Status One Review – Missions and Mercenaries
Status One by LastCall Studio
Status One is a top-down tactical shooter that tasks you with creating and commanding a squad dedicated to eliminating hostile forces growing within a fictional country.
With several criminal organizations gaining power and a rival state poised to take advantage of any weakness, this team must gather resources and choose missions wisely to counter these threats before they can endanger the nation itself.
We’re Putting a Team Together
Status One first tasks you with the creation of a character and squad; an array of portraits are provided to choose from, and it’s fairly simple to get set up and running. I would have liked a few more customization choices; uniforms can be bought later from a selection of camouflage or color options, but it might have been nice to have these selections offered upfront.
Still, plenty of choices unfold as the team grows.
Missions are provided via a map with each task given a difficulty rating from one to five. Each mission is assigned to one of the four major antagonist factions, and a countdown shows how long the mission will be valid before it expires and that faction gains influence.
This creates a kind of whack-a-mole situation, as missions are prioritized based on the current influence of the organization in question. This is leveraged against the challenge level of the mission and the resources currently available to the team.
Management, Mercenaries, and Merchandise
Team management is enjoyable if fairly simple. A shop provides a rotating stock of weapons, armor, and gear, while another store offers a selection of mercenaries that can be hired to join the squad.
Early on I discovered the riot shield and found it to be perhaps a little too useful during smaller missions, giving my troops something of a grace period while under fire (although it does limit them to pistols). Larger missions do demand weapons with superior range, however, and rifles become something of an essential for eliminating targets.
Some useful gadgets can also be purchased, like under-door cameras and flashbangs; there’s plenty to spend currency on between jobs. I did find the repair system a little irksome; a “repair all” button is sorely needed.
The missions themselves come in a good variety, from small-scale armed theft responses to breaching high-rise offices populated by large numbers of hostiles. Some missions feature explosives and other time-sensitive threats, while most of them involve hostages that must be secured whilst dealing with the enemy.
The squad can be managed through a tactical menu that allows for point-and-click instructions, while moment-to-moment action is handled through directional controls. I would have liked the ability to jump into direct control of any squad member to enjoy the array of gear they carry, but generally, this is all handled well with detailed commands available to ensure the team is covering every angle.
The Verdict
Status One provides a stern challenge during its tougher missions and a solid campaign, broken up by impressive story missions and short narrative text blocks to frame events. The aesthetic is fairly minimal but nicely handled, with level design in particular standing out.
Any fan of tactical combat games with team management features will find a rich and often quite difficult offering in Status One.
Status One is available via Steam.
