That Gears of War is one of the flagship series of the Xbox imaginary is, to date, a fact. The saga that redefined many of the canons of third-person shooters in the Xbox 360 era is now in its fifth iteration (sixth if we consider Gears of War: Judgment) and shows no signs of stopping. When Gears Tactics was announced in 2018, Microsoft's intention to expand the boundaries of a series that was too closed in its stylistic features was clear and evident. A not new attempt by Microsoft, which already with Halo Wars had tried to expand one of its flagship brands with very often mixed results. The collaboration between The Coalition and Splash Damage has therefore led us to a brand new Gears in strategic sauce, a genre in clear recovery thanks to titles of the caliber of X-Com and Mario + Rabbids. The operation is all in all successful, partly courageous and technically surprising for the genre to which it belongs and, paradoxically, fully confirms Microsoft's desire to embrace the PC world, given that the release of Gears Tactics is expected. initially only on this platform.
Pure strategy
The new spin-off of the saga is immediately characterized by strong gameplay choices. It is perhaps one of the purest strategies of recent years. Via the management elements, space for an almost spasmodic linearity that will be a joy for strategic lovers (less so for those looking for a title that involves multiple gameplay styles). In short, if you don't digest the gameplay of a turn-based strategy, Gears Tactics won't have much more to offer you. The sequential missions carry on a story without particular jolts, but spectacular in its use of interlude scenes, with production values also quite high for the genre to which it belongs. If there is one element that cannot really be criticized, it is the courageous choice to focus on a single genre, where today a mixture of several elements has practically become the norm.
73bf32e285ef47315cf610ccc-0.jpg">Excluding a campaign that lasts twenty-five or thirty hours at normal difficulty, a certain basic repetitiveness comes into play about halfway through the management of the secondary missions that become necessary to continue the main campaign. In short, the idea is that this repetitive proposition of contents was a bit forced to lengthen a campaign that would have been satisfactory even without. Fortunately, the second part of the campaign features particular jolts in battles with some mammoth bosses that will put your skills to the test.
Gears Tactics does not offer new gameplay elements compared to other strategic ones, but it does it with intelligence and above all with an almost perfect balance. For example, he is not the first strategist to take the grid off the battlefield, but he is perhaps the one who did it with the best results. This unleashes a whole series of peculiar features that make the action more frenetic and closer to a traditional Gears. We obviously find other typical elements of the genre, such as movement points (three per turn) that can be increased by doing real executions on enemies.
73bf32e285ef47315cf610ccc-1.jpg">One often gets the impression that the hordes of enemies take advantage of considerable coordination in terms of attack strategy. Frequently, moreover, they will make use of a visual cone of defense in which it is highly not recommended to set foot, except to take a good riddled with shots. The same technique can also be used by our squad of soldiers and is very useful for covering each other's backs. In short, the gameplay elements do not revolutionize the genre, but help to give a style very devoted to action that recalls the older brothers of the saga. From this point of view the work done is really excellent and the action nature of Gears has been perfectly declined in strategic sauce. Finally, to underline the high level of customization of the battle team, with a classic skill tree that allows you to develop the skills that most satisfy us.
USEFUL INFO
Gear Tactics was played on an MSI GS70 Pro gaming laptop, at medium-high settings in full HD.
Duration- The duration is around twenty-five to thirty hours at normal difficulty.
- The campaign structure is rather linear, with a story told through interlude scenes.
- The countryside is extremely poor from this point of view. Once the game is completed, the veteran mode will be available, the only real incentive for replayability.
- Game Name: Gears Tactics
- Release date: April 28 2020
- Platforms: PC
- Dubbing language: Italian
- Texts language: Italian
73bf32e285ef47315cf610ccc-2.jpg">
Is it technically really a strategic one?
Splash Damage strategy makes excellent use of the Unreal Engine. Technically Gears Tactics is well above the technical standards of the genre and features graphic details and particle effects that help to sculpt an atmosphere that is sometimes very dark, which mainly recalls the gothic style of the first chapters of the saga.. The technical values of the title are very high and are highlighted especially in the gameplay phases (net of directorically well-managed interlude scenes, also through excellent dubbing). The characterization of the battlefield is so well detailed, that the gap between the top view and a closer view during the executions is extremely natural, almost like we were in a classic chapter of Gears of War. From this point of view the work is commendable.
The work on the soundtrack is less disruptive, certainly not the strong point of the production.The musical accompaniment does not stand out particularly and is limited to accompanying some more excited phase in a rather mild way.
73bf32e285ef47315cf610ccc-3.jpg">Good first!
Gears Tactics is Microsoft's first attempt to push the boundaries of this IP and, ultimately, the goal is perfectly hit. There are still uncertainties, linked above all to a certain repetition of contents, but the whole campaign is highly enjoyable, especially for fans of the genre. The proposal in terms of gameplay is well balanced and amalgamated, even if clear in wanting to propose pure strategic mechanics. For years it has been clamoring for a brand revolution and this new spin-off could perhaps be the first attempt to experiment on this very important intellectual property, the most important along with Halo. Gears Tactics is certainly a sign of courage and evolution on the part of Microsoft, which for some time has been investing in an offer rich in variety, even if not always focused on very high production values.. In any case, any fan of the genre cannot really miss the opportunity to play a fresh, satisfying and extremely spectacular video game.
Review by Stefano Cherubini
Graphics
The graphics sector of Gears Tactics does not look bad in the least when compared to the main episodes of the saga. The use of the Unreal Engine is excellent and, thanks to the use of numerous effects and spectacular performances, gives the title that more action vein that brings it closer to its bigger brothers. Even the artistic direction is perfectly in line with the saga, with the reference to those gothic settings that will please the lovers of the first trilogy on Xbox 360 so much.
94
SOUNDTRACK AND DOUBLE ROOM
The soundtrack is certainly not the highlight of the production. It accompanies the narrative moments discreetly and in a rather bland way and does not particularly strike for originality. In short, more could certainly be done. Excellent, however, the dubbing.
73
GAMEPLAY
Gears Tactics does not revolutionize strategy, but it takes many elements and blends them almost perfectly, offering a gameplay that will make veterans of the series feel at home. Elements such as the abandonment of the grid, the spectacular executions and the extreme linearity of the campaign, make it all more familiar for those who love the universe of Gears of War. Of course, those who do not digest strategic strategies in any way will not find much else in the offer, but the courage to propose a net offer in the type of gameplay proposed is appreciable. Too bad for a certain underlying repetitiveness that pervades the campaign in the second half.
