Tactical Breach Wizards -sorcery warfareOne of 2024s hidden gems is a turn-based tactics game where wizards are spec ops soldiers and the script is even better than the combat.We didnt have as much time as we hoped before Christmas; to go back and review interesting games wed missed earlier in the year. Only a few were left out but since theres nothing new of note out at the moment we wanted to cover a few more, before the year begins in earnest. Top of that list is Tactical Breach Wizards, which was on our to do list for most of 2024 for two main reasons: people kept recommending it to us and its got an awesome name.For once we get to praise an indie game for having a memorable name, instead of one that actively puts you off wanting to try it, and were happy to report that Tactical Breach Wizards does exactly what it says on the tin. That is, you control a bunch of wizards who are really good at performing tactical breaches.Theres a dry absurdity to the set-up, which works much like XCOMs turn-based combat, only with no aliens and where the special forces soldiers are packing magic wands instead of sniper rifles. As wacky as that sounds the game is anything but a farce and the most surprising thing about Tactical Breach Wizards is its great storytelling and memorable characters.In the reality of the game, magic is commonplace but otherwise things work pretty much as they do in the real world. Main character Jen is a witch but shes also a private investigator, who gets recruited as the result of a conspiracy involving, amongst other things, the Druid Mafia.The plot itself isnt terribly interesting, but the game is very much in on the joke, with a charming sense of humour that still leaves plenty of space to establish the characters and make you care about them. Jen is the nominal lead but theres also Zan, the past-his-best veteran; Banks the necromantic surgeon; Dall the rebel priest in riot gear; and more.There are no voiceovers, and so consequently there can be a lot of text to wade through, but the mixture of camaraderie and comedy is a very welcome and unexpected pleasure.The combat is very clearly inspired by XCOM and other turn-based strategy games but its not a clone. For a start, the action takes place on a much smaller map, often making it more reminiscent of Into The Breach. It doesnt have that level of difficulty or puzzle-like complexity, but each character wields very unique spells and using them in tandem with other allies, to take out multiple enemies at once, is a key tactic.Unlike XCOM, every attack hits its mark, with no need to worry about the percentage chances of missing. Not only that but you can see a prediction of the exact effect of your move before you commit to it, with the option to rewind the turn if you have second thoughts.The games also reminiscent of the sorely underrated Mario + Rabbids titles, in that only specific characters have an overwatch ability, that allows you to attack during an enemys turn. Others are just as powerful in different ways though, such as Jens lighting attack, that can chain through multiple targets, or Banks ability to debuff enemies from a distance. Although the absolute best one is the ability to magic up a window, just to throw a bad guy through it (which counts as an instant kill). If in doubt, rewind (Suspicious Developments)New abilities are introduced as you progress and all of them can be upgraded through earned experience points. Youre wise to make sure everyone is optimised as much as possible, as you dont get to choose who you take into a mission with you so you cant just rely on one character all the time.Impressively, the enemy AI is quite competent and theyll usually give as good as they get, making use of the ability to knock back opponents into each other and push them into explosive objects. When youre doing this, youre usually trying to get them to stumble into another characters line of fire, such that its possible to wipe out most enemies in a single turn if you get creative enough.As a result, Tactical Breach Wizards can seem rather easy at times, if youre familiar with the genre, especially as you begin to recognise the different elements that maps and missions are patched together from. Add in the rewind feature, and the inability to miss, and this is not a game thats going to be challenging any tactics veterans, or at least not outside the option challenge levels.More TrendingThat does make it suitable for newcomers though, despite the long learning curve. Plus, apart from being able to rewind you can skip any mission that you find too troublesome, so you dont have to worry about being stuck.Its five months since the game came out and sadly theres still no sign of a console version. Thats not entirely surprising though, as the game has been designed solely for a mouse and keyboard and the joypad controls are pretty bad on PC it doesnt even work very well on Steam Deck.Nevertheless, were very glad we finally got around to playing Tactical Breach Wizards, as its definitely one of the best tactics games of recent years. The combat is solid but its the characters and dialogue that are the most welcome surprises. Thats seldom a focus in strategy games but Tactical Breach Wizards proves that no idea is too silly, or genre too staid, that it cant be improved by a good script.Tactical Breach Wizards review summaryIn Short: An absurd concept but an inspired turn-based tactics game that, quite unexpectedly, has one of the best scripts of the last 12 months.Pros: Solid combat, with distinctive abilities and plenty of freedom to tackle levels however you want. Rewind option is useful for newcomers. Excellent script, with witty dialogue and endearing characters.Cons: Quite easy for most of the time and ultimately fairly repetitive in terms of objectives and set pieces. Only really works with a keyboard and mouse.Score: 8/10Formats: PCPrice: 16.75Publisher: Suspicious DevelopmentsDeveloper: Suspicious DevelopmentsRelease Date: 22nd August 2024Age Rating: N/A The talks between levels can be the best bit (Suspicious Developments)Emailgamecentral@metro.co.uk, leave a comment below,follow us on Twitter, andsign-up to our newsletter.To submit Inbox letters and Readers Features more easily, without the need to send an email, just use ourSubmit Stuff page here.For more stories like this,check our Gaming page.GameCentralExclusive analysis, latest releases, and bonus community content.This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply. Your information will be used in line with our Privacy Policy