Heavenstrike Rivals

About

You control squads of warriors in grid-based battles against demon hordes in this 2014 strategy game. Each match plays out like a chess match with fantasy flair as you position heroes from Square Enix properties to outmaneuver enemies. Resource management matters as much as tactical placement since every action burns action points. The mobile and PC portability lets you pause and resume campaigns anytime though the depth of the systems rewards longer sessions. The worldbuilding about a fractured sky city split between safe zones and war-torn wastelands adds stakes to your micro-management. Fans of collecting characters might enjoy unlocking guest stars from Final Fantasy titles but the free-to-play model means some units require grind. With 500+ units reported in the game at launch it had staying power for completionists even if modern strategy titles have surpassed its mechanics.

Storyline

Long ago, a land hung amongst the clouds, suspended by monolithic chains: Lunnain. The land was watched over by the Guardian, a holy being who resided at the chains' summit. Every hundred years, the divine Seven Sisters awoke to choose a new Guardian. Under their care, Lunnain enjoyed 600 years of prosperity, growing into a bustling industrial metropolis. That was, until the Fallen came. Ruthless monsters of nightmare, they mounted daily attacks down the chains. Overwhelmed, the army of Lunnain retreated to focus its efforts on key locations. Thus, the city was irreconcilably split in two: the safe Havens, and the unguarded Forsaken. Punished by their deity and left behind by their government, these people struggle to survive each day; their lives—and their city—a shadow of past glory. But adversity has a habit of birthing heroism, and one who will shape this cursed land's destiny is about to arise...