Jagged Alliance: Back in Action PC
  • Publisher: Kalypso
  • Release Date: Feb 8, 2012
User Score
5.4 out of 10

Mixed or average reviews- based on 133 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 62 out of 133
  2. Mixed: 19 out of 133
  3. Negative: 52 out of 133

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  1. Flashman
    Feb 11, 2012
    2
    This game is infuriating and sub-standard for so many reasons. It's riddled with bugs and seemingly inexplicable phenomena. To name but a few: I've had mercs spotted through walls, enemies alerted to a mercs presence for no apparent reason (yes I understand the stealth mechanics), enemy AI is appalling (you can eliminate a building full of enemies but just running a merc around the perimeter of the building, thus alerting the enemies, and then shooting them all as they come out of the door), the game is riddled with typos (e.g. some of the mercs have a trait called 'though', which is obviously meant to be 'tough'), the voices acting is poor and annoying (who honestly wants to have their merc scream the same phrase over and over again every time you select them?), the towns are lifeless and dull (filled with aimlessly wandering NPCs who interact with nothing, they remind me of playing Ultima). There's also myriad other infuriating gameplay problems, such as when you stealth melee someone in crouch mode, you inexplicably change to run mode after the kill, which means if you move, you automatically alert everyone in the area to your presence), NPCs also have a tendency to block you into confined spaces (I've had a merc stuck in a garage for an entire mission because a child decided to sit on the floor in the only exit and refused to move). Dialogue is appalling and the sub-quests uninteresting. Combat is unfulfilling and tedious (the rag-doll bodies are about the most satisfying part) and generally consists of endlessly having to reload whilst you try and make-up for the non-sensical mechanics (e.g. tell a merc to shoot an enemy that is running towards them, and if the enemy passes out of sight for a second (e.g. to run around a tree) the order is cancelled and your merc generally ends up dying unless you continually re-tell him to shoot the target. Other problems elevate the game to the height of tedium (why, for example, when buying and selling items can you not just cycle through the various mercs, rather than having to individually move each merc to the vendor?). The game feels like an unfinished b-movie. You might overlook these things if it were £10 (but even then it'd annoy the hell out of you) but for £30 you expect a game to have proper A.I., a user-friendly interface and acceptable game mechanics. Back in Action has none of these. It is a franchise that has clearly not moved on since the last decade, which is a shame, because I really wanted to enjoy it.… Expand
  2. BattleXer
    Feb 11, 2012
    8
    In my opinion, this game is a rough diamond. As someone who has never played the original JA or JA2 games, I am still aware of the legendary reputation these games bring to the franchise. And thus the level of expectation which the community has towards this third installment.

    However, as a standalone game, not taking into account its heritage, I am immensely enjoying the experience. Game    play reminds me a bit of the Men of War series of games. But with the added depth of a 'persistent' world map, which will feature random counterattacks from the defending forces on Arulco.
    Liberated towns or mines give you daily income, which can be spent on hiring new mercs or better equipment. Enemies drop loot, which can be sold or used to keep your mercs going. Militias can be equipped with guns from your stores to defend your holdings. All this and more makes for a very complex and satisfying game, with levels of interaction and tactical options rarely seen in games these days - mainstream RTS included. And just for trying to bring this experience to a new audience 10 or more years after the originals the developers deserve a 10.

    I do however have to subtract one point from my final rating due to sometimes flaky camera controls, which can be responsible for getting your mercs killed in tight situations. And another for samey, predictable AI, which will send all their goons out in the open and after your squad once one of them is spotted, rather than making use of their well entrenched positions.

    I can see how Fog of War would have made this game an even more intense experience, and it is a shame the devs decided to not include it in the final game. And I am sure that veterans of this series will have many more bones to pick, but JA:BiA as it stands, is head and shoulders above anything in the RTS realm that is currently on offer on the PC. And with patches already coming out 1 day after release, I am sure this game can be polished to an even brighter sheen.    … Expand
  3. Skyy
    Feb 11, 2012
    5
    The biggest problem of this game is it's name. The original Jagged Alliance 2 is just such a big and popular game that it's incredibly hard to compete with, especially if you make a remake and remove most of the critical gameplay elements. While not being a bad tactics game, Jagged Alliance Back in Action is a mere shadow of JA2, with lots of problems ranging from horrible controls, awful character images, removal of almost all tactial-map features and more.… Expand
  4. Joshua_Northey
    Feb 14, 2012
    9
    I look at the extremely negative user reviews from people who "loved" JA2 and I wonder what game they are playing. Now this game (and JA2) are not for everybody, but if you like JA2, XCOM or squad based tactical games I don't see what is not to like here.

    Are there things this game is lacking that JA2 had? Absolutely. But it also has made some real improvements in many areas, and the "    plan and go" system is a great idea that works very well and will perhaps breath some new life into this genre. JA2 was a 10/10, especially considering when it was made. But just because this game has some glitches and needs a little more polish doesn't mean it deserves a "2" like people give an unfinished abortion of a game like Sword of the Stars 2. This game is substantially finished, playable and a lot of fun. And personally I play games to have fun, not to pick them apart with comparisons with a determined effort to find every way they could be better. I get the impression some people reviewing this either haven't played it, or bought it specifically to pick it apart, which is quite silly if you ask me.

    The voice acting could be better, but it is sufficient. The combat mechanics are not perfect, but they are fun and make sense. The interface could really use so work to make managing inventories better, but my understanding is that is in the next patch. I thought the music was quite good, and the graphic elements were absolutely excellent for a game like this.

    The strategy map is a real improvement over the old classic, parts of the interface are greatly improved (and other parts missing/lacking). Anyway if you liked JA2, or XCOM, or the UFO: A series, or Laser Squad Nemesis, et cetera and you would like to play a modern game with those elements than this is just the thing for you.

    I had very modest expectations and it has been the game I have had the most fun with since portal 2 was released (and I buy a game a week).    … Expand
  5. Diaord
    Feb 11, 2012
    7
    This game is an interesting experience, it provides the player with the kind of game-play that is oft ignored or unheard of in modern gaming. The game has a sense of tactics that many RTS games eschew in favour of faced based game-play. The game provides an interesting set of characters and a sometimes humorous set of Easter eggs. In addition, it seems the writers decided to bypass copyright law by mixing names, like the hallowed SAM-AF and the Klock 18. Finally, the game provides a half-decent [not completely decent] UI that ranges from intelligent in some areas and even enlightened, to completely idiotic in others. There is a lot to be said for this game. It has its flaws and it has its pros. Among the many flaws of this game are the huge amount of system-crashing bugs one will experience when playing the game, which effectively limits the employability of the game with their continual and common occurrence.… Expand
  6. Kelemvor
    Feb 13, 2012
    2
    How someone can screw up a remake of such a great game is beyond me. They had everything. The story, the maps, the weapons etc. They could have just COPIED everything with better graphics, and most fans would have bought this game outright.
    The AI is very erratic. Most of the times it just seems stuck. It ignores weapon ranges and tries to hit you with a shotgun, 120 yards away. Other time    s it moves in loops without actually doing something useful.
    There is no fog of war. You enter a map, and you can see where everyone is. No surprises, no suspense. The plan&Go is an ok mechanic but in no way as good as the round based system in the original.
    The management aspect has been botched extremely. You don't have to pay your soldiers regularly, you just "buy" them. An illogical and unnecessary streamlining. On the other hand you have to arm militia by hand like in XCOM. But the militia can be so numerous, that you have to arm 30 people by hand. Why?
    Even the story presentation is bad. How can someone make cutscenes which look WORSE and more ugly than in the 13 year old original, with its minimalistic graphics?
    Sorry, how someone can fail so badly in doing a remake with had nearly perfect mechanics is beyond me. Please don't buy this game, or we have to endure comparable **** games in the future!    … Expand
  7. tijauna
    Feb 13, 2012
    9
    it is getting more and more obvious. you can stick all these paid or "young and inexperienced" reviews up your a...

    if you know what you want you should definitely give this game a try. this is one of the truest reboots ever.

    additionally "back in action" is technically flawless and preforms very well beside from most AAA titles today.
  8. modboy84
    Feb 14, 2012
    7
    For as many reasons this game upsets me it also makes me happy. The biggest disappointment was the lack of custom character generation. This was an integral part of Jagged Alliance 2 as it affected the balance of your mercenary squad to a point where you could not only control it by having money but by having a character generated to your spec. There is a lot to speak good about though, you have the characters and the story you loved from Jagged Alliance 2 but the play style is different. It's different in a way that makes it more challenging, and makes you want to plan your infiltrations better. I liked Jagged Alliance & Jagged Alliance 2 dearly even though this isn't an exact remake it still hits an enjoyable note. Don't expect a true to life remake if you decide to try this, the turn based aspect is gone and replaced by a pause,think-and-move style. Overall the voice acting could be better, the AI could be better and they could definitely add IMP back. I would recommend giving this game a try if you haven't already.… Expand
  9. Goztec
    Feb 11, 2012
    4
    As a successor to JA2 I find this game to be a total fail not worth the name of the franchise. Game lacks of many, reaaally many features that made the game enjoyable ( check for this list on developers forum ). The game mechanics are dumbed down so hard that every single fight looks the same. Game is released with no thought about later gameplay ( imagine u have to micromanage every item by running your character to pick it up, run around again to deliver it somewhere - yup no convenient sector inventory, after capturing 4 or 5 locations ( about 20 of them in a game) and having 4 or more ( becouse the militia is hopeless and even with best kevlars/rifles they get wiped out by a smaller force of axe armed AI to capture and hold more locations you will need at least 8 ) mercs it becomes a serious issue, last time it took time 30 mins JUST to manage items in captured territory - barracks ), hell u cant even manage inventory of your mercs during they journey on world map - thats totally ignorant and bad. NO FOW - you can see every enemy on the map from the beginning, no comment on this one...
    To be honest the list goes on and on, check this out on developers forum or steam platform... For me the game is only a quick cash grab , after many hours ( got 20 hours already) Iam really fed up with this. The only cure for the game is the modding scene but the devs clearly state they won't help at any means...    … Expand
  10. Darkway
    Feb 12, 2012
    8
    I was a big fan of JA2 and played it endlessly. And I expected to dislike this game. But...I am actually really enjoying it. Sure, there are elements from JA2 that could have been included, and there are annoying issues which need to be fixed. But to be honest a lot of the criticism is exaggerated...and there is a lot that this games does BETTER than JA2 did - I think the strategy map, for example, is much better designed in this game. And, lets be realistic about this - this game shows a lot of potential, and if it sells well the developers will hopefully be supported in producing an even better addition to this genre. For now though, I am really enjoying another trip around Arulco.… Expand
  11. SimmO
    Feb 14, 2012
    9
    this game is ....... so close to being great, once they iron out the bugs will be even better, one of the best reboots ever having great fun playing this as i did JA 2, if the devs fix the bugs, and listen to the reasnable fans requests it will be even better, great game!
  12. Monte28
    Feb 11, 2012
    8
    The game really makes you think. It can be tedious work sometimes but it can also be very challenging. The gameplay is repetitive but you do not really realise this because the layout of every area is very unique with different vantage points and choke points. A great sum of weapons and equipment make the game seem like every character is unique and every enemy you have to look at to get a understanding if he is wearing body armor or not. The game deserves an 8 for a well planned game with a unique concept and gameplay that will last awhile. I have 11 hours into the game and i've been running into graphical glitches and crashes. Could be my sli setup by why 11 hours to conflict. Either way i would recommend the game. But fair warning, if you don't have patience than this is not for you. One enemy can whipe out your entire team if you rush without care.… Expand
  13. octohead
    Feb 11, 2012
    8
    This game is very original and interesting, it provides you with challenge and mostly with fun. The huge amount of characters, weapons, missions and enemies makes things even better. It gives you many ways of approach, either a silent sniper approach, or burst in with the assault rifle and shoot everything on sight. The Commander mode is the most fun, the tactical options are huge. Every mission rewards you with daily money or accesses to other missions. I haven't played the old Jagged Alliance games, but this game is fun indeed, and I recommend it to all tactical strategy games.… Expand
  14. urmumisanrpm
    Feb 12, 2012
    2
    If you liked jagged alliance, chances are you won't like this game. Whilst the developers have supposedly innovated with a plan and go system, they have clearly cut corners everywhere else and also while they are at it, robbed your grandma. The game feels like jagged alliance interpreted through creative ballet. Without fog of war the game is severely broken. It was in the early dev version supposedly but became "too hard" to play. A sheer remake on a new graphical platform and fixing and improving would have been awesome. I get the distinct feeling the developers drank all day instead of coding, scratched this together in a week and are laughing all the way to the bank knowing the nostalgic steam users will grab it and give it a run, without trusting the overwhelmingly negative reviews.… Expand
  15. berowe
    Feb 12, 2012
    9
    This is a very entertaining squad-based tactical action game. It allows for strategy, planning, and management without sacrificing action and pacing. You lead your heavily-armed squad as it carves its way through heavy resistance across the detailed 3D locations of Arulco. The main strength of this game is the Plan & Go feature. This allows you to pause the game at any time and issue detailed orders to your squad. These orders range from movement commands-- stances, facings-- to combat commands-- targeting specific enemies and specific body parts, throwing grenades. These waypoints can then be linked (synced) resulting in coordinated maneuvers and take-downs. Once the mode is exited the game un-pauses and your mercenaries carry out their orders as you watch the carnage. If something changes, simply press the space-bar, go back into the P&Go mode and adjust your tactic to the new situation. This system allows the best of both worlds: Old-school turn based aficionados (like myself) don't need to fear an RTS click-fest that our arthritic fingers can't keep up with. Young-pup BF3 lovers get the pacing, action, and exploding ragdolls that they love. Everybody wins. It's like Rainbow 6 (the original), with a birds-eye view of your troops and the ability to make on-the-fly corrections to your plan. In what other tactical sim can you actually plan a detailed breach and clear and watch the AI carry it out? The tenets of squad-based warfare actually work in this game.

    If you're looking for Jagged Alliance 2; this isn't it. If that fact automatically makes the game awful, that's fine, but I didn't buy it looking for its predecessor. The fans of 2-decade-old turn based games feel that their X-Com's and JA2's are becoming extinct. They are angry with developers who can't or won't fund their (admittedly unprofitable) type of game, and some of them have taken to trashing this game ever since the announcement that it wouldn't be turn-based, and that their precious mercenary characters would have new portraits...

    The game is not without bugs, it is coming from a small production team and lacks some polish. However, I have been able to easily overlook the bugs, inconsistencies and quirks of the game because it is far better than any of the recent X-Com knock-offs, and it is fun.    … Expand
  16. Digitalkid
    Feb 13, 2012
    8
    First of all, it's a solid tactics game. Unless you like to snipe enemies from a far, game allows it, but be ready ro ruin your gameplay and come here screamin and crying. Second, I wish they use that gameplay in their own game, instead of Arulco, which I never wanna see again)) I've started JA2 more then a doezen times when I was young, not again please. If these guys can make a game with tactics, open-world, quests, nice graphics, surely they will get much attention. But why take all that Arulco crap again? Scores low, people only see "Elliot!.." thing been removed and jump out of the window.. And turnbased mode has nothing to do with realictic tactics.))… Expand
  17. Vasot
    Feb 14, 2012
    7
    A good game but ithe gameplay is inferior compared to JA2. After Kalypso launched the latest patches for the game the A.I is improved and some bugs were fixed. Unfortunately still the game lacks a lot of the features of JA2 and the the combat becomes monotonous after a while. Anyway this is a good reboot of the series but it is not great
  18. ThanatosMk2
    Feb 15, 2012
    8
    This is one of the few games in a while that I've played where the tutorial is mandatory. It is mandatory primarily because it is the only way to learn the non-remappable control schema. That being said, once you get going, the game-play is engaging. I started playing after several bugs were already patched, and the devs are patching more every day. Judging the game on its own merits rather than it's predecessors, I can say that this is a solid game on it's own. Hopefully the modding community can get in gear to make the items we miss come back in this iteration.… Expand
  19. Aquariumterror
    Feb 16, 2012
    8
    No Way! They used to take a 13 year old game and put it into 2012 with some cool new things (Plan&Go) - but left a lot of cool features from the original (SciFi mode, Create-your-own-soldier, Crafting) - But it is a good game which takes me to Aruclo for more than 20 hours and I am still fascinated and explore everything.
  20. Kris_
    Feb 16, 2012
    0
    If you're considering on buying this, DONT. This is exactly the kind of product that just tries to abuse a known franchise by making a half-assed sequel.

    What you will find, is nothing like jagged alliance. You can't even call it "modernized" turn-based strategy. For a free game it might be ok, but it's nowhere near the quality any commercial product should been.

    Verdict: Not Fun At All.
  21. LordOsiris
    Feb 19, 2012
    0
    This game should have been a great game. However, they decided to sell "cheat codes" or extra gear as DLC. This is unacceptable for any modern game. I don't want anyone's success in a game based off of how much they paid to play a game. The game would have been great had they not based your starting situation off how much you were going to pay to play. I hope the company that made this goes bankrupt simply based on how they chose to market it.… Expand
  22. Gorkoan
    Feb 13, 2012
    2
    JA: Back in Action is an unfinished mess, with loads of bugs, such as sometimes not being able to target prone enemies, some pieces of terrain not blocking line of sight for the enemy soldiers and so on. It also contains questionable game-play decisions, such as no FOW, no tactical overlays, no difficulty setting (the game is way to easy), no way to change squad formation. If compared to the old Jagged Alliance 2, the game is also lacking in content and strategic gameplay. Gone is the need to train militia, now the militia pop up when you capture a place, unarmed though so you need to collect weapons and run around handing them to every single militia soldier in the area, and if you want to upgrade their weapons you have to do the whole thing again. This is dreadfully boring and time consuming. Gone is also the doctor/patient healing system in which you only could bandage your soldiers in tactical view, and then had to use a doctor to heal them up in strategic view. Instead you now fully heal your soldiers in 5 secs when using heal kits in tactical view, without any kind of debuff. And as your characters don´t die instantly when getting to 0 hp (the fall down, and you have a good amount of time to heal them before the die) you can often just run straight at the enemy using no tactics whatsoever. This takes away all the realism that helped make Jagged Alliance 2 so good, and makes for a really boring game.

    If you want to play a tactical squad based game, go play Jagged Alliance 2 or good old X-com (or wait for the remake from Fireaxis). Or if you do not like turn-based games, go play Fallout Tactics, which lets you chose if you want to play real time or turn-based. Do not buy Jagged Alliance: Back in Action, you will be disappointed!    … Expand
  23. JKaylor
    Feb 14, 2012
    6
    It's such a disappointment yet I can't stop playing it. The game is clearly unfinished, from the bland character models, lack of the personality and charm from the original series, and no polish. You can even hear the gore exclamations, "Wow, that was gross!" and the enemy models fall in the same tired fashion. You know there is a horrific death animation that just wasn't added in. The mercenaries are all generic character models, with almost no details to distinguish them. How is it that the game from 1999 has better portrayals of these classic characters in terms of graphics and voice acting. Remember those cutscenes from JA2 that showed Elliot getting slapped around and feeling the genuine rage of the Queen and the progression of your campaign? Well, those are gone too. The tactical aspect of training rebels, and mercenaries has also been removed. You collect a weapon and hand it to an available freedom fighter. He becomes militia. Which you might as well give them all knives because the weapons and armor seems to make almost no difference, and they will lose the battle. Most of the game will be limited by retaking points and stationing your mercenaries near various parts of the map to intercept and defend the cities before the squads even get near them.

    But even with all the bugs, poor AI at times, and just lack of any type of production value, there is a solid game hidden behind it all. The mix of real time and planning during battles is challenging and addicting. You'll find yourself re-loading after getting wiped out over and over again and enjoying every minute of it. Learning from each approach until you find the perfect strategy to clear the immediate area and move on. There is still a large selection of weapons, armor, camouflage and items which stay true to the Jagged Alliance style.

    This game could have been so much more and it falls short on so many levels. I really hope the modding community can fix this mess of a game and bring out the amazing potential that it could and should have had.    … Expand
  24. Zarunil
    Feb 16, 2012
    3
    Kalypso needs to stop making crappy games. They take a big name like Jagged Alliance and proceed to take a dump on it, sort of like they did with Dungeons. They played it into being in the spirit of Dungeon Keeper, and it was nothing like it. This game is crap too, rather buy JA2 on Steam for way less, and get the community patch.
  25. kaosushijin
    Feb 16, 2012
    10
    I would ask that anyone who comes to the review section of this game to notice that there are MANY positive reviews, MANY negative reviews, and few in between. This game suffers from the "uncanny valley" of game revivals; It happened to Fallout 3 as well.

    Whenever a beloved game series is taken over by another developer and it's game mechanics are changed, the fans of the original have n    o way of venting their frustrations except to come to review sites and rate games badly. The problem with this is that some people use these review sites to make purchasing judgments, and there is FAR too much collective bias against games that try to revive old cult classics.

    As to the game itself, it's good. It's difficult if you don't know what you're doing, easy if you do. It's going to take you a day or two to get the hang of things. You might want to restart the game once you get the hang of it. This is one of the best RTS/RPGs in existence right now (still hoping for a worthwhile UFO remake); Please give it a chance and ignore the butthurt babies who want to rate it down out of their spite towards the choices the developers made with game direction.    … Expand
  26. pazmacats
    Apr 19, 2012
    0
    The difference between 1999 and 2012 in video games. 2012 releases a half-finished game that lacks any kind of creativity, but has 3D environment.
    The UI of this game is terrible and a whole lot inferior to Frozen Synapse. The gameplay is okay for about 2 or 3 hours, but after that you start to notice the AI issues (either rush or camp) and the lack of ... everything.
    No destructible envir    onment.
    No throwing weapons.
    No Fog of War.
    No Stealth kills.
    No story.
    No cash management.
    No (global) inventory screen.
    No merc friendships or personality.
    No aliens.

    It's a depressing piece of low-budget junk.
    0.5 points to the guy who designed the engine. Because the 3D environment sort of works alright.    … Expand
  27. sin-avatar
    Feb 11, 2012
    4
    I don't mind converting turn based game into rts based one. But result which i can see in this game is pretty ... lame. First this game is just remake of Jagged Alliance - laptop menus, plot, even mercenaries names. That is ok for me (yep - that is NOT why i am given this game 4/10). Developers team made a few mistakes:
    1. No fog of war (not even in options) - so you ALWAYS know where is     your enemy. You can't be ambushed.
    2. Destruct-able environment - you can place c4 only on walls who marked by developers - that is irritating. You can destroy some concrete walls but unable to even scratch some wall buildings.
    3. Weapon modifiers - you have some gun and want attach silencer and optical scope? You can't - you have to choose 1 modifier.
    4. No penalty for wounds. As long as doctor can revive him(her) - your mercenary can be good as new in no time.
    5. Sometimes you merc "can't make the shot" ... without reason.
    Those "mistakes" i can remember right away, maybe there is couple more in long run. But even this amount is enough for me.

    Maybe developers tried - but i don't believe in it. For me it seems as they trying just to get some easy cash. Game lack too much of detail which made game of this genre enjoyable. Hell, i can remember X-COM apocalypse (you can use similar real-time based control mode instead of turn based one), but at least in 1997 i had fully destructible environment and buildings with multiple floors.

    This game should be heavily reworked or modded to make it worth buying. In result i recommend you buy JA2 and get 1.13 patch for example - you get much more (yep that is not 2012 graphic and it is turn based, but it cost less and it is better). I did.    … Expand
  28. madcat75
    Feb 19, 2012
    5
    As much as I love the first two Jagged Alliance games there is no way that a game this bad can be compared to them, the AI is stupid, the pathfinding awful and the graphics are not much better than JA2, I played this in the end using a trainer I gave my mercs 100 in everything and the best weapons and armour and even then 6 of my mercs were taken out by 1 enemy because I didnt tell them to attack him, even on guard they will only guard in the direction you tel them too.

    The lack of a way to change formation, the so called tutorial that teaches you next to nothing ( shows you othing about things to do with the main ma, doesnt tell you how to give militia weapons etc) and the so called 'stealth' aspect is a joke no matter what you do you can crawl and sneak your way to the enemy but there are times you tell your men to shoot someone ad they run towards him and hug him, also it doesnt help that the enemy sometimes have xray vision and supre accuracy, the delay between giving an firing order and them shooting is laughable, told them to fire once and took them 20 seconds to shoot and by that time the enemy had wiped out 5 of my squad.

    I am in agreement with the rest of the reviews here that this should have either been released at a different name or in coming patches be fixed so that you can actually play the game without screaming at your monitor at how stupid your mercs are.    … Expand
  29. Admiral_Awesome
    Feb 25, 2012
    4
    Frustration. This is the first thing that comes to mind while playing this game. Especially when you fight in buildings (try throwing grenades in buildings). The enemy's are hitting you from impossible angles (for example i got hit with a shotgun which was fired four times out of weapon range), they spot you no matter what you do and they charge right up front. Only thing you need to do is clicking at them repeatedly so your mercs shoot em down while they charge (without taking any cover). If you like this kind of game play (not turn based,etc.) try frozen synapse, its cheaper and way better.… Expand
  30. Megatanis
    Aug 24, 2012
    3
    What a pity. I played all the XCOM, fallout, jagged alliance etc games, and I must say I really enjoyed them. Especially the xcom series, with that mix of tactics and strategy, economic management and R&D, so freaking awesome. And JA2, I discovered this game quite "late", and wow what a gem! Fun, difficult, nice humor, very immersive. Jagged Alliance Back in Action has some very serious flaws, for a tactical squad level game. 1. No fog of war. Are you kidding? no, really. No fog of war. Try to understand the deep meaning of this statement. Try thinking xcom without fow. Try to imagine a tactical engagement where you are aware of EVERY single enemy position right from the start. Magic! Telepathy! Just..why? 2. Inventory management. What inventory management? to sell items, you have to select every single merc and talk individually with the merchant. If I want to SWAP items between my mercs, I can't do it from the strategic map. You must load a tactical map and do it from there in real time. Try thinking when you have I dunno, 8 mercs, ten maps full of items, and you have to manage this mess. Of course, no sector inventory, so you have to load maps and run around fetching stuff left over from that time when you were too loaded to carry other suff away. For the first time in my life, I disregarded drops from enemies in pure frustration, since if you don't pick up something as soon as you kill an enemy, well good luck running around the whole map. Not fun.
    3. Militia: now this is really ridiculous. Apply all that was said for inventory management, and now imagine that you must equip EVERY SINGLE militia (auto generated guys that fight to defend your territories when you are not there) manually, by giving them weapons and armor. Tedious is an euphemism. It literally takes hours. But don't worry, militia is useless in any case, you're much better off just selling your stuff to equip your mercs.

    I don't know, instead of going forward in terms of innovation, immersion, gameplay, in one word FUN, this game is a huge step back if compared to JA2. And since it's called "Jagged Alliance back in action" well..you are gonna get comparisons. JA2 is what, 10 years old?? shame shame shame..can't give a higher score to a TACTICAL game with no fow, sorry. Yeah graphics are ok.

    So they destroyed the fallout series, crippled heroes of might and magic, utterly smashed to pulp that miracle of a game that was civilization, and really did a bad job with Jagged Alliance.. now what? oh right, xcom! i would not be surprised if it was a spaghetti western in a post atomic world where you must hunt down dinosaurs. BUT...hey it's 3D!    … Expand
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Critic Reviews

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Metascore
62 out of 100

Mixed or average reviews - based on 35 Critics

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 4 out of 35
  2. Mixed: 27 out of 35
  3. Negative: 4 out of 35
  1. PC Master (Greece)
    May 16, 2012
    55
    Ignore Back in Action and just buy Jagged Alliance 2 to cherish the original version of a great game. Then again, if graphics are so important to you, go ahead and buy Back in Action- you might enjoy it but you will have paid four times more, for an inferior product. [May 2012]
  2. Worth Playing
    Apr 10, 2012
    67
    As you manage your squads and try to take down the Queen's men in Jagged Alliance: Back in Action, you can't help but feel that the game could have been a lot more. The open premise really works and allows for you to tackle nearly any obstacle in the game as you see fit. The game is fun, but it has a lot of baggage and head-scratchingly rough edges that dull the enjoyment. The title does a passable job of bringing the Jagged Alliance series back to life, but it's not as good as it could've been, and it doesn't live up to the legacy of its predecessors.
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  3. PC PowerPlay
    Apr 5, 2012
    50
    The real-time combat isn't the problem; it's everything else, which was done with a depth and confidence 13 years ago that this reimagining lacks. [Apr 2012, p.54]
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