In the world of turn-based strategy games, it’s probably fair to say that we’ve been waiting a heck of a long time for Jagged Alliance to make its next move. Almost a quarter of a century has passed since the last numbered entry in the series, and the many attempts that have been made to recapture its tactical, mercenary magic since then have been mixed at best, and reviled at worst. Haemimont Games, the devs behind Tropico and current custodians of the upcoming Jagged Alliance 3, know this, and their publisher THQ Nordic said as much back in September 2021 when it was first revealed, assuring players they were going to create a game that “really does justice to the Jagged Alliance legacy”.
But in an era where turn-based tactics games are now increasingly defined by genre titans such as XCOM and Into The Breach, I’m not sure that legacy means all that much anymore. I’ve been playing a substantial early chunk of Jagged Alliance 3 over the last week or so, and its decision to pare back crucial information such as chance-to-hit and other modern conveniences has mostly left me feeling frustrated and annoyed rather than daring and excited. The writing also made me cringe so hard at times I think even the neighbours heard my groans of despair. It certainly looks the part of a modern strategy game, its detailed African landscape, top down perspective and interactive objects calling to mind Mimimi’s excellent Desperados 3 and Shadow Tactics games, but the rest feels like it’s been lifted straight out of the late 90s where we last left Jagged Alliance 2 – and not necessarily to its benefit.
