Metal Slug Tactics Review: A Fun Strategy Game With Some Flaws

A Fun Strategy Game That Could Use Some More Depth

Metal Slug Tactics is the first turn-based strategy game in the Metal Slug series, and it comes with a roguelike twist. It’s a mostly successful mission thanks to clever gameplay and maintaining the silly charm the series is known for, though some outdated tropes and too much of your success being outside of your tactical control keep this operation from being a total victory.

Tactics moves the long-running sidescroller onto an isometric grid, and the pixel art-inspired models do a great job capturing the look and feel the series is known for. The isometric battlegrounds are littered with varied terrain, buildings, foliage, and other scenic elements that feel right at home, and bosses are exactly the kind of over-engineered machinery you would expect.

The main cast of characters is a lot of fun. You start with three of nine potential heroes available, including long-time Sluggers Marco and Eri. More characters typically unlock as you complete runs, and it is great how Tactics even brings in characters like Clark and Rolf from sister series Ikari Warriors.

Every level has one primary and one secondary objective. You must complete the former to advance, while the latter, often consisting of challenges like winning in a certain number of turns or avoiding taking damage, bestows an additional reward. If you fail to complete the main task or your entire team is wiped out, your run ends in failure, and you are sent back to base camp to regroup and start again.

Missions are challenging enough that clearing every level for the first time feels like an achievement. Similar to other roguelikes, the first full clear isn’t the end. Rather, it starts a new phase that focuses more on what you do in an individual run, nicely layering in an additional element of strategy as you master the basics, with additional optional bosses mixed in.

There’s a lot of randomization in each run, enough that it often feels like the odds of success are determined more by luck than any tactical decisions. It’s frustrating when a promising run ends early because you need to take out a heavily armored truck before it escapes, and you don’t have the firepower to pull it off.