Many players have lost their fate, but Jagged Alliance 3 will finally be released. The long-anticipated turn-based tactics game was developed by Haemimont Games, the studio behind the latest installments in the Tropico franchise, and now it’s on the verge of its premiere. Therefore, we’re taking a closer look to check its mechanics, story, and release date.
Release date and development changes
Jagged Alliance is a long-running but a little dusty series. The first installment in the franchise hit the shelves in 1995 and was followed by sequels, spin-offs, and remakes. Jagged Alliance 3, which is the first mainline entry since 1999, will be released on July 14, 2023. It’s available on the PC. It remains unknown if the game will be ported to any consoles.
The upcoming release of Jagged Alliance 3 seems like a miracle, given the problems the game encountered. It was announced in 2004, and the premiere date and the studio developing the game have changed multiple times. First, Jaggen Alliance was to be published by Strategy First and developed by MiST Land South. When this fit didn’t work out, the publisher intended to make the game internally or outsource it to the Akella studio. Later, bitComposer Games acquired the rights to the series.
The German publisher revealed that Jugged Alliance would be released in 2011, but this plan also went awry. Things finally got on the right track when THQ Nordic acquired the license for the Jagged Alliance in 2015. Haemimont Games initially planned to develop a Jagged Alliance spin-off. However, THQ liked their project so much that they decided to let them create the long-awaited sequel.
Gameplay
When it comes to gameplay, Jagged Alliance 3 remains faithful to the franchise’s roots. Consequently, you will control a team of mercenaries, seeing the battlefield from a top-down perspective. You can rotate the map freely, and the view changes to behind the shoulder when one of your mercs takes aim. All tactical turn-based combat fans will enjoy fighting sequences that require planning your actions and wisely using your merc’s skills.
You will also meet some NPCs and make on-flight decisions, such as choosing if you want to set free or eliminate a suspiciously looking guy. Besides fighting enemies, you can explore maps because some crafting parts and loot are hidden around. You will need them to equip your troops and repair their gear. It’s worth noticing that Haemimont Games wanted its game to be rather challenging.
Hence, even on a default difficulty level, you will often run out of money and wait for ages for your troop to heal their wounds and repair their gear. Players seeking a more casual experience can turn the Forgiving Mode on. This way, the consequences of their mistakes will become less grave. Even though Jagged Alliance 3 doesn’t feature a PvP mode, you don’t have to play alone. You can join forces with your friend and experience the campaign together in co-op mode.
Mercenaries
You will assemble a team of mercenaries. Each of the available guns for hire is described by 10 statistics:
- Health – this value denotes the amount of inflicted damage a mercenary can endure before dying.
- Agility – this skill impacts merc’s action points and sneak-ability.
- Dexterity – proficiency in hand-eye coordination has a profound impact on a broad range of skills, from throwing and catching objects or disarming traps to hitting and dodging in combat.
- Strength – it impacts not only melee damage but also the inventory capacity of your mercenary.
- Wisdom – comprehensive intelligence is reflected by this skill.
- Leadership – this skill enables mercenaries to efficiently train and inspire militias and fellow squad members. It also facilitates better responses from NPCs.
- Marksmanship – represents a merc’s shooting and targeting caliber with firearms or thrown objects.
- Mechanical – it quantifies a mercenary’s proficiency at tinkering and repairing.
- Explosives – proficiency in handling mines and explosive traps, setting detonators, and working with volatile compounds.
- Medical – the speed, quality, and efficacy of initial medical aid, as well as the quantity of medical supplies required, are determined by this skill.
At first, you can recruit only lower-level mercs, but later as the game progresses, you will gather funds to add to your squad more experienced soldiers. Fans of the series will be glad that some of the characters from previous games, such as Victoria “Vicki” Waters, Cynthia “Fox” Guzzman, and Bobby “Steroid” Gontarski, return in Jagged Alliance 3.
Flashback 2: A sequel to the classic platformer
While picking members of your team, it’s wise to focus not solely on their statistics and equipment but also learn the backstories of your mercenaries because some of them know each other. As a result, you’ll get bonuses for pairing some characters, while others can demand more money to work with mercs they don’t like.
Story
The new game continues the tradition of sending players to fictional countries. The first Jagged Alliance was set on the island of Metavira, while the sequel was placed in Arulco. The events of Jagged Alliance 3 take place in 2001 in Grand Chien. It’s an African country known for its natural resources and political instability that turns into chaos when its president, Alphonse Lafontaine, is kidnapped. Your mission is to restore peace, rescue the missing leader, and fight a paramilitary organization known as the Legion. Thanks to the game’s RPG elements, your actions will determine the future of Grand Chien.
As the action takes us to the not-so-distant past, some menus, for instance, those where you hire your mercenaries, are modeled to resemble websites from 20 years ago, when people thought that the internet’s primary purpose was to spread information, not some funny videos and memes.
