Jagged Alliance 3

A great, no fantastic sequel of the Jagged Alliance series. If you come from JA2, even the community patched version that was updated for 20 years, then you will see that this game stays loyal in all areas and improves where needed. The game uses the known xcom tactics cover and attacks but with action points to determine if you can do something. It does keep possibility of shots hitting a bit vague to keep it a bit hard and requires time to get a good guess on it. But unlike xcom and other similar tactical games where you go gun-ho into fights and clear every spot. This game requires tactics with ammunition limits in mind, thus stealth or retreating and coming back later to clear the rest later on are all valid approaches, and recommended~! There are a lot of weapons, for every type a few, maybe a bit less than JA2 and especially the community addition, but you have to take into account that a lot in those two were more clutter and had few OP weapons that you just quickly rushed for. Melee is a bit lacking and requires properly gear and perk building before viable, but fun once to get off. Points that need be know: - JA3 changed inventory to strength only based, in JA2 it was based bags and strength. - There is no website for infinite ammunition or quickly get the best stuff there is, this means you have to do with scavenging and weapon and ammunition management. This might be frustrating when you just waste shots and go gun-ho. So don't. - Loot drop low, while it might bad, once a bit further and proper weapon/ammunition rotation and conservation you have a lot later on. Would be boring if they all dropped everything. - Overwatch is powerful but quickly wastes ammunition - Right click to aim, body is easiest to target like in real life - Not only rifles are good, all have their place, just experiment and each fall into their place - Shotgun are short range but really good - Pistols are great to get multiple hits in

The game has many weirdnesses (fewer now than on release), many of the characters are caricatures (though many of them still grow on you), the campaign pacing is not so terrific, the AI is dire especially towards the end... But it just keeps me playing. And replaying. And replaying. Higher difficulty level, solo challenge, iron man run... and then back to the easier challenge but with the "crappy" mercs with no teaching, or no explosives skill... or focus on grit and heavy weapons instead of stealth, do things out of order, play with the campaign triggers... There's something about it that keeps me up until the wee hours of the morning, for the first time since Civ 4? 5? I can't quite remember when that series lost its hold on me.

Great strategy game. Reminds me of the original SWAT PC game back in the 90s. Characters are fun.

Choosing which mercs you hire for your squad feels satisfying and since the enemy force will actively try to retake locations you capture makes the world feel more alive.

Grew up playing Jagged Alliance 2 and spent my college years depressed about the majority of people abusing the license. This is the closest thing to JA2 with the team and overworld management from the original game as well as the destructive environments and environmental mobility of those games as well. It's not perfect but its so damn close.