Future Tactics: the uprising is described as a turn-based tactical RPG. That still leaves you in the dark of what this game actually is about. Nevertheless, new ideas are always welcome in an era of sequels and blend and predictable gameplay, so let's see what developers Zed Two came up with.

 

Future tactics

Struggling for survival, a group of hardened humans battle against the alien race nicknamed 'the Creatures'. These species took over the world by eliminating nearly the entire human race with their devastating technology in a raging 'blitzkrieg' war. Led by a person simply called 'Father', a small group of warriors try to fight for freedom against this evil and take what is rightfully theirs, the earth.

To be honest, the story isn't much, but it's the gameplay what is more important. So how does this tactical RPG thing works? It seems a mixture of both strategy game mechanics and role playing games and even some FPS features. Yet future tactics tries to emphasize on the action part rather then complex experience point systems and even more complex combat menus. So stats are pretty much left out, magic use or a diverse array of weaponry and gear too and what's left is some very basic hit an run type of gameplay with only a handful of possibilities.

 

A level basically consists of getting from point A to B or destroy an enemies target, which can be a base or some kind of devastating weapon. Your character can move around in an area to a certain extend, after which he can position himself to a good strategic point. There is also a jump button, so your characters can position themselves on higher grounds. After you found a good spot, its time for the action; first you zoom in on your target and then hit a x-line and y-line as close as possible to the centre of your visor so you obtain maximum damage. In the long run this should get smoother as your characters level up.

After you executed an action it is time to play hide and seek. You can again move around and maybe take shelter behind a rock or another object and hopefully the short radar vision of the aliens will not notice you. There is also the possibility to heal or use a shield option.

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Experience system

Upgrading is accomplished after you done enough damage, an experience meter shows you how much damage you have done. When its full, you increased a level and you have to fill the meter again. Also, there are certain weapon upgrades to be found on the field in the form of a package. These are often hidden and will be revealed after a massive explosion. And this brings me to one of the best assets of the game, the interaction with the surroundings. Most objects as well as ground can be damaged. Huge crater impacts can be seen after someone bombarded that area and if you're lucky some exploded objects will hit an enemy if its nearby.

 

The pace of the game is slow, which makes it hard to get through the game. Of course, this is usually the case with a turn-based system but there is another reason; the aliens keep spawning after you beat a few. It is testing your patience to the limits and you might wonder if a turn-based system is the right choice for this game.

Visually the game isn't too spectacular, they used a lot of bright colours, which gives it a cartoony edge, but because of the lack of shadow and lighting effects the graphics, including the character models, aren't exactly eye-candy. The whole game looks and feels chaotic and the Irish folk meets rock music emphasises this. Voice acting is done well, with most of the characters carry thick British accents yet the dialogue itself is predictable and corny.

Final Say

By cutting down or even eliminating the essential RPG elements the fans will lose their interest quickly, while the action addicts will not appreciate the turn-based system. If you are looking for a good tactical RPG I suggest you try Final Fantasy Tactics Advance for the GBA or the highly underrated multi-platformer, Gladius.