Common Sense Media Review
By Paul Semel
,
based on child development research. How do we rate?
This bland strategy game is completely unsatisfying.
Parents Need to Know
Why Age 10+?
Any Positive Content?
Where to Download
Videos and Photos
Metal Slug: Commander
Parent and Kid Reviews
What's It About?
In METAL SLUG: COMMANDER, years had passed since the war against the combined forces of the Rebel Army and Space Invaders ended. But a competition for resources -- specifically, Lubis ore, which is only found on the Saru Island -- has led to a new conflict. That's why you must decide which of your G.I. Joe-like soldiers and crazy-looking tanks you will send into battle, and when they'll deploy their special attacks, in this action-oriented strategy game.
Is It Any Good?
By being a rather bland strategy game, and not the arcade shooter fans were hoping for, this ends up being a big disappointment to fans of both kinds of games. In Metal Slug: Commander, you have to fight a series of armed skirmishes by deciding which of your G.I. Joe-esque soldiers and over-the-top tanks you're going to send into a battle, as well as when they'll going to deploy their character-specific special attacks. (Well, assuming you don't hit the button to let your phone or tablet decide for you.) In doing so, you not only win victories that could help you ultimately win the war and save the planet, but you also earn the rewards, resources, and in-game currency you need to hire new soldiers, buy new tanks, and upgrade the ones you've got so they're up to whatever challenge they may face.
The problem being that, as these kind of action-oriented strategy games go, this is so typical that it's actually rather boring and dull. It adds nothing new to the formula. There's also little to no challenge, especially since you earn so many rewards that you can easily upgrade every soldier and tank to be super powered. Then there's the issue that long-time fans of this series will have, which is that the Metal Slug games have typically be side-scrolling arcade-style shooters, a kind of game that works well on phones and tablets, and this ain't that. Now, if you're unfamiliar with this kind of strategy game, and the Metal Slug series, and are looking for something fun but dumb, then you might enjoy this for a little while. But if you're a strategy veteran, or long-time fan of the series, Metal Slug: Commander is, well, sluggish.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about violence in video games. Is the impact of the violence in Metal Slug: Commander affected by the lack of blood or gore, even though you use guns and special attacks to kill enemy soldiers? Does it bother you when you kill a fellow human in a game, as opposed to an alien or monster?
In Metal Slug: Commander, you earn a ton of currency, resources, and rewards just by playing, but you can also buy these things with real money, so how do you decide when to spend money on a free game, especially one as generous as this one?
App Details
- Devices : iPhone , iPad , Android
- Pricing structure : Free
- Release date : November 5, 2021
- Genre : Strategy Games
- Topics : Adventures
- Publisher : SNK Corporation
- Version : 1.0.4
- Minimum software requirements : Requires iOS 8.0 or later; Android 4.2 and up
- Last updated : September 30, 2025
Did we miss something on diversity?
Research shows a connection between kids' healthy self-esteem and positive portrayals in media. That's why we've added a new "Diverse Representations" section to our reviews that will be rolling out on an ongoing basis. You can help us help kids by
Suggest an Update
Common Sense Media's unbiased ratings are created by expert reviewers and aren't influenced by the product's creators or by any of our funders, affiliates, or partners.
See how we rate