I played this game nearly twenty years ago on the recommendation of a friend, and I was HOOKED. From the array of guns, the long campaign, the reloading and saving of games to maximize your tactics, the thinking and planning needed to attack certain areas and the absolute masterpiece dialogues with the characters, Jagged Alliance IS THE GOLD STANDARD for turn-based RPGs and has earned its rightful place in the hall of fame. You're tasked with retaking a country that has been taken over by an evil queen. With a one time payment from an exiled leader, you're in charge of hiring mercenaries based on an array of skill sets that you alone need to determine are useful for your mission. Each character has its dialogue choices and the game is even coded to provide different interactions based on mercs. Some mercs will refuse to be hired if you have others already in your retinue. The game has a map with a variety of cities and other locations waiting to be discovered. You're required to take over mines in order to fund your mercenary operations. The game's campaign will have you plan and think your approach to certain cities. Tactics are essential along with the careful placing of mercenaries to be granted that sweet, sweet interrupt. The game can be maddeningly frustrated if you rush head first into battle without taking advantage of the terrain. You can also be rewarded with careful planning with a thoughtful selection of mercs who have a wide range of skills. As well, there are a variety of community created mods that you can install with a Vanilla JA2 copy that bring new weapons, characters and campaigns. The newer JA games unfortunately went in a different direction, being picked up and abandoned by different developers. Irrespective of whatever novelties these games brought, none of them have the JA2 spirit which makes this game just a pleasure to play, even 20 years later. Ian Currie and his team create a timeless, highly playable gem. Love live JA2!
