Though they’ve yet to make their mark on PC, Full Control’s genetic makeup has been plain to see since I had a play around with their ambitious iOS game, Tactical Soldier: Undead Rising, in the summer of 2011. An isometric, grid-based strategy game with a side order of gore, it excelled in providing those sweaty-palmed percentage-to-hit gambles that positively stink of Jagged Alliance.
That’s why rights-owners bitComposer have given the Copenhagen-based indies the go-ahead for a turn-based sequel, I imagine.
“Jagged Alliance fits perfectly into our company strategy and portfolio as the game to do after we ship Space Hulk,” said Full Control CEO Thomas Hentschel Lund. “It is one of the 3 games besides X-Com and Fallout that really defined the entire genre and is part of our DNA.
“We are honored and excited to have been the confidence given by bitComposer to give the series a fresh new take whilst staying true to the core mechanics.”
For their part, bitComposer admit that 2010’s real-time Jagged Alliance 2 remake, Back in Action, was a “departure” which yielded “mixed reactions”. They’re hoping to put things right by handing the license to a developer with I-go-you-go pedigree.
“We have been keeping an eye on Full Control for the last couple of years and have been suitably impressed with their take on turn-based tactical gaming and in particular their awesome work in bringing the classic Space Hulk franchise back to life”, said bitComposer Games’ Wolfgang Duhr. “We are excited to learn more about their plans for the franchise”.
Us too, Wolf. When Full Control demoed a slice of their Space Hulk adaptation for Rob at GDC, it proved deliciously punishing. And I’m not sure I’ve ever played a game quite so progress-stuntingly punishing as Jagged Alliance 2. Have you?