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It was a rainy night, and our mercenaries were trapped in a village. The enemies closed in from every angle, and our mercenaries dropped like flies. My last one, the girl who thought everything was a fairy tale, couldn’t be saved either. That’s when it hit me; Jagged Alliance 3 had brought the joy of tactical combat again, accompanied by its iconic humor in this new entry. While it might be cringy for some, Jagged Alliance 3 features fantastic gameplay, albeit with a few flaws, a fun story that gets better due to the mercenaries, and many more things we’ll discuss in this review.
Jagged Alliance 3 Review: A Franchise’s Comeback
First and foremost, if you haven’t played any Jagged Alliance games, or at least the mainline ones, you might think the game contradicts its tone. As a disclaimer, it is important to note that the humor and setting of the game, while they contrast, are part of the charm of this franchise. With that out of the way, let’s talk about Jagged Alliance 3’s story in this review.
Story: Eclectic Mercenaries for Hire
The plot starts quite simple; you need to gather mercenaries to rescue the President of Grand Chien, who has been kidnapped. As soon as the game begins, you get to see the catalog of some colorful mercenaries that’ll accompany you through the game. The game recommends starting with three, but you can spend all your budget to gather as many as you can. You’re then dropped into the coast next to the rendezvous point with the client, and the narrative begins.
You’ll be meeting several characters as you advance the story. Some will ask you to deliver pamphlets, while others involve looking for missing girls. The main narrative could be better, but the strong point of the plot is definitely the side missions. It’s easy to miss some in-depth stories in the game if you don’t explore. Jagged Alliance 3 doesn’t hold your hand, so you should search every nook and cranny if you want to get the full scope of the story. It is an open-world game with no quest markers, which encourages exploration.
Of all the moments in Jagged Alliance 3’s story, the best ones are those made with my team. Some members dislike cooperating with others, triggering different dialogues. Others will give you a discount if you hire their best friend. Others will reluctantly participate in certain side quests, ensuring you know about their discontent. These moments with your squad become the story’s highlight as you progress. When I lost my first campaign, I was heartbroken as my mercenaries had grown on me. Imagine my surprise during my second run when I saw some offline and unavailable for hire. Every campaign will be different in terms of gameplay and structure.
Tactical Gameplay: A Hit and Miss
The Jagged Alliance games and the franchise’s spin-offs are decent in their own way but fail to captivate their audience on a larger scale. Yet, Jagged Alliance 3 tries to bring tactical gameplay at its finest and delivers in some ways. Every mercenary has a class that affects their stats. Some are all-rounders and can heal, craft, and detect stuff. That said, it is best to use units specialized in certain areas for ideal performance in combat. For example, explosive experts are better at throwing grenades or disarming mines, and sharpshooters hardly miss a shot. This excellent variety encourages you to balance your team, but things get hectic once you’re in action.
If we had to look at others in the genre, some might compare this to XCOM. Jagged Alliance 3’s gameplay tries to let go of some things established by XCOM. For instance, I missed seeing the chance to hit an enemy on screen. Yes, your mercenaries will call out if a shot is difficult, but that’s sometimes not enough. Moving away from things established by other games is not bad. Still, the genre has particular foundational mechanics that Jagged Alliance 3 should have considered retaining in its gameplay.
The combat will be challenging and stressful, but the game tells you at the beginning that Jagged Alliance 3 is that. You can “save-scum” if you’re losing mercenaries left and right or enable an easier mode in the options. We don’t recommend it, though, as any tactical combat deserves some challenge, and beating 14 enemies with four mercenaries is quite rewarding. Speaking of challenges, the biggest enemy in the game is money. Failing to manage your funds will prevent you from hiring new mercenaries, resulting in the loss of your campaign. Accordingly, capturing mines should be your priority when you leave the first island for a steady income.
On the other hand, one of my biggest complaints is stealth. It’s almost like the game discourages players from being stealthy in combat because the mechanic is a joke. I took down an enemy with no one else around. After a short while, an enemy would spot the body. Almost immediately, the enemies already knew my position, which made sneaking around not rewarding. Again, it is uncertain if I had to do something specific when sneaking because the game offers little explanation of how stealth works. As a result, it was an aspect in my review of Jagged Alliance 3 I did not enjoy and one that could use a lot more polish to keep up with the rest of the game.
RPG Gameplay: Sometimes Better Than the Tactical Part
The RPG elements of Jagged Alliance 3 are vital throughout the game. There are skill checks in every area of the map that can lead to some interesting interactions. For example, you can inspect what seems to be a grave at one point during a mission, and if you pass the skill check, you can loot the corpses. Doing so will give your mercenaries the guilty status but give you some loot.
Jagged Alliance 3 has some of the most solid RPG elements I’ve seen in tactical games. You can choose whatever you want, provided you have the right roster. Again, that’s why it is so important to have a balanced team. At one point, I tried to grab my favorite mercenaries to realize I couldn’t pass certain skill checks and missed some loot and interactions. Yet, it is part of the game and offers a lot of replayability for those who fail the campaign or want to try a more challenging difficulty.
The choices don’t end there, as you can see them in conversations too. Some of my mercenaries had different things to say depending on the situation and with whom I started the conversation. This makes choosing the right mercenary for out-of-combat events also important. While you can create your mercenary at the start of the game, you should stick with the ones in the catalog. Their personalities are incredibly well-written and offer certain perks to let you do things in and outside of a fight.
It surprised me that I enjoyed the RPG part more than the tactical combat. Not saying the latter is bad, but the RPG bit was undoubtedly more polished and fleshed out. Building my characters and training them for specific situations was remarkable. Many choices significantly affect the game’s world; you’ll see some during the tutorial island.
Graphics & Audio: An Immersive Blend of Scenery
The narrative takes place in the South African country of Grand Chien, and the game’s art team certainly nailed the aesthetics of the environmental design. Every inspired set piece was created perfectly. From war-torn villages to vast areas, the game has it all. I did encounter stuttering in certain parts of the game, especially in big fights. Whenever I fought six to seven enemies, it all ran smoothly. However, when the enemy count doubled, the stutters began. While it isn’t an action-focused game, it should run better for a tactical title, and it is something that needs a fix.
Regarding audio, there aren’t any significant complaints. You can play with headphones and hear the bullets flying or smashing objects, and it all sounds perfect. I noticed some audio glitches in some dialogues. When speaking with certain characters, some would say the first line, and the next would never play, which was weird. This isn’t a game-breaking issue but is something the developers should address.
One thing I want to praise is the dynamic, destructible environment. Missing a shot in the game, which will happen often, isn’t too bad when you hear the bullet smash a door or break a fence. These little details made every combat more immersive, and we’re glad to see the attention to detail with these things.
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Conclusion: A Must-Buy for Fans
The time spent on my Jagged Alliance 3 Review was great due to its gameplay and story. While some things need work, fans of the series should consider giving this title from its release. Many will like the nods to the series, the familiar faces, and the new systems. Yet, the game had outdated mechanics from the 90s and failed to catch up with the modern staples of the genre. For instance, a chance-to-hit indicator would be great for new players.
The dialogue might be cringy for some people, and it gets old after a while. Such was the case for Aliens: Dark Descent. Yet, the contrast between the serious plot and the goofy characters is excellent for those who like the franchise. While it isn’t the best game of the genre, it is a solid comeback that needs improvement. That is if the developers plan on launching more mainline games.
Jagged Alliance 3 is available on PC (Reviewed), PS5, PS4, Xbox Series X|S, and Xbox One.
Review copy provided by Publisher.
Jagged Alliance 3 (PC Reviewed)
Jagged Alliance 3 is a great franchise's comeback that still needs a bit of polishing in a few areas.
Pros
- Fantastic tactical systems.
- Engaging non-linear world exploration.
Cons
- Lack of modern tactical game features.
- The game's humor might not be everyone's cup of tea.
