Gears Tactics Review Roundup -- Here's What The Critics Are Saying

The new Gears of War strategy game, Gears Tactics, is available now on PC. But what are critics saying about it? To help you get an idea for if it's worth your time and money, we've rounded up review scores and opinions from outlets across the internet.

Here at GameSpot, we scored the game an 8/10. Reviewer Mike Epstein said, "The rush of pulling together a victory from the jaws of defeat carries an exciting, chaotic energy."

You can see a sampling of other review scores and excerpts posted below. You can also visit GameSpot sister site Metacritic to see a fuller rundown of review scores for Tactics.

Gears Tactics was developed by UK studio Splash Damage, which previously created the multiplayer element of Gears 5. Microsoft's dedicated Gears studio, The Coalition, assisted in the game's development.

A prequel to the original Gears of War, Tactics follows a group of soldiers led by none other than Gabe Diaz, who is the father of Gears 5 protagonist Kait Diaz. The story dives into the Diaz family tree, which is an interesting one given what we came to learn from Gears 5.

Gears Tactics is currently exclusive to PC, but it will be released on Xbox One later this year. As a first-party game, Tactics is free with Xbox Game Pass for PC and Xbox One.

• Game: Gears Tactics
• Platforms: PC (Xbox One version coming later this year)
• Developer: Splash Damage, in association with The Coalition
• Release date: April 28
• Price: $60 USD

GameSpot -- 8/10

"Though Gears Tactics wears itself a little thin by the end of its protracted campaign, the rush of pulling together a victory from the jaws of defeat carries an exciting, chaotic energy. Unlike most strategy games, playing well doesn't necessarily make you feel like a mastermind, so much as though you've cheated death. Every successful plan, even a last-ditch effort, feels like a small stroke of genius. That's no small feat." -- Mike Epstein [Full review]

VG247 -- 3/5

"Any turn-based strategy game that can successfully mimic the changability of third-person shooters deserves to be celebrated for it, and in its finest moments, Gears Tactics does just that." -- Jeremy Peel [Full review]

Rock, Paper, Shotgun

"This is 100% a Gears Of War game, that also happens to be a top flight strategy effort. Arguably the best of its kind on the market, in fact, despite a bit of trouser trouble. It’s a spectacular thing to play through, and it’d be more than enough to merit the fifty quid price tag if it deleted itself on completion. Thankfully, however, the replay value is much greater than you’d expect." -- Nate Crowley [Full review]

Destructoid -- 9/10

"The core--getting onto the battlefield and agonizing over every move--is excellent. There's a smart experience here, one that feels both authentically Gears and tactics. That's the best possible outcome. Gears Tactics is a great Gears game and a great tactics game. This 90% doesn't miss." -- Brett Makedonski [Full review]

Windows Central -- 4/5

"Gears Tactics is tied together nicely with some epic set-pieces, stunning, well-optimized visuals, and hey, it's on Xbox Game Pass for PC, which in some ways makes it a no-brainer to at least try. While I think this one could have done a lot more to evolve its macro-level progression layer, the minute-to-minute combat is some of the best I've experienced in the genre." -- Jez Corden [Full review]

IGN -- 8/10

"Gears Tactics does an excellent job of grafting Gears' signature look and feel onto XCOM's turn-based battle format and looks great doing it." -- Dan Stapleton [Full review]