Metal Slug : Commander is an all-new Card-based Gacha RPG game from SNK Corporation. The game turns you into the commander of a special set of units with unique champions from the popular Metal Slug universe. You will take control of these specialized champions and try to defeat enemies from every faction.
The fact that this game is almost a complete card-based game might scare players of Metal Slug: Attack or Metal Slug:X away as they may not entirely be familiar with the game's concept, controls, and overall gameplay. So, after hours of intense gameplay, we have written a detailed review of Metal Slug Commander consisting of the good and bad aspects of the game. So without wasting further time, let's dive in!
THE GOOD
Interesting story
The storyline of this game is captivating enough to lure players into spend hours just playing the game. The narrative of a rebel army group attacking an Island to try and steal a valuable resource called Lubis Ore is a good angle to kick off a story, and better yet, after their failed attempt to steal the resource, it turns out they weren't the only ones seeking the Lubis Ore.
There are up to five other armies that are after the Lubis Ore and, as commander, it is up to you to use a unit of special characters to protect the village and stop the chaos. The storyline progresses as you battle your way through several hordes of enemies and sometimes different locations.
Ultimately, the game's story is sincere and, in a very interesting way, converts the player into the Island's one and only hope of stopping the fight.
Controls - Auto-play is a worthy inclusion
Metal Slug: Commander comes with an Auto-play feature which is really is no surprise, and we see it in many RPGs on the mobile platform. Without Auto-play, the game only allows players to tap and use a character's special ability, which is pretty much the only involvement you have as commander on the battlefield.
However, the Auto-play feature gives you the complete feel of being a commander as you'll not have to lay even a finger on the battlefield. The Auto-play feature does all the fighting and even decides when to use each character's abilities. This can come in handy when you're not fully paying attention to the game or you simply just want to sit back and watch your units shoot and blast their way to victory.
Gameplay - No Annoying Ads
Nowadays, it's become incredibly hard to install a mobile game that does not include intrusive ads that dig into the player experiencet. But for some well-thought reasons, SNK did not include Ads in Metal Slug: Commander, which gives players a sense of calmness throughout the gameplay. No annoying ads suddenly pop up and have you sitting idle, waiting for up to 30 seconds, meaning that there's also no sudden reminder to pay real money for the ads to disappear.
If you dislike any types of ads at all when playing a game, then you'll definitely have a good time with Metal Slug: Commander. And while some ads give you the opportunity to get more in-game currencies by watching them, this game favours the player in that aspect because you don't have to go through this massive roster of battles or amass a certain amount of victories to earn a lot of money in the game.
Players are fairly rewarded after every battle as long as they are victorious, of course.
Graphics
The graphics aspect of this game isn't really deserving of special attention; however, off the battlefield, the game has some pretty cool-looking graphics that are worth giving a second look at. And in the battlefield, well, for a Metal Slug RPG game where you don't get to control the characters, the graphics and visuals of special abilities being used are pretty damn cool.
The game also has very cool locations, most of which offer a comfortable atmosphere that could increase your chances of winning battles. The explosion of enemy bots and objects is a sight for sore eyes.
Music & Soundtrack
Both the in-game main menu music and the battlefield soundtrack are awesome. They both signify a sense of challenge and fights to come. When you're not on the battlefield, the soothing yet battle-like song plays, and when on the battlefield, you get to listen to all the soundtracks combined with the sound of your special attacks dealing critical damage to enemies, the sound of your characters bullets blasting through the opponents' shield and many more.
It is an exhilarating experience for a low-budget game as not many RPGs of its kind can pull off the same sound quality that Meta Slug: Commander offers.
THE BAD
Long & Tiring Tutorial
After briefing players on the game's storyline, the game then takes you on a long tutorial that, despite its overdue duration, still fails to take players through some of the game's most important aspects and features. If a tutorial is very long, then it should at least be a very detailed tutorial.
After the tutorial, however, the game gives you certain hints as you progress through the campaign and face off against tougher enemies. Still failing to lay better emphasis on some of the player advantages, such as equipping gears before battles.
VERDICT
Metal Slug: Commander is a thrilling RPG that fans of the franchise will be excited to get their hands on as they'll try to stop all five armies that are trying to steal the Lubis Ore. The game offers lots of interesting characters that may even be too much for you to handle at a point, which is a good thing because you can merge them into one powerful champion. Each of these characters possesses cool abilities which, when used on the battlefield, will surely excite not only existing players of the Metal Slug franchise but new players too.
Metal Slug: Commander is available to download on the Google Play Store and iOS App Store.
