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Out of all the side-scrolling shooters we have, Metal Slug has to be one of the most iconic ones. Its style and legacy are something that we can still see in many games of the genre. Naturally, the market has shifted toward some more realistic and flashier titles, but we can’t deny the legacy that Metal Slug left. Fortunately, the Peregrine Falcons are still around for one more flight. However, we have a tactical game à la XCOM instead of the side-scrolling mayhem. While Metal Slug Tactics combines one of my favorite franchises and one of my favorite genres, the result is exciting but sadly full of distracting bugs and glitches.
Metal Slug Tactics abandons most of its roots and turns the legendary franchise into a full-blown tactical game with roguelike elements. On paper and at first glance, it looks fantastic. The care the developers put into the art style, sound design, and gameplay is nothing short of amazing. While I previewed the game and got excited about this ever-changing, nostalgia-fueled road trip, my hands-on time with Metal Slug Tactics wasn’t as smooth as I thought it would be. While my excitement didn’t wane, I can say that there are many issues that will prevent this mission from being a complete success.
P.F.Squad, Assemble
Metal Slug Tactics sees the return of the legendary P.F Squad in a high-stakes mission to stop General Morden. I will say that the overarching story, while packed with nostalgia, isn’t the most groundbreaking out there. However, there is one thing that really makes it shine: character interactions.
Since you’re supposed to play this game more than once and trust me, you will; chances are you’ll bring different members in each run. Initially, dialogues will only occur between Margaret and whoever is first on your team. In that sense, there isn’t much to discover or a deep, intricate plot that will reel you in. However, should you succeed or fail during a run, you’ll get unique dialogue between specific characters, which was quite nice to discover.
Again, the plot isn’t too deep, and it just goes there to justify why the squad is liberating regions from Mordern’s tyrannical grip. Still, it is nice to see a hefty dose of nostalgia, especially if you’ve followed the Metal Slug series for years. Plus, you’re also encouraged to try different team compositions because some dialogue only unlocks if you have a specific pairing, which is a nice way to avoid being stuck with the same characters.
Deep Tactical Combat With a Few Bumps
While I’ve always loved the side-scrolling mayhem of the series, Metal Slug Tactics brings a deep and interesting take to its gameplay. As the name implies, it moves away from the trigger-happy shooting mode in favor of more precise and strategic combat. During a match, you can bring up to three characters, place them in a beautifully designed stage, and move them through a grid-like system. Each character has one movement point and one action point. You can use the former to make them reach a new place on the stage and the latter to attack or perform special skills.
Furthermore, if you position your characters right, you can perform SYNC shots. If both characters have an enemy in their sights, they can both take a shot at it, doing considerable damage. This is one of the most vital elements when in combat, as it is where most of your DPS will come from. While you can put all your soldiers around the map in a lone-wolf scenario, I advise against it. And yes, mastering this technique takes a while, but once you do it, you can steamroll the entire game.
Regarding attacks, each character can equip two different weapons, determined by their loadout. For example, Marco can use either a handgun as a primary weapon or the iconic assault rifle as a special one. However, if you have enough credits, you can unlock different starting loadouts that will change each character’s playstyle. In truth, I love this because some team compositions work miles better if you move away from the standard weapon combinations. Yet, it takes a while to unlock everything, so you’ll need to grind for a bit.
A Skillful Repertoire
Moving on to skills, they were surprisingly great to use. Just like weapons, each character begins with a predetermined set of skills and can obtain new random ones as they level up or clear specific stages. Take Fio, for example. Initially, she’s the team’s support who can heal, move characters at will, and even make other teammates immune to damage. However, there are other skills that can make her a killing machine, increasing her damage the more enemies she defeats, and she can even get an extra action point.
Frankly, the hefty build opportunities for each character was something that hooked me after the many runs I had. Since most of it is at the hands of Lady Luck, or RNG, as we’ve come to know it, you are always adapting to whatever the game throws at you. Your Marco might be a full-on deadly shooter in one run, but he might be a buffer in the next one.
Unfortunately, using these soldiers wasn’t always a smooth ride. Throughout my many runs, I experienced many issues that, while they didn’t make me lose my interest in the game, were highly distracting. At times, my characters would turn invisible after reviving. On other occasions, they would get stuck in an animation and would not change until I ended the stage. The worst one occurred whenever I tried to enter the game’s final region. As soon as I took my soldiers there, the game crashed. Thankfully, restarting the game didn’t take long, but it happened almost every single time. In addition, there were a few UI issues, so it wasn’t the smoothest ride.
A Challenging and Punishing Roguelike
Besides the tactical part, the other crucial portion of Metal Slug Tactics is the roguelike element. Let me start by saying Metal Slug Tactics is one of the most punishing roguelikes I’ve played. It is not a complaint whatsoever. Just stating that it is not a walk in the park.
During each run, you’ll be amassing credits to then unlock new things for subsequent playthroughs. In the highly likely case of you meeting your demise, you’ll return to your base and spend your currency to unlock mods, skills, and other items that may appear when you play again. While there are a few permanent unlocks, such as characters, everything you get after a run will have a chance to show up in another match. In this case, it is similar to how For the King does it.
Even if I loved the roguelike systems of Metal Slug Tactics, I must admit that not all of them felt that rewarding. When I finally took down the big baddie, I didn’t feel the rewards were all that appealing. I got a new character, yes, but that’s it. Again, I know some roguelikes rely on giving a player that immense dopamine feeling of finally beating something, but some unlocks — though not all — felt lackluster. Still, I kept playing because I wanted to unlock all characters and loadouts, so it was fine by me. Yet, I don’t think the more casual players will have the patience for it.
Gorgeously Nostalgic
The one thing that Metal Slug Tactics did perfectly is its art style. By now, we all know that the pixel style behind the series is highly iconic. It doesn’t matter how old you are; chances are that you’ll recognize one of the characters, machines, enemies, and even prisoners. In that way, the team at Leikir Studio did a terrific job. From the lush jungles to the deserts full of mummies and even the base full of easter eggs, everything is a visual treat.
However, it’s the small details that make this nostalgia bomb hit so well. The idle animations of each character, the prisoners being freed, and even the iconic movements of the titular Metal Slug deliver the perfect dose of nostalgia. Frankly, I prefer a game with this style much more than a photo-realistic one with no soul. Metal Slug Tactics is full of heart, and it is truly a love letter to the legendary franchise. But even if you’re a newcomer, it is a style that you’ll surely enjoy due to how flashy and unique it is.
An Almost Flawless Mission
Even if my excitement never waned, Metal Slug Tactics needed a bit more preparation before deploying. While some of the issues are minor and don’t ruin a run, others are a bit distracting, such as the crashes, invisible characters, and UI glitches. Still, it is an excellent game that tactical RPG fans will enjoy. I know I did.
With a plethora of skills and mods to unlock, the constant allure to bring new soldiers to the team, and almost endless replayability, Metal Slug Tactics is a solid entry in this iconic franchise. Once the bugs and glitches are ironed out, it might stand as one of the best in the series. But for now, the Peregrine Falcons are not ready to soar as high as they’ve previously done so.
Review copy provided by Publisher.
Metal Slug Tactics (PC Reviewed)
Metal Slug Tactics is a new take on the legendary franchise that puts side-scrolling action aside for a more in-depth tactical approach. While the combat and roguelike systems are highly engaging, it still suffers from many bugs that prevent this game from reaching greater heights.
Pros
- Excellent tactical combat
- Beautiful and nostalgic art style
- A large variety of unique stages
Cons
- It suffers from visual and gameplay bugs
- A few crashes when changing to a new region
