I don’t know about you but I’ve never associated the Metal Slug series with strategy. The legendary run and gun games have always had more in common with Contra, Shootas, Blood & Teef, and Broforce rather than slower, more cerebral offerings like Final Fantasy Tactics, Triangle Strategy, or Fire Emblem. That’s all changed now, as Metal Slug Tactics is here to serve up a side order of strategy along with the series’ trademark explosive action.
Metal Slug Tactics is a turn-based strategy game set in the Metal Slug universe where you grab a gang of soldiers and head into a series of strategic battles, all with the goal of blowing up everything that’s in front of you. You’ll be able to pick and choose your own squad, play with their loadouts, and try to optimize your way to victory across a full campaign inspired by the original Metal Slug games.
If you’ve played Final Fantasy Tactics, Shining Force, or Triangle Strategy you’ll probably be aware of how most of Metal Slug Tactics works, with characters taking turns to duke it out on the battlefield, leveling up, and becoming stronger over the course of the campaign. Where Metal Slug Tactics differs, however, is in how much Metal Slug-ness it’s willing to inject into itself.
You’ll be able to call in airstrikes and other support options to really blast apart your opponents, especially when things get hairy and you get trapped in a corner. After all, it wouldn’t be a Metal Slug game without explosions and copious amounts of screen-shake. There’s also a ‘sync’ feature that’ll let your team launch simultaneous, coordinated attacks on enemies, making careful placement of your soldiers incredibly important if you want to deal maximum damage.
Combine all that with a roguelike approach to repeating missions and trying again if you should fail, and Metal Slug Tactics looks like a surprisingly meaty proposition. Think of it as the Gears Tactics entry of the series, for a similar spinoff that also offered a huge slice of tactical depth.
Metal Slug Tactics is out now and you can save 10% until Tuesday November 12. Head over to Steam to learn more and to check it out for yourself.
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