog companions, their canine friends will become better in so many aspects, such as bite effectiveness and enhanced detection capabilities.

However, it is important to note that missions in Zero Hour are fraught with danger. Dogs are quite helpful, but just like the players, they can be killed as well. If they ever meet their demise, players can pay their respects to their dog companions by offering a final goodbye. Show them some love by giving them one last pet. They deserve it!

Tactical Advantage

Aside from man's best friend, the company introduced the Tactical Drone to help players in their missions. The new drone can be used to survey the area and provide some much-needed intel until its batteries are fully depleted.

What's more, players can actually issue commands to their squads while piloting the drone! This means that players can technically be out of harm's way and just rely on the drone and their AI squad members to do what needs to be done.

Small But Terrible

Update 5 also introduced a couple of new sidearms that Zero Hour players can use. The iconic Smith & Wesson Model 57 has incredible stopping power and exceptional accuracy that allows players to take enemies out without a problem.

Additionally, the Beretta M9 boasts a perfect balance of accuracy and stability. It also has a considerable magazine capacity, which makes it suitable for those who do not have a good aim.

Highlights

ADDITIONS

Daily Challenges System
New Leaderboard for "Daily Challenge Streaks"
Weapon Aesthetics Options
Deathmatch FFA game mode spawn check
Ability to command Squad AI while using Drone
Atmospheric scene SFX for certain maps that lower based on the number of suspects alive
Temporary TK mute for players that TKed to complete 3 missions until it gets set off
Welcome prompt for team kill penalty stayover
Paradise City to PvP Deathmatch FFA only
Loadout autosave for co-op & training
Ability to vault over specific Procedural Prop Placement obstacles blocking entry
Loading sequence in main menu for additional assets (textures & audio)
Weapon aesthetics to be visible during MVP and lobby animations

IMPROVEMENTS

Squad AI movement during gunfight while following player
Co-Op starting mission load time
Co-Op intro presentation
Suspect AI to shoot even when talking depending on scenario
Suspect AI to not lose aggressive state during last moments
Player camera near clipping
Suspect AI networking sync
Spawn in load buffer
Squad AI can defuse and take intel automatically when in position

Zero Hour Update 5 is available on PC.