Jagged Alliance 3 - Interview and Preview

We haven't covered Jagged Alliance 3 for a while but with two new articles out today, it seems a good time to check in on the title.  First, StrategyCore has an interview that goes all the way back to E3:

SC: Tell me why JA3 will be the best game in the Jagged Alliance series?

AK: First of all, it’s now in full 3D. It's an evolutionary step from the previous series. Since we are working with Strategy First and the original designer of the series, Richard Therrien, this helps us a lot to make steady improvements. Also, the Silent Storm engine allows good destructibility of everything so we can demolish buildings and blow up cars which were not possible previously. This also helps in tactical situations where you can destroy a wall to get into a building from different points. Also, it’s more dynamic, more battle and combat oriented. There is less emphasis on micromanagement than the previous series. The player doesn't have to train troops or hold mines. What the player mostly does with the mercenaries is fight. The player commands a special squad, a special team, not a small army.

...and GameSpy has a very short preview that demonstrates the confusing heritage of this development, since they still list MiSTland South as the developer instead of Akella and didn't realise Strategy First is the NA publisher.  Here is an excerpt:

In Jagged Alliance 3 you'll have up to six mercs in your squad at a time. We got a chance to play an early level with Shadow, Scope and Malice. The game sports a new 3D engine which is sharp and a definite step up from the previous games which were never really all that pretty to begin with. JA3 won't win any awards for looks, but it is easily the best-looking game of the franchise. The interface is definitely improved, and we found commanding our squad to be easier than ever. The large strategic country map is back, only this time rather than having the land divided up in a grid the land will be broken up into more natural-looking territories. Also returning is the Action Point system from the previous games, so JA vets will feel right at home.