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Review: Jagged Alliance 3



Live an action adventure like an 80's movie in Jagged Alliance 3.



THE GAME


Jagged Alliance 3 is a tactical and strategic RPG developed by Haemimont Games and distributed by THQ Nordic. With the disappearance of the president of Grand Chien, the paramilitary force called the Legion takes over the nation. With that, the president's family creates an agreement with the Adonis corporation to hire mercenaries who can rescue the president and maintain order in the country. You'll be able to assemble your team the way you want and that's within your budget, because your mercenaries work by contracts. With that, your strategic planning has to be done in and out of battle.


Urban combats worthy of action movies.
Urban combats worthy of action movies.

MY IMPRESSIONS


Every game in this style seems to be the same, but Jagged Alliance 3 tries to change that stigma a little. With a much more tactical approach, you can use the characteristics of your mercenaries very well, in addition to the fact that you can use their skills in a creative way. With that, I found it a little confusing at times, maybe it's something me or the interface, but some things aren't as clear as they should be.


As for the mercenaries, they all have their own style, some very stereotyped, as if they were in an action movie. The contract mechanic is interesting, however, for me, it's pretty disheartening. In games like this, I always have my favorite characters that I want to see through to the end, but with contracts, I won't always have access to the characters I like the most. For me, this is a weakness. The story also seems to have been taken from a generic action movie, which isn't all bad, since the focus doesn't need to be on a rich story, since we don't have fixed characters as protagonists. The game is in Portuguese-Brazil, which facilitates the understanding of the game as a whole, both in history and gameplay. The graphics are beautiful and create a cool atmosphere for the game, especially the characters, who are well represented.


The cooperative mode is very strange, as both players share the money, however, they can only control the characters they hire, which is not clear when playing for the first time. That is, if a player hires three characters and the other only one, the first will control three mercenaries and the second only one, which makes no sense, since everything is shared. In addition, at the time of the action, there is no division of turns between the players, which can lead to uncoordinated actions that end up culminating in actions thrown in the trash. Clarity is something the game lacks a lot.


Jagged Alliance 3 is a challenging game, keep that in mind when playing. For the unwary, it can be a little frustrating, but for those who already know what they're getting into, it's a great choice, as the game has been improved in many ways compared to the previous ones.


Welcome to the jungle!
Welcome to the jungle!

ACHIEVEMENTS


If you're looking for a challenge, Jagged Alliance 3 is where you'll find it. In addition to campaign progression achievements and some specific actions that should happen naturally during gameplay, we have some challenging achievements. If I were to list each one of them, it would almost be a general guide, so, in short, we have achievements linked to game difficulty, speed run, number of mercenaries used and the list goes on with many more specific challenges. You will need a lot of time and effort to get 100% of the achievements in Jagged Alliance 3.


Strategy is key.
Strategy is key.

CONCLUSION


As I said before, the mechanics of contracts did not please me and can be discouraging for those who like to have their favorite characters always, but for those who like resource management challenges along with strategic plans, it is a great choice. With that, Jagged Alliance 3 takes tactical gaming to another level that, in my case, doesn't excite. Furthermore, the gameplay, although it doesn't seem so clear at times, is well done and diverse.


That whole old-fashioned, stereotypical action-movie aura appeals to me because it evokes a simple, fun feeling. Even so, the story is just a backdrop for all the action in the game. Interaction between mercenaries is cool, with some even indicating others to be hired as a preference to work together. These details enrich the characters and create fun dynamics.


The cooperative mode is a little confusing and doesn't add much to the game itself, but it doesn't displease either. I believe that Jagged Alliance 3 will please fans of previous games a lot, with a game full of challenge. While I wasn't thrilled, I recognize its merits as a fun game.


SCORE: 7.5/10

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