A classic image lingers in the mind, evoking nostalgia. In the realm of games, Metal Slug fits this concept. Its iconic visuals and character designs, along with its straightforward gaming style, are precious memories from my teenage years. So, when it makes a comeback in a different form today, it immediately piques my curiosity.

Metal Slug: Tactics | Metal Slug Tactics

Developer: Leikir Studio Publisher: Dotemu, Gamera Games Release Date: November 5, 2024 Platforms: PS5/PS4, XSX|S, Xbox One, Switch, PC Genre: Tactical, Strategy

This review is based on the PC/Steam version.

Although this isn’t the first time Metal Slug has returned in a non-side-scrolling shooter format, it still looks refreshing. I’ve studied the mechanical structure design of this series and collected many art books for it. Those quirky vehicles combined with the unique art style will make anyone stop and take a second look. And this distinctive visual effect is fully inherited by “Tactics”: at least in terms of graphics, its pedigree is pure enough.

Although the turn-based strategy format makes it lose the foundation of dynamic gameplay, the so-called “strategy” compensates for it in another clever way. Judging solely from the gameplay, this game is not much different from similar turn-based strategy games. You give instructions to three characters. Each character has a movement point and an action point. The former is responsible for displacement, and the latter is responsible for executing attack or other auxiliary instructions. In each round, you will be troubled by how to use these two points.

On top of this, it subtly shifts the balance and reveals its core gameplay: movement. There is a universal logic that runs through all battle scenes in this game, that is, the characters need to move as much as possible. The farther the movement distance, the more dodge value and adrenaline are accumulated. The former is the damage reduction ability, and the latter is the point for using special skills.

In other words, no matter where you go, even if you draw a circle in place, you have to try to make the character take a few steps to be tough and strong enough. On the contrary, if you think you have found a good shooting position and hold your ground without moving, not only is there a possibility of being instantly killed at any time, but even your attack methods will be limited.

This gameplay gives the game stronger strategic elements. You have to consider positional relationships: the position after moving, the position relative to teammates, etc., to ensure that you can obtain enough damage reduction and adrenaline and find a more suitable new shooting position after moving. This is almost the feeling that runs through my entire gaming process.

Another gameplay that makes me use my brain is the combo system. Admittedly, in most battles under normal difficulty, there is a relatively large margin for error, allowing you to perform solo kills without much thought; this is especially true after having a fighting expert like Tama. But if you want to achieve a good result, you need to think about how to maximize attack benefits.

The simplest example is to let the enemy be within the attack range of multiple characters, or find a way to gather the enemies together and then use area-of-effect attacks. For example, use Fio’s special skill to move the enemy’s position, and then cooperate with Eri, a killing machine with grenades and hand grenades. But achieving this is not easy, and this is also the dividing line between beginners and veterans.

Level terrain is also an important factor. There are many usable items in the levels, such as explosive barrels and cranes. Defeating enemies with them is often twice the result with half the effort. In fact, one of my favorite items is the catapult in the swamp, which can directly teleport you to any location, instantly broadening your thinking.

Height differences are a clever variable. According to the game’s settings, if you are using ordinary weapons like machine guns/pistols, you cannot shoot enemies on other floors; but grenades/grenade launchers or some special skills are not affected. This sometimes gives me a headache because I always have to go up and down to find the best position to use skills. In other words, height differences increase the number of parameters to consider.

Of course, this places more emphasis on the uniqueness of each character and the direction of character development. This game seems to be a turn-based strategy game with a long process, but in fact, rogue elements account for a considerable proportion. The game’s process itself is not long. The four-act areas use difficulty levels to distinguish enemies and levels for the gaming experience. For each sortie, you can choose the corresponding hero in the base camp. Through achieving mission goals or rescuing hostages, you can upgrade your characters and continuously strengthen them by choosing from three buffs.

This is a typical roguelike process. You need to be careful in every battle. Once defeated, you have to start the game again, and except for some money, upgrade elements are not inherited. In addition to the main weapon like a pistol, the ammunition for secondary weapons such as machine guns and grenade launchers for characters is also limited and needs to be refilled by spending money. Therefore, “thrift” is almost the theme of every battle.

On the other hand, this is related to the core gameplay mentioned earlier - movement. Bullets are limited, but special skills that can be used by accumulating adrenaline through movement are unlimited. As long as you keep moving, have enough adrenaline, and have a good站位, you can win without consumption.

This also puts certain requirements on the development line of special skills. I upgraded Marco’s bare fists and Eri’s grenades. I almost use them to kill enemies without damage in every round of battle. But the randomness brought by each upgrade makes it impossible for you to maintain such a thought steadily. Instead, you have to repeatedly study various combination combinations, which is one of the motivations for multiple playthroughs.

Of course, due to the nature of the rogue mode, this kind of attempt is accompanied by a relatively large sense of frustration and accomplishment. Although the game does not label the difficulty of each area, in fact, it is better to start from the left side, where the tasks are relatively simple, either killing all enemies or escaping. The results are often within a controllable range. If you encounter an escort mission in a city level, especially one that requires a manhole cover, the difficulty will increase significantly.

Before obtaining a certain level of upgrade, it is not advisable to challenge overly difficult levels, otherwise the possibility of game over will increase significantly. Sometimes, for this reason, you also need some leveling-up thinking: don’t rush to advance, but try to obtain all upgrade resources as much as possible.