The best turn-based tactics. For those who like to think without haste – review addiction

There is nothing special to say here: this series has long become the standard of the genre. The first part of the restart from Firaxis we defend the Earth from aliens, and in the second, we ourselves are partisans to recapture the planet from the clutches of alien invaders. Moderately hardcore, moderately friendly missions, a variety of opponents, a fairly deep pumping of operatives and the base, and most importantly – a well-created atmosphere of brutal confrontation. Now, however, the first part is no longer so interesting to play – the graphics and some mechanics (if not taking the Long War mod) are outdated. But XCOM 2 and addition War of the chosen look like new.

For those who find the new XCOM too casual, fans of the original Ufo defense made their own “remake”, which in fact turned out to be an independent and extremely original game. The principle is still the same – we build and develop the base, intercept the flying saucers, fight off the alien landing. But, unlike the Firaxis franchise, which takes you by the handle and always tells you what to do, Xenonauts does not spare the player at all. There is a lot of micromanagement, soldiers can die from a single shot, and the advantage is always on the side of the enemy. The war feels truly unequal, and only a commander with strong nerves will win.

The legendary tactical series, despite its advanced age, is still good – especially the reference second part. In each of the games, a fictional South American country awaits us, where you need to overthrow another dictator and seize control of the state. The main feature is the mercenaries, from whom we assemble a team of liberators – fiddling with their equipment, skills and monetary calculations makes up the lion’s share of the gameplay. Veterans Jagged alliance the fighters are still remembered by their names – Ivan, Owl, Red … It’s a pity, further attempts to develop the series ended in failure. On the other hand, old-school classics do not age – especially if you refine them a little with mods.

This is a rare case when you can say without a twinge of conscience that you are proud of domestic developers. Due to the destructibility of levels, Silent Storm once offered a new, extremely fresh approach to tactics. Now you could shoot anywhere and at anything: he heard a suspicious noise in the next room – he blew the wall out of the grenade launcher along with the enemy. This freedom of action opened up new tactical opportunities and significantly changed the rhythm of the game. Sequel SS: Sentinels made the game a little more like Jagged allianceand then there was “Hammer and sickle”, Who tried (without much success) for the third time to go on a successful formula. The entire series is worth playing, though, especially if you respect old-fashioned tactics.

Pure tactics from the creators FTL: Faster Than Light… Huge beetles have taken over the planet, and the only ones who can save the day are you and your mech squad. You control three units, and against you there are hordes of insectoids who are trying to devour all the civilians on the tiny map. It will not work to kill all the insects, there are too many of them: you need to keep them away from buildings, push them into the water and, of course, smear them with mechanical fists. Into the Breach – an insanely compact puzzle with a minimum number of conditions, but maximum brain power. Fast, deep and replayable. The thing is, if there is no mood for something long.

One of the best and most unusual XCOM heirs. As you control a small squad of spies, you need to complete procedurally generated missions to save your agency from total collapse. The central mechanics are about the same, but now with a stealth bias. Operators have no weapons, they die from one shot, and there are always several times more enemies – and the longer you delay, the more serious the reinforcements will be. The level of anxiety is constantly increasing, so you need to play carefully but aggressively. Slipping under the noses of guards, knocking them out, hiding bodies in dark alleys, turning off cameras and hacking into automatic turrets … In a word, from Invisible, Inc. pacifist players will love it.

Tactics in a Wild West setting with supernatural devilry. On the global map, we move from one location to another, collect gold, recruit new fighters to the team and move along a simple, but good story in the format of an interactive book. The maps are small and there are few enemies, so fights rarely last longer than ten minutes. Hard west It differs from other representatives of the genre primarily in the mechanics of “luck”, which is spent not only on various abilities, but also on dodging shots. If luck runs out in the heat of a firefight, the enemy shot will accurately hit the target. You have to choose – sit in a shelter and take less risk, or shove it ahead, literally hoping for luck and the skills of the characters. Skills, which, by the way, need to be collected from combinations of pocr. In general, there are many interesting finds in Hard West.

Not the most shameful attempt to surpass XCOM in its own field. Unlike the creation of Firaxis, and most other step-by-step tactics, Gears Tactics much more dynamic: locusts are hordes, as it should be, and they are extremely aggressive. Therefore, the charges have three, and not two, action points – so that there will be enough bullets for all. The fights are fast, tough and with all the chips of the series: with hide and seek in shelters, blood and effective sawing of locusts with a chainsaw. In addition, the more enemies you execute, the more actions the squad can take. So the guarantee of victory is not just in tactics, but in competent skill chains.

The banner saga Is a series for those who appreciate not only the action, but also the plot: as the name suggests, three parts of the game, in the manner of Mass Effect, tell a long epic about the end of the world. With beautiful hand-drawn graphics, cinematic videos, and great music. The gameplay consists of two parts: strategic, where you control your own caravan, and tactical. The battles are relatively simple, but rich in possibilities. You have about two dozen characters at your disposal with their own characteristics and unique skills; Moreover, plot decisions often affect their development. The enemy is always outnumbered, and hitting him simply “head-on” will not work – you probably cannot do without losses. However, this is even more interesting. Some heroes will walk with you from the beginning to the very end, while others will not live up to the middle of the story, but you will remember every single one.