Jagged Alliance: Back in Action (Special Edition)

Jagged Alliance: Back in Action (Special Edition) is a physical collector’s edition of the 2012 turn-based tactics remake of Jagged Alliance 2, where players command a team of mercenaries to liberate the fictional island nation of Arulco from a tyrannical regime, blending real-time exploration with pausable real-time or turn-based combat in a strategic campaign filled with recruitable specialists and tactical challenges.

Jagged Alliance: Back in Action (Special Edition): Review

Introduction

Imagine a sun-baked island paradise turned dystopian hellhole, where a megalomaniacal queen mines her people dry while you assemble a crew of wisecracking mercenaries to topple her regime—one bloody sector at a time. This is the intoxicating hook of the Jagged Alliance series, a cornerstone of turn-based tactics gaming since 1995. Jagged Alliance: Back in Action (Special Edition), released in 2012, is a bold remake of the legendary 1999 classic Jagged Alliance 2, swapping pixelated isometric charm for 3D visuals and real-time tactics. As a game historian, I view it as a fascinating, flawed artifact: a valiant attempt to drag a beloved relic into the modern era, succeeding in atmosphere and scale but stumbling on core mechanics. The Special Edition elevates it with collector’s flair—a tin box, a tie-in novel (Schattierungen von Rot), 32 character cards, and a double-sided poster (one side art, the reverse Arulco’s map)—but the game’s legacy hinges on whether its innovations honor or betray the original’s soul. Thesis: While Back in Action captures the mercenary mayhem’s spirit, its real-time pivot alienates purists, resulting in a mixed bag that’s replayable for tactics fans but a pale shadow of JA2‘s tactical purity.

Development History & Context

Jagged Alliance: Back in Action emerged from a turbulent IP odyssey. The series began with Madlab Software’s 1995 DOS hit, evolving into Sir-Tech’s turn-based masterpieces like JA2 (1999), a gold standard for squad tactics with its blend of RPG depth, humor, and emergent storytelling. Post-JA2, the franchise languished: Wildfire (2004) was a mod-turned-expansion, Hired Guns: The Jagged Edge (2007) a spiritual successor sans IP rights, and JA3 mired in development hell across Strategy First, Akella, and others.

Coreplay GmbH, a Munich-based studio founded by ex-SpellForce devs (Peter Ohlmann as managing director and lead programmer), revived it in 2010. Announced as Jagged Alliance 2: Reloaded by bitComposer on August 20, 2010, it promised a “totally revamped” JA2 addressing “weak points” like dated visuals. A February 2011 publishing partnership with Kalypso Media retitled it Back in Action, showcased at GDC 2011 and E3 (targeting October 2011). Delays pushed German release to February 9, 2012 (global shortly after), with Linux/Mac ports by Bigmoon Studios in 2014.

Technological constraints shaped its ambition: Unity engine (with PhysX physics, FMOD audio) enabled 3D isometry, rotatable cameras, and destructible environments, but early 2010s PC hardware demanded compromises—no native turn-based mode, a “Plan & Go” hybrid instead. The 2012 landscape brimmed with tactics revivals (XCOM: Enemy Unknown later that year echoed JA2‘s influence), but real-time shifts (e.g., Company of Heroes) clashed with JA‘s turn-based DNA. Coreplay’s small team (73 credits, heavy on Ohlmann/Minnameier programming, Drude art) focused on modernization amid fan skepticism. DLCs (Shades of Red, Point Blank, specialist kits) and standalone Crossfire (2012, new Khanpaa campaign, fog of war) patched flaws, but launch bugs (pathfinding, AI) plagued it. The Special Edition, a physical bundle, catered to collectors amid digital dominance.

Narrative & Thematic Deep Dive

Back in Action faithfully retreads JA2‘s plot: Exiled president Enrico Chivaldori hires you to liberate Arulco from Queen Deidranna Reitman, a bloodthirsty despot strip-mining her nation for wealth. Sectors span Drassen Airport (tutorial hub), San Mona (Kingpin’s seedy mansion), Tixa prison, SAM sites, swamps, and the palace finale—a 70-hour odyssey of rebellion.

Plot Structure and Pacing: Non-linear sector conquest via the Arulco map (overseen in real-time) weaves main quests (kill Deidranna) with side-missions (rescue NPCs like Miguel, Ira, Mad Dog). Progression ties to income from mines/farms, funding merc hires. New quests expand JA2‘s framework, but linearity creeps in: no vehicles, simplified diplomacy. Pacing drags early (scarce funds force tough choices) but accelerates mid-game as militia bolsters defenses.

Characters and Dialogue: AIM’s 40 mercs (fewer than JA2) retain eccentric personalities—e.g., amazon/loner traits—but voice acting falters (new recordings lack originals’ charm). No custom “personal merc” (a fan-killer); hires are one-time fees, no salaries/expiration, eroding tension. Locals/NPCs offer quests, but dialogue is binary (“talk/stop”), stripping JA2‘s branching trees and humor. Merc chatter persists (e.g., morale banter), but feels muted.

Themes: Mercenary capitalism critiques war profiteering—hire cheap early, splurge on elites later. Reputation mechanics punish recklessness (dead mercs tank hires). Themes of imperialism (Arulco’s nuclear-scarred past) and rebellion persist, but Deidranna’s cutscenes vanish, diluting satire. DLC Shades of Red (novel tie-in) adds story depth, exploring “rot” in revolution.

Ultimately, narrative shines in emergent tales (e.g., squad bonds via synced kills) but lacks JA2‘s witty depth, prioritizing action over role-play.

Gameplay Mechanics & Systems

Back in Action‘s core loop—recruit, equip, conquer—innovates boldly but unevenly.

Core Loops and Progression: Map screen handles oversight (email AIM, order gear via laptop). Mercs level to cap 10 (7 points/level for 10 skills: Dexterity, Marksmanship, etc.), shifting JA2‘s use-based growth to point-buy (duller). Reputation gates elite hires; locals become militia (auto-train, manual equip/armor).

Combat: Plan & Go Deconstructed:
– Hybrid RT/Plan: Real-time exploration pauses for “Plan & Go”—queue actions (move, shoot, reload) on a timeline, sync up to 2 mercs (e.g., melee + sniper). Resume watches execution. Innovative for fluidity, but fiddly UI/limits frustrate (no squad-sync beyond pairs).
– Tactical Depth: Isometric 3D with heights (rooftops), camo bonuses (DLC kits: desert/jungle/urban/night), destructible walls (C4/crowbar), melee/stealth. Grid inventory persists; weapons degrade (repair kits use charges).
– Flaws: Stupid AI (runs into fire, blocks paths); pathfinding bugs (Stuck mercs); no initial fog of war (Crossfire adds it). Camera clunky (no ideal overview); fragile mercs demand micromanagement (heal/reload mid-fight). Militia tedious (manual hunt/equip, loot vanishes on death).

UI/Systems: Laptop accesses inventory (no map-wide pooling—manual looting grinds); defend mode auto-fires but ignores range. RPG elements (perks, morale) engage, but level cap stifles “super-soldiers.”

Innovative yet flawed: addictive looting/progression, punishing RT demands precision JA2 fans decry.

World-Building, Art & Sound

Arulco’s sectors—urban sprawls, deserts, jungles—evoke JA2‘s variety, enhanced by 3D: multi-level buildings (Crossfire excels vertically), detailed interiors (hospitals, junkyards). Atmosphere thrives in ambushes amid foliage or bunkers, but sparse early maps feel empty. Visuals: Solid Unity 3D (rotatable camera, PhysX ragdolls), but bland textures, glitchy roofs/LoS.

Sound: FMOD-driven score motivates (tribal beats, tension swells); merc voices quip (e.g., “Reloading!”), but acting wooden. Gunfire visceral, but no JA2‘s iconic one-liners shine. Contributes immersion—sector conquest feels epic—yet dated by 2012 standards.

Reception & Legacy

Launch Metacritic: 62/100 (“mixed/average”). Critics lambasted RT shift (GameSpy: “frustrating quagmire”; Rock Paper Shotgun: “twitching, leaking mess”), AI/pathfinding, no fog/TB (Pelit: “pales vs. father”). Positives: addictive loops (Destructoid: “compelling impostor”), merc variety (GameStar: 73/100). Crossfire (63/100) iterated (fog, verticality) but imbalanced.

Commercial: Modest sales, patches (v1.13g fixed bugs), DLC sustained it. Steam: Positive now (post-rage, mods). Legacy: Exemplifies remake pitfalls—modernized JA2 (no TB = backlash), influenced RT tactics (Full Spectrum Warrior echoes), bridged to Flashback, Rage!, JA3 (2023, Haemimont). Special Edition preserves for historians; fan-mods (e.g., 1.13-like) redeem it. Industry: Proves JA‘s endurance, inspiring XCOM, Shadow Tactics.

Conclusion

Jagged Alliance: Back in Action (Special Edition) is a noble failure: a 70-hour mercenary epic with tactical highs, marred by RT clumsiness, AI woes, and JA2 dilutions. The Special Edition’s extras (novel, cards, map-poster) delight collectors, but core flaws relegate it to cult status. In history, it’s a cautionary remake—spark of genius amid frustration—not JA2‘s throne, but a playable tribute. Verdict: 6.5/10. Tactics diehards: Boot JA2 mods. Newcomers: Dive if RT appeals. Its place? A bumpy revival in a series defying obsolescence.