Jagged Alliance: Flashback

 PC
User Score
4.2

Generally unfavorable reviews- based on 76 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 19 out of 76
  2. Mixed: 12 out of 76
  3. Negative: 45 out of 76

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  1. Tendoncutter
    Dec 4, 2014
    8
    I've followed this game since the Kickstarter, and have played on an off during the Steam EA period, seeing it take shape before the final, unfortunately premature, release, due to budget exhaustion.
    The game has seen a steady flow of patches and update since then, and the developers have added what was missing from the initial release.
    The game is a somewhat lite iteration in the JA    I've followed this game since the Kickstarter, and have played on an off during the Steam EA period, seeing it take shape before the final, unfortunately premature, release, due to budget exhaustion.
    The game has seen a steady flow of patches and update since then, and the developers have added what was missing from the initial release.

    The game is a somewhat lite iteration in the JA genre, focusing first and foremost on getting the tactical combat optimised and returned to the turn-based mode of its elder brothers JA1 and JA2. This comes at the expense of fluff, an elaborate and ultra-rich story/setting and deep character immersion. But this was never within the scope of the project, which seems to have been forgotten by the vast majority of people who casually threw 30 bucks at the KS and expected a remake of JA2. Sadly, these seem to be the most vocal detractors, both evidenced here and at the official steam forums, not to mention some of the "professional" critic reviews, that reek of the same personal hurt feelings and disregard for reality.

    Luckily, knowing what was on the table the whole time, I've been able to focus on the strong point of Flashback, which is the tactical combat and the squad-based game play. After all, what good is a shiny box of kittens, if they all turn out to be retarded and the box made of poo, beneath the glossy finish?
    I'm about 15 hours in so far, and thoroughly enjoying myself. The game start off light on your squad(although this was not the case during some of the EA period), but get gradually harder(tougher, better equipped enemies) the more you progress. Just because you picked up that awesome rifle does not mean you'll dance through without a fight!
    CTH and cover system work well, after some patch love, and the recent addition of attachments only expand the possibilities of earning you kills. And the interrupt mechanism is enriching.
    The game still has kinks and klonks here and there, but the post-release support has been great and really made this a worthwhile investment.

    Good job on the limited budget, FC.    … Expand
  2. Special_K
    Oct 25, 2014
    9
    First off, the combat and the overall game experience in this game is really, really good. The AI is competent, the numerous weapons feel powerful and deadly. The environments are interesting and good looking, the portraits and merc personalities are great, the music is excellent and really sets the mood and pacing, and the sound design, especially on the weapons, is meaty and loud, andFirst off, the combat and the overall game experience in this game is really, really good. The AI is competent, the numerous weapons feel powerful and deadly. The environments are interesting and good looking, the portraits and merc personalities are great, the music is excellent and really sets the mood and pacing, and the sound design, especially on the weapons, is meaty and loud, and hits you right in the gut - like firearms are supposed to.

    Yes, there are still some rough edges, but these will be ironed out by the developers; updates have been released almost every day since release - based on testing and community feedback.

    And yes, some die-hard JA2 1.13 fans have been complaining about Flashback not having the same amount of features as the old games. But this game was never intended to be a clone or a remake of 1.13; that mod has been honed and fine tuned over a period of more than a decade, and the initial budget for Flashback would never be able to incorporate all that. But the core game experience is there. It's solid and fun, and the modding community seems to be really positive about the future potential of making something akin to a modern take of 1.13.

    Instead of complaining about missing features, people should be focusing on what this game does well and whether it's a good and fun gaming experience at its core. And it IS! Just look at Shanga's positive review above/below. He was one of the guys behind the JA2 1.13 mod. If HE is positive about the game and its future modding potential, that should count for a lot.

    TLDR; If you're looking for a great, tactical, and turn-based experience, this is the game for you. And it will only get better in the future - with both solid developer support and solid modding activity.

    I'm giving this a 9 based on the overall game experience combined with the future potential for making that even better through modding.    … Expand

Critic Reviews

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Metascore
52

Mixed or average reviews - based on 10 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 1 out of 10
  2. Mixed: 4 out of 10
  3. Negative: 5 out of 10
  1. CD-Action
    Feb 7, 2015
    50
    Jagged Alliance 2 is old and ugly, but its gameplay still blows Flashback out of the water. [01/2015, p.78]
  2. Riot Pixels
    Jan 25, 2015
    45
    I should also point out unpleasant visuals, crappy voice-over work, horrendous pathfinding and sloppy UI, but it all simply adds injury to the insult, since, first and foremost, JA: Flashback fails as a tactical strategy game.
    Read full review
  3. Pelit (Finland)
    Dec 15, 2014
    75
    Jagged Alliance Flashback resurrects the classic game, unfortunately only as a skeleton. I hope that some day the flesh, muscles and soul will be added. [Dec 2014]
See all critic reviews »