Metal Slug is taking a significant leap from the traditional side-scrolling run-and-gun action to a turn-based tactical game with Metal Slug Tactics, a spin-off by Dotemu. This adaptation remains faithful to the pixelated charm of the original games, while putting a nice twist on the core gameplay, delivering a challenge that is likely to be fun both for fans of the franchise as to those who like their roguelite strategy games regardless of theme.
Army of Three
Even if you’re not familiar with the franchise, the timeless appeal of these accomplished pixel soldiers remains as true as ever. It’s colorful and catchy, animations are smooth and detailed, quite the draw for any player who feels the slightest interest in these turn-based wars. The name doesn’t hide its intents as well, it’s something Tactics and that is bound to hint at what players will be doing in the battlefield – no itchy trigger fingers, no rushing through waves of enemies with the precision of an eagle to avoid incoming projectiles; no, this time, it’s all about thinking ahead, planning, inspecting the battleground and seeing where we can strike before we get hit.
Each operative from your army of three has movement and action points, and also earns adrenaline to spend in special abilities. The first two are self-explanatory, while adrenaline is your resource to call for other actions such as air strikes, a motorbike that runs over whoever is in the way, among other things that are specific to each soldier. This playable build featured four, all of them familiar faces and with different loadouts – Marco, Eri, Fio, and Tarma – but many more are likely to join when the game fully releases. It should be said that secondary weapons for each operative pack quite a punch but come with limited uses, unlike the main weapon.
There are spots to gain cover on the battlefield, crucial to staying out of enemy fire, but these can be destroyed as well. The iconic tanks that fans know and love make an appearance, you can seize control and use their varied firepower to tip the scales, but beware as their armor won’t last forever and friendly fire is a thing, so avoid standing in the way of your itchy-trigger companions.
One very interesting feature and something you absolutely can’t ignore unless you want your operatives turned into dead meat is the sync mechanic. With it, an isolated action may turn into a combined attack that ends up in a valuable extra shot. If you line up an operative with an enemy and initiate the attack with other character, both will take a shot and deal twice the damage, something that can be used frequently for as long as you have the clarity to prepare the assault.
Dying is not the end… well, it is in a sense, but with the experience earned you will gain access to new mods and weapons that slowly but surely give you the upper hand. Just like any other roguelite, it is meant to be difficult at first, the challenge opening up as you gradually get stronger and your operatives climb ranks, with more mods and abilities to choose from. Coins can also be spent on more weapons and mods to reflect a more diverse loadout for the subsequent runs.
Metal Roguelite
Metal Slug Tactics is shaping up to be a fun, pretty, and engaging roguelite. You could replace the franchise’s characters and style for some generic soldiers and atmosphere and it would still play the part, so it’s even better with this strong and clear identity to it. Far from a rushed spin-off like we see so many, it does make complete sense and could be a great companion to the run-and-gun platformers that made the joy of so many players. How it will fare in terms of depth and long-standing enjoyment is yet to be seen, but so far this is looking like a bullseye.
MP1st was given access to a preview build of Metal Slug Tactics for our hands-on session. Metal Slug Tactics is launching for PC, Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X|S in Fall 2024.