Metal Slug Tactics from the brilliant minds over at Leikir Studio, Dotemu and Gamera Games is quite plain and simple, a work of art. So what exactly makes this game excel and is it worth picking up on Steam right now?
Metal Slug Tactics
Metal Slug is a rather well-known franchise that’s been around for decades now. Known for its classic side-scroller shooting action, Metal Slug is a classic filled with pure enjoyment from fighting off bad guys with your powerful weapons – And of course the iconic Metal Slug tank itself. Metal Slug Tactics redefines the series somewhat by changing up the formula from a side-scroller to a completely different more strategic game.
Metal Slug Tactics as its name suggests, is a tactical game. It’s all about unit placement and some clever strategic moves here. Players will take on the role of any of their three units that they’ve selected for a particular map, place the three units onto the map in a starting position and then get to work at completing objectives. These can be anything from taking down specific targets to escorting another NPC to a goal or more. There’s a lot of variation in mission types thankfully and a lot of levels in the game too so it feels fresh throughout.
Each level in Metal Slug Tactics plays out almost like a mini-puzzle of sorts. It’s not just about using your units and their abilities to defeat foes. It’s about trying to do this in the most efficient way possible while also ticking off bonus objectives and trying to keep everyone alive.
Players will have access to numerous characters. Each with its own special abilities and load-outs as well as passive abilities that will need to be taken into account for a successful run through a mission.
Metal Slug Tactics involves the use of movement as an essential method of staying alive. The further you move, the more “Dodge” you generate. “Adrenaline” is another factor to consider too and together these two mechanics combined with your character’s actual loadouts will keep you going on a level. Just be sure to keep an eye on the numbers.
Of course, no self-respecting tactical game will be complete without being able to take cover and use your environment to your advantage. Levels will have various layers to them with higher and lower elevations as well as objects you can use as cover explosive barrels and more. Using your environment to your advantage becomes an incredibly important part of the game the further you progress and soon enough you’ll be blowing up barrels and wiping out squads of enemies at a time. It’s so much fun to do this too!
Since Metal Slug Tactics is played on an isometric top-down grid, players will have to move their characters into different blocks and then choose to use their main weapon, secondary weapon or abilities. Another key factor to consider is “Sync” attacking. This involves lining up multiple characters along with an enemy and then performing an attack. This effectively gives you an extra attack that does more damage and it really assists in taking down enemies quickly.
Players will be able to level up their characters and upgrade them further back at their base of operations once they’ve amassed enough credits. This adds additional replayability to the game and builds upon the roguelike nature of the game. The core gameplay loop therefore involves heading out into a large region, progressing through levels on the map, trying to survive and making slow progress with the overarching story as you complete objectives.
You will fail quite a bit in Metal Slug Tactics in the early game but once you’ve got the hang of things, levels will start to feel like quick bursts of metal stimulation as you figure out the best way to eliminate your targets swiftly and effectively. It’s very rewarding taking down foes and seeing your units performing their special attacks synchronised together.
Graphically, Metal Slug Tactics is flat-out gorgeous. The pixel aesthetic is fantastic and the flashy effects are all great to see. You’ll never get tired of seeing massive explosions wiping out enemies either since it’s so satisfying when you do this. The entire game has perfected its visual style and you’ll be hooked in no time wanting to see just what kind of map/environment you’ll be fighting in soon. At the time of writing this review, the game does feature a couple of bugs and glitches as well as problems with balancing enemy damage/numbers but these will hopefully be ironed out with future patches.
The soundtrack to Metal Slug Tactics is also filled with music that’s very catchy and extremely well-suited to the game. The sound team have done an excellent job here with both the music and the sound effects in-game.
Final Verdict
Overall, Metal Slug Tactics is an excellent roguelike game with a core gameplay loop that’s super satisfying. Load up a level, go forth and battle, try get as far as you can, rinse and repeat. With each level taking roughly around 3-10 minutes, it’s great to play in short bursts and I can’t help but think that this would be the perfect game to play on a Steam Deck on the go. It perfectly scratches that itch of “just one more run” and doubly so when you’re on a roll with your characters. Give this game a go, it gets a solid recommendation from me!
Metal Slug Tactics Trailer
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The code was provided by the publisher.
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