Review: Gears Tactics

So look out before making a move and locate spots that are ideal sliding a bit to cover some distance. Even a small change can make a difference allowing a player to hit more enemies or spare some action points for Overwa


Even though Gears Tactics struggles with delivering a consistently engaging story, it never fails in delivering entertaining gameplay. Each Gears Tactics mission plays like an XCOM level with a Gears of War skin, with players selecting their squad and then completing a variety of objectives while having to account for enemies, status effects, and environmental hazards. Anyone expecting to just run head-first into encounters will have a hard time, as the game does require a genuine strategy for players to make it through most of the levels and enemy encount


Similarly, the way the game handles downtime time is a bit uninspiring when compared to more established tactics series like XCOM . Though your team spends a lot of time in motion traveling in convoys, there is no time to evolve or grow. Instead, a player will spend time aligning units and personalizing favorite charact


The title's general fast pace comes with a significant flaw that waters down the gaming experience. It is impossible to speed up or skip enemy turns, whereas other similar games like Fire Emblem and XCOM have this feat


Unfortunately, there's not a lot of official details available surrounding the new Slg game missions, though Microsoft did confirm that this Fable will be a new beginning for the franchise so fans shouldn't expect Fable 4 or a continuation of that game's narrat

Gears Tactics, as a prequel, doesn’t answer any of the questions Gears 5 left us with, but is still a tale worth exploring, whether it be for the new characters or the additional context the game provides to the universe. It will also provide many hours of gameplay. Gears Tactics will last players between 20-30 hours, depending on the difficulty. It's a lengthy campaign with an additional Veteran Mode available upon your first completion. Unfortunately, not all activities in Gears Tactics are created equally. That length is split between main and side missions. Main missions are by far the best with impeccable design that forces players to study the battlefield and make smart decisions. It’s here that the gameplay and design come together to create truly fantastic moments that rival the best encounters in the main series. Boss fights particularly stand out as moments that require players to balance positioning, ability usage and range to stay alive and claim victory. Gears Tactics is at its best when playing these missions.


As such, Gears Tactics won’t let players continue if a main character dies. Forcing gamers to restart an entire mission would be a bit harsh. As a compromise, the game features checkpoints throughout missions, so if the player dies, they won’t lose a ton of progress. So don’t be afraid to be aggressive, worst-case scenario, only a few minutes of progress will be l


Gears Tactics is an adrenaline-packed strategy horde that throws tons of enemies at players because the developer knows the power that the tools at your disposal hold. The chainsaw gun has 99.9 percent odds of slicing even the biggest locust in half or turning a 5-pack of scurrying wretches into gra


Though it's definitely not the shortest game out there, Gears Tactics takes, on average, around 25 hours to beat. While this is a good thing for some, it compromises the otherwise vibrant and tactical g


Gears Tactics isn’t rogue-like the same way XCOM is, so there’s a more narrative-driven campaign. While there’s perma-death for random soldiers, that’s not the case for the main cast (Gabe, Sid, and Mikay
Strategic options don’t stop on the battlefield. In addition to extensive skill trees per class, Gears Tactics features a comprehensive gear system. From weapon parts to armor pieces to grenades, there’s plenty of items to consider as you strive to build your squad. There’s even fun, non-gameplay affecting cosmetics such as changing your gunmetals, adding color or throwing on a pattern. While you can’t alter the main character’s looks, you’re free to change the looks and features of your other squad mates. Gears of War will always be known as a third-person shooter, but Splash Damage has perfectly adapted its mechanics to a tactics game. What you expect from a Gears game (chainsaw bayonets, bayonet charges, emergence holes, brutal finishers, etc.) is all here with few compromises. This is a Gears game, and it feels exactly right to play.

Gears’ strong history of delivering stellar presentations remains intact with Gears Tactics. Though the perspective is different and the action turn-based, Gears Tactics looks fantastic. Splash Damage has managed to provide a presentation that looks and sounds the way a Gears game should. Whether it’s the violent growls of the Locust, the sounds of a chainsaw revving or the brutal popping sound a head makes following a headshot, the presentation perfectly captures the essence of the franchise. Though it may not have the close-up shots of a shooter, Gears Tactics still features plenty of detailed textures and models for players to admire, particularly in the menus. A suite of features allows players to extensively customize the visual experience on PC. Meanwhile, plenty of accessibility options exist to ensure that whoever wants to enjoy Gears Tactics can. It’s another fantastic Gears game to look at and listen to.