THQ Nordic and German development outfit HandyGames announced that Jagged Alliance: Rage! is set to release this fall for the Xbox One, PS4 and PC. The turn-based strategy title introduces cooperative online play for home console and PC users, as gamers attempt to corral equipment and morale utilizing a limited number of mercenaries who are trapped behind enemy lines in a region controlled by a dictatorial drug lord.
The game features two-player cooperative online play, but it maintains turn-based gameplay. The story is set 20 years after the original Jagged Alliance from Sir-Tech Games, but the concept stays the same. Only this time instead of being able to hire mercenaries and control the narrative working as a commanding overseer, you’ll be down in the trenches with the mercenaries attempting to escape from the clutches of a drug lord after a mission goes awry.
You can check out the announcement trailer below to see what kind of game HandyGames is working on.
The trailer attempts to paint a picture of a group of mercenaries who are washed up, brought back into action, and then left for dead on a jungle island.
The press release notes that the game can be played in a multitude of ways, just like the old Jagged Alliance titles, including being able to go all-in with Rambo-style tactics where you kill everyone you encounter, or you can utilize stealth tactics and attempt to navigate through the jungle only killing when necessary.
The hook for the game is that you’ll have “Rage” skills at your disposal that are unique to each of the playable characters. This skills can be utilized to help change the tide of battle, but they don’t really explain how.
Additionally there will be AI commanders working against you, attempting to flank you, hunt you down, and kill you. To help even the odds are experimental drugs that you can acquire and utilize against the enemies.
There isn’t a lot of gameplay on display in the trailer above, and I’ve played my fair share of Jagged Alliance rip-offs, clones, and poorly done sequels to keep my skepticism on high alert. We’ll see if HandyGames can manage to salvage what’s left of the Jagged Alliance reputation when Jagged Alliance: Rage! releases this fall.
