One of the best aspects of the XCOM games, going back to the first title, is the ability to salvage and examine alien technology. Advancing through the research tree not only unlocks newer weapons, armor, base facilities, and tools, it was also the vehicle through which players advanced the st

For the series' first foray into the rapidly evolving turn-based tactics genre, **gears of war e day Tactics ** is an impressively balanced and well constructed strategic experience. Managing to avoid the pitfalls of some other genre-crossing series (for all that is good about it, the first Halo Wars game had some pretty rough edges), Gears Tactics hits many of the right notes for a squad tactics title, including a fairly fleshed out equipm.ent customization system and some very involved soldier skill trees that allow for specialization that is critical to a rounded battle experience. While it is easy to see how these features have lead to comparisons to the likes of XCOM (which is amongst the highest of praises bestowable on a young turn based tactics series), the game manages to retain the unique flavor of its source material, finely portraying the gritty world that plays hosts to the ongoing conflict between mankind and the Locust hordes, with some clever, thematic mechanics to match . As adaptations go, this shifting of the Xbox flagship Gears series to a genre more about careful consideration than frenetic aggression has gone exceptionally smoot

There are also different sizes of cover. Short cover allows players to shoot over the top of the cover but leaves them more vulnerable to attacks. Tall cover completely protects the player from frontal attacks, but only allows players to attack around corners and not over the top of co

While getting around is important, it is vital that the player considers not just that they are moving, but where they are moving. Having soldiers sprint around the field at random is more of a risk than anything; chaotic movement just means more opportunities to get caught alone. A solid first use of points is getting some elevated overwatch. Try shifting a soldier into a position that will allow them to watch over the battlefield and throw them into overwatch. Doing so will lower the risk of more mobile soldiers getting surrounded - making the center of the field a danger to cross can make the opponent think twice about getting into a flanking position. For the remaining soldiers, it is worth spending points to form some triangular traps. Use some points to move and create overlapping fields of fire that cover up the enemy deployments before blasting away. This will pay out in forcing enemy movement away from your troops - by threatening multiple sides of a piece of cover, players can force a well defended enemy to displace, often scoring some hits for that well-positioned overwatch soldier. Importantly, save some points to avoid bunching up. While it is entirely possible to take advantage of a good flank with multiple units, be sure to reserve an action point to put some space between the soldiers you have making the hit. More than one solider side by side is a golden opportunity for a grenade, which can be even more catastrophic if the cover itself gets taken out. By using action points to get some overwatch, triangulate on enemy positions, and keep spacey, players can keep a battlefield handily under cont

Overwatch is a term used in similar tactical games to describe when a player looks out from cover during the enemy's turn in hopes that an enemy will walk into the player's line of sight . If this happens the player will have the opportunity to attack the enemy during the enemy's turn. In other strategy games, this can be useful, but it is especially useful in tactics because of the number of enemies a player faces in a single round. While players do have a variety of moves at their disposal each round its crucial to deal as much damage as possible while also staying out of harm's

For some, Gears tactics is plagued with volume changes or inconsistencies, while, for sound, it is either wrong, delayed, or missing sound effects. This is one of the main problems the game suffers from. Audio issues make the sound fade in or out and sometimes even disappear altogether, which is obnoxi

The first thing to be prepared for, in any turn-based tactics game and in Gears Tactics specifically, is a lot of repositioning. At the heart of the game is the back and forth of risk and reward that is the flanking system. Getting around enemy cover allows for some juicy opportunity for clean hits and solid damage, so don't be afraid to burn a point or two rounding the field to get an angle on opponents. With that being said, it is equally important to have an exit strategy in mind. Flanking will often come at the cost of wading deeper into the enemy's front lines, meaning an elevated danger of getting swamped and flanked. Be prepared to get in and out in the same breath, or at least be braced to take some damage in exchange for dishing some out. Consider whether the cost is worth it: can you eliminate an enemy with a flank move? What kind of cover can you get behind to mitigate any coming swarming? The key takeaway here is be prepared to burn a point on manoeuvering. Do not get stubborn about planting and shooting - damage and suppression is appealing, but if the cost is losing strategic ground or getting surrounded, it will just not be worth the couple of extra shots staying in place affo