Hey guys,

Anyone else a fan of Jagged Alliance? JA: Back in Action is out on steam. Just a couple of things if you are a fan of the series, but are unsure of this game.

It's basically JA2, but remade in "3D" vs the cartoony 2D of the beloved orginals. and when i say basically a remake -- i mean it's totally JA2, but with some tweaks. You don't get to use IMP to create your own merc (/sadface), but pretty much all the mercs are back. The guns are slightly different, but you don't get to make your own gear (beer can + string = alarm). So they removed two of the "fun" systems from the older games.

Oh and it's not exactly turnbased any more. Instead it uses a hybrid real-time/pause mechanic which I actually like. No more waiting on a merc to get the AP's to run across the Map. now you can click+drag the team, have them run to the spot, pause it, and give them orders when they arrive, and even have them do sync shooting...it's actually pretty sweet once you get the hang of it.

No multiplayer either. which is sorta understandable. No FoW + pausing games for commands + large maps makes sneak attacks pretty easy to spot. All-in-all, I'm having a blast playing it. Definately got the nestagia factor for me, but with newer game play mechanics to bring it up to speed. I really dig the way LoS works with Cover and how the "sound" mechanic works too. Got a loud ass merc? Great! sounds like plan disctraction man is in effect!

The game still has a lot of the trademark humor too, so i like that. Although, i remember that JA2 had a lot more "fluff text" for stuff. Also, I miss the hell outta those 2D character portraits, they look a lot better than the 3D models upclose...but the models update when you get them gear like sunglasses and what not.

If you're a huge fan of the series, I'd pick it up and take a walk down memory lane. If you haven't played it before, wait for the Steam sale to get it, if you're a fan of "tactical 3rd person (god view, not shoulder view) squad shooters" -- think Fallout: Brotherhood of Steel, but much better.

Oh, and for you resource management fans, you still get to capture parts of the map that generate income so you can turn around and buy better gear/mercs.