First class action and strategy
The Jagged Alliance series is a surprisingly extensive set of tactical strategy games that harks back to the likes of Laser Squad and which provides some pretty entertaining action. Jagged Alliance 2 is, if not the best in the series, pretty typical of what you can expect from any of the games, and Wildfire is a standalone expansion which adds in some interesting new features. The base game is the same, in terms of gameplay and story, finding the player and their mercenaries caught up in a complex bit of political fun and games in some third world country. It's your job to overthrow a vicious dictator, and this is achieved by completing a series of missions where you control your mercs and send them out to kill the bad guys.The whole thing plays out in turn-based fashion and is viewed from an isometric perspective. What's different in Wildfire is largely cosmetic, with most of the 250 maps being modified, with new buildings, vegetation etc, new weapons, and some general tweaking of both weapons and enemies. If you have played the base game, then there's probably not enough here to warrant further investigation, although the balancing does up the difficulty level and make things more realistic. However, if you're new to the game and are looking for a challenge, then there's a lot to enjoy here. The missions are pretty varied and require plenty of strategy, making them highly satisfying and exciting in equal measure. Throw in some solid visuals and a neat interface and you have a cracking bit of entertainment.
