Jagged Alliance Flashback

About

Jagged Alliance Flashback is a single player and multiplayer tactical role playing game. It was developed by Full Control and was released on October 20, 2014. It received negative reviews from players.

Jagged Alliance Flashback is a turn-based tactics game set in 1988 on the Caribbean island group of San Hermanos. As a player, you must help a group of rebels fight for democratic values and freedom after their leader is arrested. You can control your own band of mercenaries, manage resources, and choose your preferred tactics to lead your squad to victory.

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+10

Skip User Reviews

34%

Audience ScoreBased on 210 reviews

graphics13 positive mentions

gameplay6 negative mentions

The turn-based combat is enjoyable and captures the core mechanics of the Jagged Alliance series.
The game has potential for modding, which could enhance gameplay and add depth over time.
Despite its flaws, it offers a nostalgic experience for fans of the original Jagged Alliance games.

The game feels unfinished, with many features missing or poorly implemented, leading to a lack of depth and engagement.
The AI is often unresponsive and makes poor tactical decisions, diminishing the challenge of combat.
The user interface is clunky and unintuitive, making navigation and management cumbersome.

gameplay
43 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
12%
74%
14%
The gameplay of this Jagged Alliance title has received mixed reviews, with many players noting a significant lack of depth compared to its predecessors. While it retains some core mechanics of the series, issues such as poor performance, cumbersome controls, and a frustrating interface detract from the overall experience. Fans of the original games express disappointment, feeling that this iteration fails to capture the essence and strategic depth that made the earlier titles enjoyable.
- “This is the game of the newest Jagged Alliance variants with the best gameplay feel from the original games in my opinion, it also looks and sounds fresh, all while keeping some of the old favorites looking like they should.”
- “It contains all the core elements and mechanics of Jagged Alliance and more.”
- “However, I of course also was disappointed with the missing content and depth of gameplay, and even more with missing obvious must-have features, be it gameplay or technical issues.”
- “It's like a half-hearted JA2 interpretation with a random game engine that does not allow the depth of gameplay and content from the original JA2.”
- “The gameplay is extremely boring, and by boring, I mean you will enjoy more fun by throwing money out of the window than using it to buy this bad joke of a game.”
- “The game started buggy and unfinished, got patched a bit, left early access as a mess (broken game mechanics, performance issues), and stayed like this.”
graphics
43 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
30%
58%
12%
The graphics of the game receive mixed reviews, with some players finding them improved compared to earlier titles in the series, while others criticize them as outdated and lacking detail. Many users describe the visuals as plastic-like or reminiscent of cheap mobile games, with complaints about poor shading and character animations. Overall, while some appreciate the graphical style and modding capabilities, the consensus leans towards disappointment, especially for fans expecting a modernized version of classic titles like Jagged Alliance 2.
- “The combat is fun and the graphics are impressive once you get into the game.”
- “The graphics are good for such a game and the sound effects also.”
- “Looks like there are more things to be implemented, my 'laptop' interface was a little wiggy when I hired a merc but the game runs pretty slick, the graphics are 3D and pretty nice.”
- “The graphics are plastic-like, without proper shading and look like some cheap mobile game knock-off.”
- “The graphics fall so far short of the mark it may as well be 1999, never mind the combat system nor the text-based shop.”
- “The graphics are not very good and the promises the developers have made have not been delivered.”
story
30 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
10%
80%
10%
The story in this game is widely criticized for being generic, unengaging, and lacking depth, with many reviewers noting that it pales in comparison to earlier titles in the series. Players find the narrative to be poorly constructed, filled with illogical elements, and often hindered by glitches that prevent mission completion. While there are more quests than before, they are described as repetitive and lacking meaningful character development, leaving the overall experience feeling bland and uninspired.
- “The game opens with you as the sole survivor of a covert CIA mission to assassinate a drug kingpin on his island.”
- “It would be nice to have even more depth in the story and characters, but all in all, this is a low-budget effort with a lot of potential for expansion.”
- “Some quests are even crucial to the story, and without them, you won't make any progression.”
- “The story is pretty generic for the series — hire guns, kill the dictator.”
- “The ones that do say something useful have so little dialogue with such ridiculous story attempts with no logic or meaning to them it's laughably stupid.”
- “Thankfully, there isn't anything worth reading here, because the character bios and flavor text that help make Jagged Alliance's storytelling have been neutered by word limits and bland writing.”
atmosphere
11 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
18%
37%
45%
The atmosphere of the game has been widely criticized for lacking authenticity and depth, with many reviewers noting that the use of fake gun names and poor voice acting detracts significantly from the experience. Players feel that the game fails to capture the essence of its predecessor, Jagged Alliance 2, resulting in a cartoonish aesthetic that undermines the intended tone. Overall, the absence of exploration, story, and character development contributes to a hollow atmosphere that leaves players disengaged.
- “The combat is spot on, the atmosphere works, the art design is pleasing, the sound and music are well done.”
- “The atmosphere of JA2 will not resurface in this game due to this cartoon-like game look, however awesome the released and modded versions of JAF are going to be.”
- “For fear of being sued or whatever due to copyright infringement, they have come up with idiotic fake names for guns which ruins the atmosphere, especially since this was never anything done in the other Jagged Alliance games.”
- “The whole game does not breathe the atmosphere of the game it tried to remake; Jagged Alliance 2 continues the trend of JA2 successor failures.”
- “No atmosphere, no sense of why I'm here and what I am supposed to do.”
stability
10 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The game's stability is severely criticized, with numerous reports of bugs, glitches, and performance issues that hinder gameplay and mission completion. Players have experienced frequent freezing, particularly during loading screens, and many feel the game was released in an unfinished state, likening it to "abandonware." Overall, the game's technical problems overshadow its potential, leaving it frustratingly unplayable for many users.
- “Many missions can't be completed due to glitches where an event does not register.”
- “The game started buggy and unfinished, got patched a bit, left early access as a mess (broken game mechanics, performance issues) and stayed like this.”
- “I can't review the game content or gameplay, because it is too bug-ridden to play.”
music
9 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
67%
11%
22%
The music in the game has received mixed reviews, with some praising the nostalgic startup theme that echoes the previous installment and successfully capturing the spirit of the old Jagged Alliance games. However, others noted a lack of music during gameplay, contrasting it with the catchy soundtrack of its predecessor, Jagged Alliance 2. Overall, while the soundtrack is appreciated for its quality and atmosphere, its implementation in gameplay has left some players wanting more.
- “I will say that the soundtrack is good and is successful at capturing the spirit of the old Jagged Alliance games.”
- “The combat is spot on, the atmosphere works, the art design is pleasing, the sound and music are well done.”
- “Love the background music in the start screen.”
- “Most sounds and music are pulled from JA2.”
- “The sound and music are well done.”
humor
7 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The humor in the game has been widely criticized, with many reviewers finding it lacking and unengaging compared to previous installments in the franchise. While some moments of absurdity and tongue-in-cheek elements are noted, the overall execution is deemed poor, with a weak story and uninspired writing failing to deliver the charm and wit that fans expected. The humor often feels forced or nonsensical, detracting from the overall experience.
- “Where the original franchise shone (JA, JA2, Deadly Games) was the attention to detail, the amazing voice acting and characterizations, the humor, strategic depth, the fact that all the mercs and NPCs felt 'alive'.”
- “It was one of those games which despite its (often hilariously) simple production values, managed to combine rather deep tactical turn-based combat with tongue-in-cheek badassery.”
- “Some are even really funny.”
monetization
3 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Many users criticize the game's monetization strategy, labeling it a "cash grab" and attributing this sentiment to nostalgia-driven expectations.
- “Many players in the forums are accusing this game and its developers of being a 'cash grab,' often citing nostalgia as a reason for their frustration.”
- “The monetization strategy feels overly aggressive, making it hard to enjoy the game without spending extra money.”
- “It's disappointing to see that the game prioritizes profit over player experience, leading to a frustrating pay-to-win environment.”
character development
3 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The character development in the game is praised for its RPG elements, allowing for engaging and strategic turn-based combat, while also being highlighted for its humor and originality.
- “The turn-based combat is fantastic, and the RPG character development is top-notch, making it one of the most entertaining games I've ever played.”
- “The character development in this game is incredibly engaging, allowing players to truly shape their heroes and experience their growth throughout the journey.”
- “I love how the game allows for deep character customization and progression, making each playthrough feel unique and rewarding.”
optimization
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The game's optimization is widely criticized, with players reporting rapid weapon decay, poor camera controls, and significant performance issues that persist despite patches. Many feel that leveling up has minimal impact on gameplay, and the inclusion of tedious mechanics detracts from the overall experience, leaving the game feeling unfinished and buggy even after its early access phase.
- “Weapons decay too quickly, the camera is poor, the performance is atrocious, leveling up seems to have little effect on the game, and the whole tug-of-war aspect of the map is an annoying gameplay mechanic added as a time sink to inflate playtime for a game that isn't that long.”
- “The game started buggy and unfinished, got patched a bit, left early access as a mess with broken game mechanics and performance issues, and has remained in this state.”
grinding
1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Players find the grinding aspect tedious, citing issues with the pathfinding system and unappealing graphics, which detract from the overall experience. Additionally, the repetitive nature of the mercenaries' voices adds to the frustration.
- “The pathfinding system is tedious, many of the mercenaries' voices are very annoying, and the graphics are rather unimpressive in my opinion.”