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[User Summary]:
Jagged Alliance 2 is a mix of strategy game (with a world map to move armies around), turn-based tactical game (individual soldiers fighting on a battle map) and RPG (each NPC has attributes that can be improved and a distinctive personality).
The game follows the struggle of a mercenary (the player), hired by the exiled leader of Arulco, a small south-american country to overthrow the dictatorial regime of Queen Deidranna. To succeed, the player must hire and manage a team of mercenaries, recapture strategic locations (towns, mines, SAM sites...) to earn money and weaken the opposition, train militia to defend the liberated areas, and right a few wrongs along the way in optional sub quests.
The strategic view, with a map of Arulco showing objectives, militia training levels, income sources and equipment allows the players to manage their campaign. Mercenaries on the map can be ordered to train, build or repair equipment, train other mercenaries or militia, heal their wounds or move to an objective. Players can use a laptop to surf mercenary website to hire or dismiss personnel, order weapons and gear and read their mail and intelligence reports.
Once a team of mercenaries enters an enemy-occupied zone, the game switch to an isometric view of the battlefield. Battles are turn-based and take into account a lot of parameters (weather conditions, character status, vegetation, equipment...). Once the enemy has been eliminated, players can explore the area and encounter its inhabitants (a good source of intel and optional quests).
The game ends with the conquest of the capital of Arulco.
- Fun to play with others.
- Can be played solo.
- The art looked sweet.
- It was a Kickstarter that was avoided, which was a good decision.
- Late delivery from Kickstarter.
- Did not live up to expectations.
- Felt like a cheap clone of the computer game.
- Miniatures were not very good.
- Basic mission objectives.
- Showed its age compared to modern Kickstarter games.
- The company's only game and likely did not have the experience to make a top-tier game.
- Mercenary group on missions.
- Jungle.
- Turn-based computer game.
Mechanics (from transcript analysis)
- Action Points — Used in the turn-based system.
- Hex grid movement — Used for movement in the turn-based system.
- Solo Play — The game can be played solo.
- turn-based — Core mechanic from the original computer game.
Video topics + discussion points
Quotes (from this video)
- This is actually the first year we're doing a disappointing list.
- They're not bad games they just didn't live up to the hype they just didn't work for me
- Viewer discretion is advised
- This video is brought to you by audible
- Coloma was I kind of it has it's kind of a Western game
- The game was extremely I wouldn't say long but it was very very boring
- The game was very bog-standard boring and long and just tedious
- The game worked out and I'm more sad than mad that the game is bad
- It's fine but it just doesn't I was hesitant and then I I got it
- This game is too difficult for you to figure out
- it's such a niche like oh are you an 80 year old submarine World War two veteran this is the game for you
- basically your your thing with you had like Dragon cards but no dragons to use them for right
- this is the most disappointing game of all time
- This game was such I mean it was fine like you but like that what killed it was a civilization game like that's what made that's what made it so hyped up
- I think this game was astronomically boring
- You don't go from like oh I am a euphoria down to you know whatever the the Bronze Age it's like what like the leaps and logic that this game makes you have to be a civilization you wipe that
- This game is not terrible functionally it works fine
- This game had very high expectations for but ultimately fell flat
- It's like I know is that is it or is it just like this is just a piss-poor 2019 Kickstarter game or is it like it's just like still just like damn it shows its age
References (from this video)
- memorable mercenary roster with charm
- engaging campaign and variety of missions
- older visuals by modern standards
- some UI frictions
- tactical turn-based with RPG-like mercenary management
- fictional Latin American country of Arulco
- sandbox campaign with character-driven mercenaries
- XCOM
Mechanics (from transcript analysis)
- recruitment and progression — hire, arm, equip and develop mercenaries over a campaign
- turn-based tactical combat — individual mercenaries with unique personalities in tactical skirmishes
Video topics + discussion points
Quotes (from this video)
- This is my favorite list of war games based on the experience that I've had with these games and not based on some external data source.
- This list is a work in progress.
- I think you'll like decisive campaigns or dens.
- There is so much terror and tension in the combat missions.
- Crusader Kings 3 is the current number one top PC war game.