Jagged Alliance 3

Those familiar with the series will feel quite at home, as will general turn-based tactics fans. Genre stalwarts, such as overwatch and defensive position, aren't going anywhere, but the layers on top of all that are where Jagged Alliance 3 most proves its worth. Finally, I've found the type of one-more-turn game I've been looking for. I was challenged by it in the most satisfying ways: planning, leadership, and patience. Despite the flaws, I wanted to see the campaign through from the opening encounter, and I felt rewarded for that. To sum it up: Jagged Alliance is back.

Overall, Jagged Alliance 3 is an impressive and endlessly entertaining production that not only revives an old series but does it justice in a more modern style. The story and characters make for another compelling entry in the series. Grand Chien is wholly believable as a vibrant nation, even though it’s non-existent. Combat is expertly converted to a 3-D environment, and there are so many strategic layers that it’s good to the last drop for the 50-ish hours it should take to complete. It’s easy to see how players could return time and again to check out all of the mercs and challenge themselves to level up the weaker ones. Haemimont Games wrung all the fun they could out of this system and served it up on a diamond-crusted platter. Jagged Alliance 3 gets the job done and even throws in a little extra. I love it when a plan comes together.

A must-play turn-based tactics combat simulator elevated by memorable characters, over-the-top action and deep RPG elements.

Jagged Alliance 3 is an explosive return among the giants of strategy. Its turn-based firefights are unbelievably fun and addictive, the beautiful, varied maps are mall strategic puzzles. The story is strong, emphasizing your own decisions, and the whole package is basically what I always wanted as a fan.

Jagged Alliance 3 is a smartly-built, action-packed throwback tactical extravaganza that I enjoyed the whole way through. Its madcap sense of humor is very hit or miss – for me, it's usually miss. But for the most part, that doesn't hurt its ability to tell a story with just enough intrigue to keep you guessing, while not overcomplicating things too much. The huge variety of distinct characters, hand-built tactical maps, and objectives assure that a long campaign never goes stale, with limited but meaningful merc progression that let me build my dream squad and play almost exactly how I wanted to, with the added tension of trying to keep them alive through each combat encounter. If you know your way around a squad management game you may want to turn the campaign difficulty up a notch for your first playthrough, but even when you're rolling in cash, this lead-slinging blow-out is a hell of a good time.

This is a series that predates most tactical strategy we know, but it’s had some bumps along the road. Jagged Alliance 3 can’t be counted among those bumps. It’s a proficient and beautiful return to form for this franchise with a wealth of options inside and outside combat.

First-class sequel with dramatic turn-based tactical battles, a well thought-out strategy section and the same cool mercenaries from the old days.

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.

Jagged Alliance 3 nails a lot of what it is trying to do. Gripes about financial pressure and perk points aside, the majority of gameplay is a ton of fun. It rewards tactical thinking, and with a skillful approach, you can watch your mercs absolutely rain hell down on a superior enemy force. Considerate use of special abilities and equipment is important as well, and rarely is any fight just an easy shootout. The execution isn't perfect, but Jagged Alliance 3 is simultaneously a love letter to the tactical games of old while also proving that their gameplay can still feel modern and fresh decades later.

Like some of these mercs, Jagged Alliance 3 can be a bit rough around the edges, but when the chips are down there’s no question it delivers. This is an easy recommendation for players who enjoy the genre, especially since it’s been 24 years since the last mainline entry in the series. With addictive gameplay, a great cast of characters, and tongue-in-cheek dialogue, liberating this island is a mission worth accepting.

Let’s face it: Jagged Alliance had always been a game about superheroes with guns. New installment simply cranks that concept up to eleven. [Issue#262, p.54]

If you don’t mind a high entry threshold, many references to the 80s' popculture, a simple war story and some really dry humor, Jagged Alliance 3 is for you. And if you loved JA2 – don’t even hesitate.

One of the biggest surprises of this year, Jagged Alliance 3 breathes new life into a series that was mediocre at best. There are a lot of reasons to play the new Jagged Alliance game, but the most important one is the overall gameplay experience that’s incredibly addictive if you’re fond of turn-based tactical games. Despite some minor issues with the camera and weapon variation, Jagged Alliance 3 is by far the best game in the series. It’s challenging, fun, and extremely addictive, so there’s absolutely no reason not to give it a try.

After beating the story in Jagged Alliance 3, I still really wanted to play more. I want to try out every merc on the roster, and learn how to use each of their unique abilities. There are fights that I want to play again, this time with a new approach. Fans of turned based action will find Jagged Alliance 3 to be a genre-best game. But I’m probably going to play those gunfights with the volume turned way down. After all, I’m not in Grand Chien for the atmosphere and the company. I just want to find new ways to blow stuff up.

The third chapter of this beloved series is very near the level of quality that one expects from the heir of Jagged Alliance 2. A shame that "very near" does not mean "on par", so some details and some unrealistic aspects of the game could ruin the experience.

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.

Jagged Alliance 3 marks a long-awaited triumphant return for the franchise, with the last undeniably great release being Jagged Alliance 2 over twenty years ago. Creating an exceptional balance on both a strategic and tactical level, bringing back character attributes and progression, an entire inventory system, perks and more, forcing you to balance your broader economy and ensuring you can't just sit back - Haemimont Games have successfully created a game that will challenge, that I have found compelling and fun, and one that has kept me hooked into a "just one more day" loop and a few very late nights at that.

There's a few bolts that could be tightened up here and there, but Jagged Alliance is back in business.

Sandy beaches are followed by jungles, wetlands, bunkers, shacks and city streets, different environments and different materials mean differences in gameplay. The weather changes too, you aim differently during the day than at night, and so on. But the dialogue feels so heavy-handed in its exposition and so superficial in the game's non-linear construction that one hardly wants to engage with it any longer than necessary. [Issue#329]

Jagged Alliance 3 is a wise pick in the tactical game genre, despite some balancing issues. The game delivers fun from start to finish, serving as a genuine tribute to the action cinema of the '80s and '90s. You almost expect to see Stallone and Schwarzenegger pop up at the start of each mission. It's entertaining, aesthetically polished, and above all, it's exhilarating.

A worthy successor to Jagged Alliance 2. It’s a pretty, long, complex and difficult game where tactical turn-based combat meets tycoon and RPG components. JA3 requires a lot of time and full concentration, and although it can be frustrating sometimes, finishing it is highly rewarding. Give it a try!

With its strong pedigree and personality, Jagged Alliance 3 is a difficult yet entertaining strategy experience. It presents players with seemingly unlimited choices, and offers a huge amount of agency in how to approach each situation. While it does suffer from a handful of annoyances, a clunky user interface, and mechanics that aren't quite explained, it is a fun and challenging addition that is sure to be a hit or fans of strategy RPGs.

Even though there are some balance issues, it's still a very strong comeback for Jagged Alliance series.

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.

If you’re a turn-based strategy fan, the combat in Jagged Alliance 3 is not to be missed. Thanks to the game’s varied mercenary stats, it’s easy to put together a team that aligns well with your preferred personal play style and the game’s combat mechanics are accessible yet suspenseful, thanks to the absence of a precise percentage-to-hit chance. While the game’s dialogue feels naff in places and could’ve been executed better overall, it’s a small price to pay for the high level of entertaining battles. And if that’s your thing, Jagged Alliance 3 is sure to deliver.

A well done reinterpretation of the old Jagged Alliance gameplay with great characters, a great dynamic campaign and tactically diverse combat, but with a few weak points, especially for veterans of the series.

Jagged Alliance 3 is an excellent game, merging squad-based tactics and classic computer-style roleplaying in an entertaining veneer of cheesy action movies. There's a little bit of a learning curve to get acclimated to this style of game if you are new to it, but once you get the hang of managing your mercs, money, and ammo, there's a lot of fun to be had in the tropics.

Jagged Alliance 3 brings back the franchise's classic blend of strategy and RPG gameplay, with a distinctly millennial aesthetic and feel. All the while, the game plays like a modern game, incorporating the best elements of the past and the present to make a worthy successor that fans will love.

Jagged Alliance 3 successfully taps into everything that made the franchise great to begin with, giving us a unique blend of genres that mixes turn-based tactical gameplay with some light RPG elements.

Jagged Alliance 3 comes almost a quarter of a century after the release of the cult classic second game. It's a really decent sequel, combining old-school gameplay with modern trends. It's just a pity that it will be appreciated primarily by experienced gamers, while newcomers will give up rather quickly.

The hours spent trying to end the civil war in Grand Chien have only confirmed how much the guys at Haemimont Games have listened to the players. In Jagged Alliance 3 we found many of the ingredients that made the brand legendary 25 years ago, showcased by the undisputed technical and artistic skills of the developers. The major criticalities are found in the monotony of a rather cumbersome management phase, which clashes with the excellent beating heart of the experience: its engaging and unpredictable fights. Some courageous game design choices could divide fans, but anyone looking for a valid turn-based strategy game will find bread for their teeth in the immense replay value of a title that does not forgive mistakes of a tactical nature.

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!

Fundamentally, Jagged Alliance 3 aims to please the fans of the franchise. They are the ones who will have the most fun with the game, full of references to previous titles, and systems that quite frankly, didn't need to be so stuck in the past, especially the user interface. With a great mod compatibility, it's quite possible that this problem will be solved in the near future, because as a starting point, Jagged Alliance 3 offers a pretty solid, competent and fun base for any turn-based tactics fan, as long as they're willing to endure its initial period. There's a lot of granularity in the various gameplay systems, from weapon crafting to squad management, and a respectable dose of randomness that helps make each run unique and interesting, especially if you play it with friends.

There's a lot to like in Jagged Alliance 3. The merc management system is solid, the gear works well, and combat can be very satisfying.

For the hardcore turn-based tactics fans, Jagged Alliance 3 takes the series in a great direction. Unfortunately, there is really no onboarding before the difficulty takes a steep leap.

Jagged Alliance 3 is a versatile strategy RPG, packed with personality and entertainment. You really have an opportunity to overcome tactical problems with your own personalized approach without being forced into playing a certain way. Any hardened SRPG mercenaries looking to take on a challenging but rewarding contract will definitely enjoy spending countless hours delving into the jungles of Gran Chien.

Jagged Alliance 3 is a worthy successor to the franchise that brings modern graphics and characters to life in engaging turn-based tactical combat. Its world is well-built and its supporting elements add much. But the game remains rough around the edges here and there, with a fairly standard storyline and a learning curve that could be more accessible.

Jagged Alliance 3 is a well made return for the beloved IP and, despite some flaws, it manages to live up to expectations pretty well.

The moment-to-moment combat is satisfying, the meta of mercenary management engaging and the structure of the world a pleasure to take part in. Haemimont Games has taken their years of experience in strategy gaming and moulded a fantastic experience that is very nearly a must buy and while it falls short in a few areas, I am positive that past JA players as well as strategy gamers in general, will find a lot to like here.

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.

A potent tactical cocktail, but one that's best enjoyed with earplugs. [Issue#388, p.116]

Jagged Alliance 3 pays homage to its predecessor and is one of the stronger turn-based titles of the year. It's intense, difficult and manages to enchant with its addictive gameplay. If you are completely new to the genre, it tries very hard to dissuade you to keep playing, but if you get comfortable with the set-up, everything changes.

Those looking for a solid tactical RPG to dig their teeth into will find it with Jagged Alliance 3. But while you may acclimate to the slightly unhelpful UI, the combat barks and general writing can be more difficult to ignore. There’s going to be a good amount of replay value in different builds, trying different options and choices, and of course different combinations of the 36-odd mercenary characters. But whether you want to spend more time in this setting will depend entirely on how much you can listen to a Ice Williams talk about popping caps in people.

Jagged Alliance 3 lays some strong groundwork for the franchise’s resurgence, but it often feels like a series of individual victories that fail to work in concert for something greater.

Jagged Alliance 3 is a bold attempt at blending the best of multiple genres. Despite success in several areas, its overbearing systems often sideline the enjoyment of an otherwise well-made game.

You'll love Jagged Alliance 3 if you're willing to overlook outdated graphics, some weird in-game mechanics and you like 90s American humor. Otherwise, you better spend your money elsewhere.

There’s a kind of scrappy, desperate feeling to a firefight in Jagged Alliance 3. Hits to the arms reduce accuracy, and damage to the legs impedes movement. Cover can be destroyed. Losing line-of-sight allows your merc to re-enter Sneak Mode and return to surprise the enemy. Saving a couple of AP to drop into a prone position at the end of a turn can be the difference between seeing the next turn or bleeding out. Yet, despite all this tactical granularity, the successful play is often a matter of running around the cover the enemy is hiding behind and shooting them in the back. Assuming you don’t miss, of course.