There are countless games that tell stories of military operations concerning global safety. But if you replace their automatic weapons and tactical gear with flying brooms and pointed hats, you step into the realm of "this is not something you see every day."

The imaginative setting of "Tactical Breach Wizards" is charmingly complemented by its lively, humorous, and witty script. Although the frequency at which the tactical gameplay in the main storyline challenges me is far less than the frequency at which it makes me laugh, the small-scale battles maintain a light, fun rhythm, making my time disappear as if placed under a magician's handkerchief—vanishing in the blink of an eye.

Overall, "Tactical Breach Wizards" is a very fitting name. The team you control is a group of mercenary wizards from various walks of life, who repeatedly breach doors while fighting enemies. Although this job suits Zan, a former agent who has transitioned into a wizard mercenary, there is no good explanation as to why his good friend Jen—a regular private detective—would excel at using magic to blow open doors.

However, after playing a few levels, I no longer found this setting abrupt. The world feels like a blend of the real world and magical concepts; for example, a highly skilled wizard might work as a traffic cop. But all these settings are taken as facts, so it feels reasonable as you play. A powerful druid mafia? A guy who turns into a dog like in a Snoop Dogg music video? These all seem perfectly normal.

The game’s plot is interesting enough, telling the story of Zan and Jen as they hunt down a dangerous agent with supersonic abilities on a global scale. But the main story itself isn’t that captivating, especially as it becomes increasingly complex in the latter half.

However, the dialogue throughout the game is very well-written—both fun and free-spirited, reminding me of shows like "Buffy the Vampire Slayer" and "Firefly." Characters can be funny, vulnerable, and sincere all within the same conversation without weakening any aspect. Since there is no voice acting, the game involves a lot of reading, but the dialogue is lively and engaging, so it doesn't feel tedious.

Most of the story unfolds in the cutscenes between each mission. "Tactical Breach Wizards" features turn-based combat more akin to "XCOM: Chimera Squad" than "XCOM 2," with each character having specific skill sets, fighting on smaller maps with many environmental factors to consider. Every engagement begins with a "breach" (very on point), where you deploy your squad at one or more potential entry points and plan the first move.

A good start can make the entire level go more smoothly, but you don’t have to worry about one wrong move ruining everything. Thanks to the "undo" feature, I almost always manage to recover the situation. The enemies’ attack targets are clearly marked, so you always have a chance to prepare in advance and minimize damage by any means necessary. That being said, since you can’t be sure where the enemy will move next, you still need to take a proactive position to put the enemy in a disadvantageous spot.

Your squad will eventually consist of 5 members, all of whom are strong—no benchwarmers here. They all have powerful skills and can combine their abilities with other characters for massive results. Most characters aren’t the templated roles common in tactical games—no standard "mage" or "warrior" classes—but they all have clear roles.

Jen is a disruptor who can forcefully move multiple enemies at once. Zan has powerful offensive abilities, along with decoy and "overwatch" type skills. Later on, you can unlock a tank character who can swap positions with enemies and also perform long-distance charge attacks. Even when I was close to finishing the game (it took me 13 hours to complete), I was still discovering new and clever tactics.

Most actions require you to utilize the surrounding environment. Making enemies crash into walls or other objects not only looks cool but is also a necessary tactic against well-equipped enemies. Like Tom Francis’s other games in the "Defenestration Trilogy," "Heat Signature" and "Gunpoint," this game is obsessed with throwing enemies out of windows—to the point where, if there aren’t any usable windows on the map, there’s a character who can create one on the spot.

Many mission objectives require you to interact with certain objects on the map, such as operating laptops, locking all doors to prevent reinforcements from arriving, shutting down turrets, and so on.

These secondary tasks didn’t overwhelm me, but they didn’t surprise me either. Most missions involve completing similar tasks with different setups. Some of the harder secondary objectives did test my skills, such as clearing a level in one turn or using certain abilities in specific ways. Re-challenging them with a stronger squad is part of my post-game plan, but during my first playthrough, I didn’t pay them much attention, and the game itself didn’t emphasize them either.

There are also special challenge levels that add variety to the game. These come in three forms: "Anxiety Dreams," "Dream Training," and "Proving Grounds." Anxiety Dreams are unique personal missions for each character, while the latter two are special maps based on specific mechanics or units.

Dream Training and Proving Grounds are the most challenging tactical gameplay in the entire game, but unfortunately, there aren’t many of them. While Anxiety Dreams aren’t difficult, they’re creative and usually emphasize a character’s traits and various uses. They gradually unlock throughout the game, and completing them enhances the characters’ abilities, but you can skip them and come back later without worrying about missing out on upgrades.

In fact, "Tactical Breach Wizards" allows players to skip any level. You can even select any level directly from the level selection screen, whether you’ve played it before or not. It’s a peculiar feature—I didn’t use it myself, but it’s a bold statement, telling players, "You can play at your own pace, whatever that may be."

Each level rewards experience points, which in turn become skill points that can be used to strengthen character abilities. Not all talents are equally useful, so I did a fair amount of skill resetting to find better options. After repeated trials, I discovered some powerful combos—like Zan’s holographic decoy, which usually serves only to draw enemy fire, but after investing enough skill points, I could turn it into an independent turret.

However, the growth paths are very linear, and the choices you make are really just a matter of skill point scarcity—what you choose to upgrade now versus later. You can go back to earlier levels to grind for experience and unlock all the talents. Correction: replaying levels does not yield additional experience, so you cannot unlock all talents this way. We apologize for this mistake.

Summary

"Tactical Breach Wizards" features character-centered levels, each with limited scope but plenty of intriguing elements to play with, and you don’t need to master lost magical knowledge to conquer these levels. Low difficulty doesn’t mean it’s not fun—in fact, quite the opposite, thanks to the creatively designed skill sets and dynamic cooperation between characters, the tactical gameplay is full of joy. Coupled with a vibrant and quirky world and an excellent script, this game is brimming with magical charm.

Pros

• Creative skills and ubiquitous humor

• Innovative character design

• Suitable difficulty level

Cons

• Some side missions lack interest

• Character development paths are somewhat linear

Review Score

"Tactical Breach Wizards" features character-centered levels, each with limited scope but plenty of intriguing elements to play with, and you don’t need to master lost magical knowledge to conquer these levels. Low difficulty doesn’t mean it’s not fun—in fact, quite the opposite, thanks to the creatively designed skill sets and dynamic cooperation between characters, the tactical gameplay is full of joy. Coupled with a vibrant and quirky world and an excellent script, this game is brimming with magical charm.