A shift towards a more XCOM-like perspective doesn’t mean Gears Tactics can’t still be Gears. With Gears Tactics still about two weeks away, the folks at Xbox said screw it and went ahead and uploaded the launch trailer. The release date is April 28, so don’t expect to download it right after watching the trailer.
While the coronavirus is a huge problem across the world, at least games are stepping up with the likes of DOOM Eternal, Final Fantasy VII Remake, Ori and the Will of the Wisps, Valorant’s closed beta, and more. Hopefully, Gears Tactics can join those excellent offerings.
One thing’s for sure, Gears Tactics isn’t straying too far from the formula that’s made the franchise so special. Want to punch a locust until its head explodes like a watermelon? You can still do that.
And the devs even expanded on gameplay elements like executions to work in a Tactics game. Performing an execution on a downed enemy nets you an extra ‘Action Point,’ which can be spent to keep attacking during your turn. While positioning and flanking still play a vital role in this genre, Gears Tactics also wants to reward aggression.
The launch trailer also hints at boss battles with a Corpser (that gigantic spider looking locust) featured prominently.
As for the story, Gears Tactics puts Gabe Diaz in charge of training a group of Gears to take the fight to the Locust 12 years before the events of the first Gears of War. Gabe is the father of Gears 5 protagonist Kait Diaz. Sid Redburn and Mikayla Dorn will join him as they take the fight to Ukkon, a Locust scientist responsible for engineering the baddest of the bad locusts, including the Brumak, Corpser, and Reaver.
Gears Tactics is a pretty significant departure from the Gears we all know. But the devs are determined to keep the Gears formula intact. We’ll see how it all shakes out on April 28 when it hits PC on Steam and Xbox Game Pass. An Xbox console release is coming later this year.