The human race is at war. In a distant and dystopian future, you find yourself at odds with a mysterious alien race—and with a confusing time loop that seems to have entangled only your small band of soldiers. Every Day We Fight is a lot to take in, and that's before you dive into its engrossing tactics and mechanics. 

Recently released in Early Access, Every Day We Fight combines tactical XCOM-style gameplay, a fascinating sci-fi narrative, roguelike mechanics, and plenty more, all through a mix of 3D environments and stylish comic book cutscenes.

Looking for a little help to take on the Rifters and prevent them from taking our Elixian? Our Every Day We Fight guide will help you survive long enough to find your footing in the war for humanity's future.
 

Utilize first-person whenever possible

Unlike many other tactical games that leave the shooting up to positioning and statistics, Every Day We Fight lets you aim down the barrel of your gun for each and every shot during combat. This will help you land as many headshots as possible, dealing that extra bit of damage when it matters most.

The first-person viewpoint isn't limited to combat either. Using it while exploring each level can help you identify new angles to approach enemies from, as well as suitable options for cover before battle pops off.

First-person is also imperative for finding hidden areas that contain loot and supplies. Be sure to scan levels—most of which are presented from the same locked camera angle—to find cracked walls, red barrels, and other suspicious looking terrain that can either be traversed or destroyed. 

 

Multipurpose grenades 

Just like duct tape during a D.I.Y. project, Every Day We Fight's grenades come in handy in all sorts of situations. That said, these explosives are rare and require a good amount of resources to craft, so make sure you use them wisely when they do come into your possession. 

Grenades pack a serious punch during combat. They can reduce most low- to medium-powered enemies' health bars to nothing in an instant. Once you pull that pin and throw, enemies will have a few seconds to flee their immediate surroundings and find cover. That's why it's important to wait to use grenades until enemies are confined to a tight space or near a chokepoint like a doorway. This will make sure there is nowhere for them to run when things go boom. 

These mini-explosives are also useful during exploration. Cracked walls that don't have red barrels near them can be destroyed with grenades. Keep an eye out for those spots as they might hold something valuable. 

 

Hold on to Action Points

Action Points are used to move, attack, set up Overwatch, and carry out other actions during combat in Every Day We Fight. Each character has a limited amount of Action Points they can use per turn, and some can be carried over into the next turn. 

Holding on to Action Points can make for the ideal defensive stand, letting the enemy run into a trap that will leave them riddled with bullet holes. 

The name of the game is situational awareness, though. Later levels will throw waves of enemies that are heavily shielded, so it's important to manage your economy of Action Points well. Using them to consolidate attacks against stronger Rifters early in a fight can pay dividends later on. 

 

Keep your Reflexes sharp

Every Day We Fight features a Reflex system that lets both you and the enemy briefly and quickly react to attacks. You'll be able to run away to nearby cover and get away from enemy shots as they fling by your team member's head. 

Reflexes are limited, though. You can only move a small amount and enemy gunfire will head your way in slow motion as you move. Using Reflexes isn't a guaranteed way to avoid taking damage, but it can help. 

Enemies can make use of Reflexes in the same ways, so be sure to steady your machine gun fire when you start shooting as some Rifters will book it as bullets start flying in their direction. It makes landing repeated headshots more difficult, but not impossible. 

 

Overwatch is your best friend

Overwatch, a staple of any tactics game, is back with a vengeance in Every Day We Fight. Instead of using your Action Points to move a significant distance or fire off some shots, you can set up your soldiers to fire as soon as the enemy comes into their line of sight. There are a few crucial differences with this take on Overwatch, though. 

Firstly, Overwatch in Every Day We Fight is not automatic. Once triggered, you'll have the option to take control of your character in first-person. You'll still need to line up each shot as the enemy moves in front of you.

Setting up Overwatch also means you'll be unable to use your Reflexes to respond to enemy moves on that turn. You'll lock your character into place, so make sure they aren't in a position where Rifters will tear them apart once the Overwatch bullets are fired. 

 

Try and try again

It's Groundhog Day, Edge of Tomorrow, and Deja Vu all over again. Every Day We Fight revolves around a time loop, so you'll often repeat fights for story reasons—and whenever your squad gets their butts kicked by Rifters.

Be sure to monitor enemy positions and strategies when you start any given mission so that you can adjust if your team happens to go down at some point throughout the fight. It'll pay off later when you find yourself in the exact same position.

Every Day We Fight is a wonderful mix of genres that provides quite the steep challenge. Even the developers have acknowledged that some of their game's fights are incredibly difficult, and are actively making changes to in-game balance. Don't be worried if you have some trouble during your first playthrough. 

Every Day We Fight is available on the Epic Games Store in Early Access, and developer Signal Space Lab is putting out regular updates.