Jagged Alliance fans can rejoice. Handy Games has just released a new game in the series, the 4th title under the Jagged Alliance umbrella. It has been 6 years since the last game debuted, so Jagged Alliance : Rage has a lot to live up to. Set 20 years after the original game, you have to navigate the jungles as several mercenaries.
Jagged Alliance : Rage is a turn based combat game that weaves exploration, stealth, hand to hand combat, and weaponry. You play as 2 separate mercenaries, each with their own attributes to try and complete your mission. The game starts out as a rescue mission gone awry and you are forced to escape prison and make your way through enemy territory. How you play will greatly affect your game. Will you sneak through enemy lines or try to kill everyone in your path? Limited resources can alter your play style as well.
Each character has a set number of action points they can use during each turn. It is up to you to decide how they will be allocated. Running gets you further but will increase the chance of being seen and having to engage in combat. Similarly, the use of weapons will draw attention to where you are skulking. Not only are you able to shoot at enemies, but you can actually aim at specific areas of the body for more effective damage. Once you complete an areas objective, you are free to move onto your next task.
Gameplay takes a little getting used to. The controls for moving and attacking feel overly complicated. This is because everything is mapped out on your controller. This is not the fault of the developers, the controls are better suited for a mouse and keyboard set up. Once you get the hang of the controls, swapping between characters, picking the correct movement speed and attack does become a bit more fluid. Luckily, the first level is a tutorial and the next few are fairly easy. Another nice thing is that there is no turn timer, so you are able to take your time to make sure you really want to complete the action you are thinking about.
The graphics tend to be a bit on the dark side, but you are able to rotate your view 360 degrees. This helps you plan out what you next move will be and also spot enemies before you bump into them. When you load up the game, or switch between levels there is a bit of a wait time at the loading screens. The music in game is a step above what I expected. You are treated to a score that resembles that of a Hollywood film.
Jagged Alliance : Rage is out now on XB1, Playstation 4, and PC. While the price tag of $29.99 may seem a bit high, there is a lot of content and for those that like turn based games it will check most of the boxes on your list.
