Metal Slug Tactics Review – A Bold New Battle

Metal Slug Tactics Review

The Metal Slug series is renowned for its fast-paced, run-and-gun gameplay. Packed with character and charm, each release is a battle-hardened arcade classic that captures the spirit of its era. After years of successful campaigns, the franchise deployed into the mobile market but has now made a tactical retreat to a more strategic front with Metal Slug Tactics. Aiming to combine chaos with a more calculated approach to combat, will this new battle plan secure victory?

After freeing his former comrades, General Donald Morgan declared martial law in order to take control of the land. With the safety of civilians at the forefront of the World Government, the decision is made to send in the Peregrine Falcon Squad. Now you must fight through a range of locales to halt the evil General’s plans and return order to the country. Although there is some effort to raise the profile of the narrative through radio communication, this aspect of the game sits in the background with the gameplay loop being front and center of the experience.

Run and Gun

Although Metal Gear Tactics takes a different route with its approach to warfare, staples remain that honor the legacy of the franchise and lead the game into an exciting new direction. Like the originals, movement is key. Blending elements of the run and gun genre, the game employs a system that grants bonuses based on how far you travel. If you sprint across the battlefield, you will boost your adrenaline and dodge, adding a layer of safety in the heat of combat. You can also gain extra protection by getting into cover giving you a range of options in the relatively small and congested grid.

Like with other tactics titles, positioning is of the utmost importance. You must consider the placement of your unit, the reach of your weapon and the distance that enemies can travel. Adding another strategic layer, you can also initiate sync attacks where adjacent players will strike at the same time adding further damage. This feature requires you to not just focus on defensive maneuvers but also consider bombarding your opponent to take out several foes at once. It’s a great system that’s a unique take on the traditional formula of tactical warfare.

Classic Characters

Iconic characters return, each with unique skills that make them different on the battlefield. Due to the varying weapons and abilities, you will need to take advantage of your team’s output in order to emerge victorious from the array of scenarios that you encounter. Characters have two weapons, one of which is more powerful with limited ammo. This makes you consider a range of methods to eliminate your opponent so that you can conserve ammunition. You can also set your team’s loadout, upgrade your arsenal and experiment with the range of bonuses that you receive after the completion of missions. This helps to add variety as you will continue to tweak and experiment until you work out your preferred method of attack.

Missions feature rotating primary and secondary objectives, each offering different rewards. While there are only a few mission types, procedurally generated maps help minimize repetition. Some missions require eliminating all enemies, while others focus on protecting a character. Though these are standard objectives, the optional secondary goals add variety, often rewarding specific playstyles. For example, completing a mission within a certain number of turns or ensuring unit survival. Despite this, a sense of familiarity persists due to the limited mission types and small map size. However, the engaging gameplay loop helps to mitigate the repetition.

A Super Showdown

Bosses culminate areas. These offer a significant challenge as you must avoid the intimidating foe’s wide-spread attacks, the standard enemies, and react to the varying situations on the busy battlefield. Even on Recruit, Metal Slug Tactics serves up difficult scenarios that can be troublesome to overcome. There is meta-progression in place so that you get stronger over time, however, this and many of the game’s other systems are not clearly explained requiring you to decipher elements. Married with finicky controls, this can hinder your engagement with the game.

Visually, the game perfectly captures the classic coin-op releases. Although shifting to an isometric view, the pixel-based characters look and move exactly like the originals. This permeates the enemies you encounter and the hostages you save. Down to the array of locations you visit, everything feels authentic and faithfully reimagines the franchise for a new genre. As great as the game looks, there are some graphical bugs. At times, even though a member of your squad has been defeated, they will remain stood in position as if waiting for a command. While this doesn’t affect the gameplay, it’s an annoyance when it occurs.

Metal Slug Tactics injects fresh energy into the tactics genre with its dynamic, fast-paced systems. While the game introduces a range of compelling mechanics, their lack of clear explanations can hinder your strategic choices during missions. However, the thrill of initiating sync attacks encourages a more aggressive playstyle, making battles feel exhilarating. Leikir Studio has successfully reimagined a classic franchise for a new genre, and despite some issues with system clarity, the addictive gameplay loop offers a fun and innovative twist on tactical strategy.

***A Steam code was provided for this review***