Jagged Alliance: Back in Action

 PC
User Score
5.5

Mixed or average reviews- based on 189 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 67 out of 189
  2. Mixed: 52 out of 189
  3. Negative: 70 out of 189
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  1. Wicked_Sick
    Nov 24, 2019
    4
    A cheap and of low quality copy of JA 2, not reaching even a fraction of its qualities. Same story, same map, terrible face models, ubiquitous copy&paste and inappropriately cut and simplified content of the original game. Messed gun names. Typos. Bugs.

    Few copy&paste examples: The A.I.M. terms are word by word taken from JA 2, including the article 2.0 "Length of Engagement" and daily,    A cheap and of low quality copy of JA 2, not reaching even a fraction of its qualities. Same story, same map, terrible face models, ubiquitous copy&paste and inappropriately cut and simplified content of the original game. Messed gun names. Typos. Bugs.

    Few copy&paste examples: The A.I.M. terms are word by word taken from JA 2, including the article 2.0 "Length of Engagement" and daily, weekly and bi-weekly time periods (from JA 2) regardless it was simplified to a lump sum payment in JA:BiA. The biography of mercs are word by word taken from JA 2, regardless there are different traits in JA:BiA (so while you can read "heavy wepons are his specialty" in his bio, the merc is actually melee expert).

    If you're still looking for an ultimate argument for how bad this game is, here it is: All the mercs carry their guns unloaded, magazines out. Anytime they reach for a knife, they unload their gun and detach any accesory (silencer, scope) from it first. For their own safety. Nobody want a merc to accidentally shoot his leg, right? On the other hand, maybe the shot in a leg is still better than playing this game.    … Expand
  2. Anelor
    Nov 2, 2019
    10
    JABIA is an awesome JA 2 follow up, while it might lack some of its predecessors features it brought a tone of its own. The 3D game-play, the setting of actions for real time combat and seeing how it all plays out. The communities patches and mods! It also does not crash even with the 2 common mods installed!
  3. Broyax
    Apr 17, 2017
    2
    Pas de tour par tour pour ce nouveau Jagged Alliance mais un temps réel avec pause... qui n'est pas au point. Pourtant ça devrait fonctionner vu qu'on peut même enchaîner les actions dans une file d'attente comme bien des jeux de rôle utilisant ce système de combat. Durant la pause, on peut voir également les cônes de vision des ennemis comme dans un vieux Metal Gear sauf qu'ici les cônesPas de tour par tour pour ce nouveau Jagged Alliance mais un temps réel avec pause... qui n'est pas au point. Pourtant ça devrait fonctionner vu qu'on peut même enchaîner les actions dans une file d'attente comme bien des jeux de rôle utilisant ce système de combat. Durant la pause, on peut voir également les cônes de vision des ennemis comme dans un vieux Metal Gear sauf qu'ici les cônes sont à 180° dans un souci de réalisme (on suppose).

    Réalisme... Fallout Tactics en avait aussi mais il proposait une interface proche de la perfection. Or, c'est loin d'être le cas ici. L'inventaire est spécifique à chaque personnage et devient rapidement un beau merdier avec ses petites cases à la mords-moi-le-noeud. Et pas moyen de changer les raccourcis des contrôles, on ne peut rien configurer. Mais le gros problème c'est le niveau très élevé des ennemis dès le début du jeu qui met un peu plus en exergue la nullité de ses mercenaires à soi (3 au maximum avec l'argent qu'on a), lents, idiots, avec des gilets pare-balles en papier et qui ne savent pas viser.

    Avec des ennemis nombreux qui patrouillent et qui ont un champ de vision de 180° et qui parfois vous détectent au delà (!), l'infiltration est quasi impossible et dès qu'on affronte plus d'un ennemi, on se fait laminer en 2 balles et 3 mouvements. Pas de système de couverture, environnements très ouverts, nulle part où se cacher. Le jeu est très agréable graphiquement certes, mais au bout de quelques heures à neutraliser un par un les vilains sans se faire répérer à 400 m, on commence à se faire chier avec ces tanches de mercenaires dont l'expérience évolue très (trop) lentement.

    A ce rythme, on mettra 200h à reconquérir l'île : non, la vie est trop courte pour se faire chier avec un jeu de merde.    … Expand
  4. sr-71
    Mar 1, 2016
    8
    One of the few tactical simulators in real time, though it's not perfect but very entertaining for fans of "rock paper and shotgun". With some mods added i've played lots of hours.
  5. Distortion
    May 7, 2015
    0
    TBH i was soooooooooooooooooooooooo excited when i heard they're going to make another Jagged Alliance... But when this came out, everything that I've hoped for is destroyed. From tons of bugs, **** voice actors to a changed game mechanics, this is one hell of a embarrassment to the Jagged Alliance titles. Gotta Admit I pirated this game first to see if its awesome as its predecessor orTBH i was soooooooooooooooooooooooo excited when i heard they're going to make another Jagged Alliance... But when this came out, everything that I've hoped for is destroyed. From tons of bugs, **** voice actors to a changed game mechanics, this is one hell of a embarrassment to the Jagged Alliance titles. Gotta Admit I pirated this game first to see if its awesome as its predecessor or not, but now it has no room in my HDD (even for a pirated version).… Expand
  6. Xubaca
    Mar 5, 2015
    9
    1) Best tatical combat system ever. A mix of turn-based and RTS on combat.
    2) Good storyline.
    3) Great tatical map. 4) Good troop management (hire, skill upgrade, buy weapons, attachments, armor, ammo, equipament) 5) Good grapichs 6) Average sound effects and soundtrack Very different combat system compared to the old Jagged Alliance´s. Much more fun and challenge. The old is slow    1) Best tatical combat system ever. A mix of turn-based and RTS on combat.
    2) Good storyline.
    3) Great tatical map.
    4) Good troop management (hire, skill upgrade, buy weapons, attachments, armor, ammo, equipament)
    5) Good grapichs
    6) Average sound effects and soundtrack

    Very different combat system compared to the old Jagged Alliance´s. Much more fun and challenge. The old is slow and boring.    … Expand
  7. Whizkid
    Oct 24, 2014
    10
    game is better than most of the JA wannabe including the recent JA Flashback, get this game when its on sale and get the 2 mods either combat evolve or realism and u not look back.

    game is like a real time strategy game u need to plan the attack and positioning of your mercs is important as in real life combat.
  8. yogibbear
    Aug 12, 2014
    9
    Played this when it first came out and got < 1 hr into the game having cleared the first airport. Gave up in dissappointment and I remember at the time I moved onto a host of other brilliant and amazing games at the time. My major complaint was that the game didn't feel "tactical" because I could see all the enemies...

    Well I reloaded the game the past few days and have now put 18 hrs    Played this when it first came out and got < 1 hr into the game having cleared the first airport. Gave up in dissappointment and I remember at the time I moved onto a host of other brilliant and amazing games at the time. My major complaint was that the game didn't feel "tactical" because I could see all the enemies...

    Well I reloaded the game the past few days and have now put 18 hrs into the campaign. This time around the game has received several patches since and one of them added is a "tactical FOW" mode which literally fixes ALL of my complaints and make the game feel truly great. I have no idea why this wasn't in place from day zero, but it literally is the different between scoring this a 5/10 and giving it a 9/10.    … Expand
  9. walkeros
    May 6, 2014
    10
    Before I start I will say that I am true fan of the whole jagged alliance series. Even two weeks ago I started to play again Jagged Alliance 1 with lovely chats of Ivan Dolvitch in russian. I completed Jagged Alliance 2, JA2 Unfinished Businesses and also played modded versions of JA2. Ok.. so what I expected from JABIA (Jagged Alliance Back in Action) ? I expected the same turn based gameBefore I start I will say that I am true fan of the whole jagged alliance series. Even two weeks ago I started to play again Jagged Alliance 1 with lovely chats of Ivan Dolvitch in russian. I completed Jagged Alliance 2, JA2 Unfinished Businesses and also played modded versions of JA2. Ok.. so what I expected from JABIA (Jagged Alliance Back in Action) ? I expected the same turn based game and was really disappointed that game will be playable on in real time...... but when I started playing more and more I have to say (and please don't hang me on the tree... :)) that this version is really good!! Now why? Before I go into the details I will start with small items which makes the game better in many aspects then JA2:
    1. knives and matchetes are finally usable - in JA2 you can do nothing useful with the knife, knives were useful in JA1, but in JABIA you can kill the enemy with single cut
    2. you can but good weapons, grenades, armors almost from the beginning of the game (in JA2 new guns most of the time where to week for current power of enemies)
    3. armours can not be repaired - this is wonderfull (!) - you need to buy new instead of repairing them
    4. explosives are finally usefull... the same with land mines.
    5. you can join militia defending cities in the middle of a battle
    6.... there is a lot more which I won;'t name at the moment.... just play it and discover

    And in general is the game worse comaring to JA2 ? Nooo.. it is different. Real time fight is realy realistic. You can create ambushes hiding in woods with good camuflage without beeing spoted by enemym, you can play command style - taking knife and silently killing enemies who does not expect attack from the back, you can play sniper style by killing each and everyone from distance. What is better? Enemies IQ is quite good for me. Enemies at certain levels of experience does not come close to you, they can try to ambush you, snipers can shoot you from distance and you will not see them without mercenaries with good perception (but even then they can have good camo so that killing them is hard). I could write about many aspects which makes this game worthwhile, but I really suggest to try (playing tutrial first to see what options there are)... so does the game lack anything from JA2? Yes many things:
    1. there is not SCI-FI - oh well... for some people this was redundant part from JA2
    2. Faces of mercs are not cartoon-like - oh well... this is 3d world so they are 3d, but still they are different and people saying that they are alike are wrong... take a looke at your friend sitting next to you. Maybe you will notice that in real world we are all alike - and this is how JABIA presents mercs - if you give to all them the same helmets and glasses they will look almost the same... wow like soldiers in real world.. so is there any problem with this ? I don't think so.
    3. turn-based combat - yes...I love turn based games.. I love XCOM and like to play chess... but this is JABIA - it is not turn based game - it is realistic game, so just deal with it
    4. ... probably even more, but the point is that almost for every "lack of something" there is a reason behind it and this reason is in most cases "realism"

    I don't want to say that the game is better, worse or equal to JA, Deadly Games, JA2.... it is simply different but really exciting and I love playing. I'm treating it as a different approach to the series - having similar plot, the characters (mercs), place (Arulco) and rules (jamming weapons, lockpicks that needs to be taken etc.).

    People who are giving bad reviews are, in my opinion, mostly frustrated that it is not turn-based and forget to pay attention to what is good... and there is a lot of good in JABIA.    … Expand
  10. daskind
    Apr 4, 2014
    10
    it does not feel like jagged alliance, it does not look like it either. nonetheless the gameplay is solid, the planning system works very well and it definetely is challenging fun to play.
  11. mikelovichNor
    Mar 31, 2014
    0
    JA2 was one of my favorite tactical games. This remake killed it. The cheating AI is the most annoying thing in this game. Even when operating under night conditions the enemies got xray eyes. Once you're spotted, they know where you are forever. They also took out armor repair, which renders the best armor you find, useless in a couple of battles. The store mechanic is also cumbersome,JA2 was one of my favorite tactical games. This remake killed it. The cheating AI is the most annoying thing in this game. Even when operating under night conditions the enemies got xray eyes. Once you're spotted, they know where you are forever. They also took out armor repair, which renders the best armor you find, useless in a couple of battles. The store mechanic is also cumbersome, why can't they just design a drop ship from a helicopter to a specified sector instead of having to have to go to the airport every single freakin time. Oh yeah, your sector militias are useless, they always get beat unless you reinforce them with your own merc. Oh yeah, the stealth mechanic is borked. Even when the sound meter is all the way down, somehow the enemy could detect you and face you. Best of all, there is NO tactic in this game. If you don't lure the enemies to your waiting mercs then the enemy could swarm your lone gunman. Also an enemy with a pistol can beat your sniper at range, at night too, without nightscope, omg the cheating AI so OP… Expand
  12. undaunted1
    Jan 6, 2014
    0
    They ruined all the good things about jagged alliance. What the people who love jagged alliance want is a new jagged alliance, different missions, more characters, and more guns and gadgets. Not the same old story tossed on a totally different game with the same name. they threw out all the awesome aspects of the gameplay and gave us a terrible interface and confusing controls. terriblyThey ruined all the good things about jagged alliance. What the people who love jagged alliance want is a new jagged alliance, different missions, more characters, and more guns and gadgets. Not the same old story tossed on a totally different game with the same name. they threw out all the awesome aspects of the gameplay and gave us a terrible interface and confusing controls. terribly disappointed with this lame excuse for a jagged alliance. It had so much potential and fell extremely short.… Expand
  13. Grmljavina
    Dec 18, 2013
    7
    Good thing
    -RPG system
    -Combat system "Plan and Go" -World map which not many games of this genre have that -Squad customization -satisfactory graphics Bad thing -inability to control militia which is a little annoying thing especially in late game -Minor bugs -It lack of some depth of game play such as random event's on world map lack's of some side quest Overall I give    Good thing
    -RPG system
    -Combat system "Plan and Go"
    -World map which not many games of this genre have that
    -Squad customization
    -satisfactory graphics

    Bad thing
    -inability to control militia which is a little annoying thing especially in late game
    -Minor bugs
    -It lack of some depth of game play such as random event's on world map
    lack's of some side quest

    Overall
    I give the game 7
    The game could be expanded in terms of exploring Alurco territory and quest to do    … Expand
  14. Deathmarch
    Dec 5, 2013
    8
    I give it an 8 because there was nothing similar out there when it was released,some bugs but nothing that stopped me from completing the game, character voices can be annoying you can tell its europeans trying to be funny but comes off annoying after hearing the hillbillies 100 times
  15. Chrisbo
    Nov 19, 2013
    0
    I find it hilarious that people say that BIA is an update for a "modern audience".

    If I were young enough to not have been able to enjoy the original when it was released I would find that to be an insult to my intelligence. Not being able to appreciate the tactical depth that the original turn based system that JA2 offers does not reflect well upon the intelligence or the attention    I find it hilarious that people say that BIA is an update for a "modern audience".

    If I were young enough to not have been able to enjoy the original when it was released I would find that to be an insult to my intelligence. Not being able to appreciate the tactical depth that the original turn based system that JA2 offers does not reflect well upon the intelligence or the attention span of a younger gaming audience.

    Had this remake been given some of the technological advancements in the vein of Silent Storm, I think it would have garnered much more positive attention, turn based isn't bad unless you're a complete tard.    … Expand
  16. prymekbad
    Oct 26, 2013
    5
    It is not a bad strategy game, but is not good either. And having in mind how long it took to get in done, and how huge the fan base od original JA is (they could limit marketing spending to zero and even then fing millions of potential buyers), a mediocre game is not an option. And it is sadly a mediocre game. Damn You Kalypso...
  17. Solstrand
    Sep 29, 2013
    8
    Tactical Squad based strategy game with realtime moves. I love strategy, i love tactical games, it's a remake of one of my favorite games of the 90's. The only thing missing, is your personal mercenary maker thingy from the original. But it's a small price to pay for all the great stuff they have added to it. The story is the same, which kinda sux, but doesnt really matter. The story takesTactical Squad based strategy game with realtime moves. I love strategy, i love tactical games, it's a remake of one of my favorite games of the 90's. The only thing missing, is your personal mercenary maker thingy from the original. But it's a small price to pay for all the great stuff they have added to it. The story is the same, which kinda sux, but doesnt really matter. The story takes a bit of a backdrop to the fun of running your merc around killing stuff anyway. It does the old classic justice.
    If you like strategy games, then you won't regret picking this up.    … Expand
  18. greywolf00
    Jun 27, 2013
    6
    Definitely a deviation from the JA series but is an ok game in it's own right. By far, my biggest complaints are with the AI.

    Your soldiers are absolute morons and can't do anything without being micromanaged. Even when set to guard your Mercs often won't shoot at enemies within range and sight zone, you have to manually tell them "Hey kill that guys who's raping your face." They see a    Definitely a deviation from the JA series but is an ok game in it's own right. By far, my biggest complaints are with the AI.

    Your soldiers are absolute morons and can't do anything without being micromanaged. Even when set to guard your Mercs often won't shoot at enemies within range and sight zone, you have to manually tell them "Hey kill that guys who's raping your face." They see a mine? Better halt em or they'll run over it. This is super annoying when splitting a squad into smaller teams for flanking. Want them to go talk to someone? Better hope there's no closed doors in the way. They are incapable of opening them to get to somewhere on their own. Also ran into several issues with game freezes & crashes.

    For a real time squad based game, which I tend to hate in comparison to turn based, it isn't too bad thanks to the ability to pause and issue commands. Though sadly, even that system has it's flaws. Once your guys run out of shoot commands, they'll stop shooting. I often found myself just staying in real time or loading up with dozens of shoot commands to cut down on the micromanaging.    … Expand
  19. dajarvi
    May 27, 2013
    7
    I've never played the previous games. This is my first Jagged Alliance experience. Fun game and most of the time, I feel its potential. The game's major downfall is its lack of realism: Highly experienced and trained mercs are being gun-downed easily by these so-called bad guys. Often times, I find the enemy has quicker firing and reflex timing on average than my own mercs!

    For the    I've never played the previous games. This is my first Jagged Alliance experience. Fun game and most of the time, I feel its potential. The game's major downfall is its lack of realism: Highly experienced and trained mercs are being gun-downed easily by these so-called bad guys. Often times, I find the enemy has quicker firing and reflex timing on average than my own mercs!

    For the most part, it should be the opposite. If anything, have lots of enemies for my mercs to have to deal with in any given circumstance in order to circumvent this strange phenomena. I can understand if there are a few crack elites, but even on easy, bad guys have better response and accuracy time than even Wolf or Raven. The lowest of mercs should have a better response and firing timing than the "average" opponent. Not only that, a lot of bad guys come better equipped than most mercs!

    Other than that, I enjoy the game. The constant demand on having to be critical all the time against the "average" enemy is kind of a game breaker. I'd rather bugs than this. And I'm not looking at an action game experience. I understand strategy and critical analysis. Problem is, the tactical side, given the environment, doesn't fit the mold.

    Another drawback is inventory management at a base level. Poor. In addition, not having the ability to pre-plan base defense before an attack is also a drawback. Very critical factors in any tactical strategy endeavor.

    Despite these drawbacks (which have nothing to do with my personal difficulty level as it does not wanting to crunch through worthless battles of superior militia), the rating I give I feel is complete and whole. The game could have been better.    … Expand
  20. YourNeighbour
    Apr 19, 2013
    3
    First of all, warning to the people who are planning on buying:
    YOU CANNOT MAKE YOUR OWN MERC AS OF PATCH 133(E)
    Apart from the graphics, everything from game mechanism to scenario looks like a downgrade. There's a lot of limitations that comes with BIA compared to JA2. You cannot plant bombs anywhere you want You cannot DIY your makeshift traps with landmines You cannot bash    First of all, warning to the people who are planning on buying:
    YOU CANNOT MAKE YOUR OWN MERC AS OF PATCH 133(E)

    Apart from the graphics, everything from game mechanism to scenario looks like a downgrade. There's a lot of limitations that comes with BIA compared to JA2.

    You cannot plant bombs anywhere you want
    You cannot DIY your makeshift traps with landmines
    You cannot bash enemies with a crowbar
    You cannot unlock a door with a shotgun
    And the list goes on, there's a lot of things you could do in JA2 that is totally missing in BIA, playing BIA is more of a chore than fun. Ten minutes into the game and you can tell that the developers have not really played Jagged Alliance 2.

    It's not that exciting. Another example of failed resurrection by developers who wants to make easy dollars    … Expand
  21. medith007
    Apr 5, 2013
    7
    I suggest you to try the demo first. If you like it, you will enjoy the rest of the game. If you don't, then leave it. For me, I've played through until the end and this means something to me. Even the well-reviewed games like Assassin's Creed, I was not able to see the ending. There's no eye candy and it has an issue with A.I. Managing inventory is somewhat a chore and missions can beI suggest you to try the demo first. If you like it, you will enjoy the rest of the game. If you don't, then leave it. For me, I've played through until the end and this means something to me. Even the well-reviewed games like Assassin's Creed, I was not able to see the ending. There's no eye candy and it has an issue with A.I. Managing inventory is somewhat a chore and missions can be repetitious. But I liked this game. It felt like Commandos to me. Can be frustrated but quite enjoyable if you like this kind of game.… Expand
  22. Novocain
    Jan 29, 2013
    8
    The bugs are really what is holding down this game from becoming a real top game of the genre. Even after several patches (1.13 and counting) they still remain riddled with bugs and some annoying features that could be done better.

    However the action is superb and there is a good selection of characters aswell as equipment to make the game enjoyable. I look forward to trying the    The bugs are really what is holding down this game from becoming a real top game of the genre. Even after several patches (1.13 and counting) they still remain riddled with bugs and some annoying features that could be done better.

    However the action is superb and there is a good selection of characters aswell as equipment to make the game enjoyable. I look forward to trying the stand-alone expansion Crossfire soon.

    I have not played the previous JA-games, however I have played & enjoyed other titles in the genre such as XCom-series, SWAT 2, Fallout Tactics..    … Expand
  23. socokid
    Jan 20, 2013
    9
    I am a gaming hobbyist from the early 80's, record dozens of hours a week to this day, and write very few reviews. However, I felt a need here. I just purchased this game a few weeks ago, so I may not have experienced the issues recorded in much earlier reviews, but this is a good game. It really is. I recently finished re-playing Silent Storm 2 and 3, so this game felt very, veryI am a gaming hobbyist from the early 80's, record dozens of hours a week to this day, and write very few reviews. However, I felt a need here. I just purchased this game a few weeks ago, so I may not have experienced the issues recorded in much earlier reviews, but this is a good game. It really is. I recently finished re-playing Silent Storm 2 and 3, so this game felt very, very familiar.... Throw in arming civilians in towns you have liberated, usually with the guns and armor you find on bad guys, a need to help protect these areas from warnings of incoming hostiles, and better graphics. There are a few frustrating bits that become much less of an annoyance after playing several hours. Using the camera view becomes more fluid with use, for example. I also see complaints here about things that they obviously fixed (assuming the original reviewer was accurate to begin with), like how you can check "fog of war" before starting a new game if you want.

    I am about 20-30 hours into the game and am having a good time, which is the best review a game can receive, IMO. I've been a video game hobbyist since the early 80's, and still play dozens of hours a week. I rarely submit reviews, but a 5.4 user score is not in line with the current version that I am playing.    … Expand
  24. No1livesforever
    Dec 1, 2012
    8
    I played a lot of JA2 back in its time, and I would say JA:BIA is worth playing and get it only when it is on sale. For players who haven't played JA2 will find fun in this game. For players who already played JA2 are better off not to compare the different gameplay mechanics. Simply adapt new feature and treat it like a new tactical game that uses JA2 story. I find it really okay thatI played a lot of JA2 back in its time, and I would say JA:BIA is worth playing and get it only when it is on sale. For players who haven't played JA2 will find fun in this game. For players who already played JA2 are better off not to compare the different gameplay mechanics. Simply adapt new feature and treat it like a new tactical game that uses JA2 story. I find it really okay that game developer used Jagged Alliance for naming otherwise I would have missed this tactical game.… Expand
  25. steevm
    Nov 14, 2012
    8
    (Note: This is an updated review to reflect changes in the latest patches.) Ok, so it's not as good as Jagged Alliance 2. But how many games are? he new real-time system is quite fun (and I'm(Note: This is an updated review to reflect changes in the latest patches.) Ok, so it's not as good as Jagged Alliance 2. But how many games are? he new real-time system is quite fun (and I'm normally a TBS nutter!) and the ability to plan your strategy while the game is paused is well implemented. A number of patches have removed or alleviated some of the more blatant flaws in the initial release - the addition of sector inventories is a godsend, although equipping militas is still cumbersome (you need to run around and talk to each merc to equip them). If you can see past the lack of FOW and some of the other changes since JA2, there's a lot of fun to be had here. If you desperately want to play JA2, well, then play JA2, it's still the great game it always was.… Expand
  26. Silentstorm5
    Sep 13, 2012
    7
    When this game came out, I was not a fan, it was riddled with bugs and game-play errors. These have for the most part been fixed, but there are still some major issues that need to be addressed: The learning curve is extreme, you go from fighting guys with fire axes to heavily armed assault squads with insane accuracy, but I could overlook all of that, IF you could repair armor. In the endWhen this game came out, I was not a fan, it was riddled with bugs and game-play errors. These have for the most part been fixed, but there are still some major issues that need to be addressed: The learning curve is extreme, you go from fighting guys with fire axes to heavily armed assault squads with insane accuracy, but I could overlook all of that, IF you could repair armor. In the end this game just doesn't live up to the jagged alliance series we expect ,but the game in-itself is a decent and I do enjoy playing it (For the most part).… Expand
  27. dapac
    Aug 29, 2012
    10
    A lot of people are disappointing by this game, and I understand their perspective. I`ve been a long time fan of JA, finished it back when there were no mods, and even installed it again a month ago, with version 1.13, which is AMAZING. Now, the topic here is back in Action. At first, I didn`t want to buy the game, the lack of fog of war was making the game pretty unplayable, and theA lot of people are disappointing by this game, and I understand their perspective. I`ve been a long time fan of JA, finished it back when there were no mods, and even installed it again a month ago, with version 1.13, which is AMAZING. Now, the topic here is back in Action. At first, I didn`t want to buy the game, the lack of fog of war was making the game pretty unplayable, and the interface in general didn`t seem polished enough. Later on, I got into reading about it, getting more information about the company, and my mark of 10 is given in context of the bigger picture I`ve come to see:

    1. I bought the game, JABIA, when I saw patch 1.13, especially because of the major improvements the devs brought since launch. 2. A team of 12 people was working on JABIA, and I think they managed to accomplish amazing things together. 3. some of the original game mechanics are very difficult to remake into a 3d game from a development standpoint, even though fans "expect them" to be there

    If Blizzard released this game, with all the resources they had, my mark would be much lower, but I believe in this development team, think they have great potential ahead of them given enough resources, as well as if they change their business plan a bit to be more reactive to fans and critics feedback.

    Looking forward for more productions of JA,

    All the best,
    Alex    … Expand
  28. 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 seriousWhat 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
  29. K0O
    Aug 11, 2012
    8
    Very, very addictive. Not as deep and complex as the original (JA2), but nevertheless very good game. There are though many bugs, or at least design flaws, but the overall playing experience is very satisfying. Last patches have lifted the game quality considerably. The difficulty level is sometimes a bit tough, but that's just a challenge!
  30. aWolf
    Aug 3, 2012
    9
    As a fan of the original game, I was quite skeptic to this remake, especially after seeing the metacritic score... But I gave it a try a few months after launch, and it's quite good! I can't say how it was at launch, but now there are very few bugs so it's totally playable.
    It's hard enough without being frustrating, worthy of the jagged alliance name :)
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Awards & Rankings

65
#65 Most Discussed PC Game of 2012

Critic Reviews

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Metascore
62

Mixed or average reviews - based on 35 Critic Reviews

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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