Jagged Alliance: Back in Action Reviews
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GameSpy gives it a 2/5:
I can't say I had no fun at all playing Jagged Alliance: Back in Action -- in fact, I'm having an entertaining time replaying the early missions with an all-melee hit squad and doing better than my first time around -- but I can say that of the 50 hours of my life it took to put a bullet in the queen, I want about half of them back. Even hardcore strategy players are going to have a hell of a time liberating Arulco without it turning into a frustrating quagmire.
Ten Ton Hammer gives it a 52/100:
What's the point of a remake if you can't imbue the game with the same love and, at least, the same vision? Back in Action is a boring game that just doesn't cut it, regardless of whether you're a purist or a new player. With a mediocre game play experience and overly tedious micromanagement, you will begin to yearn to get back in action yourself.with a superior game.
Collected Nonsense gives it a 2/5:
All of the above, together with the constant typos (a perk that probably half the mercs have is called "Though"), lack of any real configuration options, the placeholder-y interface (strangely enough, the older beta screenshots actually look much better), and a few other things gave me the impression of playing a very, very early development build of a game which would probably be an excellent one, when it is released a few years in the future after much bug-fixing, polishing and many rounds of QC. If Jagged Alliance - Back in Action was a little hobby project that my buddy is making on the weekends, I'd say "that's cool, man! You should fix some of the big bugs and release it as alpha!". Given that they have released it, and priced it at 40 bucks at that, going so far as to provide pre-order options and day-one DLC, the best I can muster is a disappointed frown.
Elder Geek gives it a 3/5:
By the time we were finished playing the very-well constructed tutorial, we knew we were going to be hooked. If you can find a way to see through the mess, there is a real gem of a game here that both tactical shooter fans and RPG fans might grow to love. While it is far too unrefined to give an Elder-Geek (worth buying) rating, we strongly urge the curious to give it a try.
Cross Platform Games goes scoreless:
Jagged Alliance can be a blast when you are doing things right, but can be really frustrating if you mess up, ending in the slaughtering of your squad. It has a learning curve that might drive away some players, but ultimately is a fun and rewarding experience. The return of Jagged Alliance is one that fans of the franchise will enjoy as well as new comers to the franchise. Despite some of it's quirks, overall it's a solid tactical game that strategy gamers will enjoy.
Entertainment Depot gives it a 6/10:
Jagged Alliance: Back in Action is a game whose potent post-patch potential buoys its otherwise limp arrival. The framework for an exceptional tactical strategy game is in place, but it's hampered by so many time-consuming chores and head-scratching implementations that it will be too rough around the edges for many. There are some exciting running gunfights and near things to be had, but there are also a lot of bugs (weapons vanishing, spotty pathfinding, inventory items disappearing) and onerous design decisions (erratic militia, inventory juggling, menu wading) that need to be addressed before it can come close to Sir-Tech's original.
Gamedot gives it an 8/10:
Jagged Alliance is a flawed title. There is no doubt about that. Whether this is down to poor design decisions carried over from the original or more recent oversights, it's not going to matter for the average player. There are many things that the developer could have done to improve the overall experience. However, I would definitely recommend this game to anyone who enjoys strategy games with a large amount of micromanagement. There is a lot of content here and this game delivers a style of play that can only be found with excellence on PC, and perhaps a good indication that there is still a reason to put out a title that's not for the masses.
And GamerHome gives it an 8/10:
Truth be told, you'll spend a lot of time picking and outfitting your team, only to find yourself avoiding fights whenever possible unless you're absolutely sure you can take an objective without alerting the horde to your presence. Mercenary selection remains its own very involved process, requiring you to choose balanced teams of 3 which had better include a medic, as character deaths from wounds are quick and, as mentioned, permanent. You'll do it all with limited funds, and will need to select your team carefully, hedging the skills of one merc against deficiencies in the others. Even their personalities have to be accounted for; some ruthless killers apparently play well together, and some just hate each other like rats. The merc graphics and voice acting give JA:HD that familiar scent of cheese, but crew selection is actually one of the more pleasing aspects of the game.
