Pull Up A Rocket Lounger, Metal Slug Tactics Is Out Next Month

It’s been a long time coming, but Dotemu has confirmed that Metal Slug Tactics will launch on November 5, 2024 on PC, Switch, PS4/5, and Xbox Series X|S.

Not only that, they’ve also revealed that three Ikari Warriors characters are being added to the mix, including Clark Still, Ralph Jones, and Leona Heidern. The likelihood that any of them will land on my team is essentially nil unless I’m forced to for some reason. It’s not that I don’t like Ikari Warriors. It’s that I love Metal Slug. Though, all three characters have appeared in Metal Slug games. If you’re wondering about Leona, she was DLC for Metal Slug XX.

It’s been a bit of a protracted wait for Metal Slug Tactics. It was first announced at the 2021 Summer Games Fest. Development was quiet for a long time as the developer was working on multiple projects. Back in June, a demo of it was released, and I enjoyed it. It took a while, but it eventually clicked with me. The Metal Slug dressing feels more cosmetic, as the tactical gameplay is a pretty far cry from the typical run-and-gun format. However, as a simple turn-based tactical strategy game, I think it works pretty well.

It does have a strong roguelite feel to it. You make runs through regions to take on bosses, and gain permanent upgrades. The good news is that this makes the game more skill-based, and you can’t just level up your units. The bad news is that it has roguelite elements. I don’t personally hate that progression style, but it does give me a bit of pause.

Truthfully, I’d play just about anything with Fio in it, so I’m already on board, though this month has been very busy, and the beginning of next month is looking as though it will be the same. I’ll probably get to it eventually, even if it’s not right away.

Metal Slug Tactics launches on November 5, 2024. It will be released on PC, Switch, PS4, PS5, and Xbox Series X|S. There will be a physical edition coming later on.