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.
The turn-based combat system is the core of the gameplay experience. Players control a team of unique mercenaries, each with their own skills, traits, and equipment. During combat, you must carefully consider positioning, cover usage, and weapon/ability selection to outmaneuver and eliminate enemies. The game rewards strategic planning, as coordinating your team's actions can lead to devastating results.
Character customization and progression are key strengths. The diverse roster of mercenaries, each with their own backstories and personalities, allows you to tailor your team to your playstyle. As these characters level up, you can allocate skill points and unlock new perks to specialize their abilities. The robust equipment system encourages you to loot, scavenge, and craft a wide array of weapons, armor, and gear. Modifying and upgrading these items can significantly impact a mercenary's combat effectiveness, further incentivizing resource management and inventory optimization.
The game's strategic layer extends beyond tactical combat. You must navigate an overworld map, securing control of key locations like mines, harbors, and settlements. This introduces additional considerations, such as timing mercenary deployments, training local militias, and balancing various quests and objectives. The open-ended campaign allows for different approaches, with the consequences of your decisions shaping the story's trajectory. This nonlinearity and sense of agency enhance replayability and encourage experimentation with diverse strategies.
Long-time fans and newcomers alike have praised the game's successful capture of the beloved Jagged Alliance spirit, while applauding the modern refinements and improvements to the core gameplay loop. The active modding scene and the developers' commitment to post-launch updates and player feedback indicate a dedication to continually enhancing and improving the experience over time, further extending the game's longevity and customizability.