History YMMV / JaggedAlliance

* UnintentionalPeriodPiece: Both Jagged Alliance 1 and 2 became a homage to 1990's as its theme, contemporary references, and even its game interface being a nod to early internet. In fact, Jagged Alliance 3 made it one by virtue of its release in 2023.

* {{Sequelitis}}: The series hasn't done well since ''2''. Both ''Back In Action'' and ''Crossfire'' were negatively received by fans and critics due to heavily simplifying the game mechanics, removing a number of features, and lacking much of the charm and depth of the first two games. A crowdfunded game, ''Flashback'', was hoped to finally break this trend, but the developers ran out of funding and released the game as an ObviousBeta that was not received well. ''Rage!'' began to reverse the trend somewhat, but is still only considered SoOkayItsAverage. "Jagged Alliance 3" eventually managed to break the streak and WinBackTheCrowd.

** ''Jagged Alliance 3'': [[SlaveryIsaSpecialKindofEvil Slavemaster Graaf]] is the cruel Legion warlord of the Diamond Red Mine. Once a slave himself, Graaf was made overseer after ratting out the escape planes of his fellow slaves. [[BoomerangBigot Looking down on the other slaves for their perceived weakness]], Graaf leads a brutal regime, making sure that all slaves arriving at Diamond Red know that they only way they'll ever leave this place is in a coffin. When the player's mercenaries arrive in the area and Graaf becomes aware of them, he makes good on his promise by ordering his men to kill the slaves, while also shooting them from the balcony of his office with a sniper rifle. Once defeated, Graaf offers to work for the player, claiming that free workers are just lazy thieves and that they need someone like him in charge.

* CompleteMonster: [[TheGeneralissimo Deidranna Reitmann]], from the second game, is the despotic ruler of Arulco. As [[GodSaveUsFromTheQueen Queen-Consort]], she murdered her husband's father and framed him for it, becoming the new ruler. After turning the country into a brutal dictatorship, Deidranna had people tortured and executed for minor offenses. Worst of all, she ordered the death of everyone [[TheSocialDarwinist she condemned as too weak]] -- elderly, sick or disabled -- [[WouldHurtAChild not even sparing infants]]. Even her own troops weren't spared from her cruelty, as Deidranna would threaten to execute their families for failing her. In the Sci-Fi mode, she's also responsible for the creation of the [[BigCreepyCrawlies Crepitus]] and gives orders to lure them to the surface by no longer feeding them, not caring in the slightest that the creatures will not only eat her enemies, but her own troops as well.

* {{Sequelitis}}: The series hasn't done well since ''2''. Both ''Back In Action'' and ''Crossfire'' were negatively received by fans and critics due to heavily simplifying the game mechanics, removing a number of features, and lacking much of the charm and depth of the first two games. A crowdfunded game, ''Flashback'', was hoped to finally break this trend, but the developers ran out of funding and released the game as an ObviousBeta that was not received well. ''Rage!'' began to reverse the trend somewhat, but is still only considered SoOkayItsAverage.

* BreakoutCharacter: Ivan Dolvich, whose solid stats and quirk of always speaking Russian in the first game made him a fan favorite, now appears front-and-center on the box art for "Jagged Alliance 3".

*** The Insight-2000 will fit any gun, and is a choice for rifles that can't accept LAMs. Couple it with a ACOG-Reddot combo. You're guaranteed to hit a lot of things.

** The XM8 marksman variant is the only assault rifle that allows a sniper scope - less readying costs than most sniper rifles, for obvious reasons. Mercs with a decent accuracy score can regularly score headshots.

* CompleteMonster: [[TheGeneralissimo Deidranna Reitmann]], from the second game, is the despotic ruler of Arulco. As [[GodSaveUsFromTheQueen Queen-Consort]], she murdered her husband's father and framed him for it, becoming the new ruler. After turning the country into a brutal dictatorship, Deidranna had people tortured and executed for minor offenses. Worst of all, she ordered the death of everyone [[TheSocialDarwinist she condemned as too weak]]--elderly, sick or disabled--[[WouldHurtAChild not even sparing infants]]. Even her own troops weren't spared from her cruelty, as Deidranna would threaten to execute their families for failing her. In the Sci-Fi mode, she's also responsible for the creation of the [[BigCreepyCrawlies Crepitus]] and gives orders to lure them to the surface by no longer feeding them, not caring in the slightest that the creatures will not only eat her enemies, but her own troops as well.

* GermansLoveDavidHasselhoff: The series is highly popular among Finnish PC gamers with Jagged Alliance 2 getting voted Game of the Year by both the readers and the editors in the largest gaming magazine in Finland. It also was among the best-selling PC games in Finland for months. In fact, in Finland Creator/SirTech is mostly known for Jagged Alliance series rather than VideoGame/{{Wizardry}}.

* EnsembleDarkhorse: [[HollywoodNerd Gumpy]] from ''2'' has a lot of fans, not only for his adorkable nature, but because his high wisdom offsets his initally-terrible stats; with some training (preferably from an experienced merc with high leadership), he can quickly become a crack shot, expert medic, and ace engineer, rivaling the likes of ''[[TheAce Gus or Mike.]]''

* QuicksandBox: The ''equipment'' in 1.13. There are SO MANY weapons, armor variants, accesories, ammo types, and LBE gear that an inexperienced player who isn't a gun nut can be easily overwhelmed, especially since the up-front stats about the weapons may not always convey how useful (or not...) they actually are, as well as what can actually fit in the various LBE slots.
* {{Sequelitis}}: The series hasn't done well since ''2''. Both ''Back In Action'' and ''Crossfire'' were negatively received by fans and critics due to heavily simplifying the game mechanics, removing a number of features, and lacking much of the charm and depth of the first two games. A crowdfunded game, ''Flashback'', was hoped to finally break this trend, but the developers ran out of funding and released the game as an ObviousBeta that was not received well. ''Rage!'' began to reverse the trend somewhat, but is still only considered SoOkayItsAverage.

* TheyChangedItNowItSucks: ''Back In Action'' and ''Crossfire''. Beyond the real-time[=/=]turn-based debate, the series' fans were less than pleased by the simplification of game mechanics (mecrs aren't hired for a month but permanently, training militia don't require to perform some drill by your mercenaries but is made by paying to upgrade them), the absence of actual cutscenes after ''Back In Action'' intro, and the removal of the feature which allowed to create your own custom merc from scratch. ''Rage!'', on the other hand, reduces the huge EnsembleCast from dozens of mercs to just six (Ivan, Shadow, Raven, Grunty, Dr.Q, and Vicki. [[spoiler: Seven once you find Fidel]]), and reduces the maps to fairly small areas.

* TheyChangedItNowItSucks: ''Back In Action'' and ''Crossfire''. Beyond the real-time[=/=]turn-based debate, the series' fans were less than pleased by the simplification of game mechanics (mecrs aren't hired for a month but permanently, training militia don't require to perform some drill by your mercenaries but is made by paying to upgrade them), the absence of actual cutscenes after ''Back In Action'' intro, and the removal of the feature which allowed to create your own custom merc from scratch. ''Rage!'', on the other hand, reduces the huge EnsembleCast from dozens of mercs to just six (Ivan, Shadow, Raven, Grunty, Dr.Q, and Vicki), and reduces the maps to fairly small areas.

* EnsembleDarkhorse: [[HollywoodNerd Gumpy]] from ''2'' has a lot of fans, not only for his {{Adorkable}} nature, but because his high wisdom offsets his initally-terrible stats; with some training (preferably from an experienced merc with high leadership), he can quickly become a crack shot, expert medic, and ace engineer, rivaling the likes of ''[[TheAce Gus or Mike.]]''

* TheyChangedItNowItSucks: ''Back In Action'' and ''Crossfire''. Beyond the real-time[=/=]turn-based debate, the series' fans were less than pleased by the simplification of game mechanics (mecrs aren't hired for a month but permanently, training militia don't require to perform some drill by your mercenaries but is made by paying to upgrade them), the absence of actual cutscenes after ''Back In Action'' intro, and the removal of the feature which allowed to create your own custom merc from scratch. ''Rage!'', on the other hand, reduces the huge EnsembleCast from dozens of mercs to just six (Ivan, Shadow, Raven, Grunty, Dr., and Vicky), and reduces the maps to fairly small areas.

* TheyChangedItNowItSucks: ''Back In Action'' and ''Crossfire''. Beyond the real-time[=/=]turn-based debate, the series' fans were less than pleased by the simplification of game mechanics (mecrs aren't hired for a month but permanently, training militia don't require to perform some drill by your mercenaries but is made by paying to upgrade them), the absence of actual cutscenes after ''Back In Action'' intro, and the removal of the feature which allowed to create your own custom merc from scratch.

* HilariousInHindsight: ''VideoGame/MassEffect'' had a main character named Shepard, who fought Reapers. Jagged Alliance 2 has a character named Sheppards who goes by the code-name "Reaper".

* {{Sequelitis}}: The series hasn't done well since ''2''. Both ''Back In Action'' and ''Crossfire'' were negatively received by fans and critics due to heavily simplifying the game mechanics, removing a number of features, and lacking much of the charm and depth of the first two games. A crowdfunded game, ''Flashback'', was hoped to finally break this trend, but the developers ran out of funding and released the game as an ObviousBeta that was not received well.

* CompleteMonster: [[TheGeneralissimo Deidranna Reitmann]], from the second game, is the despotic ruler of Arulco. As [[GodSaveUsFromTheQueen Queen-Consort]], she murdered her husband's father and framed him for it, becoming the new ruler. After turning the country into a brutal dictatorship, she had people tortured and executed for minor offenses. Worst of all, she ordered the death of everyone [[TheSocialDarwinist she condemned as too weak]]--elderly, sick or disabled--[[WouldHurtAChild not even sparing infants]]. Even her own troops weren't spared from her cruelty, as she would threaten to execute their families for failing her. In the Sci-Fi mode, she's also responsible for the creation of the [[BigCreepyCrawlies Crepitus]] and gives orders to lure them to the surface by no longer feeding them, not caring in the slightest that the creatures will not only eat her enemies, but her own troops as well.

* EnsembleDarkhorse: [[HollywoodNerd Gumpy]] from ''JA2'' has a lot of fans, not only for his {{Adorkable}} nature, but because his high wisdom offsets his initally-terrible stats; with some training (preferably from an experienced merc with high leadership), he can quickly become a crack shot, expert medic, and ace engineer, rivaling the likes of ''[[TheAce Gus or Mike.]]''

* GermansLoveDavidHasselhoff: The series is highly popular among Finnish PC gamers with Jagged Alliance 2 getting voted Game of the Year by both the readers and the editors in the largest gaming magazine in Finland. It also was among the best-selling PC games in Finland for months. In fact, in Finland Sir-Tech is mostly known for Jagged Alliance series rather than VideoGame/{{Wizardry}}.

* GermansLoveDavidHasselhoff - The series is highly popular among Finnish PC gamers with Jagged Alliance 2 getting voted Game of the Year by both the readers and the editors in the largest gaming magazine in Finland. It also was among the best-selling PC games in Finland for months. In fact, in Finland Sir-Tech is mostly known for Jagged Alliance series rather than VideoGame/{{Wizardry}}.

* {{Sequelitis}}: The series hasn't done well since ''2''. Both ''Back In Action'' and ''Crossfire'' were negatively received by fans and critics due to heavily simplifying the game mechanics, removing a number of features, and lacking much of the charm and depth of the first two games. A crowdfunded game, ''Flashback'', was hoped to finally break this trend, but the developers ran out of funding and released the game as an ObviousBeta that was not received well. Doubles as ToughActToFollow, as ''Jagged Alliance 2'' is only next to ''VideoGame/XCOMUFODefense'' in how respected and influential it is on the ''Turn Based Tactics'' genre. And with the 1.13 modification expanding on every aspect, any new game in the series has to meet some ''very'' high standards.