Jagged Alliance 2

Reviewing games like Jagged Alliance 2 is both difficult and exciting at the same time, it is an honour and a challenge because this title is unique on so many levels, describing every aspect and every strong side in one short review is impossible! To start, this game hits the nostalgia spot almost like no other old game that I've played (and I've played many!) I first played JA2 as a 10 year old kid somewhere around 2000-2001 and instantly fell in love with this TBT, every little detail of the game just resonated with me (the Sir-Tec Laptop with the cool music, the way you could hire all kinds of unique mercenaries, the E-Mails you would receive from various senders, etc) and relatively quickly,I learned how to actually deploy the mercs onto the field. The combat elements in the game were just as well made as the OST and UI, and i was excited to see the HUGE variety of the guns that the game offered - I still remember the thrill of finding some kind of a new, unknown rifle or an odd item. But despite all these things, as a child, i didn't grasp the economical/strategic aspect of the game and have eventually abandoned it for a few years. Later, I would play and beat JA2 and UB on Normal Difficulty. But now when I have just replayed and finished the game on Expert Mode with Iron Man being selected, all can say is - JA2 is amazing this day still, the replayability value is insane and I recommend playing this game on Expert & Iron Man mode to see the game in all its beauty. JA2 has so many hidden sidequests, unique NPC's, different approaches to major challenges (You can outright exterminate the Crepitus with sheer firepower or use stealth, or even assemble a freaking mini-robot) and finishing the game in one take is essentially impossible - you will find yourself coming back to this game, almost like you re-read a favourite book once in a decade again. Despite 22 years (!) later, no-one was able to make anything close to JA2 - This is a legendary game like no other!

Thinking about what i could write as a review then the nostalgia hit me. I remember seeing the game box at a store for software i guess soon after the initial release. Being underage i think you could buy this game at 16 or 18 years of age in Germany. I was like 12 or 13 years old and i had to convince my mom to buy this game and the box art didn't really help me to convince her. But somehow, I got her to buy me the game. I don't even know how i convinced her. The game is great and really unmatched in athmosphere, jokes and characters that really was only possible in the 90's. Thanks mom

Jagged Alliance 2 is as good as turn-based strategy games get. Already the first JA game gave me nights of great gaming fun, as the game featured truly interesting mercenaries with own personalities, allowing the player to create a team with different specialities (explosives, marksman, doctor, etc.). JA 2 takes this successful storyline, but adds to it a much advanced gameplay. Turn-based strategy fights had never been better - even more successful RPGs like the Fallout series did not match the handling and functionalities of the JA2 battles (e.g. night missions, crouching/swimming/climbing, very intuitive shooting). Enjoy this pearl!

If you've ever seen the films "The Dogs of War" or "The Wild Geese" you already know what Jagged Alliance 2 is all about. You are a mercenary commander with a contract to free the tropical state of Arulco from the tyranny of a brutal dictator. To that end, you are given a sum of starting money, access to soldiers for hire, and an online (virtual) equipment store. The rest is up to you. The game is played on two levels. On the strategic level, you move your units on the map of Arulco, which is divided into numerous sectors, some of which contain valuable assets such as towns, airports and mines. At any time you can switch to the tactical level. Here you are confined to the sector your mercenaries are currently located in. If enemies are present, the game switches to turn-based mode, and this is where this game truly shines. Here you battle your enemies turn by turn in detailed combat. Everything influences the success of your mercenaries, from their abilities to the condition of their weapons to their stance and the time of day. But the game doesn't stop there. It als contains a deep role-playing game aspect that has your mercenaries gain experience and level up. You can train local militias to aid you in the defense of your conquered sectors. You can seize vehicles to travel around the country quicker. You can repair your equipment or built new gadgets. etc. etc. Jagged Alliance is one of the most ingenious game designs ever devised, the this second installment represents the very best the entire genre of turn-based tactis has to offer. A timeless classic that has not in 13 years been met, much less surpassed.

I started playing this game when it game out as a teenager. I only play such games on the hardest settings with no hints, and last night I finally closed it out with tears streaming from my eyes! Hah, there were breaks over the decades of course. What an adventure. It comes down to taste when your picking greatest turn/squad based strategy games. This is mine. Though! I must say, there are some flaws. Read interviews from the developers\publishers as this game was coming out. They were closing down shop complety.. tragically. There are some epic ironies as they talk about other companies that were similarly doomed... like... Bethesda. This shows in the game. If this game was given more time and love, especially with the story and end game tactics, this would likely be the greatest game of all time. It has 1900's Russian novel vibes - it's hilarious, it's tragic', it's brutal, at times real, at times ridiculous. But! It does fizzle out.. there are no memorable end game interactions, and your characters accuracy seems to get a bit odd in the final stages. All and all, what can I say. This game is legendary, though I do wish the publishers understood they had a pot of gold in their hands. If they had stuck with it, the gaming world would be quite different today.