Menace Tactical Depth And Early Access Gaps

Menace review coverage begins with the first hours spent commanding squads in a turn-based science fiction tactics game developed by Overhype Studios. The opening missions place the player in charge of space marines operating after a catastrophic FTL accident. Systems are damaged. Crew members are dead. Command authority defaults to the player’s character, a Major now responsible for survival and operations in an unfamiliar region of space known as the Wayback. The setup delivers stakes but withholds explanation. The game moves quickly into combat without pausing to define the wider situation.

In its current form, the game is in early access on Steam, and that status shapes nearly every part of the experience. The tactical layer is fully playable and densely designed, while the narrative structure remains fragmentary. The Wayback includes several human factions and a hostile alien species, but their history and motivations are left mostly unexplained. There are references to an in-game lore system, but it is not yet accessible. Missions proceed without clear long-term objectives beyond escalation in difficulty and equipment progression.

Within the first three missions, Leana Hafer from IGN describes becoming personally invested in squad actions and outcomes. The tone reflects how the game encourages close attention to individual moves, positioning, and results.

"Fan out and move up. Good shooting! That was clean, girl."

— Leana Hafer, IGN

That reaction is tied directly to how Menace structures its turn-based combat. The game limits passive play. Overwatch-heavy approaches common to the genre are discouraged by action economy rules and ability design. Units must commit to movement and pressure. Suppression mechanics dominate firefights against human enemies. Sustained fire pins targets, reduces accuracy, and restricts action points. This allows advancing units to maneuver with lower risk. Squads under suppression respond automatically by hunkering down or dropping prone based on threat intensity.

I see the combat system pushing constant forward motion rather than cautious stalling. This pressure comes from how turns are allocated and how limited reactive abilities are. Success depends on tracking which units still have actions and which areas of the field remain uncovered. Every advance carries exposure, but the game rewards calculated aggression. The result is a steady tactical rhythm that rarely slows.

Each squad is led by a named commander with voice acting, a defined background, and a unique mechanical role. These leaders can be recruited, customized, and promoted. Jacques, a private security contractor, regains action points while under fire, encouraging frontline deployment. Marta begins missions with a debuff that flips into a powerful advantage over time, making her effective during extended engagements. These mechanics are tightly integrated into mission pacing and squad composition decisions.

Supporting these leaders are up to eight generic squad members. They have no dialogue or special abilities and can be renamed. Their expendability is intentional. Manpower is finite at the strategic level, forcing players to weigh losses against long-term capacity. Medical facilities can rehabilitate wounded units later in the campaign, which shifts risk calculations as infrastructure improves. Early caution gives way to deliberate sacrifice once recovery options expand.

Combat against alien enemies alters established tactics. The creatures resist suppression more effectively and often rely on melee attacks. Some have armor that renders standard rifles ineffective. They do not use cover, removing familiar positioning logic. Engagements demand loadout changes and revised movement plans. Holding ground and trading fire does not always work. The variety of enemy behavior requires constant adjustment rather than repeating a single approach.

Squad customization relies on a barter-based economy. There is no standard currency. Equipment is earned through missions or traded on the black market using items like scrap explosives or alien remains. Each mission enforces a supply budget that limits how much gear can be deployed. This system prevents over-equipping squads even after rare items are acquired.

Progression through veteran upgrades offers incremental but meaningful advantages. Promotions unlock perks that improve movement, evasion, or other situational benefits. These upgrades do not overwhelm the core mechanics. They enhance specialization without trivializing combat. The design reflects familiarity with genre pitfalls, avoiding runaway power curves that undermine challenge.

The strategic layer exists but feels provisional. Players can spend components on ship upgrades such as medical bays and recruitment offices. Orbital support abilities provide limited-use advantages during missions. Loyalty tracks with three Wayback factions unlock faction-specific buildings and perks, including improved loot chances or mid-mission supply calls. These systems function but lack depth. They feel like foundations rather than finished structures.

Planet variety is limited at this stage. Only three locations are available, and visual repetition becomes noticeable over time. Additional planets are planned but not yet implemented. Technical issues appear infrequently, though one reported bug permanently disrupts the manpower counter in a save file. Despite this, the game remains playable and stable in most areas.

I do recognize how the absence of a defined main plot affects engagement over longer sessions. After dozens of hours, missions escalate but do not converge toward a narrative endpoint. Cutscenes hint at tension between factions and the marine command structure, but they stop short of clarifying intent or direction. The result is a campaign driven by mechanics rather than story momentum.

Combat systems, squad identity, and enemy variety already place Menace among the stronger turn-based tactics experiences available in early access. The missing narrative context stands out as the primary weakness. The setting invites curiosity but withholds answers. For now, the game functions as a focused tactical sandbox with room to grow.

Menace review conclusions frame the project as a strong early access release rather than a complete experience. The core systems are present, functional, and engaging. Story, strategic depth, and environmental variety remain underdeveloped. Continued updates will determine whether those elements rise to meet the standard set by the combat design.