"A stylish and original, yet flawed 3D Shooter"

In November 2002, Capcom announced it's upcoming line-up for the GameCube unofficially known as the ''Capcom 5''. Besides Resident Evil 4, PN03 was the game that showed the most potential. It took a stylish heroine, a unique setting and crammed it into a game that focused on 3D shooting over adventure elements. The result is a slightly flawed product of mixed results. The plot is Vanessa Z. Schneider is an agent sent to a remote planet after the Computer Arms Management System went haywire, her mission is to disable the very same system that killed her parents once, her employer is a mysterious person whom she must trust to get through this mess. It's obvious this isn't a title that will appeal to mainstream gamers, but those that like stylish 3D shooters will be very much interested in Capcom's latest venture.

Graphics 8.5/10

Vanessa is simply gorgeous to watch, especially the opening trailer, which shows a nice close-up of her character model. I like the intricate details Capcom put into her suit, how the white plastic and black leather moulds together to form a very unique image. As for the environments, the interior ones are nice but after playing a while you will notice that Capcom used the same room over again for separate missions. The sterile look of the space colony is a nice sight and really helps achieve the isolated atmosphere the game provides. The enemies are pretty ''meh'', the same enemy models are used repeatedly and that tends to be a little tiresome. Otherwise the graphical job done by Capcom is excellent for a game like this.

Sound 7.5/10

Techno music pumps through the speakers in the game, which I must say does sound right for this game. There is not voice acting and all dialogue takes place through text. The sound effects are decent enough for a title like this, mostly composed of robotic beeping and the occasional grunt from Vanessa when she gets hit.

Control 6/10

The controls for PN03 really do take some getting used to. For one thing you cannot move when you shoot, and your character can only move forward, backward and strafe while in action. As well the firing of your laser palm shots requires repeated tapping of the A-button, which could make some thumbs sore after a while. In some ways I would have preferred a Devil May Cry control scheme which would have helped out a lot and make the action a lot more exciting.

Gameplay 7/10

PN03 is a pretty short title, only 11 missions on the disc and all of which can be beaten in a weekend rental. But that's not to say that PN03 isn't a fun experience, in fact this game had some of the best 3D shooting I've played in a while. But the control set-up needed work for this one to really stand out; it does impact gameplay at the beginning and is a thing to get used to. PN03 is also extremely linear, you just run from room to room on a preset path taking out robots along the way. By taking out robots in combinations you get points for your efforts, which go to purchase of new weapons and items. Similar to Dino Crisis 2, there are ''Shops'' along the paths you take where you can buy new Suits, Upgrades and Continues...personally
I found the new suits to be rather useless and just went for the Upgrades to my current one. It's a fun experience, but you really have to be in the right mood to appreciate it.

Final Score: 7.2/10
Rounded Score: 7.0/10

Bottom Line

The best phrase I can use to describe PN03 is either you will like it or hate it. I would recommend a rental first to see where you stand and then consider afterwards. Personally, I found it to be a flawed yet enjoyable title that doesn't try to fit into the mainstream. Fans of 3D shooters or other hardcore gamers are the ones targeted by this game and those kinds of gamers should get into the game quite nicely.

Reviewer's Score: 7/10, Originally Posted: 09/16/03