![]() ![]() You'll even encounter nonplayer characters to converse with, and often they'll ask you to undertake missions from escorting them to safety, to rescuing their imprisoned comrades. The map is full of strange and unexpected encounters and at times resembles Interplay's role-playing game Fallout more than X-COM. Your team can also find and employ vehicles, from hummers to helicopters, expediting travel between zones.Īnd no longer will you have to halt your attack simply because night has fallen - you can now engage in combat during day or night, though you must make sure your team gets plenty of rest. Zones between towns contain wandering troops of enemies, and you have the option of retreating, fighting, or having the computer resolve the combat situation for you when you encounter resistance (though the latter almost always leads to unnecessary loss of life). Towns are your primary targets, and you must take and hold these while training a militia to protect them while you are away. While the map is still divided into zones, you no longer simply move and fight on a zone-by-zone basis. ![]() Jagged Alliance 2 deviates from the original in its campaign structure. And while your mercs' ability to absorb damage may be a bit unrealistic (how many point-blank head shots can one person really stand?), it certainly makes the game more playable. Gunshots are simulated precisely, even to the extent that bullets will sometimes ricochet or penetrate obstacles and still cause damage to the intended target, albeit much less than usual. Another significant improvement is that the game switches to real time when there are no enemies in sight, letting you reposition your team quickly for the next firefight. Mercs can also climb onto rooftops, making for some excellent sniping opportunities. When moving, mercs can crawl, crouch, or stand, and a new stealth mode lets them move almost silently, though more slowly. When aiming at an enemy, not only can you target the head, torso, or legs, but you can also allocate more points to each shot, making your merc aim more precisely. Each turn, your mercs are allocated a certain number of action points, which can be used to perform any action, such as moving, bandaging, using a weapon, or opening a door. The turn-based combat system in Jagged Alliance 2 is excellent, including some welcome improvements over the first game. Thankfully, guiding your mercs in action is as much fun as listening to them. The mercs also respond to one another, and many will balk if you hire someone they particularly dislike, and some may be less inclined to work for you if members of your team get killed.įans of the original will be glad to know that most of the original mercs are back, and some of those that seem strangely absent from the roster make appearances in some form or another over the course of the game. While the Schwarzenegger-esque Steroid may cry out "My skin is punctured and leaking!" after receiving a nasty wound, the tough-as-nails Shadow will only worry that his blood is leaving a trail. The mercs each have distinct personalities, and much of the fun in the game comes from hearing what they have to say in certain situations. The stronger and more numerous the strengths, the more money the merc costs (though you can get discounts for paying them for a week or two up front). Each merc has significant strengths and weaknesses. Much like the original, the dozens of unique mercenaries of Jagged Alliance 2 are the highlight of the game. The hiring/buying process is all done through a well-implemented in-game version of e-mail and the World Wide Web, letting you hire trained killers and purchase heavy explosives much like you'd buy more common products at any online retailer. You must recapture it zone by zone and in the process find a means of earning money to hire more mercs and buy better equipment. To do this, you must use your small initial funds to build a team of mercenaries whom you send to the country in question. And, for the most part, it's excellent.Īs in the first game, you have been hired to liberate a small country from the machinations of a tyrannical ruler. Now, after months in publisher limbo, Jagged Alliance 2 is finally here. Sirtech followed up with Jagged Alliance: Deadly Games, a pseudo-sequel that included more single-player missions (though no real campaign) and multiplayer options, but it was disappointing when compared with the excellent original. Yet while X-COM had you commanding squads of marines against alien invaders, Jagged Alliance, as its name suggests, put you in charge of a bunch of ragtag mercenaries, many of whom had their own agendas and wouldn't always follow orders. Like X-COM: UFO Defense before it, the original Jagged Alliance was a complex turn-based strategy game that gained a loyal following almost entirely through positive word of mouth. ![]()
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