Gears Tactics is an ambitious spinoff that doesn’t necessarily innovate, but it does succeed in taking the turn-based strategy genre head-on. The game’s presentation is quality, reflecting classic, core Gears elements. Although the gameplay flattens out by forcing repetitive mission types – extensive customization, immersive storytelling, and overall polish earns Splash Damage and The Coalition a tip of the
A lot is borrowed in Gears Tactics , but that’s not a bad thing by any stretch of the mind. Five classes, Support, Vanguard, Heavy, Scout, Sniper, provide a wealth of tactical options and synergy opportunities against a sometimes insurmountable foe, and it feels like XCOM with a few gritty Gears of War twists. Cover is the basis of the mainline series, and that’s equally true in this ambitious spinoff , with some added destructibility of certain weaker objects like boxes and sandbags. It may offer few innovations, but those that it does are thanks to is unique source material. Locust Drones can be downed and revived just like friendlies, emergence holes not cleared out with grenades spawn more grubs, and the game’s one of the most mindful of its 3D environments in the genre, especially regarding obstructions and vertical
For starting stats go with +3 in either Strength or Finesse, +1 Warfare, +1 Scoundrel, and a Civil Ability that fits your character, like Thievery for Fane or Persuasion for Red Prince. Initial skills should include Crippling Blow for strong close-range damage, Battle Stomp to clear out areas and knockdown enemies, and Adrenaline to get bonus AP on your first action. Because the main Knight weapon is two-handed, they will have access to All In, which deals additional damage for 3 AP. If playing a human Knight, use Encourage at the start of a turn before attacks, not after as a means of spending unused AP. The same should be done for elf Knights and Flesh Sacrif
While Gears has never relied too heavily on complex characters or deep storylines, the squad of Tactics is still disappointing. They act like stock muscle-heads, but in a less fun way than the classic franchise t
Plus, they all come in with personal issues that seemingly go nowhere, making the journey amount to nothing more than splattering a ton of monsters . That’s not inherently a bad thing, but in this slower-paced game, a more interesting story would have set it over the
The number of troop types and the number of abilities that come with them make every turn feel like a game of Risk sponsored by an energy drink. Using stronger weapons, equipment, and even special moves can lead to some chains of kills that are more satisfying than anything achievable in traditional Gears shoot
The weapon applications are similarly impressive. Torque Bows, Longshot Snipers, Gnashers – they all hurt just as much as they did in the originals. Even the unique Active Reload mechanic is (somewhat) emulated via the “fast fingers” perk for the Sniper class. Seeing the wide array of Gears weapons in action from a birds-eye view is pretty fr
It may sound like a given, but Tactics truly impresses in its presentation as another quintessential Gears entry. All of the smells and flavors that helped characterize the series are seamlessly translated over. Cinematic cutscenes are smartly interwoven throughout the story, filled with plenty of tension created by the cast of fantastic voice talent. Low, brassy orchestral lines to add to the gritty, dark atmosphere – it’s all th
Perhaps best of all, however, is the cosmetics selection. Equipment and appearances (limited on certain heroes) are each highly-customizable, more so than I expected from a turn-based strategy game – and without any microtransactions in sight! Almost immediately, I turned Sid Redburn into Uncle
Gears Tactics has polished, stable gameplay. Nothing in the spinoff is going to make your head explode – though you will be exploding plenty of Locust heads. And that’s part of the fun, all things considered. Combat has a respectable amount of variance, but you can pretty much bulldoze your way through the Intermediate campaign like a bull in a china shop. Loading all your units up with Fragmentation Grenades and tossing them off as often as possible is an extremely viable strategy. Flanks are important, yes, and the Scout class can cloak, sure – but you really can explode, chainsaw, and Bayonet Charge your way to victory in most ca
The Support class feature helps in making a badass character in Gear Tactics . The Gaba Diaz is the default support unit from the beginning of the game. Further, the players can invest their points in different branches and class abilities to increase the performance rate of their sq
Messing around with customization between missions sucked up way too much of my time – and that’s not particularly a bad thing. The equipment menus could’ve been redesigned for more convenient loadout swaps, Larian Studios sure, but the high volume of tweakables was pleasantly surpris