| Metal Slug Tactics | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Developer(s) | Leikir Studio |
| Publisher(s) | Dotemu |
| Composer(s) | Tee Lopes [1] |
| Series | Metal Slug |
| Platform(s) | |
| Release | November 5, 2024 |
| Genre(s) | Turn-based tactics |
| Mode(s) | Single-player |
Metal Slug Tactics is a turn-based tactics video game developed by Leikir Studio and published by Dotemu. A spin-off of the Metal Slug series, the game was released on November 5, 2024 for Microsoft Windows, Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X and Series S. [2]
Unlike older Metal Slug titles which are run and gun video games, Metal Slug Tactics is a turn-based tactics game played from an isometric perspective. The world map is divided into regions with each culminating in a boss fight. Each region is further divided into several missions that players can complete in any order. Each mission has their own distinct objectives and rewards, and players must prioritize the resources they need while choosing which mission to tackle. The game introduces a structure commonly found in roguelike games. While individual squad members can be revived with reinforcement points during battle, players will be returned to the outpost if all characters are defeated, and must start the campaign again. At the outpost, players can upgrade the skills of each character, improve their weapons with mods, and purchase new items and weapons from vendors. [3]
Players can choose three characters of the Peregrine Falcons squad for each mission. Each character has a primary weapon, which has unlimited ammo, a secondary weapon with limited ammo, and a distinct skill. [4] Activating special abilities consume adrenaline, which is generated through movement in the battlefield, and attacking enemies. The game adopted a grid-based movement, and players have two action points for each turn, one for movement while the other for performing an action. Enemes will attempt to attack the player in their turn, though they can hide behind cover to boost their defense. [5] The more a player character moves in their turn, the higher their defense. [6] By strategically placing characters in the battlefield, players can line up sync attacks. By attacking an opponent that is also within the line of sight of another character, a second attack by the other character will be triggered automatically. Players can also make use of environmental hazards to inflict damage on their enemies. Occasionally, players can deploy a tank into the battlefield, which allows the player to do devastating damage to enemies. [3] Depending on the amount of fuel available, a tank can attack enemies with its weapon multiple times in a turn. [7]
Following the success of games such as Wonder Boy: The Dragon's Trap and Streets of Rage 4 , SNK invited Dotemu to revive one of its dormant franchises. Metal Slug was chosen as it is one of the few franchises owned by SNK that is not a fighting game. Leikir Studio, which is based in Paris, served as the game's lead developer. Leikir pitched the project to SNK in 2018, and full development of the game commenced in 2019. SNK was not directly involved in the game's development, though it gave Leikir access to all the assets of the older Metal Slug games. However, the assets were not usuable in Tactics due to the change in gameplay perspective. [8] Into the Breach served as an important inspiration for the studio, and paying homage to the franchise's action roots, the gameplay is speed-oriented despite being turn-based. The team introduced a variety of difficulty options for both fans of the turn-based tactics series, and players of the older games who are not familiar with this style of gameplay. [9]
The game was officially announced by Dotemu in June 2021. [10] Initially set to be released in 2023, the game's release date was subsequently delayed to late 2024 for Microsoft Windows, Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X and Series S. [11]
| Aggregator | Score |
|---|---|
| Metacritic | PS5: 79/100 [12] Win: 78/100 [13] |
| OpenCritic | 67% recommend [14] |
| Publication | Score |
|---|---|
| GamesRadar+ | 3.5/5 [15] |
| Hardcore Gamer | 4/5 [16] |
| IGN | 8/10 [17] |
| PC Gamer (US) | 76/100 [18] |
| Push Square | 8/10 [19] |
| Shacknews | 8/10 [20] |
Metal Slug Tactics received "generally favorable" reviews from critics, according to the review aggregator website Metacritic. [12] [13] OpenCritic determined that 68% of critics recommended the game. [14]
Charlie Wacholz from IGN praised Metal Slug Tactics for its faithful adaptation, impressive pixel art, and engaging soundtrack. He noted that while the movement-focused gameplay and mechanics were strong, bugs and quality-of-life issues hindered the experience. Despite this, the game brought innovative elements to the tactics genre. [21] Likewise, Abbie Stone from GamesRadar+ commended Metal Slug Tactics for its engaging gameplay and art style but noted that limited tutorials and technical issues, including crashes, affected its overall reception. [22]
A stealth game is a type of video game in which the player primarily uses stealth to avoid or overcome opponents. Games in the genre typically allow the player to remain undetected by hiding, sneaking, or using disguises. Some games allow the player to choose between a stealthy approach or directly attacking antagonists, but rewarding the player for greater use of stealth. The genre has employed espionage, counter-terrorism, and rogue themes, with protagonists that are special forces operatives, special agents, secret agents, thieves, ninjas, or assassins. Some games have also combined stealth elements with other genres, such as first-person shooters and also platformers.
Metal Slug is a 1996 run and gun arcade video game originally developed by Nazca Corporation and released by SNK for the Neo Geo MVS. It is the first installment in the eponymous series. Set in 2028, players assume the role of Peregrine Falcon Strike Force soldiers Marco Rossi and Tarma Roving on a fight against the Rebel Army led by Donald Morden and overthrow his coup d'état to prevent a New World Order.
Capcom vs. SNK 2: Mark of the Millennium 2001 is the sequel to the fighting game Capcom vs. SNK. It was originally released on NAOMI hardware in arcades, with Sega handling the American arcade release. As in the original, players select a team of fighters from various Capcom and SNK games then fight other teams, winning each battle by defeating all the opponents from the other team.
Metal Slug 4 is a run and gun video game for the Neo-Geo console/arcade platform created by Mega Enterprise along with Noise Factory and Playmore. It was released in 2002 for the Neo-Geo MVS arcade platform, and is the fourth game in the Metal Slug series. Two years later, Playmore published Metal Slug 4 for consoles.
SNK vs. Capcom: SVC Chaos is a 2003 fighting game produced by Playmore for the Neo Geo arcade and home platform. It was then later ported to the PlayStation 2 and Xbox, although only the Xbox port was released in North America and both platforms were released in Japan and PAL regions.
Metal Slug 2 is a run and gun video game developed by SNK. It was originally released in 1998 for the Neo-Geo MVS arcade platform as the sequel to the 1996 game Metal Slug. The original version of the game had extensive slowdown and performance issues, eventually leading SNK to release a modified version in 1999 titled Metal Slug X: Super Vehicle-001 (メタルスラッグX). It has been ported to the Neo Geo CD, PlayStation, Virtual Console, iOS and Android, and to the Wii, PlayStation Portable and PlayStation 2. The game added several new features to the gameplay of the original Metal Slug, such as new weapons, vehicles and the ability to transform the character. It received generally positive reviews. It was followed by Metal Slug 3 released in 2000.
Metal Slug 3 is a run and gun video game developed by SNK. It was originally released in 2000 for the Neo-Geo MVS arcade platform as the sequel to Metal Slug 2/Metal Slug X. The music of the game was developed by Noise Factory.
Garou: Mark of the Wolves is a 1999 fighting game produced by SNK, originally for the Neo Geo Arcade system and then as Fatal Fury: Mark of the Wolves for the Dreamcast. It is the sixth main installment of the Fatal Fury series. Though released a year after Real Bout Fatal Fury 2: The Newcomers, the game is canonically a sequel to the 1995 installment Real Bout Fatal Fury, taking place a decade after the events of that game. Ten years after combatant Terry Bogard kills crimelord Geese Howard in the King of Fighters competition, he and his adoptive son, Rock Howard, enter into a Southtown tournament known as Maximum Mayhem to learn about the Howard legacy. The game features 14 characters, all new, with Terry's exception. As a fighting game, the game employs two innovative mechanics, the first known as T.O.P, which provides players with powerful attacks when their health is within a certain range, and the second known as Just Defend, which provides players with various advantages if they block attacks at precise moments.
Metal Slug 5 is a run and gun video game for the Neo-Geo created by SNK Playmore. It was released in 2003 for the MVS arcade platform and is the fifth game in the Metal Slug series. The game was developed by Noise Factory/SNK Playmore, after Korean company Mega Enterprise had directed Metal Slug 4. It was the last Metal Slug released on the Neo Geo.
Metal Slug Advance is a run and gun video game for the Game Boy Advance handheld system created by SNK Playmore in 2004, and is canon to the Metal Slug series.
Neo Geo Battle Coliseum is a fighting game designed for the Atomiswave arcade board developed and released by SNK in 2005. The game features characters from several SNK and ADK titles. Subsequently, a PlayStation 2 version of the game was released in Japan, North America, and Europe. The Xbox Live Arcade version was released worldwide on June 9, 2010. In 2020, a homebrew conversion was released for the Dreamcast.
Fallout: Brotherhood of Steel is a 2004 action role-playing game developed and published by Interplay Entertainment. It was released for the PlayStation 2 and Xbox, and was the first entry in the Fallout series to be released for home video game consoles. Set in the year 2208, the player controls an initiate of the Brotherhood of Steel, a militant organization that attempts to bring order to a world that has been decimated by nuclear warfare. Critics often compared Fallout: Brotherhood of Steel to a hack and slash game, due to its emphasis on fast-paced combat and encounters with large groups of enemies. Fallout: Brotherhood of Steel does not feature an open world map like other Fallout games, and is instead linear in design.
Metal Slug Anthology is a video game compilation for the PlayStation 2, PlayStation Portable, PC and the Wii. The Wii version boasts different controller configurations, most taking advantage of the Wii Remote, with the Japanese version supporting the Classic Controller and all regional variants supporting the GameCube controller. The game also marks the return of SNK Playmore as a third-party developer for a Nintendo console since the SNES era.
The King of Fighters XII is a 2009 arcade video game produced by SNK Playmore and the twelfth installment in The King of Fighters series of fighting games, following The King of Fighters XI (2005). Built on Taito Type X2 hardware, home ports were released for Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3. Similarly to KOF '98 and KOF 2002, this game does not have a storyline, but it is the third chapter in the Tales of Ash Saga that started in KOF 2003. The King of Fighters XII received a lukewarm reception, with criticism given to elements such as its roster, gameplay and lack of single-player content. SNK Playmore responded a year later with a follow-up, The King of Fighters XIII (2010).
Dotemu SAS is a French video game developer and publisher based in Paris, founded in 2007 by Xavier Liard and Romain Tisserand. It is best known for its remasters and remakes.
Windjammers 2 is a 2022 sports video game developed and published by Dotemu. It is the sequel to the 1994 Neo Geo game Windjammers, co-produced by Data East and SNK. Windjammers 2 was released for Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4, Stadia, Windows, and Xbox One on January 20, 2022. It received generally positive reviews from critics, who praised the visuals, new content and gameplay mechanics.
Samurai Shodown is a 2019 fighting game developed and published by SNK for PlayStation 4, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch, Stadia, Xbox Series X and Series S, Android and iOS via Netflix Games, and Windows as an entry in the Samurai Shodown series, as well as a reboot to the series. An arcade version was released by Taito.
Blazing Chrome is a run and gun video game developed by JoyMasher and published by The Arcade Crew. The game was released on July 11, 2019 for Windows, Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4, and Xbox One. The game is set in the post-apocalyptic future of 21XX, following a war that nearly kills off the human race. A robot army rules the world, and attempt to destroy the remnants of humanity. The game follows a resistance group who fights back against them. Players can control two different characters: Mavra, a human resistance soldier, and Doyle, a robot reprogrammed to fight for the resistance.
Mighty Goose is a run and gun video game developed by Blastmode and published by Playism. It was released for Windows, macOS, Linux, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Nintendo Switch, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S. The game follows Mighty Goose, a bounty hunter travelling across the galaxy to defeat the Void King.