Gears Tactics Review:

A standard in the customization of soldiers for turn-based strategy games, each class has a skill tree that can be upgraded to allow them all to do different things. In Gears Tactics, the skills fall into four different subclasses for each cl


Unless someone an experienced turn-based strategy player, it's generally a good idea to run ironman mode on a difficulty that's already been beaten. Ironman mode is an unforgiving mode that makes every single move count. Any mistakes made cannot be taken back, and there's no going back to save scum for a favorite sold


As mentioned before, each unit has a set number of actions they can take in a single term, and these actions are defined by action point. Points can be spent on moving, shooting, throwing grenades, and using abilities. When using an action a certain number of points will be used up, however by performing an execution on an enemy, a player regains action points. Theoretically, if a player chained multiple executions their turn could last fore


Emergence Holes are equal parts terrifying and wonderful. Sure, they spawn enemies that can attack the player right away. But if the player has a Heavy with a knock-back perk or even just explosives, they can force a Locust back down the hole, killing it instantly, even if it has full hea


Heavies exist to deal tons of damage. Thanks to their wide field of overwatch fire, they can carry plenty of ammunition. Later on in the game, they can develop the Ultra Shot ability, which allows them to continuously fire on an enemy until the enemy d


Another staple in the turn-based strategy genre, the Fire Emblem series is another great way to get into the genre. Fire Emblem is much different from Gears Tactics because it is a fantasy game rather than a science fiction game, so it's less about taking cover plus shooting and more about buffs and debuffs to take down enem


The weakest part of Tactics is its mid-to-late-game objective variety. I’m looking at you, accursed side missions. Like many strategy games before it, Tactics ends up relying on the same few formulas for a good bit of its meat. This time around, you’ll be getting a whole lotta "hold these supply points," "rescue these two POWs," or "collect these loot crates before you get nemacyst'd in the face." Rinse and rep


Gears Tactics makes ironman harder because, if a hero dies, the playthrough ends. It requires a lot of patience and knowledge of the game, because failure to keep a hero alive will force players to restart complet

Strategic options don’t stop on the battlefield. In addition to extensive skill trees per class, Gears Tactics features a comprehensive gear system. From weapon parts to armor pieces to grenades, there’s plenty of items to consider as you strive to build your squad. There’s even fun, non-gameplay affecting cosmetics such as changing your gunmetals, adding color or throwing on a pattern. While you can’t alter the main character’s looks, you’re free to change the looks and features of your other squad mates. Gears of War will always be known as a third-person shooter, but Splash Damage has perfectly adapted its mechanics to a tactics game. What you expect from a Gears game (chainsaw bayonets, bayonet charges, emergence holes, brutal finishers, etc.) is all here with few compromises. This is a Gears game, and it feels exactly right to play.


Gears Tactics is the first game in the Gears of War franchise that isn’t a third-person shooter. And for a spin-off, it plays remarkably well. The game is a turn-based strategy where the player controls a group of soldiers who take on the series’ infamous aliens. The game hurls tons of enemies at the player, but it also provides plenty of powerful weapons to take them down w


Overwatch allows players to stay behind cover and hold angles while still opening themselves up to the opportunity to kill enemy units. However, friendly fire is turned on in Tactics , so if a friendly unit moves into the player's overwatch area they are susceptible to taking damage and possibly being kil


Here’s a tip: if taking on a tough boss, injure all the weaker enemies first, but don’t kill them yet. When their health is sufficiently whittled down, unleash a string of executions at once to give a huge boost in action points that can be used on the b

The SLG game tips also, surprisingly, doesn’t have much to do once the credits roll. Outside of Veteran Mode, which does tweak the formula with modifiers, there are no additional multiplayer or co-op modes to jump into. For a franchise that built itself on robust multiplayer and co-op options, Gears Tactics feels light on modes. While it may focus too much on side quests, it makes up for it with solid gameplay. Like a traditional tactics style game, Gears Tactics is played from a top-down perspective with players taking turns to maneuver around the map, attack and set up tactical positions. During your turn, each character gets three actions to move, take cover, fire on enemies, set up overwatch, use abilities or execute downed enemies.