Leaving a few action points remaining at the end of your turn will allow a merc to respond when he/she spots an enemy during the enemy's turn. X-COM fans will be right at home with tactical battles in Jagged Alliance: in each turn, every merc has a limited number of 'action points' that are used for everything from moving to firing a weapon. You move each of the team members in real time on a tactical map, until combat starts, at which point the game switches to a highly effective turn-based mode which allows you to plan moves for each merc. Gameplay evolves over a complete day during which you try to perform your mission, which starts in any sector you choose. Funds are used to hire mercenaries on a daily basis to recapture the island from Lucas.

The catch here is that you don't have unlimited funds at your disposal: you are paid based on the amount of sap that is harvested by your workers. You are then hired by Jack and Brenda to recapture the island. Lucas took over the island by hiring a bunch of thugs to capture the sap trees. The island facilities were operated by Jack, his daughter Brenda, and Lucas.

You know the game is something special when it starts off with a great plot: the island of Metavira contains valuable tree sap, which is harvested and sold to pharmaceutical companies. One of the most addictive games ever made in any genre, Jagged Alliance is a great strategy game that successfully combines the outstanding squad-level gameplay of X-COM with an unprecedented level of personalities and RPG elements that make it even more addictive than MicroProse' classic.

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