Joint Task Force (video game)
| Industry | Video game development |
|---|---|
| Headquarters | Hungary , Hungary |
| Products | Joint Task Force |
Joint Task Force is a 2006 real-time tactics title developed solely for Windows, where players oversee military units during combat operations.
This game includes officially authorized vehicles and weaponry sourced from leading defense manufacturers such as Boeing, Lockheed Martin, General Dynamics, Northrop Grumman, and Sikorsky.
Created by the Hungarian developer Most Wanted Entertainment, it was jointly published by HD Publishing and Vivendi Universal Games under the Sierra Entertainment brand in September 2006.
Setting
Set in the year 2008, Joint Task Force follows the narrative of the JTF first battalion and its leader, Major Matthew O'Connell, through five distinct missions located in Somalia, Bosnia, Afghanistan, Colombia, and Iraq.
Plot
The narrative opens in Somalia, where warlord Akil Farrah has seized control by toppling the government and imposing a dictatorship targeting ethnic groups. The game begins with Farrah’s forces executing a prisoner—a scene secretly filmed and presented to Major O'Connell. General Cleveland authorizes O'Connell and the JTF First Battalion to eliminate Farrah’s regime entirely.
O'Connell’s background reveals his previous covert operations fighting alongside Farrah during a US-backed black ops mission, which intensifies his resolve to dismantle the regime. In Somalia, O'Connell secures a cargo vessel suspected of arms trafficking but discovers only a laptop and documents mentioning "Product 7." Subsequently, the JTF intercepts a convoy transporting HXE explosives, a highly potent material surpassing C4 in power.
The JTF captures Mahmoud Abbas, Farrah’s arms minister, who discloses Farrah’s whereabouts near the Kenyan border. During this operation, war correspondent Pepper Morgan is killed despite evacuation efforts. Cleveland orders O'Connell to execute Farrah rather than capture him; the mission concludes with Farrah’s death. O'Connell reflects on his prior involvement in Somalia during the 1990s.
The next deployment sends the JTF to Bosnia to confront renegade Serbian General Arkan Dragović, who has initiated an offensive claiming to target terrorist camps operated by "The Matar." After Dragović’s troops cause flooding by destroying the Kraduvice Dam, the JTF secures strategic points and apprehends Dragović alive within Serbia.
A Russian arms dealer connected to Matar, Novikov, is captured on an oil rig laden with explosives. Intelligence gathered from Novikov directs the JTF to Afghanistan to detain an associate of Matar; however, this target perishes during a prison riot at Qala-i-Jangi Prison. The JTF then tracks down the target's brother, who succumbs to lead poisoning.
Further investigation uncovers a Soviet ICBM missile silo harboring an ex-CIA operative named Courtland—known for ruthless interrogations and executions—acting without authorization. Courtland escapes with a nuclear weapon, leaving the JTF uncertain about their subsequent course of action.
Gameplay
Joint Task Force prioritizes strategic decision-making rather than resource gathering. Players are granted funds for each mission and objective to invest in soldiers and gear, with additional units deployable via helicopter or transport aircraft. Heavy armored units such as the M1A2 Abrams tank and M2A3 IFV are airlifted by Hercules aircraft onto secured runways, making control over these runways essential for deploying armored support.
Soldiers accumulate experience points and can be promoted into officers featuring skill trees that improve their combat capabilities depending on their role. For instance, promoted vehicle crew members perform better when assigned to operating vehicles.
The single-player campaign offers cooperative multiplayer support, while a 'Skirmish' mode enables players to choose from three factions: JTF, Terrorists, or Dictators.