Jagged Alliance 3

Where to start? Hugely anticipated and in the end, I'm left disappointed. The graphics engine isn't bad, but it isn't optimized at all. On my 2080 I can't get more than 50 fps maxed out at a higher res than 1920x1080. My GPU runs hot and will spin up from time to time. The merc movement is crisp on the screen and I really enjoyed the moves they make, from ducking out from cover to rolls to cover. The engine itself is pretty much Tropico-grade quality with a smiliar GUI The audio is mono and is awful. A constant crackling sound is present. At first I thought it was part of the ambient noise but later, especially on Steam, multiple users report the same thing. Plus the audio is obviously mono and of low quality. The lack of ammo at first is a nice challenge but later on in the game it hampers things and brings in a tedium that just isn't palatable. You're able to craft ammo later on certain locations but this is entirely dependent on having the requisite materials. There is a noticeable lack of NPC elements in JA2 - the ordering system, with your economy of mines plus the cost of purchasing guns - that is LACKING. This for me is one of the biggest drawbacks of the game. The timeline in this game runs TOO DAMN FAST. It runs so fast that by the time you're doing repairing anything someone's contract is up. There is a major discrepancy with the distribution of time. Repairing is basically nerfed with this. As well, there is such an obvious discrepancy with the repair function. With a merc who has an 85 merc skill, it takes them 6 AND A HALF HOURS to repair an AK at 98% usage. WTF is this? It should take an hour max. And then at times you're told your mercs need to rest. FOR A FULL 12 HOURS. There goes another contract coming up. Basically it's a run and gun operation, forget healing, resting and repairing. This casts a shadon on the entire game, never mind the quests. Not the same as JA2.

This game is outstanding in strategy department, theres also lot of rpg elements which i embrace <3

I was a big fan of 1999's Jagged Alliance 2 and was really looking forward to part 3. I had to wait almost 25 years, but it was worth it. JA3 recreates the old feel, but without feeling outdated. The mercenaries are the highlights of the game - they have very distinct personalities and interact with each other. I wish there were more of them, though :) The tactical combat is also really good, although I'd say XCom2 does it a bit better, but also has a different focus. It certainly is better than what JA2 offered. Weakest part for me was the strategic map. The movement of the enemies on the campaign map jsut doesn't make much sense. But maybe that isn't so critical. It's dynamic enough most of the time so that it doesn't get too boring between fights. All in all, maybe not a perfect game by itself, but for me it scretched an itch which I had for a long time and I really love this game. :)

Jagged Alliance 3 is an incredible homage to its two predecessors. In terms of RPG elements, combat system, inventory management, and other mechanics – everything is exceptionally polished. I used to consider Jagged Alliance 1 and 2 the pinnacle of turn-based strategies, but JA3 can confidently sit on the throne alongside them. The creators of JA3 knew exactly what they were doing, clearly being die-hard fans themselves. It’s fantastic to return to the Jagged Alliance universe, see all the familiar faces, and assemble a team of favorite mercenaries. For a guy who grew up in the '90s, JA3 is an absolute blast, full of fun. There’s an easter egg or pop culture reference around every corner. The game offers excellent replayability, and the various character interactions alone make it worth playing through more than once. Stats at the time of review: Playtime: 135 hours Achievements: 100% Completed: 3x

I'm now hooked on Jagged Alliance. This is one of those games that has the veterans up in arms both singing its praises and condemning it depending on historical context I simply don't have, and I'll leave that to them. What I got was a complex, interesting, challenging, and most importantly funny- tactical squad based strategy game. I loved it. It shows a lack of polish in a few places, but the bad is instantly washed away by all the good the game provides. I also applaud that the game's chief challenge on the 'standard' difficulty setting is the economical aspect of running a mercenary organisation. Taking fights I didn't want to simply to survive another month of paying mercenary rent was a fantastic. It reminds me of Battle Brothers in all the best ways. Complains are that while the length drags on it feels like it's a really long road to not get anywhere particularly exciting. There's a twist at the midway point which is very interesting and helped breathe some life into the story but your mission parameters from the intro are pretty much the totality of your mission in the fictional Grand Chien. It's fine, but I would have liked a little more substance to it. You end up playing Othello with the hostile forces almost from the get-go, trying to flip important landmarks to your favour and immediately losing them when you take a step outside. There's also a little bit of a problem in acquiring armaments and ammunition, there's no automated system for doing this so you can exploit a few local resources in a tedious time-consuming manner, or you can make due with what you have. And I'd really like some kind of way to purchase specific weapons and tools, especially ammo is inexplicably scarce when the enemy has full auto on at all times. I was unsurprised to learn that this kind of store-system was in earlier versions of the game so I can only hope it is either added in a future expansion pack, or as a mod. On the whole I had a great time in my 50 hours.