Jagged Alliance 3 represents the return of turn-based strategy combat in a big way, and is so addictive and well done that it could revive a genre lately dedicated only to a few enthusiasts. The reckless choice not to show the probability of scoring the attacks proves to be decisive, as it makes every firefight unpredictable, forcing us to risk everything on several occasions. The only drawback in this excellent production is the artificial intelligence of the enemies, who sometimes spare us for no reason and seem devoted to suicide. However, it remains unmissable.
One of the all time greatest games ever made. Seriously no BS. I’ve had so much genuine fun with this game it’s ridiculous. If you’re familiar with turn based strategy games then you’ll get the basic premise of this game but it’s sooo much more. I’ll explain below.
The game has a very steep learning curve that I wasn’t aware of but once I explain it, it’ll make perfect sense and will be easier for you to start going in. So basically I started a new game without looking any tips up online or anything and just started to play and figure things out. It was fun but pretty difficult ****, and this is after buying legendary mercs to be on my team. So long story short after playing for 15 hours or so and never gaining a profit but actually in debt by almost $300,000 I was frustrated with the run I was doing and started a new game.
This time I did my research and picked the best mercs to choose for starting a new game and they are as follows:
1. Ivan - Considered one of the top S-tier mercenaries. His unique talent allows him to melt 4 enemies in a single turn with a shortened UV dot assault rifle.
2. Barry - Another S-tier merc, known as "Blow 'em to God" for his powerful explosive abilities. Basically he creates POWERFUL explosives that detonate in a large cone area that he can also throw pretty far. You can take out 3+ enemies with that alone. He can also disarm anything that is explosive which is necessary to have since there are many traps in this game to disarm.
3. Livewire - Provides a maphack ability that trivializes the game and saves a lot of time. Considered one of the top value mercenaries.
4. Thor - Gives the entire squad caffeine pills/herbal medicine every 2 days to remove fatigue modifiers, which is very useful for tough boss fights.
5. Ice - Can empty 5 unaimed shots at a boss with armor piercing rounds, making him a cheaper and more effective option than Kalyna.
6. Len - While not a solo carry, he provides the valuable "old dog" perk to increase squad XP gain, and his unique is good for taking down heavily armored enemies.
So starting a new game with those characters gives you a serious advantage. Don’t be fooled by their relatively low marksmanship rating as that can be improved. Also the game emphasizes zooming in for better accuracy and/or choosing different body parts to target. In my experience not zooming at all and always targeting torso (unless you absolutely have to) pretty much always guarantees at least 1 hit. Whereas if you zoom in you get less chances to shoot during that character’s turn. So worth the trade off in my book.
Also the game doesn’t really explain about which guns to get and use or even how to modify the weapons to make them better and have better accuracy.
The guns to get right away are the:
RPK (Best weapon in the game - most powerful, can eliminate most enemies in one shot).
G-36 one of the better weapons to equip your team with (at least 2 squad members) for its ability to fire at least 3 separate times in a single move while still allowing you to fire after that. It’s not as high damage as the RPK but good enough.
Those 2 weapons are the most effective for your team. I’d say 3-4 team members with the RPK (when you can because it’s hard to find, usually need to buy it) and 2-3 with the G36.
(Tip: don’t save any weapons if your team is stocked. Scrap them for parts which you can use to upgrade your equipped weapons)
Then another thing the game doesn’t explain well enough is the monetary situation. After going into major debt during my first attempt at the game, I didn’t want that to happen again. So focus on the first 3 diamond mines closest to your starting location during a new game and claim those. Then (the most crucial part that isn’t explained that well) you need to train militia forces to essentially look after and protect the mine once you leave it. Otherwise the enemy will keep sending forces to reclaim it which is very frustrating. After doing this and upgrading the starting cast of characters I am now flush with over $350,000 in funds and can do and spend it on anything while taking my time clearing the map.
That’s what I found to be different about this game over something like XCOM 2 or something. You need to take your time with this game as there isn’t a deadline or rush. And when you don’t have to worry about the finances or other issues in the game it’s a lot more fun.
Also after getting all the best gear and the aforementioned weapons above, I can clear entire maps with 14 enemies and not have the other team make a single hit on my team. So it’s definitely a lot of fun. I’m just surprised I didn’t know about this game or series. I happened to see it on sale, watched a review and figured I’d check it out. Had no idea it’d be a game that will be in my top 5 greatest games of all time. It’s seriously that good. Well worth it.
Hey developers! How about some DLC for the game. Eager for the next one!
Jagged Alliance 3 is an excellent game, better than all the more recent installments. Let's say that since 1999, the year of Jagged Alliance 2, we haven't had this much fun with a game from the series. We're talking about an engaging title with a campaign that can last for dozens of hours and certain aspects of the experience that are truly deep. If it weren't for the entry difficulties and some absurdities on the battlefield, it would have been a masterpiece. As it is, though, it's still a great game that can provide a lot of satisfaction.
Although the popular brand stagnated for a long time and several attempts to restore it to its former glory turned out badly, Haemimont Games broke the curse and served us an excellent full-fledged new game. With everything we loved about the first games in the series, plus some practical improvements.
One of the tactics greats finally found its way to people who understand what the series was all about. Despite the weak onboarding and the cliché laden narrative, an engaging, exciting strategy game that challenges on many levels. Good news, seems you can finally uninstall Jagged Alliance 2!
Personally, I just think this is a piece of a very well-made game. This is not your perfect title, but it certainly is an extremely successful continuation of the legend from 1999. If you are fans of Jagged Alliance 2 and were quietly counting on a modernized version of the game, part three will definitely meet your expectations.
This top-tier strategy game loses points for the slurs and racial stereotyping in the writing. The best urban combat in a tactical game in years, but the world feels paper-thin even as the fights impress.
+Good graphics
+New items throughout
-A bit repetitive
-Easy to miss a lot of content based on time or other game mechanics
-Some bad design decision regarding repetitive task you will have to do over and over again
Although this is the best JA since the second part, the game has gone too far from the original series, having lost the specific black humor, lore and characters history and having too casual mechanics. This is not the JA that I replayed three times and which is rightfully considered one of the most realistic and well-developed military-tactical RPGs in the history of games.
Summary The country of Grand Chien is thrown into chaos when the elected president goes missing and the paramilitary force known as “the Legion” seizes control. Hire mercs, meet interesting characters, and fight in tactically deep turn-based combat in this true successor to a beloved franchise.