Review of Xenowerk Tactics

Our Verdict

Xenowerks offers a welcome change of pace from more traditional strategy games, it may not be that deep but blasting mutants is still a very cathartic experience.

Pixelbite Games, a Swedish company, has an impressive track record of creating high-end, high-quality games. The iconic Xenowerk dual-stick blaster and the formidable Space Marshals top-down tactical shooters are parked next to a caravan of Reckless Racing games. The most recent version of it combines the last two with a dash of XCOM for good measure.

You take on the role of commander of an emergency response team sent to the Arctic to look into alarming reports from a secret facility held by the Xenowerk Corporation in a scenario that seems to have been highly influenced by John Carpenter's The Thing. It doesn't take long to realise that mutant lifeforms are loose and will murder anybody unlucky enough to come into contact with them. In typical disaster movie fashion, competing interests quickly come to the fore.

Though Xenowerk is more concerned with generating revenues and limiting negative press, the Earth may still need to be saved.

At the start of Xenowerk Tactics, your head of staff, Joyce Grendel, will welcome you to base camp. Even if your new home is only a collection of bland, grey temporary buildings, it's still important to get acquainted with their varied uses. You may stop by the recruiting truck to pick up some fresh "heroes," or fools."

All of your recruits, with the possible exception of those who are wounded, will typically be housed in the adjacent barracks while they heal. Those fortunate enough to get sufficient experience for a promotion are welcome to participate in extracurricular activities at the spa.

If you want to outfit your squad with the newest technology, go over to the armoury. You may check your messages in the command centre, where they contain news updates, help requests, and new assignments. There won't be many updates at first, but as the game goes on, a lot of people and groups will be vying for your attention.

You may even think about selling your information to more socially conscious companies, going against the wishes of your employers in order to quickly generate some cash on the black market. You will have to load up your crew and gear onto the waiting chopper after accepting a mission. Rangers, Marines, and Scientists are the three main recruit classes.

Every character will have a deck of cards that symbolises their abilities, characteristics, and gear. Scientists can search for the whereabouts of mission objectives, while rangers may utilise their recon skills to spot attackers. Marines often use a more direct strategy, slicing through enemy lines with frag grenades.

You have one final chance before takeoff to buy any more supplies, such machetes, ropes, and explosives, which could be required to accomplish certain mission goals.

You will have to go on foot when your chopper lands in the previously guarded safe area. You will meet random people on route to your destination. These may include having mutants assault you or having your morale plummet when one of your agents cracks a particularly offensive joke.

Fortunately, some people will possess qualities that may counteract negative events. For example, a natural leader can inspire the group even after a particularly terrible pun. Meetings don't always have to be negative; you can learn something important or discover a shortcut. The map is sectioned into threat-level-based zones, and any task that is accessible will be shown along with any necessary gear.

The locales of the missions are diverse, ranging from factories and labs to marshes and jungles. When you arrive at your location, the view changes to a 3D forced overhead viewpoint, and as you explore, the surroundings become progressively more visible. The controls are rather straightforward: you may touch the screen to rally your team to a certain spot, or you can choose and drag a single figure to a position.

Your operatives will commence fire as soon as the opponent is within range. Since there is no limit to your ammunition, the main strategy in warfare is to locate a position from which you can eliminate the opponent before your team is overpowered. You may call for a tactical halt to stop the action if it becomes too crazy, which will give you time to collect your thoughts.

You may get money, biological samples, research data, and new prototype technologies via missions. You can utilise these rewards to improve your base and finish more tasks.

Unfortunately, the most frustrating thing about Xenowerk Tactics is building your base (if you want a better example, check out our list of thebest mobile strategy games). The process of developing a building is quite simple and linear. You are never truly able to go out and try new things since certain structures cannot be constructed until others have reached a certain degree. The buildings themselves lack character and have a dull appearance.

Fortunately, there's a lot more atmosphere in the remaining images. They have a sensibility from the 1990s and an army of appropriately Slimy mutants in the vein of H.R. Giger roaming dark hallways in the strange illumination of your team's torches. You'll find chambers equipped with grotesquely biological mutant-spewing generators and hallways lined with tracks of blood and severed victims.

Enemies explode in a gooey mass of appendages, and weapons are amusingly strong. Excellent music that once again honours the work of John Carpenter is also included. You can feel the stress building, and it becomes much worse if you don't have the additional supplies needed to provide emergency medical attention or arrange for an escape. Squad members with serious injuries must be left behind.

Xenowerks Tactics is a good game overall, albeit using a lot of batteries. You may play the whole game for a very affordable one-time fee, and you don't need a continuous online connection. Although the nearly arcade-like gameplay may turn off those who prefer a more measured approach, battles are fast-paced and rewarding.

Some wonderful funny moments, such when your crew starts fighting over pizza toppings, brighten the gloom. Though it may seem like a shoot-em-up at times, there are still a lot of things to think about. Securing strategic safe zones before moving forward into the contaminated region will be your main tactic. This calls for careful team and time management.

It's crucial to know when to replace your men with weaker but healthy ones and how hard to drive them. Since carrying capacity places a hard restriction on equipment, preparation is essential and it's possible that you won't always be bringing your whole squad back to headquarters.

Your operatives are unique individuals with a wide variety of characteristics, which gives them character and makes losing a beloved operative a painful experience. Considering how enjoyable the game is overall, the base building's lacklustre and tacked-on feel is tolerable.