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Jagged Alliance 3
Released On: Jul 14, 2023
81
8.1
Where to Buy
Where to Buy
All Platforms
Metascore
Generally Favorable
Based on 51 Critic Reviews
81
78% Positive
40 Reviews
40 Reviews
16% Mixed
8 Reviews
8 Reviews
0% Negative
0 Reviews
0 Reviews
Metascore
Generally Favorable
Based on 51 Critic Reviews
81
78% Positive
40 Reviews
40 Reviews
16% Mixed
8 Reviews
8 Reviews
0% Negative
0 Reviews
0 Reviews
It's hard to stop playing this game. Finally the day has come, when I can say that about Jagged Alliance 3.
Jagged Alliance 3 represents the return of turn-based strategy combat in a big way, and is so addictive and well done that it could revive a genre lately dedicated only to a few enthusiasts. The reckless choice not to show the probability of scoring the attacks proves to be decisive, as it makes every firefight unpredictable, forcing us to risk everything on several occasions. The only drawback in this excellent production is the artificial intelligence of the enemies, who sometimes spare us for no reason and seem devoted to suicide. However, it remains unmissable.
User Score
Generally Favorable
Based on 126 User Ratings
8.1
82% Positive
103 Ratings
103 Ratings
10% Mixed
13 Ratings
13 Ratings
8% Negative
10 Ratings
10 Ratings
User Score
Generally Favorable
Based on 126 User Ratings
8.1
82% Positive
103 Ratings
103 Ratings
10% Mixed
13 Ratings
13 Ratings
8% Negative
10 Ratings
10 Ratings
A few common points of criticism towards the game and my thoughts on why I DISAGREE WITH THOSE:
• No active pause – I think that being able to set up perfect ambushes with your whole squad by executing a number of orders in perfect sync would ruin the experience for me. You can still set up brilliant ambushes by, say, planting a timed explosive and putting most of your squad in overwatch before the turn-based combat starts so that the enemy still suffers a lot of damage in the repositioning phase.
• No chance to hit displayed – while the option has already been provided with an official mod, I seriously don’t get it what so many people are complaining about. You are explicitly shown tons of information about what could affect your chances to hit positively or negatively, sometimes up to 9-10 such data points in my experience. If that were not enough, you actually get a visual indication of whether your attempt is in the sweet spot based on all those factors combined with range.
• Quirky controls – I’ve found it way more easier to go to a different floor as compared with XCOM2. Controls are fairly intuitive and responsive from my point of view, especially appreciating the fact that so much is going on that I can’t really blame the game for not always being fully clear as to what exactly I’m trying to do.
• Enemy knowing where you are – I’ve noticed some reviewers have claimed that the AI knew more than it should. While I appreciate the fact they may have had such experience, I haven’t. I’ve had a number of situations where I’m openly attacking the enemy with part of the squad while some other mercs stay hidden to attack from the flank. It seemed that the AI was only aware of my openly attacking mercs and wasn’t anticipating the hidden mercs that were sometimes literally in front of its way. If they’d been able to do a 1-hit kill with a suppressed sniper, they’d remain hidden and the AI would definitely still be unaware of where they were.
• Ragdoll physics can be subpar; what your merc wears doesn’t change their looks – both statements are correct and I seriously couldn’t care less. I’m here for the gameplay which is brilliant – if that’s at the expense of some more eye candy, then so be it.
What I particularly liked about the game:
• Good and challenging AI even at the lowest difficulty
• I did explore every single tile on the map and I still see a great replayability potential. It’s very much non-linear indeed and you can progress with even some of the major milestones in a campaign by approaching them in a different order. Your decisions do indeed matter in the long term and I bet I could see a lot more from the game even in a third or fourth replay – the point is that it’s not only alternative choices (where I could just explore 100% of those alternatives in a second playthrough) but rather your choices cumulatively also lead to very different outcomes. Side quests are brilliant and very immersive.
• The game came out extremely polished and with more than enough content for it to be called a worthy day one release. That used to be the standard twenty years ago but not really the case anymore so it’s very much worth praising the developers and the publishers for that. I’ve played for more than 60 hours so far and I haven’t had a single crash or any major bug spoiling my experience. The game is also full of so much content that it’s most certainly a fully completed launch – unlike many other moder releases that are launched but only become playable after months and potentially even some paid DLCs.
• Love the projectile ballistics!
What could’ve made the game even better:
• Lacking tutorials – as a newcomer to the game and the series (but definitely not to the genre), I gave up on my first playthrough after about 10 hours because I’d made some fundamental strategy mistakes. I then spent about an hour of watching videos on YouTube with titles like “5 major mistakes to avoid when playing JA3”, etc. After that I had tons of fun with my full 50-hours completionist playthrough. Nevertheless, a proper engaging in-game tutorial would’ve been appreciated. I did my best to try to read all of the text just-in-time tips but felt overwhelmed with the walls of text at some point.
• I mentioned already that I love the projectile ballistics but as much as I was hyped about the destructible terrain, I must say Silent Storm still remains unmatched in that respect. Yes, many objects and parts of the terrain are indeed destructible but I couldn’t help but think all the time how Silent Storm was far superior in that respect. Don’t get me wrong – destruction is good, I’m happy it’s there in the first place, it’s just simply not as absolutely brilliant and fun as it was in Silent Storm.
Despite the two points above, I had so much fun that I realise it's greater than the sum of its parts, hence 10/10.
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PC
Jagged Alliance 3 is an excellent game, better than all the more recent installments. Let's say that since 1999, the year of Jagged Alliance 2, we haven't had this much fun with a game from the series. We're talking about an engaging title with a campaign that can last for dozens of hours and certain aspects of the experience that are truly deep. If it weren't for the entry difficulties and some absurdities on the battlefield, it would have been a masterpiece. As it is, though, it's still a great game that can provide a lot of satisfaction.
If you’re a turn-based strategy fan, the combat in Jagged Alliance 3 is not to be missed. Thanks to the game’s varied mercenary stats, it’s easy to put together a team that aligns well with your preferred personal play style and the game’s combat mechanics are accessible yet suspenseful, thanks to the absence of a precise percentage-to-hit chance. While the game’s dialogue feels naff in places and could’ve been executed better overall, it’s a small price to pay for the high level of entertaining battles. And if that’s your thing, Jagged Alliance 3 is sure to deliver.
One of the tactics greats finally found its way to people who understand what the series was all about. Despite the weak onboarding and the cliché laden narrative, an engaging, exciting strategy game that challenges on many levels. Good news, seems you can finally uninstall Jagged Alliance 2!
Personally, I just think this is a piece of a very well-made game. This is not your perfect title, but it certainly is an extremely successful continuation of the legend from 1999. If you are fans of Jagged Alliance 2 and were quietly counting on a modernized version of the game, part three will definitely meet your expectations.
This top-tier strategy game loses points for the slurs and racial stereotyping in the writing. The best urban combat in a tactical game in years, but the world feels paper-thin even as the fights impress.
finally a game again, that is a good tbs-game with guns. In the last years, many failed and this one is nice. You need some time to get used to the campaign. I love looting, the variety of weapons and equipment
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PC
This is not a Jagged Aliance game. It's a modern xcom clone which has no idea what made the originals special.
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PC
Although this is the best JA since the second part, the game has gone too far from the original series, having lost the specific black humor, lore and characters history and having too casual mechanics. This is not the JA that I replayed three times and which is rightfully considered one of the most realistic and well-developed military-tactical RPGs in the history of games.
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PC
Summary The country of Grand Chien is thrown into chaos when the elected president goes missing and the paramilitary force known as “the Legion” seizes control. Hire mercs, meet interesting characters, and fight in tactically deep turn-based combat in this true successor to a beloved franchise.
Platforms:
- PC
- Xbox Series X
- PlayStation 5
- Xbox One
- PlayStation 4
Initial Release Date: Jul 14, 2023
Developer:
- Haemimont Games
Publisher: THQ Nordic
Genres:
