Brigade E5: New Jagged Union
- April 30, 2014
- Apeiron
Get on Steam"Brigade E5: New Jagged Union" is a tactical strategy game set in a realistic modern-day conflict zone. As a commander, you'll recruit and manage a team of mercenaries, completing missions and managing resources in a volatile political environment. The game features a non-linear storyline, multiple endings, and a variety of weapons and equipment to choose from.
PC
Windows
Reviews
- The game offers a nostalgic experience for long-time fans, with detailed tactical mechanics and a variety of weapons.
- Players appreciate the freedom to control mercenaries and customize their gameplay style, making it a satisfying tactical experience.
- Despite its rough edges, the game can be rewarding for those who enjoy tactical strategy games and are willing to overlook its flaws.
- The game is plagued by numerous bugs and technical issues, making it frustrating and sometimes unplayable.
- The tutorial is poorly designed, leaving newcomers confused and struggling to understand the game mechanics.
- Many players feel that the game lacks polish compared to its successors, making it feel outdated and less enjoyable.
- story18 mentions
- 17 % positive mentions
- 67 % neutral mentions
- 17 % negative mentions
The story of the game is appreciated for its engaging premise and the control over mercenaries, but it suffers from significant bugs and a lack of clarity, making the main plot difficult to complete. Players note that while the mechanics are detailed and immersive, the overall narrative feels rough and unpolished, often requiring reliance on in-game tips for guidance. Additionally, various mods enhance the experience by introducing new quests and tactical elements, but the core story remains convoluted and frustrating for many.
“I like the storyline, and how you get to control the mercenaries.”
“There's a lot to be had in this, and it does feel very much like an unpolished Jagged Alliance, with a lot more NPC interaction and side missions.”
“Also, a lot of big mods (for instance - Hard Lide addon and Blue Sum mod from r@s) add a lot of interesting quests and weapons, leading to tactical decisions.”
“This game is so bugged that the main plot cannot be completed.”
“E5 is woefully unpolished; it has bugs (not game-breaking thankfully) and the story is incomprehensible. The graphics are worse, but it has several features that make it a better play than its sequel.”
“You'll be marching down the road to your next mission objective when suddenly they say they're leaving, giving you no time to extend their contract.”
- gameplay14 mentions
- 29 % positive mentions
- 50 % neutral mentions
- 21 % negative mentions
The gameplay is praised for its intricate mechanics and attention to detail, such as visible weapon modifications, but is marred by rough edges, uncompletable missions, and a lack of guidance. While the mechanics are considered superior and rewarding, especially in close-quarters combat, players face significant bugs and flawed elements that detract from the overall experience. Despite these issues, those willing to overlook dated graphics may find the gameplay rewarding.
“If you can get over the dated graphics, you will be well rewarded with the gameplay.”
“Mostly, all of the game mechanics are tied together and affect your actions.”
“This CQB element can be frustrating, but rewarding as it adds a new and welcome dimension to the gameplay.”
“Sadly, all this richness on the battlefield is accompanied by a considerable amount of bugs and total insolvency of 'Brigade E5' in all gameplay aspects except for shooting.”
“I could keep going on and on about bugs, flawed game mechanics, etc., and that's likely because I am fairly biased towards 7.62 HC after having played it for a while.”
“This close-quarters battle element can be frustrating, but rewarding as it adds a new and welcome dimension to the gameplay.”
- graphics12 mentions
- 17 % positive mentions
- 50 % neutral mentions
- 33 % negative mentions
The graphics of the game are widely criticized as dated and unpolished, often described as "ugly" and "terrible." Despite these shortcomings, many players find the gameplay satisfying and rewarding, suggesting that those who can overlook the visual flaws will still enjoy the experience. Overall, while the graphics may detract from the game's appeal, the engaging gameplay and features can compensate for it.
“That game offers newer graphics and better stability (mostly), newer UI and improvements to previous features, new weapons and locations, and a ton of other stuff.”
“If you can get over the dated graphics, you will be well rewarded with the gameplay.”
“If you can handle extreme jank (not as bad as 7.62 frankly) and ugly graphics, there is a lot of gun porn underneath and is actually pretty fun to play.”
“E5 is woefully unpolished; it has bugs (not game-breaking thankfully) and the story is incomprehensible, and the graphics are worse, but it has several features that make it a better play than its sequel.”
“Since this game is from the people that made Men of War, this is crap; its graphics are terrible, the controls are hard as heck to learn, and the difficulty is insane.”
- stability6 mentions
- 33 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 67 % negative mentions
The game has been criticized for its instability, with users reporting significant lag and numerous bugs. However, it performs well on newer machines and higher resolutions, including laptops. Overall, the experience appears to be inconsistent, heavily dependent on hardware.
“As a bonus, it runs great on newer machines and resolutions, even laptops.”
“Laggy buggy hell”
“So... buggy?”
“Laggy buggy hell”
- grinding2 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
Players find the grinding aspect of the game tedious and disruptive, particularly when navigating the town to interact with NPCs or merchants. This repetitive movement detracts from the overall flow of the gameplay experience.
“Moving around town to find things, talk to NPCs, or trade with merchants is a bit tedious and flow-breaking.”
- optimization2 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
The optimization of the game is noted to have significant stuttering and imperfections, which may detract from the overall experience. However, players who can overlook these issues are likely to enjoy the extensive weapon customization options available.
“If you can handle the stuttering and imperfections, you will have a good time.”
“The game has huge amounts of weapons and the ability to modify them, but the optimization issues can be frustrating.”
