Is Gears Tactics worth buying? That’s the question many are asking after the release of the game. It is a Gears game but it is also a tactical turned base combat. It is a tactical game that focuses on the use of tactics in combat. There is no resource management or other complex mechanics that divert it from the core of the series. The story is not that interesting but it does provide a fair plot for the game to move forward. There are lots of high-quality cut scenes in the game. There is not resource management due to the straight forward tactical nature of the game.
The lack of resources does not stop Gears Tactics from having amazing customization options. Players can open loot boxes to earn different customization but there are no microtransactions. The combat is fun and retains the essence of Gears games. There is a lot of blood and gore that connects the game with the franchise. Even the setting will keep reminding players about the type of game they are playing. Being a tactical turned base shooter is not stopping the game from retaining the feel of the Gears game. All this makes you ask the question Is Gears Tactics worth buying? Let’s find out.
Plot and Setting of The game
Gears Tactics serves as a prequel to the first Gears of War game. It takes place during the initial days of the war. The game follows the story of the hero of Pendulum Wars, Sgt. Gabriel Diaz a COG soldier. Yes, you heard the name right, Gabriel Diaz is the father of Kaite Diaz. He is called back to action by Chairman Prescott to retrieve a classified document from CIC building. The story evolves into something bigger than a simple mission. They recruit other soldiers along the way to stop the Locust scientist named Ukkon. During the campaign, you will see the Hammer of Dawn in action a lot. The plot provides a decent premise for the game which makes the game interesting.
As I explained before that the game takes place in the initial days of Locust war. So it takes place in the cities that are either in the process of devastation or they are devastated.
Gears is a post-apocalyptic game. The story takes place in different locations as characters travel from place to place. The setting is the perfect match of the story and explains a lot about the thing is happening on the screen. There is good environmental storytelling. The setting also retains the identity of the Gears series and helps a lot in transforming it into the turn base tactical game. Is Gears Tactics worth buying? Based on the setting.
Side-Missions of Gears Tactics can make it a Retarded Experience
The main mission of the story offers decent gameplay but it is not that long. The playtime will also depend on the chosen difficulty. A person familiar with the genre can end it in 25 hours. After a while, the main missions might feel like a drag. It seems like the developers are dragging the story just to make it longer. On top of that, Gears Tactics has side missions that accompany the main missions. Most of these side missions are highly repetitive and can get boring. You can ignore these missions but they offer rewards which can make them worth it. Playing side mission feels like a retarded experience. Is Gears Tactics worth buying? Now that you know about cringy missions of the game.
Combat Mechanics of Gears Tactics Are Not That Complex
Gears Tactics has turned base tactical combat that will test your wits. It’s not that complicated and focuses on combat more than any other element. You have to keep an eye on your ammo as that is the most essential resource that you need to manage. Knowing the exact use of the character can give you an upper hand in combat. You can take cover and reload which are essential moves in the combat. There are different weapon and grenades that offers different types of advantages. The damage effects of all weapons are similar to other Gears games. Grenades are as devastating as they were in Gears 5. You can even switch between different grenades which is an exciting addition to the game.
Bayonet and chainsaw attack is still a thing even though it is a tactical turned base game. You can use execution to slice enemies or impale them depending on the weapon. Using execution will reward you with three actions per turn for each character. Executions are not always viable options because they can put you at risk. It’s kind of a more risk more reward situation because it takes you close to enemies. It makes that character an ideal target for remaining enemies or counter attacks. Execution offers you a one-hit kill on even the toughest enemies. Gears Tactics feature nearly all of the enemies from the franchise with some extra. Different tactics are required to eliminate different enemies. Is Gears Tactics worth buying? Based on general combat.
General Combat of Gear Tactics
Multiple difficulty modes will crank up the combat paralysis of enemies. At times the game can feel repetitive due to its cringy side missions or sometimes main missions as well. However, the intensity of combat can grab back your attention. There are five different classes in the game but you can only take four of them into a mission. You can combine the abilities of different classes for an ultimate showdown. A combination of abilities gives players a strategical advantage in combat. You can also use your soldiers as overwatch to counter enemy attacks. Locus would use the same tactic as I said before so Gear Tactics is not about attack but defense as well. There are no resources like other strategy games so you can focus all your thoughts on combat.
The major problem that I faced during the gameplay was unknown factors of the map. There is no world map and the plot will take you to different locations. The openness of the game is not clear which makes the intractable location a mess. Imagine making a move while keeping an area in mind only to realize that the area is not accessible. Developers need to fix this problem. You can recruit foot soldiers aside from heroes to aid you in combat. Foot soldiers are more disposable than heroes because they can die easily. On the other hand, you can easily revive heroes which makes the combat less dire. The fear of losing a character is not prominent. I mean heroes can die but the chances of it happening are extremely rare. Is Gears Tactics worth buying? Based on the general combat of the game.
General Gameplay is Pretty Straight Forward
The general gameplay of the game is not that complicated but there are option of different customizations. You can find different customization items in crates but don’t worry you don’t have to pay for them. In these crates, you will find armor pieces, weapon parts, scoops, extended clips, and colors for all the items. Colors only serve as cosmetics and do not offer any strategical or tactical advantage to the player. You can also customize all the common soldiers that you have recruited in the game. There is no multiplayer but there are also no microtransactions for now. Multiplayer might be a good addition to the game.
Every character in Gears Tactics has a skill tree that offers an upgrade to these characters. You can earn skill points by completing different activities. Once you get skill points you can then use skill points to unlock passive and active skills. Passive skills offer indirect advantages while active skills offer new abilities to the players. I wasn’t expecting this level of customization from the game.
Is Gears Tactics Your Type of Game?
Gears Tactics is a good distraction from the 3rd person fast-paced shooter to tactical turned base combat. Even though the gameplay is different the general feeling of Gears series is evident in the game. It’s not a complicated strategy game but it does provide fair combat to keep players going. The game doesn’t offer an amazing plot, it’s just good enough. There is a bit of drag in the game when it comes to side missions but it doesn’t make the game worthless. Combat and characters of the game are pretty detailed. It is a good integration of Gears series into another genre.
Now let’s answer the question “Is Gears Tactics worth buying?” If you are into strategy games then this might be a good offering for you. In case you are into a turned base tactical game such as XCOM then it might still the game for you. It might also be the game for all the Gears series fans and offers a good alternative to its identity. However, if you are not into strategy or turned base tactical game then it might not be the game for you. It might also not be the game for players who are not into the Gears series. In short, it is the game Gears series fans and players who like strategy games.
