Indie developer Point Blank Games announced today that Shock Tactics, the turn-based tactical combat game that blends XCOM-style battles with exploration elements and "intricate squad management," will be out on April 11.
Shock Tactics puts players at the head of a team of Free Space Pioneers—essentially a gang of mercenaries sent to explore and scavenge a recently-discovered alien world. But they're not the only ones of the scene: The Imperial Consortium, pirates, and even aliens are all after the same lucrative treasures, and not afraid to get their light-fingered hands dirty.
The XCOM heritage is obvious in the gameplay trailer, but it sounds like Point Blank is aiming to set itself apart by using time-sensitive objectives to increase the need to balance risk and reward: "A thrilling race against time unfolds, as players have to quickly secure excavations on the procedurally-generated world map and ensure their technology edge in the war over Hephaest," it said.
Shock Tactics is on Steam but not yet available for pre-purchase, but will sell for €20 when it goes live. (US/UK pricing hasn't been listed.) For gamers who like boxes, a physical edition is also on the way. You can find out more about what's in store at shock-tactics-game.com.
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