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Jagged Alliance 2: Wildfire

aka: JA2:WF
Moby ID: 12381
box cover
Released
July 2004 on Windows
Credits
18 people
Releases by Date (by platform)
Publishers
Developers
Moby Score
7.1
#12,758 of 25.7K
Critics
71% (8)
Players
(15)
Review Ranking
Collected By
105 players
Genre
Role-playing (RPG)
Strategy / tactics
Perspective
Diagonal-down
Visual
Isometric
Pacing
Turn-based
Gameplay
Tactical RPG
Turn-based tactics (TBT)
Interface
Multiple units/characters control
Point and select
Setting
Contemporary
Sci-fi / futuristic
Windows Specs
ESRB Rating
Teen
Business Model
Commercial
Media Type
CD-ROM, Download
Number of Offline Players
1 Player
[ view all 31 specs ]
Official Site
Visit
Buy on Windows
$9.49 used, $35.00 new on eBay
$3.59 new on Steam
$3.59 new on GOG.com
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Included in See Also

Description official descriptions

Jagged Alliance 2: Wildfire is the second standalone expansion of Jagged Alliance 2. It started out as a fan-made modification, and while it has the same storyline and core gameplay as the original, the game introduces the following changes:

  • Over 80% of the maps have been modified (210 out of 260), including vegetation, buildings, roads, military facilities, starting positions etc.
  • 8 new mercenaries (some original ones were replaced)
  • Modified and re-balanced items, gear and weapons bringing it closer to dangerous real-life situations.
  • All military facilities have increased defensive capabilities: Added mine fields, fences, snipers, watchtowers, perimeter lighting, and alarms.
  • New weapons: USP, Uzi, UMP, MP5A3, Mini-30, HK33, G36, MP7, MSG90, AN-94, RPK, V-94, VAL, VSS.
  • Changed difficulty of enemies, in both significant quantity (almost double the number) and quality (AI).
  • Arulco's population is now more loyal to the local government, in addition to increased support penalties for civilian deaths.
  • Existing weapons’ graphics and sounds have been replaced, aiming for a more realistic approach.
  • Militia options have been disabled.

Spellings

  • Jagged Alliance 2: Возвращение в Арулько - Russian spelling
  • 铁血联盟2：野火 - Simplified Chinese spelling

Groups +

Screenshots

Promos

Credits (Windows version)

18 People

Developer
Director of 3rd Party Development
Producer
Director of Marketing
Localization Manager
Graphic Design Manager
Graphic Design
Web Design
Senior PR Manager
Customer Support
President
Senior V. P.
V. P. Creative Development
V. P. Systems
Quality Assurance and Additional Programming
  • Game Factory Interactive LTD

Reviews

Critics

Average score: 71% (based on 8 ratings)

Players

Average score: 3.6 out of 5 (based on 15 ratings with 2 reviews)

Improvements? What Improvements?

The Good
Note:

  • Review of JA2: Wildfire for version 5-something.
  • Difficulty Level Played: Expert
  • Second review update (2007). I think I've played all of JA2 games, from the original to all those weird expansions. When I got my hands on Wildfire, I was expecting something different. Uh, either my memory serves me wrong or I really don't know what the difference is with JA 2 the original version. Regardless, the game is still addictive as hell. I've always been a die-hard fan of turned-based RPGs and combat scenes like X-Com and Fallout. Jagged Alliance is one of the best when it comes to turned based RPG combat unlike console tactical Japanese RPGs. There are some improvements worth mentioning, but you'd probably hardly notice it:
  • They changed the intro cut-scene a bit. For whatever reason.
  • Enemies are hugely more difficult than the original JA2. But that's about it.
  • Penalties for dead civilians have a higher effect own town support. Regardless if they attack you first. Hey, that isn't fair!
  • Apparently there are more weapon types. But only accessible if you choose the "tons of guns" settings. Somewhat odd, but this option actually means that there are more various guns available (quality-speaking, as opposed to quantity). Ironic that I only found this out several years later...

    **The Bad**
    Did someone mention this was an improvement of JA2 the original game? Same game, same Arulco map, same story. If there was something new worth mentioning that qualifies it to an expansion (instead of a patch) I see it. Probably everyone else didn't see it either, since the same dang bugs are still there (aren't they supposed to fix this already, you wonder?) So is it the same game? Yep.
    Same Arulco? Yep.
    Same story? Yep.
    Same bugs? Yep. Either I'm playing the original JA2 (which I'm sure I'm not, since the main screen has a big "WILDFIRE" written all over it) or I'm missing something? (besides the fact that the enemy AI is more difficult and 90% of doors and chests in the game are locked). What is irritating about this game is that it's an expansion. A stand-alone expansion to be exact. Now from where I come from, stand-alone expansions, hell...expansions are supposed to be different. Different like Europe and Africa different. Still talking about continents but different in that setting. So besides me whining that the gameplay didn't change, the story/plot didn't change, darn it even the dang bugs didn't change, one wonders if this game actually qualifies as an expansion. Actually come to think of it, it shouldn't. No wonder the new developers didn't get paid.... The same bugs from JA2 still exist, but I perceive that more bugs found its way into Wildfire:
  • Game sometimes crashes when an explosion occurs (via grenade, mortar, mine, or you kicking your monitor due to irritation);
  • Save games sometimes become corrupted when saving games, for no particular reason;
  • Game fails exit properly, often forcing you to restart your computer since it prevents you from entering the desktop (windows);
  • Helicopter where Skyrider the pilot doesn't seem to want to take-off due to one reason or the other;
  • The chalice sometimes gets stuck and can't be picked up. Another thing I really regret in the game is turn-based combat while having militia present as allies. The thing is, I hate waiting. And waiting for the militia (and civilians) to move takes too long. Especially when out of no where your mercs get headshots from out of the blue from trigger happy militia allies. If I'm not patient enough, I just "end program" and restart/reload the game again. The fact that restarting the game via "end program" is faster than waiting for the opponent/allies to move is somewhat odd in my perspective. Even more irritating when your militia allies don't do much but run around in circles (that and use their walkie-talkies which doesn't seem to have any particular use it seems). Couldn't they just "fast-forward" this useless graphical nonsense? One last bug I'm really pissed about concerns Kingpin town: San Mona. Here is the only place that sells decent weapons. However, sometimes (if not more than often) when I come back to this joint, the whole town fires upon me! What happened? Sure I shot a few cows along the way but why are they firing on me? I wouldn't careless if everyone shoots at me, but the thing is, the dude that sells guns (Hans) doesn't like my face either. I've restarted the game one too many times to avoid this game but to no avail. In relation to the above, well it turns out in this stupid version of Jagged Alliance, I recently found out that this has to do with the new "mafia" feature. In Wildfire, you have a lot of armed civilians who don't take lightly on you stealing their stuff. Now the problem with this mafia force is that if you kill or attack one mafia bloke, you declare war on the entire Aruclo crime organization. Which also happens to be everyone in Kingpin town. Well, since you can't rectify the situation when all hell breaks loose, just "load game".

    **The Bottom Line**
    Well, its the first "expansion" game that I played that turned out not to be an expansion but a poor excuse for a patch...and not a very good one at that, considering the bugs. It's still a good game, but mind the bugs. Then again, Arulco IS supposed to be infected with bug-like monsters (Sci-Fi mode). Too bad the developers too it a little too literally.

    • Windows · by Indra was here (20745) · 2007

    Wildfire is really nothing more than a buggy "real world" mod.

    The Good
    The new weapons are nice. This time around, even your cheap mercs often start with new gear, including some nice weapons, rather than the ol' "two six-shooters" from the original Jagged Alliance 2.

    The new storyline is neat, if you thought the original was too comical or something.

    Almost, if not all maps have been drastically redone. New tiles also add new strategic elements to the game.

    The Bad
    Ugh, it's a mod! And a buggy one at that. I, for one, can't even beat Drassen because the game freezes every time I get a headshot, or if I have a certain merc selected and I view a certain area. It doesn't seem to be random lockups, which makes it all the more annoying. If I want to move Steroid here, I can't do that, I have to move someone else FIRST, or the game will freeze.

    The new storyline is...well, it's more real, but I didn't care for it. I want to take down a nation's dictator, not rustle with drug cartels.

    They just reworked some old dialogue and stuff to fit around their new story. It just...doesn't feel like anything more than a mod. And mods should be free.

    The Bottom Line
    If you can't get enough JA2, or you're looking for a more real-world mod, this is worth picking up. But until they release some patches for it, it's virtually unplayable.

    Windows · by kbmb (415) · 2004

    Trivia

    Lawsuit

    Insolvency issues of Strategy First led to the inability to provide full royalties to developer i-Deal Games Studios for Jagged Alliance 2: Wildfire. This prompted i-Deal to take legal action by sending an official Notification of Termination to Strategy First on the grounds of "breach of contract" on 8 June 2004. By 26 July 2004, the contract was formally terminated. No payment or settlement was officially reached by the two companies.

    Release

    The first release of Jagged Alliance 2: Wildfire (version 5.x) was heavily criticized for being bug-plagued. This was due to Strategy First's decision (February 2004) to release the game before quality assurance testing was finalized. Subsequent releases published by Zuxxez/TopWare (versions 6.x) were improved, but the 5.x releases could not be updated.

    Analytics

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    Identifiers +

    • MobyGames ID: 12381
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    Contributors to this Entry

    Game added by kbmb.

    Linux, Macintosh added by Plok.

    Additional contributors: Unicorn Lynx, Indra was here, Jeanne, Trond Berntsen, Patrick Bregger, Plok.

    Game added March 10, 2004. Last modified November 4, 2024.