Sometimes originals are better left alone. It’s hard to take something that is beloved and enjoyed as it is, and make it better – possibly with the exception of certain Oreo cookies. Then there are times where an original is tweaked and manages to become even better than you could have hoped. There are also times, however, when trying to change something simply ruins it. I am incredibly pleased to say that Kalypso Media’s quasi-reinvention of Jagged Alliance: Back In Action is one of the former. The original Jagged Alliance was released in 1994 and was a turn-based RPG, subsequently followed by two sequels (Jagged Alliance: Deadly Games and Jagged Alliance 2). With the newest addition to the family, Jagged Alliance: Back In Action puts a few new twists on something familiar – but so far it all looks to be for the better.

The most immediate difference is the graphics. Visually, games have advanced tremendously since the first release in 1994 and the updated graphics are great, while they still stick to the original flavor of Jagged Alliance they are cleaner and smoother. You can also adjust your vantage point to see things from a different perspective whereas previously it was a flat viewing – now it is 3D. The laptop interface is like your command center. Check your email, hire mercenaries – everything you need is accessible there. There’s a financials window so that you can keep track of the money that you’ve spent and what you’ve accrued. The objective is to lead a band of mercenaries to take back the island of Arulco, and you have to pay your team for their work and to keep them armed. You’ll gain wealth as you take back more of the island and its assets, such as the mines. Locals may be available to train into a militia – but if you step on their toes they will actually revolt against you.

To start off with you are given 40 mercenaries to choose from. Each is particularly proficient in at least one thing, but one of the cool things is that while that may be their specialty it isn’t what they are boxed into doing. Someone who isn’t a great medic can become one by repeatedly using them, sort of like leveling up that ability. One of the awesome aspects that makes it really interesting and gives the mercenaries character is that some won’t work with others, and if you insist on teaming them up together it will affect their performance so pay attention to who you try putting together in squads. When a mercenary is injured there is generally a timer to show how long the character is going to survive before dying, which gives you the chance to use a medic mercenary to revive them. If the character dies, however, he is gone for good and cannot be brought back to life – or rehired. BUT you can loot your own deceased, as well as the enemy, for money, weapons, etc.

The biggest change to the way that Jagged Alliance is played is “Plan & Go.” The Plan & Go system lets you freeze the game, and then plan out tactical movements. You can create a route for one mercenary to travel around one side of a building, while you send someone through it in order to execute a surprise attack on enemies. Plan & Go will actually allow gamers to time when they want someone to do something, based on what another squad member is doing. You can plan it right to the last footfall and even preemptively aim where you want to try to shoot or stab your enemy. The Plan & Go system really brings a tactical element that is often lost on most real time strategy games.

This is a situation where the Plan & Go is perfect to surround the enemy

It’s also easy to change your original plan. With just a couple clicks you can delete one part of or the entire course of action in favor of something else. When you aim at someone during Plan & Go it will also tell you what percent chance you have of hitting the target in a certain body part. Example, aiming for the head will have only a 17% chance of success whereas it will tell you that there’s a 58% chance to hit the torso. You can also see the range of vision for a nearby enemy, so that you can stay out of sight. The transition between the RTS mode and Plan & Go is seamless and you can switch between the two as often as you’d like. The Plan & Go mode looks very similar to video editing programs but is easy to use – and there will be a tutorial to help you through it if you need a nudge. One downside, however, is that if something happens (such as an enemy you didn’t originally notice chancing upon your squad) while you are executing a Plan & Go mission your mercenaries stay on their predetermined route and don’t react. Luckily, however, you can pause Plan & Go and alter their path so that you can deal with the unexpected opposition.

A visual of Plan & Go mode

One thing that is lacking in Jagged Alliance: Back In Action that old fans will immediately see is that there is no option to create a customized mercenary. While previously it was an option, that is not set up at this point in time – although it may possibly be available later down the line in the form of a DLC. While playing it one character was injured, went prone, and stayed that way even after I had a medic heal him. It took me a few seconds to figure out where the control was to have him stand up again, but hopefully that will be covered in the aforementioned tutorial.

Jagged Alliance: Back In Action looks to be very promising and it was a pleasure to play. With the variety of mercenaries and missions available, there’s no shortage for things to do in the game. Seasoned gamers will love the RTS aspect, and with the Plan & Go system available it also will be a great stepping stone for people who are new to RTS games. Even people who are familiar and comfortable with real time strategy will appreciate the level of tactical ability that has been made available. Jagged Alliance: Back In Action will be available for the PC in February.