E3 2015: Metal Gear Solid V Wants To Master Open-World Stealth

In the modern XCOM games, soldiers get new abilities when they advance in level (rank). This "perk" system works well, but characters can go from weak to overpowered after advancing only one rank. Gears Tactics uses a similar system, but the number of perks is greatly increased over what XCOM offers. The perks in Gears Tactics are not only more numerous, they also allow for more varied tactical options on the battlefield. This helps soldiers seem more unique and allows players to make soldiers more suited to a specific task or tac


The release of Gears Tactics immediately caused gamers to begin comparing the two franchises in an attempt to declare one better than the other. Did Gears Tactics dethrone the king, or is the XCOM franchise still the best of the sci-fi squad-based, tactical/strategy ge

Despite some stumbles, Splash Damage has successfully taken the essence of the Gears franchise and transferred it into a turn-based strategy game. Gears Tactics is a true Gears title with a campaign that builds and expands the franchise’s lore, all while introducing new characters and adding new wrinkles to old ones. The turn-based gameplay fits well within the universe, providing plenty of strategy both on and off the field. Combined with some genuinely excellent main missions, Gears Tactics comes together nicely. It does frequently stumble thanks to the repetitive and frequent side quests that vastly hurt the pacing, but remains a joy to play throughout its many hours. Gears Tactics is a solid turn-based game that’ll make Gears and tactics fans happy.

Protoss is only gaining one new unit, the Disruptor (pictured above), which is warped in through a Robotics Facility. It has a Charged Blast ability which deals a burst of area damage around the unit. While charging, it speeds up and is invulnerable. Like High Templars, it can deal damage to friendly units. This is a slightly micro-intensive unit that forces enemies to react or die. It seems to only affect ground units, but careful positioning will be key to not waste shots on your own army.

The Lurker is a brutal new addition to the Zerg arsenal which deals substantial damage from below, as well as reduces the capacity for static defenses like Planetary Fortresses, Photon Cannons and Spine Crawlers to halt Zerg pushes. Ravagers and the new Infestor buffs give Zerg a little more oomph in full-on engagements, while the Nydus Worm changes allows for aggressive siege- and stalemate-breaking as well as more harassment opportunities alongside the changed Swarm Hosts.


Completing research on a new piece of technology gives players a sense of being one step closer to winning the war against the alien invaders. Gears Tactics doesn’t have a research system, and instead uses a more character driven system for story advancem

For the stoic Terran, we have two new units: the Big Daddy-looking, drill-equipped Herc and single-target assassin the Cyclone. The Herc is trained from the Barracks, has the ability to launch itself toward a target and can be upgraded to deal area of effect damage in a small radius. It cannot target air. The Cyclone (pictured above), built from the Factory, can lock on to deal double damage while moving and can hit ground or air units. The Lock On upgrade must be researched at a Factory's Tech Lab. It's a quick unit with the same speed as a Stalker, and is best used for kiting and single-target removal.


Knights might not be the most tactful profession, but they will easily help the party by rushing to the frontlines, dispatching light infantry, and protecting their weaker allies. With a little more magic support, a Knight will turn into an unstoppable juggern

If there is one aspect of Gears Tactics that is obviously better than the XCOM games, it’s the boss battles. XCOM doesn’t really have boss battles; there is a final engagement against stronger enemies than those normally encountered, but that’s not really a "boss battle". Occasionally, players in Gears Tactics will find themselves facing an enormous creature that towers over the battlefield. Defeating these gigantic boss creatures gives players an immediate sense of accomplishment that is sometimes lacking in the XCOM games. These boss battles also really help break up the monotony of fighting the same alien soldiers over and over – which is a problem from which the XCOM games suffer on occas

Missions range from the standard fare to unique takes on inter-faction interaction (say that five times fast). The Sky Shield mission tasks you with assisting Jim Raynor and Terran Forces. In Unleashed, you can relocate your base -- literally shift and move your Nexus -- to avoid interruptions in mineral collection. Many of the cinematics and voice recordings have been completed or are seriously underway at this point, but no official release date has been revealed.

The game also, surprisingly, doesn’t have much to do once the credits roll. Outside of Veteran Mode, which does tweak the formula with modifiers, there are no additional multiplayer or co-op modes to jump into. For a franchise that built itself on robust multiplayer and co-op options, Gears Tactics feels light on modes. While it may focus too much on side quests, it makes up for it with solid gameplay. Like a traditional tactics style slg game maps, Gears Tactics is played from a top-down perspective with players taking turns to maneuver around the map, attack and set up tactical positions. During your turn, each character gets three actions to move, take cover, fire on enemies, set up overwatch, use abilities or execute downed enemies.