Let's do the CRPG Analyzer checklist for Jagged Alliance 2:
I. The Checklist:
Character Development
Describes ways to create, change or enhance your characters in order to increase their effectiveness in the game.
Exploration
Includes how you can move through the game world, as well as everything you can find, see, manipulate or interact with, like locations, items and other objects.
Story
Concerns all narrative elements like setting, lore, plot, characters, dialogue, quests, descriptions, storyline(s) and similar, including how you can interact with them.
Describes how combat (or more general: conflict resolving) corresponds with elements of Character Development, Exploration and Story.
The CRPG Analyzer checklist shows that Jagged Alliance 2 is very strong in the categories Exploration, Combat, good in story and nearly complete in the category Character Development.
Jagged Alliance 2 is a true RPG!
I. The Checklist:
Character Development
Describes ways to create, change or enhance your characters in order to increase their effectiveness in the game.
- Must Have
C1: you can control and role-play one (=Avatar) or more (=Party) unique characters (-> not only uniform units) - yes
C2: you can progressively develop your characters' stats and/or abilities (-> e.g. through an in game value (usually exp. points) gained by quests, exploration, conversation, combat, …) - yes
C3: Checks against character stats and/or character abilities/skills are necessary to make progress and finish the game - yes
C4: you can equip and enhance your characters with items you acquire - yes - Should Have
C5: you can create your characters - only the main character
C6: the player needs preplanning for the development of the character(s) - yes
C7: the primary means of problem solving, gameworld interaction and overcoming challenges is the tactical use of character/party skills/abilities (-> the player's physical coordination skills are secondary) - yes
Exploration
Includes how you can move through the game world, as well as everything you can find, see, manipulate or interact with, like locations, items and other objects.
- Must Have
E1: your character(s) can interact with the gameworld and find new locations by exploring. - yes
E2: your character(s) can find items that can be collected in an inventory (-> there have to be more item types than quest items, weapons, ammunition and consumable stat boosters.) - yes
E3: your character(s) can find information sources (-> e.g. NPCs, entities, objects that provide info) - yes - Should Have
E4: there are NPCs in the game - yes
E5: you can choose a path (-> there is at least some branching) - yes
E6: your character(s) can manipulate the game world in some way (-> e.g. pull levers, push buttons, open chests, …) - yes
E7: the gameworld can affect your character(s) (-> e.g. weather, traps, closed doors, poisoned areas, …) - yes
E8: there are initially inaccessible areas in the gameworld that can only be reached by enhancing your characters' abilities, solving quests or puzzles (-> e.g. unlock locked areas, overcome obstacles, repair bridges, dispel barriers, …) - yes
Story
Concerns all narrative elements like setting, lore, plot, characters, dialogue, quests, descriptions, storyline(s) and similar, including how you can interact with them.
- Must Have
S1: your character(s) can get information from information sources (-> e.g. hints, goals, quests, skills, spells, training, …) - yes
S2: your character(s) can follow quests (-> there is at least one main quest) - yes
S3: your character(s) can progress through connected events and play their role - yes - Should Have
S4: the story is influenced by your decisions and your characters' actions and stats/abilities/skills. - yes
S5: your character(s) can interact with information sources (-> e.g. NPC conversation, riddle statue question, …) - yes
S6: your character(s) can make choices in those interactions - yes - a few
S7: at least some of these choices have consequences - yes
S8: advancing in the story requires thinking of the player (-> e.g. irreversible choices, moral dilemma, riddles, …) - yes- some strategic choices
Describes how combat (or more general: conflict resolving) corresponds with elements of Character Development, Exploration and Story.
- Should Have
F1: Combat efficiency is in some way tied to character stats or abilities (-> e.g. amount of damage, chance to hit, weapon access, …) - yes (bigger stats allows you to carry better weapons, special skills give combat advantages)
F2: Combat works with some random elements (game internal dice rolls) - yes
F3: Combat should provide some challenge (-> e.g. preparing, use of tactics or environment possible) - yes
The CRPG Analyzer checklist shows that Jagged Alliance 2 is very strong in the categories Exploration, Combat, good in story and nearly complete in the category Character Development.
Jagged Alliance 2 is a true RPG!