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 fans of tactical strategy games, particularly those who enjoyed the Jagged Alliance series.
- It features a detailed tactical system with a variety of weapons and customization options, allowing players to approach missions in different ways.
- Despite its rough edges, the gameplay can be satisfying for those who appreciate complex mechanics and are willing to invest time to learn the game.
- The game is plagued by numerous bugs and technical issues, making it frustrating and difficult to complete missions.
- The tutorial is poorly designed and does not adequately prepare players for the complexities of the game, leading to confusion and a steep learning curve.
- Outdated graphics and clunky controls detract from the overall experience, making it feel like a relic from the past rather than a polished title.
- story11 mentions
- 27 % positive mentions
- 45 % neutral mentions
- 27 % negative mentions
The story in the game is generally viewed as underdeveloped and plagued by bugs, making it difficult to complete main plotlines. While players appreciate the tactical mechanics and NPC interactions, they criticize the lack of coherent narrative and polish, often relying on mods to enhance the experience. Overall, the game feels like a rough homage to tactical classics, with significant room for improvement in storytelling.
“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 Life addon and Blue Sum mod from r@s) add a lot of interesting quests and weapons, leading to tactical decisions.”
“Tldr: outdated game with poor plot hooks, world setting, cheap 3D engine, and somewhat overwhelming UI.”
“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.”
- gameplay7 mentions
- 43 % positive mentions
- 14 % neutral mentions
- 43 % negative mentions
The gameplay is praised for its intricate mechanics and attention to detail, such as visible equipment changes, but is marred by rough edges, uncompletable missions, and a lack of guidance. While the mechanics are considered superior and rewarding, players face significant bugs and flaws that detract from the overall experience, particularly outside of shooting. Despite these issues, those who can overlook the 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 comes with a considerable amount of bugs and a total lack of polish in all gameplay aspects except for shooting.”
“I guess 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.”
- graphics7 mentions
- 29 % positive mentions
- 29 % neutral mentions
- 43 % negative mentions
The graphics of the game are widely criticized as dated and unpolished, often described as "ugly" and "woefully unrefined." Despite this, many players find the gameplay satisfying and rewarding, suggesting that those who can overlook the poor visuals will enjoy the experience. Overall, while the graphics may detract from the game's appeal, the engaging gameplay and features can compensate for it.
“If you can get over the dated graphics, you will be well rewarded with the gameplay.”
“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 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 to learn, and the difficulty is insane.”
- stability3 mentions
- 33 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 67 % negative mentions
The game's stability is criticized for being plagued by lag and bugs, although it performs well on newer machines and laptops. Overall, the experience can be inconsistent, with significant issues reported.
“As a bonus, it runs great on newer machines and resolutions, even on laptops.”
“Laggy, buggy hell.”
“So... buggy?”
- music1 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- -200 % neutral mentions
- 300 % negative mentions
The game lacks any music or sound, leaving players without an auditory experience.
“The game does not even have music or sound.”
“The soundtrack is repetitive and lacks variety.”
“The music is forgettable and doesn't enhance the gameplay experience.”
- grinding1 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- -200 % neutral mentions
- 300 % negative mentions
Players find the grinding aspect of the game tedious, particularly when it involves moving around town to interact with NPCs or trade with merchants, which disrupts the overall flow of gameplay.
“Moving around town to find things, talk to NPCs, or trade with merchants is a bit tedious and flow-breaking.”
“The grinding feels endless and repetitive, making it hard to stay engaged with the game.”
“I spent hours farming for resources, but the rewards just don't feel worth the time invested.”
- optimization1 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- -200 % neutral mentions
- 300 % negative mentions
The optimization of the game is noted to have some stuttering and imperfections, which may detract from the experience; however, players who can overlook these issues will still find enjoyment, especially with the extensive weapon customization options available.
“The optimization is a mess; the game stutters and has numerous imperfections that detract from the overall experience.”
“While the game offers a lot of weapon customization options, the performance issues make it hard to enjoy them fully.”
“If you can overlook the optimization problems, there is potential for a good time, but it's frustrating to deal with the constant stuttering.”
