With the upcoming Switch launch of Metal Slug Tactics on 5th November 2024, we've caught up with developer Leikir Studio and creative director Aurélien Loos to take a dive into the game's visual design, focusing on the team's efforts to adapt iconic characters, vehicles, and environments into a new isometric view-point, while working to capture the franchise's iconic run 'n' gun essence.

To start, Loos wanted to make it clear that athough there are certainly some roguelike elements in Metal Slug Tactics, all of the environmental assets were handcrafted. To give a sense of the scale of the project, Loos states "In all, we have 181,511 in-game sprites and 217,701 lines of code, including 158,337 for gameplay only". It sounds like a mammoth task, then, and it looks like all that work has paid off in terms of the exquisite visuals.

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Nailing the design of the iconic 'Metal Slug' vehicle was also crucial to the progression of development. Loos states that the size of the squares on the game grid was contingent on ensuring that the tank would be able to fit within one of them. And we're sorry, but look at how gosh darn cute that thing is. Cute but deadly, mind.

Similarly, of course, a lot of love and care went into the boss designs for the game. Aeshi Nero, a well-known excavating machine from the franshise, shows its full body for the first time in Tactics. According to Loos, it took the team a long time to land on what the machine would look like in full. We'd say they've done a pretty good job!

Big Shiee also makes and appearance, and we love how it's just looming over some poor chap trying to do his fishing in the below screenshot.

Touching on the actual gameplay for Metal Slug Tactics, Loos stresses the importance of channelling the franchise's run 'n' gun mechanics and presenting them in a new way.

For tactics, players are encouraged to move as much as possible within their turn. Failing to do so will likely result in a loss, whereas actively moving as much as you can will generate a dodge resourse along with adrenaline, which effectively lets you use your special attacks.

The main base is also full of awesome little details for fans of the series, and of course this is where you'll be making some of your most important tactical decisions before heading out into battle.

After missions are completed, you also have the opportunity to level up your characters and add new abilities such as special actions and passive enhancements.

Metal Slug Tactics 19
Image: Dotemu

We'll have a lot more to say about Metal Slug Tactics with our upcoming review, but a huge thanks to Aurélien Loos and Leikir Studio for providing this glimpse into the game's visual approach. The Metal Slug franchise has flirted with tower defense gameplay in the past, but Metal Slug Tactics looks to be a fresh and fun new take on its established mechanics and visual identity.

Metal Slug Tactics launches on the Nintendo Switch on 5th November 2024.

What do you make of Metal Slug Tactics so far? Are you keen to try out this fresh new approach for the franchise? Let us know your thoughts with a comment down below.