Strike Team Hydra

A good tactical game if XCOM is out of your price range. I did get a crash like others have mentioned to the dev but the dev is working on it and I will give him a fair chance to fix it. This wont be for everyone but it's enjoyable. The characters themselves are nice. My favorite is that Redneck Viking Ninja.

At first I was struglling little bit in game but after few missions I started to like the game more and more and in the end I must say I really enjoyed this game. What was very annoying was game crashing almost in every mission, which I fixed when I switched off "persistant corpses" in graphic setting. Than the game was stable and no crashes. I like the team combination, different abilities and that you can make great combo with your team. Also I liked the progress with gear and different options how you can combine your gear until I found best combination. I finished game on Extreme difficulty and really enjoy it.

gladius baby !!!!!!!!

Strike Team Hydra is a scifi turn-based tactical combat that is a little reminiscent of XCOM, but with its own flourishes and mechanic. With no less than 12 classes of fighters to choose from, all with different power curves and synergies, it's clear that this game, even with only 20 or so missions (edit: turns out there are 20 more hiding under a different button), offers almost endless replayability, and with 5 difficulty modes, from "casual" all the way to "extreme", this game is bit deeper than its price point suggests. Too bad the universe is a bit... derivative and bland, and with no true randomness in the missions, it's pretty much replay the same missions for better loot. As the marine strike team leader of the strike cruiser Hydra, you are taking your team into battle to save the Heavy Cruiser Talwar against the enemy that have boarded, in a series of battles both attacking and defending, plus a few special missions. You have twelve marines, one of each class, in the pre-defined party, and you can take six into battle. Or you can spend time and design your own perfect squad. It is up to you. The enemy was clearly inspired by the Tyranids in WH40K, and indeed, many of the weapons and armor like "Cadian Rifle" or "Marauder Boots" are clearly "inspired by" WH40K as well. Each marine can be equipped with a whole slew of equipment, such as helmets, belts, torso armor, leg armor, boots, paldrones, bracers, and more, in addition to their class equipment such as weapons. The twelve classes different in their skills and equipment, some specialize in melee and movement, some use heavy weapons, and so on. There are even Psi-marines and hackers in the game, able to control enemies to turn them against each other. (again, from WH40K the Psyker) And they each have advanced ability to unlock at higher levels. The game mechanic is based on "action points". Each action you can perform costs action points, from movement to shooting to enable special abilities. There's also "counter-attack", where your character, if shot at, will shoot back, if it has sufficient counterattacks remaining this turn. Enemy will counterattack as well if shot at, unless they are melee only, in which case, they will counterattack at melee range. Special abilities differ based on class. Command can rally troops (improve morale, decrease chance of panic). Infiltrator can teleport up to 7 hexes instantly, creating tremendous movement possibilities. Heavy weapon can fire stabilizers, which locks him in place, but gains accuracy and range. You get the idea. Actual movement is on a hex grid overlaid onto the 3D level. While there are stairs, they are for decoration only. The actual level is on a single level, often with tight corridors and entrances. Morale is a factor in this game. As you or your side take hits, morale will drop, and when morale drops below a threshold the unit will panic. But the same can happen to the enemy as well. There are a LOT of random temporary bonus items to grab on the battlefield for temporary boosts, such as health, accuracy, counter-attack, and so on, and they seem to be randomly spawned (though some are pre-spawed as well). So there are tactical choices to be made. Would grabbing one expose you to enemy fire, but give you boost in firepower or accuracy, be worth the trade? Missions are pre-set and there are no random enemies (no skirmish with random enemies), as enemies spawn at the same locations. On some missions you get friendly turrets or friendly marines. Some missions have enemy re-spawn every X turns from entrance points. and you need to kill those on the map quickly to finish the mission. There are 20 in the main "campaign", with 20 more hidden under another button. While the missions are limited and does not really vary much, you are allowed to replay them at harder difficulty levels, for much better loot. And indeed, any money you make from the mission are probably plowed right back to the store to buy better gear. On casual there won't be much loot, but on higher difficulty levels there will be more lucrative loot, which you will need for later fights, as you level up your marines. Some items are ONLY available as loot drops and not available in stores. There are some tactics to consider. On Casual, you will probably not lose any team members, as long as you don't completely goof off. But on the higher difficulty level (hard, or extreme), expect to retry a mission many times. while you figure out how to combine the different powers to maximize the damage output. The line of sight rules are followed, and the bodies stay around, plus bodies left from previous fights and damage on the walls and floors, sure adds to the ambiance. The view is rotatable 360, but due to lack of range markers (how far your weapon reaches) the game's UI left a little to be desired. The graphics are nothing to write home about, but it looks okay, if a bit derivative, and a bit too "busy". The equipment also does not visibly change the marines, just their stats. The different pieces of gear with different stats look almost like cartoon drawings, and doesn't fit the scifi theme, as if they got them off an asset library. The tutorial is pretty horrible. There's no real explanations given, The game also seems to be designed for lower res screen as cranking it to highest res made some portions of the game render with tiny fonts. The "shop" UI is pretty horrible as well. There's no "sell" function. You can only 'trade" (take one item from vendor, drop item to sell at spot it vacated, click "buy" to conclude transaction and you get credited with the difference). There's also a explanation screen that starts the shop UI and cannot be turned off. Typical play loop: take your squad, spend the credits you gained from previous mission at the shop, trade in equipment for better ones by comparing stats and pay the difference. Once money spent and squad outfitted, go to missions, and play the mission you want with the difficulty setting you want. Go through the mission (generally, kill every hostile). Once done, take the bounty/reward from the mission, assign looted "wargear" to any of the marines who can use it, then go back to the shop to spend the credits, and the cycle repeats. .Each mission only lasts a a few turns, or a few minutes if you make your moves pretty quickly. Higher difficulty level generally just makes the enemies tougher (instead of dying with one shot, they will take 2-3. I personally feel the "heavy weapons" don't feel heavy enough, and that includes both missile launcher AND flamer. Besides, how exactly does a flamer "miss"? All in all, for the low price, it does offer a bit of challenge, and its sequel is already available. Worth a try, but only if you're paying bargain bin prices. As the grind itself is rather boring.

Played this on Android tablet many years ago and enjoyed, got it in a deal with Gladius for PC and still a very good playable tactical sci-fi TBS. Developer needs to fix some issues with shop as noted in forum.

rly a handy game, sound not good, no hit sounds, no good action animations, so no immersion animations rly bad after playing xcom and so on

Strike Team Hydra is a turn-based tactical role-playing game developed and published by Wave Light Games Inc. that places a strong emphasis on squad-level decision making, careful positioning, and attrition-based combat. Set aboard the beleaguered starship SS TALWAR, the game drops players into a dire science-fiction scenario where an elite human strike force must reclaim the vessel from the Sethari, a ruthless alien species engineered purely for war. From the very beginning, the game establishes a tone of desperation and tactical restraint, making it clear that reckless advances and careless positioning will be swiftly punished. The heart of Strike Team Hydra lies in its methodical, grid-based combat system. Each encounter unfolds in turn-based fashion, with every soldier operating under a strict action-point economy that governs movement, firing, reloading, and special abilities. This structure forces players to think several turns ahead, balancing aggression with survival while constantly adapting to enemy behavior. Cover plays a critical role, and battles often revolve around suppressing alien forces, flanking entrenched enemies, and retreating to safer positions when morale or health begins to falter. Unlike more forgiving tactical games, mistakes here can snowball quickly, reinforcing a sense of tension and consequence throughout each mission. Squad composition and progression add another meaningful layer to the experience. Players command a roster of distinct classes, each offering specialized roles such as frontline defense, long-range elimination, or area control through explosives and suppression. As soldiers gain experience, they unlock new abilities that expand tactical options and reward players for keeping units alive across multiple missions. The inclusion of a morale system further deepens combat, as sustained enemy pressure or the loss of squadmates can cause units to perform less reliably, subtly shifting battlefield dynamics and forcing difficult decisions about when to push forward or withdraw. Mission design is tightly focused and deliberately constrained, taking place within the narrow corridors and compartmentalized rooms of the starship. Objectives range from eliminating hostile forces to surviving overwhelming enemy waves or securing critical locations. While these environments reinforce the claustrophobic atmosphere and highlight close-quarters tactics, they can also feel repetitive over time, as many encounters reuse similar layouts and structural motifs. Boss encounters and tougher enemy variants help maintain challenge, but the campaign largely prioritizes consistent tactical puzzles over cinematic spectacle or dramatic set pieces. Narratively, Strike Team Hydra keeps its storytelling lean and functional. The plot exists primarily to justify the succession of missions, with limited character development or branching story outcomes. Instead of deep narrative arcs, the game relies on emergent storytelling born from battlefield outcomes, where narrowly surviving a mission or losing a veteran soldier becomes a memorable moment created by player decisions rather than scripted dialogue. This approach will resonate with players who value gameplay-driven stories, though those seeking rich narrative depth may find the overall presentation somewhat restrained. Visually, the game adopts a clean isometric perspective that emphasizes clarity and readability during combat. Character models, enemies, and environments are serviceable and functional, conveying a gritty sci-fi aesthetic without excessive detail. Combat effects such as weapon fire, shields, and explosions add necessary feedback, though they rarely elevate the presentation beyond utilitarian standards. The soundtrack and sound effects complement the atmosphere with electronic tones and impactful weapon audio, reinforcing tension without drawing attention away from tactical planning. One of the more divisive aspects of Strike Team Hydra is its interface and overall polish, particularly on PC. The game’s mobile origins are still evident in its control scheme and menu design, which can feel cumbersome when using a mouse and keyboard. Selecting actions, navigating menus, and interpreting tooltips occasionally requires more effort than expected, and the lack of modern quality-of-life features can make the experience feel dated. Stability issues and inconsistent saving behavior have also been reported, which can be especially frustrating in a genre where missions demand careful, time-intensive play. Taken as a whole, Strike Team Hydra is an ambitious but uneven tactical RPG that shines brightest when its core systems are allowed to breathe. Its combat mechanics, class variety, and morale-driven encounters provide genuinely rewarding strategic depth for players willing to invest time and patience. However, technical roughness, interface limitations, and repetitive environments prevent it from reaching the level of refinement seen in genre leaders. For fans of challenging, old-school tactical combat who value careful planning and consequence over presentation, the game offers a demanding and thoughtful experience. For others, its rough edges may overshadow its strengths, making it a niche but noteworthy entry in the turn-based strategy landscape. Rating: 6/10

Fun game. Screen gets a little crowded, and its hard to tell the models apart somtimes, but good for what it is.

Графика не особо, карта не вращается, в общем лучше Enemy Uknown перепройти

Very good.