Jagged Alliance: Deadly Games

The Good
It had almost everything that made the original game so much fun.

The Bad
Unlike the original game, the missions in Deadly Games weren't linked geographically. So you didn't have the "island" view where you could decide which sector of the island your mercs would tackle next. You simply went from one mission to the next, and had no choice of which mission you'd like to take.

The other step backwards was the fact that the misisons had turn limits on them. You had to achieve the objective in the prescribed number of turns, which severely curtailed your tactical options. If you are (like me) the kind of player who will leisurely and carefully scout out a sector before initiating combat, the artificial restriction of turn limits will really crimp your style. You won't have the luxury of scouting out the sector thoroughly and cautiously. You'll have to hurry along in order to meet the objective by the deadline.

The Bottom Line
If you liked the original Jagged Alliance game, you'll probably like Deadly Games.

The Good
I liked the turn-limit concept: it forces you to take chances, rather than sit back in each sector. They added quite a few new characters and equipment to Deadly Games. Scope and Buzz made sensational debuts in this game-- they are worth their salaries and are fun to have on your team. The financial strategy has been simplified, but it's equally important to the game-- you still need to manage your funds frugally in order to buy the right equipment or to hire the right teams.

The Bad
I don't like the graphics. They are very low-resolution, but at least they don't affect the gameplay. Some of the characters are simply annoying (Biff, Hurl, Lance, Screw...). There are negative stereotypes presented by this game and series: many of the older mercenaries are forgetful (Pops, Bernie, Moses...), the Japanese character carries a camera, the Irish arms dealer talks about alcohol often-- it adds nothing to the game.

The Bottom Line
In spite of my criticisms, this is a highly playable, challenging, frustrating (in good and bad ways), and FUN game. I'd recommend it to those who prefer a linear storyline or to people who want to play a game in definite blocks of time or to those who played Jagged Alliance, but don't want to deal with the economic management of tapping trees and hiring guards.