Shock Tactics
- April 11, 2017
- Point Blank Games
Get on Steam"Shock Tactics" is a turn-based strategy game where players lead a squad of mercenaries on a mission to retrieve a valuable artifact on a hostile alien planet. The game features tactical combat, resource management, and base-building elements, with procedurally generated levels that offer unique challenges in each playthrough. Players must balance strategic planning with quick decision-making in battle to survive and ultimately achieve their objectives.
PC
Windows
Reviews
- The game features decent turn-based combat mechanics that can be enjoyable once players get accustomed to them.
- The atmosphere and graphics, while not AAA quality, are generally appreciated and contribute to the game's sci-fi theme.
- The exploration aspect and the ability to customize soldier armor colors and names add a layer of personalization and engagement.
- The game is plagued by numerous bugs, including soldiers becoming unselectable and disappearing equipment, which severely hampers the gameplay experience.
- Loading times are excessively long, often taking longer than the actual gameplay, which can be frustrating for players.
- The AI and combat mechanics are poorly balanced, leading to frustrating encounters where enemies have unfair advantages, making tactical gameplay feel less rewarding.
- story98 mentions
- 6 % positive mentions
- 91 % neutral mentions
- 3 % negative mentions
The game's story revolves around a mercenary group navigating an alien world, with players earning resources and soldiers through various missions. However, many reviewers found the narrative to be lacking coherence and depth, often feeling repetitive and lacking purpose, as missions frequently boil down to defeating enemies for resources. Additionally, technical issues, such as crashes and bugs, detract from the overall experience, leaving players frustrated and disconnected from the story.
“Moral of the story: you never know what life has in store for you, and if I had given up when all odds were against me, I wouldn't be where I am today.”
“The game is about a mercenary group attempting to carve out a small piece of an alien world; you earn credits, resources, and soldiers from missions to improve on your base, build weapons and armors, as well as train your soldiers.”
“Certain story missions take longer, which I think helps to emphasize their importance in the story.”
“The voice acting is pretty terrible (which makes me thankful that units don't have voices in combat), and so far the story is incomprehensible.”
“Lack of purpose; a lot of missions are just defeat these people and take their resources.”
“It's a 'deja vu' feeling, and I'm a fan of tactical and dungeon crawler, but this game I don't know; story mechanics, universe, interface all are average.”
- graphics24 mentions
- 25 % positive mentions
- 63 % neutral mentions
- 13 % negative mentions
The graphics of the game have received mixed reviews, with many users describing them as "decent" but "far from amazing," often comparing them unfavorably to more polished titles like XCOM. Some players noted issues with performance and loading times, suggesting that the graphics appear outdated and reminiscent of early mod projects. Overall, while the artwork has some positive mentions, the consensus is that the graphics do not meet modern standards, especially for a game in early access.
“The game itself is an old school X-COM/Jagged Alliance type of tactical game, and that in itself makes it something I would pay for. The graphics are not too far off from UFO: Afterlight.”
“+ Graphics and artwork.”
“I know graphics are not everything, but this game does not look even ready for early access; it looks like someone's mod project at best.”
“Apparently shoddy programming as the game takes ages to load; the graphics are not that great...”
“I know graphics are not everything, but this game does not look even ready for early access. It looks like someone's mod project at best.”
“The game ran like a potato on my laptop, which runs almost everything (1080p medium/high). Graphic settings are limited, and it ran fine on my PC except...”
- gameplay18 mentions
- 22 % positive mentions
- 61 % neutral mentions
- 17 % negative mentions
The gameplay in Shock Tactics features three main pillars: combat, base-building, and exploration, but it is often described as a less polished imitation of XCOM's systems. While the mechanics are solid, they lack depth, with simplistic combat skills and no flanking system, leading to an overall average experience that feels familiar yet uninspired. Players appreciate the core gameplay but find it lacking in innovation and presentation compared to its inspirations.
“There are three core pillars of the gameplay in Shock Tactics: combat, base-building, and exploration.”
“For example, I played a lot of Xenonauts, which also has poor presentation values, but the underlying gameplay was interesting.”
“Also, the combat mechanics are a bit lackluster with menial skills involved and no real flanking system.”
“The core gameplay is actually solid, an uninspired copy-paste of XCOM 2's systems for the most part, but competent.”
“It's a 'deja vu' feeling, and I'm a fan of tactical and dungeon crawlers, but this game, I don't know, story mechanics, universe, interface all are average.”
- stability14 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
The game is widely criticized for its numerous bugs and lack of polish, with players reporting issues such as glitches in the soldier management screen and a problematic camera that obstructs gameplay. Overall, the stability of the game is deemed poor, significantly detracting from the overall experience.
“The game is buggy.”
“Still very buggy.”
“Ugly bland environments and characters, generic monsters and enemies, buggy as hell with a horrible clunky interface.”
- optimization6 mentions
- 33 % positive mentions
- 33 % neutral mentions
- 33 % negative mentions
The game is generally considered playable but suffers from poor optimization, indicating that it feels incomplete. While it offers a fun experience at its price point, users suggest that further optimization is needed to enhance performance.
“Good alternative to XCOM; it needs a little optimization, but for the price, it's fun.”
“There may be some optimization to be done.”
“Sadly, it is at the moment a half-baked game; oh sure, it is quite playable, however, it is poorly optimized.”
“So, maybe there is some optimization to be done.”
- music2 mentions
- 50 % positive mentions
- 50 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The music in the game is noted for its calming and soothing qualities, providing a relaxing experience that allows players to feel at ease.
“I relaxed for 5 minutes listening to this music, long enough to realize that I would be okay.”
- atmosphere2 mentions
- 150 % positive mentions
- -50 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The atmosphere of the game is consistently praised for being pleasant and enjoyable, contributing positively to the overall experience.
“The atmosphere is incredibly immersive and captivating.”
“The game creates a beautifully haunting atmosphere that draws you in.”
“The overall ambiance is rich and engaging, making every moment feel alive.”
