It's probably not the best turn-based squad tactics game ever nor the best Gears of War title out there, but Gears Tactics is an impressively solid adaptation of the beloved Xbox franchise, proving that The Coalition is capable of bringing out the best in the couch co-op classic while continuing to take risks. Although its pacing leaves something to be desired and it borrows as many genre ills as it does strengths, Gears Tactics is mechanically and thematically engaging from the start of its long campaign to its end, and it does its inspirations justice. It isn't far from inaccessible to newcomers while also taking care to pay respect to veterans of the franchise and other squad tactics games, and fans of both will be absolutely enamored with Gears Tacti Its greatest offering is its brilliant take on the well-worn overwatch mechanic, which expends all of a soldier's remaining AP (with at least 3 being given each unit every turn) in exchange for the ability to cover squadmates, reserving one shot for spotted enemies per AP allotted. What sets Gears Tactics ' overwatch apart from the crowd, though, is its spatial nature, forcing players to highlight a lane of a length and in a direction of their choosing. This not only encourages players to anticipate from where they want to defend against assault, but also allows them to prevent their units from taking unintended potshots at the wrong enemy unit and leaving their allies exposed. Along with Sniper Locust that pin down friendly units, enemies are similarly eager to box vulnerable Gears using overwatch until killed or interrup (Image: [[https://www.istockphoto.com/photos/class=|https://www.istockphoto.com/photos/class=]])To start things out, players will often find themselves in a helicopter which will act as a sort of mobile command center. From here, they can deploy to an open area and do missions therein. Side operations and primary missions co-exist in an area, and can be tackled at the same time. The way this works is players typically deploy from the mobile command center, where Snake sits with his selected buddy. The buddies, at least that which have been revealed for now, consist of either the mute, bikini-clad supernatural sniper Quiet, the loyal eye-patch-wearing D-Dog, and the mechanized, multifunctional D-Walker. An interesting thing to note is Quiet's demeanor towards Snake can change depending on how their relationship progresses over the course of the [[https://www.strategyessays.com|SLG Game money guide]]. When deploying to an area, players will have a wide variety of customization options to go through. For example, the weapon loadout can be customized to a great extent; colors, insignias, attachments, even parts from different guns can be used to customize a weapon to your liking. Vehicles can be painted as well, and decorated with custom emblems. Speaking of, if the player so chooses, they can even deploy to an area in a vehicle and even then they can choose from deploying in a nice variety of different types of vehicles and different vehicles of each type, tanks included. Since players can recruit other soldiers in the field, either by rescuing them or abducting them, they can also once again deploy as a recruited soldier. Though it is unlikely always the case, playing as Snake is again optional. Each one of the soldiers at Snake's command have unique skills and different stats in different areas which will determine their effectiveness in areas like combat and stealth. People who have played Portable Ops and Peace Walker will be familiar with this feature. Once players have selected a loadout (which may be upgradeable and seems to consist of two primary weapons and a sidearm), a vehicle, a deployment time, and a buddy, they will be dropped off on the map. Buddies, it should be mentioned, have their own customizable loadouts. These are not as intricate as say... Snake's, but there are options, for example D-Dog can be given a stealth suit with a stun rod. It'll surprise some Gears of War fans to learn that the world of the traditionally third-person cover shooter transfers really well into the squad tactics space, and anyone familiar with the Microsoft first-party series will feel right at home in **Gears Tactics ** from the start. The bleak, us-against-them tone, visual distinctness of war-torn planet Sera, and gratuitous gore are all here (though the lattermost is optional, if squeamish players so choose). It walks a well-struck balance of not insulting franchise veterans while still providing first-timers enough context to not get lost at its outset, introducing enough of the pre- Gears of War 1 phase of the brutal Locust War without resorting to an exhaustive level of exposit There are also different sizes of cover. Short cover allows players to shoot over the top of the cover but leaves them more vulnerable to attacks. Tall cover completely protects the player from frontal attacks, but only allows players to attack around corners and not over the top of co The number of troop types and the number of abilities that come with them make every turn feel like a game of Risk sponsored by an energy drink. Using stronger weapons, equipment, and even special moves can lead to some chains of kills that are more satisfying than anything achievable in traditional Gears shoot