Genre: StrategyDeveloper: Madlab SoftwareYear: 1994
Rating: 0.00 / 10.00
(based on 0 votes)
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Probably my favorite turn-based tactical strategy-game of all times, Jagged alliance offers great graphics, sound and challenge, along with a lot of originality.
The main idea is the following: on an isolated tropical island, a group of scientists is working to extract some valuable sap from the trees that only grow there, when one of them decides to take control of the entire island and its profits by force. The leader of the research team, in desperation, calls upon your services to wipe the new group out, thus resuming the original work they had been doing. In order to accomplish that, you'll hire a group of mercenaries from a special agency and do the dirty work your way.
Jagged alliance has a number of great features and almost no flaw at all. Tactical combat here is one of the best I've ever seen in any game. Pretty much like UFO: enemy unknown, but it just works better. The thrill of hunting your enemies through the tropical jungles and rivers of the island just keeps you playing and playing. As each day of work finishes you get more tense at every new sector you take over. All caution is not enough, because the game features a decent amount of realism: every wound your mercs take slow them and, if not treated promptly, can lead them to a premature death on the field.
The deal with the mercenaries is probably the strongest point in the game. You are given a broad list of men and women with different skills to choose from, and you must know how to mix those skills as well as their personalities! Some have a bad attitude, some don't learn anything easily, and your funds are *very* limited. Keeping a decent team can be very tricky. Also, the unique personalities and backgrounds of each of the mercenaries add greatly to the gaming experience. You can actually grow fond or weary of the mercenaries, and I don't recall anything like this in any other strategy game.
Another great feature is the perfect measure of challenge provided by Jagged alliance. It demands an uncommon amount of concentration and feeling. Still, it's a fair challenge, so it only adds to the experience. Gameplay is fairly simple, once you get used to it. You might want to run a mission or two and then restart the game a few times, as your performance in the first two or three days is critical to your success.
The only flaw I can think of here is that the weapons jam so easily it sounds unrealistic. You can't use the same gun for more than two days without sending it to the mechanic. Sometimes you'll have two or more guns on the same mercenary and they'll all jam at the same time. Looks like an obsession from the game designers. :) But still, what matters is that Jagged alliance is a must-play for all fans of challenging games. It's a tense game, even with the funny comments of the mercenaries and the colorful tropical landscape. It can keep anyone glued to it for hours.
