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The tactics genre is undergoing an undeniable renaissance right now, and has been for a little while. However, I’m someone who, until recently, never gave it a fair shot; I played a lot of Worms as a kid, not to mention the incredible Hogs of War<\/em>, but those were as close as I got to the genre. Despite hearing great things about the XCOM series, the first time I properly got stuck into a tactics game was with Marvel’s Midnight Suns <\/em>in 2022.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Part of the reason I mentally wrote them off for ages was because I spent most of my teenage years playing fast-paced, reflexive genres: first-person shooters, sports, and action RPGs. I didn’t think I’d vibe with the slower nature of setting up units turn-by-turn, planning each move, then watching a plan play out. I was so wrong, and right now, I’m relishing the fact there are so many phenomenal tactics games available, not to mention a terrific slate of upcoming ones.<\/p>\n The modern era of tactics games has had so many excellent entries over the past few years: Mario + Rabbids: Kingdom Battle<\/em>, Blood Bowl 3<\/em>, Mutant Year Zero: Road to Eden<\/em>, Gears Tactics<\/em>, Jagged Alliance 3<\/em>, Wargroove<\/em>, Mewgenics<\/em>, Fire Emblem: Fortune’s Weave, <\/em>the list goes on. But I’d be remiss not to highlight Star Wars Zero Company<\/em> especially. If you’re a Star Wars fan, playing it is a no-brainer.<\/p>\n Zero Company <\/em>doesn’t rewrite the rules when it comes to tactics games, but it does come close to perfecting them, and the sublime Star Wars framing allows it to excel in the space. You are Hawks, an ex-soldier who has gone on to lead an independent mercenary group, and you’re in a hell of a lot of debt to the Hutts. Luckily, Republic Intelligence swoops in to offer you a way of paying off the debt \u2014 as long as you work for them.<\/p>\n Much like Andor<\/em>, this is a grittier Star Wars story that follows a storyline separate from all the Skywalker shenanigans happening on a grander scale. Every character has their own personality and charm, not to mention special abilities, and you can recruit new soldiers to join your crew, all of whom are fully voice acted. Various systems allow for upgrades and buffs, but if one of your crew dies\u2026 they’re gone permanently. And once you’re through the first couple of levels that serve as a tutorial, you\u2019ll find it hard to step away.<\/p>\n If you are new to the genre, however, and you want something even more approachable to ease you in, look no further than Worms Galactic Tactics<\/em>, coming in 2027. This is the series’ first step into the true tactics genre, but it retains its classic Worms appeal of being easy to pick up, hard to master. It shares a similarity with Star Wars: Galactic Racer <\/em>(two, if you count the fact they both have \u201cgalactic\u201d in their names) in that it blends its main genre \u2014 tactics and racing \u2014 with being a roguelite.<\/p>\n In Worms Galactic Tactics<\/em>, you’re competing in the Galactic Gauntlet: a tournament in which you must progress through rounds of increasing difficulty, defeating various enemy worm squads in different environments. The environment is destructible, loads of classic Worms weapons and gadgets are back, and it retains that iconic humor the series is known for. It’s Worms, but 3D and with added tactical depth. After going hands-on at Gamescom earlier this year, I cannot wait: it felt great to play, and the roguelite elements add seemingly endless replayability.<\/p>\n A weekly cheat sheet to what you\u2019ll eventually love to play. No buying, no \t\t\tSign up freeGet Polygon\u2019s Wishlister newsletter<\/h3>\n
\n\t\t\tcommitment \u2014 just saving for later.<\/p>\n
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