Background information
"Rimworld" was yesterday? This is how "Ascent of Ashes" fares
by Kim Muntinga
Overhype's new tactical title: where "Menace" convinces - and where it doesn't
12/2/2026
Translation: machine translated
"Menace" presents itself as a complex tactical game that focusses on system depth, but offers little orientation at the start. The impression is solid, but emotionally distant.
I still remember the exact moment when I closed the game for the first time. Not because I needed a break, but because I simply didn't know what it wanted from me. No explanation, no gentle introduction, no sense of direction. Instead, a map full of systems I didn't understand and dead marines whose deaths I couldn't comprehend. I sat back and briefly wondered if I even wanted to continue playing the game.
I did. The frustration eventually disappeared, but it didn't give way to enthusiasm. Instead of a pull or the feeling of not being able to stop, a strange indifference remained.
Maybe it was my expectations. I had secretly hoped for a new «XCOM». What I got was a thoroughly complex, turn-based tactical game that doesn't deny its role models, but presents itself as strangely emotionless. Without a tangible story, without inviting explanations, without that feeling that someone here wants me to let myself fall into this world. Everything seems functional, cool, almost repellent.
Who is behind «Menace»?
«Menace» is not a random project that came out of nowhere. The game is being developed by Overhype Studios, the Hamburg-based studio that made a name for itself with «Battle Brothers». A game that is also known for its toughness, its learning curve and its willingness to throw players in at the deep end.
Those familiar with Overhype's signature style will recognise a lot in «Menace»: the sober presentation, the emphasis on system depth rather than staging, the trust that understanding and motivation arise from the game itself.
«Menace» is currently in Early Access, with many systems and content still under construction. This at least partly explains the brittle first impression in some places.
A system at the end of the world
«Menace» is set in the Wayback System, a cut-off corner of the universe, far away from any kind of order. Pirate lords control entire planets, corporations play their own power games, local governments fight for survival. Somewhere in this chaos, a threat emerges that no one can or wants to name.
I lead the «Republic Marine Corps Strike Force», docked to the TCRN Impetus, a warship that serves as my floating base of operations. What begins as a routine pacification mission is set to develop into something much bigger, according to the game.
The setting remains remarkably sober. «Menace» is not an epic space opera, but rather a functional crisis region in sci-fi guise. The world is not explained through long dialogues or tidbits of lore, but through systems: Factions I can consider or ignore, distress calls from planets, mission orders with succinct descriptions. The worldbuilding is more lateral than frontal. At most, it hints rather than executes.
Between ship and battlefield
The game loop of «Menace» consists of two interlocking levels. On the strategic level, I sit on board the Impetus: distress calls come in, I decide which operations to take on, assemble squads and buy equipment on the Black Market. This serves as a trading centre that renews itself with every phase of the operation.
I also manage my relationships with the various factions in the system at this level. Do I want to co-operate with criminal networks that give me intelligence advantages? Or do I prefer to rely on the formal government structures?
When I start an operation, the game sends me onto the battlefield. And this is where «Menace» shows its greatest strength. Each unit moves in a turn-based manner using classic action points. A tactical approach is the key to success. Those who simply run off will die. The game consistently penalises impatience and rewards tactical thinking.
One of the most exciting mechanics is suppression: units under heavy fire lose action points. This opens up tactical possibilities on both sides. I can pin down an enemy group while I'm rubbing up the flank. Or I'm stuck myself and have to improvise.
There are also vehicles, mortars and mechs. The combined-arms approach doesn't feel like a superimposed feature, but like an organic part of the battles. Infantry, heavy units and support interlock sensibly and create a credible military scenario.
What «Menace» is really good at
I want to talk about Tech at this point. Tech is one of my squad leaders: fully voiced, with his own personality, his own perk curve and his own commentary in combat. When he shoots the last enemy of a mission out of the field, he yells into the headset: «Haha, you ain't s**t!» I laughed. Out loud. This captures the spirit of «Jagged Alliance» distilled into a sci-fi setting, and it works brilliantly.
The squad leaders form the emotional backbone of the game. They give you something to lose. At the same time, Overhype should definitely start here and develop this point further: more personality, more anchoring in the setting. There is still a lot of untapped potential here.
At the start, there are eight squad leaders to choose from, four of which I can select. A total of around 16 are currently available; according to the developer, there will be around 26 in the full version.
The sound design is also remarkable. Laser weapon animations, explosions, the background noise of an ongoing battle. Everything not only sounds good, it feels right. Many studios underestimate how much sound contributes to the depth of the game. Overhype has understood this.
Then there's the RNG balance. «XCOM» veterans know the trauma: 97 per cent chance to hit. Next to it. The enemy survives. Two of your own people die. Mission lost. «Menace» takes a more elegant approach here: chance remains present, but it does not define the mission. I lost battles because I made bad decisions, not because a die betrayed me. That makes a crucial difference.
The honest flip side
So much works and yet «Menace» remains noticeably unfinished in its current state. The tutorial is - to put it mildly - almost useless. The game explains almost nothing. I discover mechanics, systems and interactions the hard way. My urgent advice: Start on Normal, the lowest difficulty level, unless you love being taken apart while you haven't even understood how half of the game mechanics and systems work.
The story and narrative context are thin in the current state. I fight in the wayback system, but the game has not yet convincingly explained to me why the fate of these planets really concerns me. The variety of enemies is also still manageable at this stage, and not every piece of equipment is visible on the model.
Maybe this functional construct will become a place you want to hold on to. In its current state, «Menace» remains for me above all a well-built tactical framework without a heartbeat.
«Menace» was provided to me by Overhype Studios for the PC. The game has been available in Early Access since 5 February.
Header image: Overhype Studios
My interests are varied, I just like to enjoy life. Always on the lookout for news about darts, gaming, films and series.
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