Finally, the Menace demo has arrived for us to download and play like the tactics starved maniacs that we are! So, how is it? I would say it’s okay, showing potential for the future. However, the high boardgame feel of it really surprised me. It’s a game that is a lot more abstracted in combat simulation, LOS (line of sight), and damage than I was expecting—especially compared to their last title; Battle Brothers.
For example, “overwatch” has been dumped in favor of faster gameplay, forcing you to move forward instead of turtling behind defenses to ambush the enemy. Fair, I guess, but it also means that the defensive safe playstyle that I like is out the window. And it feels a tad ridiculous that my special forces unit when having action-points left after a move, say up to a building, can’t defend themselves.
Overwatch is out
This means a situation where you are approaching a facility, with fog of war covering the backside and the sides, you can’t guard the edges, which any military unit would do. If the AI gets a turn after your squad, an enemy can just waltz up to your unit and execute them. Justified, if you are out of action points, but if you plan your movement with points to spare, you can’t use it on anything else than digging in. Any kind of ambush setup is out!
I can of course accept this as a rule, as with any other game, but if I’m being honest, it’s also a bit of an immersion death—if you are looking for that in your tactics game. The same goes for LOS, as minor buildings don’t block it, with you and the enemy being allowed to shoot right through it. It’s stuff you get used to, but as said: it weakens the immersion. Otherwise, stuff is modeled (visuals) to feel authentic, but from a gameplay standpoint, there have been clear sacrifices done to the “realism” of battle for a certain flow.
NuXcom?
Actually, when I think about it, Menace reminds me of nuXcom (Xcom: Enemy Unknown, and Xcom 2), with how little is simulated, and how boardgamey its rules are. Cover is everything—any unit caught in the open gets demolished, with flanking also providing huge benefits to damage. This is also true to real life, you can argue, but it’s made with these rules specifically, making any other kind of engagement a slog, just like nuXcom. Meaning: projectiles from weapon fire is not a real thing, it’s just visual flair that looks cool.
Do you see my point? All this is absolutely fair, if that is the game they want to make. But, as mentioned, I’m just stunned that the simulation has taken a backseat like this.
Still fun
Regardless, I found enjoyment in what I played. The maps and AI were challenging, even if I stopped thinking in terms of tactics, and more in gamified rules (boardgame). If you make that switch in your mind, the combat is fine, as long as you expect most stuff being abstracted.
The battles in itself didn’t come off as that engaging, but I’m thinking in the form of a grand campaign, where every piece of loot and soldier dead in battle comes with consequences. That way, every mission will surely feel tension filled, exactly like the X-com of old (hopefully).
Style
The graphics are good-looking and detailed. The weapon and armor you equip your men with are shown on the battlefield in turn-based combat. Death and carnage also seem to be permanent—to create savage looking fields of war, with mangled bodies and craters dotting the landscape. Sound and music is also good and beefy, but the voice acting felt forced. The raiders come off as Borderlands wastelanders, instead of something truly grim, fitting the mood. They have a very jokey tone, which doesn’t fit the atmosphere that well. If it’s supposed to feel sinister, that is, because the visuals seem to convey that at least. Also, angry female battle cries! A bit of a try-hard moment, to be sure. Other than that, the presentation is nice.
The demo is not the only thing coming from this announcement. A release date has also been set. February 5, 2026, so not long left. But hold on to your horses! It’s an Early Access release—why would it be any other? So, add a year to that date, if you want the real release date. Make sure to check out the demo for yourself, if curious, before it’s removed from the store (if ever).
Thanks for reading.
– Thomas
Tom's Gaming Vault 