Metal Slug Tactics

Metal Slug Tactics does several things that seemed impossible. It combines tactics and roguelike with a 2D shooter. The result is as crazy as it is horrific. Those who climb over the threshold will find an hour-slinger that will make any busy schedule cry.

After a long loop of similar games in the franchise, Metal Slug Tactics is the breath of fresh air the IP needed. The turn-based gameplay fits perfectly, and the area control system is a different and enjoyable mechanic. Although it has a few minor issues, they don't hinder the fun, and the title undoubtedly has far more strengths. For die-hard fans or people who have never played a Metal Slug game, the new release from Leikir Studios is the best way to experience the series.

Instead of a Metal Slug reboot, we have a complex and challenging alternative to turn-based strategic combat games. Beneath a hard surface that takes time to excavate lies a very dynamic and attractive military combat experience.

Just like the Metal Slug franchise in general, Tactics is ultimately stacked with a silly joy that’s hard to deny. Getting to see fan favourites together again will give long-term fans plenty of reason to pick this up, and fans of difficult tactical titles will have enough to get their teeth stuck into. Some things may work better than others, but there’s always room for a good strategy game, and Metal Slug Tactics is easily up there with the best in recent memory.

Metal Slug Tactics is a very successful transposition of SNK's historic run-and-gun. It is familiar and nostalgic and offers a good challenge despite its short experience.

A very clever spin-off that subverts your expectations about Tactics games by replicating the gameplay and visuals of Metal Slug through the medium of a fast-paced and surprisingly innovative strategy game.

Leikir Studio's work offers us a good combination of the classic elements of Metal Slug and the strategic approach of a tactical RPG. The roguelike system allows for experimentation to be essential, and the progression makes this adventure as long or short as you want it to be. Two contrasting ideas merge in a way that seemed impossible, and the end result is fun. However, the game's performance is terrible. It's a bad joke to have to wait after doing something as simple as moving a unit. While it is true that Metal Slug Tactics is a good game, it is likely that many will not see it that way after witnessing its terrible performance, and will pass up one of the most fun games of the year.

There's a real confidence to the new step in Metal Slug Tactics that had me smiling as I saw this arcade classic being transformed into something new. The tactics genre is a natural fit for Metal Slug and this version of the classic genre embraces the roots of the franchise while taking a bold new step. While I have some issues with how clunky the UI can be when trying to pull off the perfect strategy, there's an incredibly solid foundation here and a good basis for them to continue the series on into the future.

Each region of the game has you take on three missions before fighting the boss (you can take on the final boss region after completing just one other region if you’d like, though). Missions can range from depleting enemy ranks to escort quests, and each gives their own rewards like XP, supply drops, and ammo. However, each mission also has a secondary objective to make the rewards even greater.

Metal Slug Tactics is certainly a love letter, albeit clumsy, to fans of the license. Dotemu and Leikir Studio subtly adapt the concept of run'n'gun into a turn-based tactical video game but stumble several times. The variety of gameplay is not enough to motivate the player to restart the game again and again. The fault lies in a similar construction of each run, combined with a lack of challenge that does not force a possible adaptation and change of style. All of this is, on PlayStation 5, punctuated by multiple and significant loading times that are prohibitive for games of the genre. If the first veterans of the license can find it with a certain pleasure, Metal Slug Tactics should not seduce new recruits despite a brilliant idea.

Metal Slug Tactics is a very fast and very nostalgic take on the turn-based tactics subgenre, with the roguelike element to turn the tables when the going gets repetitive. It's a love letter to one of the most beloved SNK franchises, but as a tactical game is just above average.

While its lack of optimization and frequent glitches occasionally crashed the party like an enemy hand grenade, Metal Slug Tactics‘ fast-paced, feature-rich combat and wealth of unlockable content kept me coming back for more. If you’re a fan of the franchise with a love for classic PS1 SRPGs like Vandal Hearts and Final Fantasy Tactics, then this is a fight worth enlisting in – even if it’s a patch or two away from reaching its full potential.

Metal Slug Tactics is a game that blends SNK's classic franchise with tactical RPG and roguelike elements and it does a great job. It keeps the series' iconic features like characters, weapons, and vehicles with an isometric view. Though it has a high difficulty level and some technical issues, like slowdowns and pauses, its graphic style and gameplay are still very appealing to fans of the genre.

Despite any nostalgia factor, Metal Slug Tactics fails to reach its full potential as a tactical game, mainly due to its performance issues and crashes. Being just "more of the same", the roguelite mechanics even offer more replayability, but with little variation in enemies and missions, it becomes just an ordinary and forgettable title for the genre.

The Metal Slug series is back, though not as you know it. Metal Slug Tactics swaps the series' run-and-gun shooter antics for turn-based battles, and adds in some roguelike elements to boot. It's just a shame that while there are some neat ideas here, it's not all that entertaining overall.