7.62: High Calibre

7.62: High Calibre is the 2007 sequel to Brigade E5, by the same developer. You play a mercenary chasing a Russian businessman who stole a fortune from his partners and is hiding in a small Latin American country. The job turns into a war between the government and rebels, and you hire others, take contracts and pick sides as it develops.

It keeps the Smart Pause Mode of Brigade E5, real time that pauses to take orders, and expands everything around it, especially weapons. Guns can be modified in detail, ammunition types matter, and the game treats firearms with the precision of a simulation.

It has a reputation among players who like the mechanics of guns as one of the most detailed games ever made on the subject. The world is open, with factions to work for or against, and the mercenary campaign has some of Jagged Alliance 2's freedom.

It has the same faults as its predecessor: a heavy interface, a rough translation and a slow start. A community expansion, Hard Life, is often recommended by its fans.

7.62 keeps Jagged Alliance 2's open mercenary campaign and its gun detail, and pushes the detail much further. The pausable real time sets it apart from the original, and makes it one of the few games that tried that clock in an open campaign.