Hired Guns: The Jagged Edge

Hired Guns: The Jagged Edge (Russian: Джаз: Работа по найму, romanized: Dzhaz: Rabota po naymu, lit. 'Jazz: Employment')[1] is a turn-based tactics video game developed by GFI Russia and published by GFI / Russobit-M for Windows in October 2007. The game has been called a spiritual successor to the Jagged Alliance series.[4][5]

Hired Guns: The Jagged Edge
European cover art
Developer(s)GFI Russia
Publisher(s)
Director(s)Witalij Schutow
Designer(s)Max Tumin
Programmer(s)Leonard Wolik
Writer(s)Alexander Schatrow
Platform(s)Windows
Release
  • RU: October 19, 2007
  • EU: March 20, 2008
  • NA: December 4, 2008
  • UK: May 22, 2009
Genre(s)Turn-based tactics
Mode(s)Single-player

Gameplay

Hired Guns is a turn-based tactics game. The player is in command of an elite unit of mercenaries in an attempt to depose an African dictator in a fictional country of Diamond Coast.[6] The player hires and equips a group of mercenaries before starting a mission.[7] They are used in tactical battles to capture areas that generate income.[7] In battle, action points (AP) are used for movement and shooting.[7] The game also has a stamina system where running or carrying extra weight depletes the stamina meter and a character will collapse if it empties.[7]

Development

In June 2004, Strategy First and Game Factory Interactive (GFI) announced a deal to develop Jagged Alliance 3D and Jagged Alliance 3 with Russian-based developer MiST Land South working on the games.[8] In September 2005, GFI lost the rights to develop Jagged Alliance 3.[9] In January 2006, the development agreement was terminated but GFI was still under contract to develop Jagged Alliance 3D.[10] In August 2006, GFI dissolved MiST Land South and merged it with itself.[11] In September 2006, GFI also lost the rights to publish Jagged Alliance 3D.[12][13] A few days later GFI announced that it would release the game with a new title.[14] In November 2006, the game was renamed to Jazz: Hired Guns.[15][11] On August 10, 2007, the game was given the English title Hired Guns: The Jagged Edge.[16][17] The game was showcased at Games Convention 2007.[18] It was released in Russia on October 19, 2007, and in other mainland European countries on March 20, 2008.[1][19] Tri Synergy and Matrix Games released the game in North America on December 4, 2008.[20][21][22] The game was released in the United Kingdom on May 22, 2009.[23]

Reception

Hired Guns: The Jagged Edge received "mixed or average" reviews according to review aggregator Metacritic.[24]

Larry Levandowski of Armchair General summarized: "Hired Guns takes great pains to emulate its spiritual ancestor, Jagged Alliance; the result is a fun game that satisfies. Fans of the original game and those turn-based gamers who want a good gunfight can’t go wrong with this one."[25]

Fabian Siegismund of GameStar said: "It takes quite some time to get into the game and a lot of it will be spent loading saved games, but once you're over that stage, Hired Guns offers a lot of fun. The game feels like a graphically enhanced Jagged Alliance 2, which isn't bad - quite the opposite. Hired Guns has its weaknesses, but is appealing nonetheless."[19][24]

Steve Butts of IGN summarized: "Overpowered enemies, underpowered weapons, breathless mercenaries and a complete lack of range and accuracy information keep the game from competing with the other titles in the genre."[7]

Niko Nirvi of Pelit called it a good tactical strategy game and the best game in the genre since Silent Storm. Nirvi criticized the lack of strong character personalities and attention to detail that are present in the Jagged Alliance series.[27]

References
  1. Khromov, Mikhail (4 November 2007). "Рецензия на Hired Guns: The Jagged Edge". Absolute Games (in Russian). Archived from the original on 5 April 2008. Retrieved 17 March 2023.
  2. Kleffmann, Marcel (5 April 2008). "Test: Hired Guns: The Jagged Edge". 4Players (in German). Retrieved 17 March 2023.
  3. "Hired Guns: The Jagged Edge". Steam. Valve Corporation. Archived from the original on 30 May 2009. Retrieved 17 March 2023.
  4. Meer, Alec (17 February 2012). "Jagged Alliance: Back in Action Review". Eurogamer. Gamer Network. Retrieved 17 March 2023.
  5. Dumitrescu, Andrei (19 December 2008). "Hired Guns: The Jagged Edge Gets Patch 1.07.001". Softpedia. SoftNews NET SRL. Retrieved 17 March 2023.
  6. Younger, Paul (28 May 2009). "Restaurant Empire II and Hired Guns On Steam". PC Invasion. Gamurs. Retrieved 17 March 2023.
  7. Butts, Steve (12 December 2008). "Hired Guns: The Jagged Edge Review". IGN. Ziff Davis. Archived from the original on 15 December 2008. Retrieved 17 March 2023.
  8. Fudge, James (4 June 2004). "Jagged Alliance 3, Disciples 3 Announced". GameSpy. IGN Entertainment. Retrieved 17 March 2023.
  9. Goryachev, Vladimir; Fomin, Konstantin (11 September 2006). "Interview: Hired Guns: The Jagged Edge". Absolute Games. Archived from the original on 18 April 2008. Retrieved 17 March 2023.
  10. Bramwell, Tom (12 January 2006). "Disciples III changing devs". Eurogamer. Gamer Network. Retrieved 17 March 2023.
  11. Nirvi, Niko (1 October 2008). "Jagged Alliancen perintö - Paha saa poikasia". Pelit (in Finnish). Fokus Media Finland. Retrieved 17 March 2023.
  12. "STRATEGY FIRST TERMINATES THEIR AGREEMENT WITH GAME FACTORY INTERACTIVE FOR THE DEVELOPMENT OF JAGGED ALLIANCE GAMES". Strategy First. 1 September 2006. Archived from the original on 18 November 2006. Retrieved 17 March 2023.
  13. Goryachev, Vladimir (2 September 2006). "GFI осталась без Jagged Alliance". Absolute Games (in Russian). Archived from the original on 2 April 2008. Retrieved 17 March 2023.
  14. Goryachev, Vladimir (3 September 2006). "GFI потеряла JA3D, но не сдается". Absolute Games (in Russian). Archived from the original on 26 April 2008. Retrieved 17 March 2023.
  15. Goryachev, Vladimir (8 November 2006). "Jagged Alliance 3D обрела новое имя". Absolute Games (in Russian). Archived from the original on 18 April 2008. Retrieved 17 March 2023.
  16. "GFI Announces Three New Names for Three Great Games". GFI. 10 August 2007. Archived from the original on 7 November 2007. Retrieved 17 March 2023.
  17. "News". GFI. Archived from the original on 17 April 2008. Retrieved 17 March 2023.
  18. "GFI goes to GC 2007". GamesIndustry.biz. Gamer Network. 16 August 2007. Retrieved 17 March 2023.
  19. Siegismund, Fabian (21 March 2008). "Hired Guns: The Jagged Edge im Test - Strategiespiel mit Elementen aus Jagged Alliance". GameStar (in German). Webedia. Retrieved 17 March 2023.
  20. "Hired Guns: The Jagged Edge - GFI's turn-based mercs game signed by Tri Synergy for North America". GamesIndustry.biz. Gamer Network. 31 October 2008. Retrieved 17 March 2023.
  21. "A New Hired Guns: The Jagged Edge Video Now Available". Matrix Games. 24 November 2008. Retrieved 17 March 2023.
  22. "Hired Guns: The Jagged Edge Now Available From Matrix Games!". Matrix Games. 4 December 2008. Retrieved 17 March 2023.
  23. "Hired Guns: The Jagged Edge - An overview of GFI's mercs RTS, out in the UK on May 22nd". GamesIndustry.biz. Gamer Network. 7 May 2009. Retrieved 17 March 2023.
  24. "Hired Guns: The Jagged Edge for PC Reviews". Metacritic. Fandom. Retrieved 18 March 2023.
  25. Levandowski, Larry (12 March 2009). "Hired Guns: The Jagged Edge – PC Game Review". Armchair General. Weider History Group. Retrieved 17 March 2023.
  26. "Hired Guns – The Jagged Edge". Computer Bild (in German). Axel Springer SE. 14 April 2008. Retrieved 17 March 2023.
  27. Nirvi, Niko (October 2008). "Paha puhuu saksaa". Pelit (in Finnish). No. 10/2008. pp. 40–41. Retrieved 17 March 2023.
  28. Pastor, Alberto (11 May 2009). "Análisis de Hired Guns: The Jagged Edge (PC)". Vandal (in Spanish). El Español. Retrieved 17 March 2023.
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