Metal Slug Tactics is a fresh adaptation that preserves the series’ frantic spirit within a grid-based framework, adding mechanical depth while capturing the nostalgic excitement of its source material…
The new game honors its classic roots with meticulously crafted pixel art, a catchy soundtrack, and smooth pacing. It successfully transforms the run-and-gun series into a turn-based tactics format without losing its core appeal. Despite a few minor quality-of-life issues and bugs, this retro-inspired tactics roguelike is well-built, adapting its action-driven legacy into a more structured, grid-based genre seamlessly.
Advantages
This TRPG rich variety of enemies, unique environments, an expansive arsenal, and iconic vehicles. Cleverly integrated features, like rescuing hostages to add optional objectives, make this new direction feel like a logical evolution. Players can choose three characters from a diverse cast of nine, each with four distinct load-outs, enabling customized strategies and team-building around specific goals. Metal Slug Tactics prioritizes action-packed dieselpunk aesthetics, over-the-top weapons, explosions, and eccentric villains.
The game’s art style consistently offers new visual details that add humor between turns. The dynamic soundtrack by Tee Lopes energizes gameplay, blending retro drums and guitar riffs with subtle flourishes that elevate the experience.
More details
Unlike typical turn-based tactics games, Metal Slug Tactics condenses engagements into quicker, more focused encounters with smaller grids and scaled-down attack ranges. This structure accelerates battles without sacrificing depth, keeping gameplay fresh from one skirmish to the next. Objectives range from clearing enemies, protecting civilians, and convoy attacks, to checkpoint captures. These challenges, often lasting just a few turns, reward skilled play with extra loot and bonus objectives.
Mirroring the traditional roguelike structure, Metal Slug Tactics features semi-randomized runs with four-stage progression, each ending in a challenging boss battle. Players can choose from three initial stages before advancing to the final area, with progressively tougher enemies. However, it retains an arcade feel by sticking to a set route and level sequence, encouraging consistency over exploration.
Boss battles are intense, requiring strategic mastery of movement and teamwork as players dodge obstacles and adapt to shifting platforms. The game’s standout mechanics—Adrenaline and Synchronization—justify its compact scale. Characters gain Adrenaline from movement-based actions, linking the game’s run-and-gun heritage to turn-based tactics by promoting constant repositioning. Synchronization adds a layer of teamwork, triggering chain attacks when one character strikes within range of others. Sync attacks are limited for bosses, requiring players to plan each hit carefully, but allow individual attacks for added flexibility.
There are some cons
Unfortunately, a few frustrating bugs in Metal Slug Tactics can hinder your gameplay. The third map experiences performance issues when you attempt to attack a vehicle. Additionally, entering attack mode and panning around causes the GPU usage to spike, often struggling to maintain 30 fps, and sometimes dropping below that. When not in attack mode, the game usually maintains 60 fps; however, there are still instances of brief stuttering while panning over enemies, even in regular gameplay. By the way, also the text is too small for bigger screens.
In conclusion
The developers of Metal Slug Tactics market it as a tactical RPG, as its isometric style evokes FFT. Although the Metal Slug series is not known for its story-driven focus, this game, which is also a roguelike, is gameplay-oriented. Its advantages include offensive-focused tactics, chunky sprites, an addictive gameplay loop, mission variety, and a diverse roster of characters. Metal Slug Tactics is a tactical game with good gameplay and strategic depth that honors the franchise's legacy, which younger generations may overlook…
