Games that narrate military actions related to global safety are numerous. But if you replace their automatic weapons and tactical gear with flying brooms and pointed hats, you enter the realm of "this is not something you see every day."

"Tactical Breach Wizards" imaginative setting is complemented by a lively, humorous script. Although the frequency with 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 brisk, fun pace, making my time disappear under a magician's handkerchief in the blink of an eye.

Overall, "Tactical Breach Wizards" (Tactical Breach Wizards) is a fitting name. The team you control is a group of mercenary wizards from all walks of life who will breach doors time and again when fighting enemies. Although this job is well-suited for Zan, a former special agent turned wizard mercenary, there is no good explanation as to why his good friend Jen—a regular private detective—would be adept at using magical explosives to breach doors.

However, after playing a few levels, I no longer found this setting jarring. This world feels like a fusion of the real world and magical concepts, such as a powerful wizard whose daily job might be a traffic cop. But all these settings are treated as natural facts, so playing along makes them feel quite reasonable. A powerful Druid mafia? One that includes a guy who turns into a dog like in a Snoop Dogg music video? All normal stuff, right?

The game's plot is interesting enough, narrating Zan and Jen's global pursuit of a dangerous agent with supersonic abilities, but the main story itself isn't that compelling, especially as it becomes increasingly complex in the latter half.

However, the dialogue throughout the game is well-written, both fun and carefree, reminding me of TV shows like "Buffy the Vampire Slayer" and "Firefly." Characters can be funny, vulnerable, and sincere all in the same conversation without diminishing any of these aspects. Without voice acting, this game has a lot to read, but the dialogue is so vivid and interesting that it never feels tedious.

Most of the story unfolds in cutscenes between missions. "Tactical Breach Wizards" turn-based combat is more like "XCOM: Chimera Squad" rather than "XCOM 2," with each character having specific skill sets and battling on smaller maps with many environmental factors to consider. Each encounter begins with a "breach" (quite fitting), where you deploy the squad at one or more potential entrances and plan the first move.

A good start can make the entire level smoother, but there's no need to worry about losing everything if one move goes wrong. Thanks to the "undo" feature, I can almost always recover. 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 said, since you can't be sure where the enemy will move next, you still need to proactively take advantageous positions and put the enemy on the defensive.

Your squad will eventually consist of five members, all of whom are strong, with no benchwarmers by nature. They all have powerful skills and can combine cleverly with other characters to achieve great results. Most characters aren't the usual templates found in tactical games, with no standard "wizard" or "warrior" classes, but they all have clear roles.

Jen is a disruptor who can forcefully reposition multiple enemies at once. Zan has strong damage output, with skills like clones and "overwatch." Later, you can unlock a tank character who can swap positions with enemies and use long-distance dash attacks. Even near the end of the game (I finished in 13 hours), I was still discovering new clever tactics.

Most actions require utilizing the surrounding environment. Making enemies crash into walls or other objects not only looks satisfying but is also a necessary tactic against well-equipped enemies. Like Tom Francis' other two games in the "Defenestration Trilogy," "Heat Signature" and "Gunpoint," this game is also obsessed with throwing enemies out of windows, so much so that if there isn't a usable window on the map, one character can even create one on the spot.

Many level objectives require not only defeating all enemies but also interacting with certain objects on the map, such as operating laptops, locking all doors to prevent reinforcements from arriving, or shutting down turrets.

These secondary tasks didn't make me frantic, nor did they particularly impress me. Most levels involve completing similar tasks with different configurations. Some harder secondary objectives did test my skills, like clearing a level in one turn or using certain skills in specific ways. Revisiting these challenges with a stronger squad after the main campaign is one of my post-game plans, but during my first playthrough, I didn't pay much attention to them, and the game itself didn't overly emphasize them.

There are also some special challenge levels to enrich the gameplay, divided into three types: "Anxiety Dreams," "Dream Training," and "Proving Grounds." Anxiety Dreams are personal missions specific to each character, while the latter two revolve around specific mechanics or units in special maps.

Dream Training and Proving Grounds offer the most challenging tactical gameplay in the entire game, but unfortunately, their number is quite limited. Although Anxiety Dreams are not difficult, they are very creative, usually highlighting a particular character's traits and various uses. They gradually unlock during the campaign, and completing them can strengthen the character's skills, but you can also skip them and return later without worrying about missing out on upgrades.

In fact, "Tactical Breach Wizards" allows players to skip any level. You can even choose any level from the level selection screen, regardless of whether you've played it before. This is a peculiar feature that I didn't personally use, but it is a bold statement, telling players, "You can play at your own pace, whatever that pace may be."

Each level rewards experience points, which become skill points that can be used to enhance character skills. Not all talents are equally useful, so I reset my points several times to find better options. After repeated attempts, I discovered some powerful combinations, like Zan's hologram clone, which usually only serves to distract 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 primarily due to the scarcity of skill points, so it's just a matter of choosing sooner or later. You can easily replay earlier levels to farm experience points and unlock all talents. Correction: Replay levels do not grant additional experience points, so you cannot unlock all talents this way. We apologize for this mistake.

Summary
"Tactical Breach Wizards" levels are character-centric, with limited area in each level, but each level has many little gadgets to fiddle with, and you don't need to master lost magical knowledge to succeed in these levels. Low difficulty doesn't mean it's not fun—in fact, quite the opposite, thanks to the creative character skill sets and the dynamic, varied synergies between characters, its tactical gameplay is full of fun. Combined with a vivid and quirky worldview and an excellent script, this game is filled with magical charm.

This article is translated from related content on IGN US, authored by Jarrett Green, translated by Tony, unauthorized reproduction is prohibited.

Pros
Creative skills and omnipresent humor
Innovative character design
Appropriate game difficulty

Cons
Some side missions lack fun
Character growth paths are relatively linear

Review Score
"Tactical Breach Wizards" levels are character-centric, with limited area in each level, but each level has many little gadgets to fiddle with, and you don't need to master lost magical knowledge to succeed in these levels. Low difficulty doesn't mean it's not fun—in fact, quite the opposite, thanks to the creative character skill sets and the dynamic, varied synergies between characters, its tactical gameplay is full of fun. Combined with a vivid and quirky worldview and an excellent script, this game is filled with magical charm.