Do you like real-time strategy games? Although many proposals can be framed within this style of titles, the truth is that some are paid, and almost none are open source. That is why we do not want to lose sight of it when we find a real-time strategy game that is also completely free and that we can modify because it is open source.

This is how Zero-K becomes one of the best choices that can make all those users looking for a title of this type, specifically on this occasion. This game is based on Total Annihilation and the previous Supreme Commander. However, far from just taking features from the last two, this one has succeeded.

When we start a battle in Zero-K, we will only have one character at our disposal, whom we can identify as the commander, and it will be thanks to his services we will have to generate better units. It will be vital that we pay attention to the elements that cross our path since by taking them, we can produce factories with their robots, ships, airplanes, and others.

The confrontations in Zero-K have an average duration of half an hour each, or until the objective set for us is reached, considering that the title proposes a system of crossed challenges. That is to say, you'll have to try to complete your mission over an enemy that, in the meantime, will have his own, and basically, the winner will be the one who finishes before the other.

Usually, it's about taking complete control of the map we will use to move. This is independent of whether you are facing the game's artificial intelligence or a friend or stranger over the Internet. We mention this because Zero-K allows us to maintain confrontations both against the system itself and against whoever we want on the other side of the world, almost indifferently, except for the Internet connection.

At the same time, Zero-K stands out. It allows us to enjoy several game modes, which we always like to see because it is the first step to prevent the fun from ending too quickly. In this sense, we must say that beyond the classic format, there are others, such as Chickens or Planet Wars, which have their characteristics and will be ideal if you want to go a little further in your possibilities of fun.

Also, it has a search for realism in every possible way that we like, as long as there are constant transformations on the ground, always considering the impact we can generate on it. That is to say, if you use a war tank or some weapon of mass destruction, the consequences will be noticeable in the environment in which we move.

Similarly, Zero-K has a fascinating community section from which you can download all kinds of content or modify the title. You can also contribute if you wish. In the latter case, you can create your elements to upload to the game, allowing you to share your creations so that other people can use them in their games.

The graphics of Zero-K, meanwhile, are well done, at least if we compare it with other real-time strategy games that are also a few years old, and the definition of the details shows the work behind them. Anyway, the strong point of the title in terms of a possible recommendation goes much more on the side of the gameplay than on the aesthetic proposal.

Let's talk then about the main positive points of Zero-K, related in principle to the variety of modes the game offers, utterly different from each other, which promises that the fun will take time to end. Of course, it is also attractive, especially for knowledgeable players, that thanks to its open-source code, it is possible to modify it by adding all kinds of creations, both their own and others.

If we had to point out the somewhat weak or not-so-solid issues of Zero-K, they would undoubtedly have to do with the icons that have been chosen to indicate the possibility of using different weapons or available units. In truth, most of them are pretty confusing, and we believe that, in this sense, the developers could have made a more significant effort.

Zero-K becomes, finally, a highly recommended game for those looking for a title that meets three basic premises: betting on real-time strategy, being completely free, and allowing to take advantage of its open source. Based on this, we are sure that this is one of the best alternatives we can find with these features, so you should not miss the chance to entertain yourself.