Hands On: Metal Slug Tactics Wonderfully Blends Brains and Bullets [Video]

Contra is a classic, but Metal Slug is the mad king of retro, vaguely militaristic side-scrolling shooters. A few years ago, license-owner SNK and publisher Dotemo surprised series fans by announcing Metal Slug Tactics, a spin-off by Leikir Studio that trades running and gunning for turn-based strategy. After a long wait, Metal Slug Tactics is finally set to release later in 2024. Based on our time with its demo, we can confidently say that the upcoming PC game (also available on PlayStation, Nintendo, and Xbox consoles) looks like an engaging entry in the tactics genre.

Metal Slug Tactics’ Gameplay

If you thought Gears Tacticswas a dramatic franchise pivot, Metal Slug Tactics will make your head spin. The original games are about shooting anything and everything as fast as you can. You use big guns against bigger bosses while environments explode and scores grow higher. Metal Slug is extremely fun, and it certainly takes a lot …