Class customization is satisfactory. There are five classes, each featuring four branches of subclasses. I found the amount of skill-tree variety to be just right – nothing overly complex nor dumbed-down. The selection of weapon mods and armor perks brought me the experience I just about expected. You can build each of your units to be adaptable and well-rounded or have them specialize. I personally enjoyed building up Cole Train as a beefy tank and Mikayla as a critical hit-machine, for exam

Gears Tactics is an ambitious spinoff that doesn’t necessarily innovate, but it does succeed in taking the turn-based strategy genre head-on. The game’s presentation is quality, reflecting classic, core Gears elements. Although the gameplay flattens out by forcing repetitive mission types – extensive customization, immersive storytelling, and overall polish earns Splash Damage and The Coalition a tip of the

Last, but certainly not least, is Undead Labs who confirmed in a brutal new trailer that State of Decay 3 is coming to the Xbox Series X. The trailer was entirely CG, so not much is known about the project, though fans are likely hoping this latest entry performs a bit better than its predecessor did. Rumors have already started circulating that State of Decay 3 will finally be a true open world, complete with day night cycle and core survival mechan

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.

Arguably one of the busiest studios on this list and likely a big reason why Microsoft made the decision to purchase it in the first place is Obsidian Entertainment. Following the launch of the Fallout inspired experience known as The Outer Worlds last year, the studio revealed the first of two planned expansions called Peril on Gorgon . In addition to a new planet and narrative, the trailer showed off new weapons and a level cap increase b

While Gears Tactics doesn't have the mod support XCOM 2 has, there are a few mods on the market that can improve or change the game. Most of them have to do with rebalancing weapons, spawning more enemies in missions, and changes to loot boxes. These mods can either be to make the game easier or harder, depending on which

A standard in the customization of soldiers for turn-based strategy games, each class has a skill tree that can be upgraded to allow them all to do different things. In Gears Tactics, the skills fall into four different subclasses for each cl

At the end of the day, Gears Tactics transitions the series into a new genre admirably well. Although there is much to be desired regarding mission variety and replayability, the developers did a great job interweaving classic Gears combat and weaponry into a tactical format, making for a positive experience over

Unless someone an experienced turn-based strategy player, it's generally a good idea to run ironman mode on a difficulty that's already been beaten. Ironman mode is an unforgiving mode that makes every single move count. Any mistakes made cannot be taken back, and there's no going back to save scum for a favorite sold

If anyone wants to play a new turn-based strategy game that's on the cheaper side, consider looking into Othercide . It has a lot of gothic horror with a lot of style, and it is similar to Gears Tactics in that the SLG game money guide requires players to go on several missions before facing off against a b

Outside of that, Ninja Theory also has the mysterious Project: Mara , a game it announced back in January. The title goes further to explore the real-world and grounded representation of mental terror based on first hand accounts and in-depth research. Not much is known about the game outside of the promises that it's going to be an experimental title attempting to showcase a new storytelling medium for gam

Messing around with customization between missions sucked up way too much of my time – and that’s not particularly a bad thing. The equipment menus could’ve been redesigned for more convenient loadout swaps, sure, but the high volume of tweakables was pleasantly surpris

Any fan of Apex Legends knows what sliding into cover means. Allies can easily slip into cover from a couple of feet like a gigantic magnet is dragging them.The cover magnetism cheats slightly by allowing a player get to areas that would otherwise be out of ra