Have you ever wondered just how much mayhem a wizard could cause with a gun? What about a magical gun? That’s precisely the fantasy Tactical Breach Wizards brings to life by blending tactical combat with magic, and it does so in an incredibly humorous fashion.
Tactical Breach Wizards is a turn-based tactics game, with gameplay reminiscent of XCOM and Marvel’s Midnight Suns. The game’s campaign is about eight to 10 hours long, according to Tactical Breach Wizards‘ Steam page, and you play as a party of wizard cops and detectives. Throughout the story, you’ll employ various abilities to chain attacks, use the environment to take down foes, and rewind time should combat fail to go according to plan.
If you’re still not sold, you can give the game a go for free during Steam Next Fest. The Tactical Breach Wizards demo is one of hundreds available until June 17, and it’s a fairly meaty demo. With over 10 levels from the campaign included, you’ll get a taste of the game’s strategic gameplay, perks and upgrades system, and a sneak peek at the characters’ customization options. The best part by far, though, is the writing. Between missions you’ll find witty banter between the wizards in your party—and it’s hilarious.
The dialogue, mid-mission scenes, and lore tidbits had me belly-laughing with their tongue-in-cheek humor, and I found myself bobbing my head to the game’s jazzy, snare-filled soundtrack. If you’re a fan of charming games, Tactical Breach Wizards is almost certainly going to schmooze its way up to the top of your wishlist.
As someone who loves these types of turn-based tactics games, I felt right at home in Kevlar vests and wizard hats. After the first couple of missions, the game ups the difficulty level, and you’ll need to put on your wizard’s—err, thinking cap—if you want to complete a level with full Confidence Points (customization points earned from completing optional objectives). As you accumulate Confidence, you can swap out your characters’ outfits for new fashionable choices to further customize your playthrough.
Tactical Breach Wizards has been in development for over six years but it’s finally hitting digital shelves in just a couple of months. When the game finally releases on Aug. 22, it will have a level editor that will allow players to create their own levels and share them with others, providing an entirely new way to play even after completing the campaign.
You can now try the demo for free on PC during Steam’s Next Fest until Monday, June 17. Players who like what they see from the demo version can add the full game to their wishlist to get notifications for when the game officially becomes available for purchase. I know I certainly will.
