The Gears of War series has long been one of the backbone franchises for Microsoft. The gritty third-person shooty is known for its strong campaigns and fun multiplayer experiences. However, with Gears Tactics, Microsoft is looking to shift things up by looking to the turn-based tactics genre.
This foray into a completely different genre isn't the first time Microsft has tinkered with the Gears franchise, as Gears of War Pop was surprisingly revealed for mobile. While the mobile game is a complete 180, with a chibi style that doesn't seem fit for the gory shooter, Gears Tactics feels like a natural spin-off.
The easiest game to compare Gears Tactics to XCOM and/or XCOM2, which went free to play for a short period of time recently. Players control a 4-man squad and tactically move the squad around the playing field. They can then set the players to do specific tasks, such as attack the enemy.. The gameplay may be less action-packed than a third-person shooter, however, it can be very addictive and enjoyable once players learn the game flow.
The Halo and Gears franchises are often compared to one another. Microsoft branched out with a spin-off for Halo in the real-time strategy realm with Halo Wars and the well-received Halo Wars 2. Gears Tactics is not at all in the same exact genre as Halo Wars, but it would be fair to say that Microsoft's strategy with both Tactics and Halo Wars is the same, in trying to spin-off the franchises and find successful games outside of the standard shooter titles. With Gears Tactics, it looks like Microsoft may have found that triumph it was looking for.
The reviews for Gears Tactics are for the PC version of the game, as it is set to release on April 28, 2020. However, an Xbox One release of Tactics is currently in development as well. It would be fair to anticipate slight alterations to mechanics, with how a keyboard and mouse play differently than a controller, but the story (which takes place 12 years before the first Gears of War), mechanics, and progression will most likely be the same.
God is a Geek (Mick Fraser)
Gears Tactics is big and brash at times, but it’s also deep, intelligent and balanced, with all the heart and passion we’ve come to expect from a Gears game.
Score: 10/10
GamingTrend (Travis Northup)
Gears Tactics is a stellar tactics game that still manages to feel like the Gears you know and love. With a solid story, addictive RPG systems, and dozens of hours of gameplay, this is a must-play for any fans of turn-based strategy games or the Gears franchise in general.
Score: 9/10
Game Informer (Matt Miller)
Smart mechanics, aggressive battles, and tight storytelling make this a strong new contender in the genre, even if the campaign's pacing sometimes misses the mark.
Score: 8.5/10
IGN (Dan Stapleton)
Gears Tactics is an excellent turn-based tactics game that does a superb job of melding Gears’ famous style and action with the mechanics laid down by XCOM. It’s one intense and satisfying tactical battle after another, and it looks absolutely fantastic doing it. It does slightly wear out its welcome with too much of a good thing in its Gear-grinding side missions, and due to the lack of larger strategic decisions I don’t see it as being as replayable as its tactical role model. Even so, it’s a strong campaign that leaves a great impression with some clever, Gears-appropriate original ideas.
Score: 8/10
GameSpot (Mike Epstein)
Though Gears Tactics wears itself a little thin by the end of its protracted campaign, the rush of pulling together a victory from the jaws of defeat carries an exciting, chaotic energy. Unlike most strategy games, playing well doesn't necessarily make you feel like a mastermind, so much as though you've cheated death. Every successful plan, even a last-ditch effort, feels like a small stroke of genius. That's no small feat.
ScreenRant (Phillip Tinner)
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.
Score: 7/10
VG247 (Jeremy Peel)
Ultimately, though, it’s down to a breathlessly dynamic battle system to provide Gears Tactics with surprises. Something as safe as setting your soldiers to overwatch, so that they can shoot at moving targets in the enemy turn, becomes endlessly watchable when those enemies can pinball between killzones, knocked about by bullet spray.
Gears Tactics releases April 28 on PC, and an Xbox One version is also in development.