"It's got potential.. in small doses."

Just over a year ago Capcom announced that it would be releasing five exclusive GameCube titles within 18 months. Nintendo fans rejoiced at the prospect of playing the latest offerings from Capcom and it all seemed too good to be true. Since then one of the five has been canceled (Dead Pheonix) and only two have been released – Viewtiful Joe and P.N 03. Viewtiful Joe is a wonderful game but what about P.N 03? Not much was said about the title as it neared release it looked like the game would be disappointment. And it is. The gameplay lacks any real punch and whilst the concept appears new and original on the surface it's far from it and after extensive playtime it becomes a real chore to play. The game shines in certain areas but fails to make use of the GameCube’s power and the result is a game that fails to deliver on early promise.

The game begins as a colonial settlement on a distant planet goes out of control after a Computer Arms Management System goes haywire. It actually plays out a lot like Terminator with an all out battle against the machines ensuing as humans create AI that becomes ruthless in it's desire for power. It's very 1980's. Players assume the role of Vanessa Schneider, a freelance mercenary and robot killer with a grudge to settle. The story is pretty weak and it doesn't really drive the game along at any great pace taking a back seat for most of the ride.

From the start players are thrust into the action taking down robots with electric palm shots and powerful energy drives. By stringing together moves players can rack up big combos and build up a wealth of points which can be traded in on new attacks, suits and items. Unfortunately even with the upgrades the game gets very repetitive, very fast. Players go from room to room killing everything in sight in a linear fashion and the game doesn’t deviate much from this principle as it progresses.

The concept is quite dated but that's not necessarily why it's bad. Old shooter games were great in 2D and their are even some real classics in the 3D realm but P.N 03 is right down the other end of the scale. The developers have failed to create gameplay that is fun for any great period of time. If you play P.N 03 for ten minutes then you've pretty much experienced all thats on offer with the various weapon upgrades the only reason to push on and attempt to finish the game. Enemies and even the game's bosses are repeated, that is to say you'll be shooting at the same things over and over. Almost every environment in the game looks the same and the level layouts fail to capture any real intensity. There are no puzzles to solve, you just blast everything in the room and move on to the next room to do the same thing. Lather, rinse, repeat.

P.N 03 suffers with rigid controls that struggle to create flow between movement and attack. It makes the game initially hard to play and later in the game, it’s down right frustrating. The fundamental problem is that you can't shoot and run at the same time. This means that anytime you fire on an enemy you have to stand still and this makes you incredibly to vulnerable to any kind of attack. It also seems to lag a little so if you fire and then press the analogue stick to run it will take a good half a second for the game to react. During that time you'll likely suffer some serious health loss. The controls actually make the game quite challenging but their is certainly nothing else to make the game last. It's an aboslute breeze.

The graphics are stylish with slick looking interiors that suit the robotic them. Unfortunately these environments repeat over and over throughout the entire game and the variation is extemely limited.. This poor level of vareity makes everything a bit of a bore and the games soundtrack is also uninspired. An upside is that the boring textures and repeated environments lead to a solid framerate that won't drop throughout the lengthy quest. The main character, Vanessa, is supposed to move freely through the game almost dancing as she fights yet through awful controls and poor animation this effect is not achieved.

P.N 03 is an interesting concept but many aspects of the game detract from the fun but if you can put those to one side then you may enjoy it. Even if you do the game will only last you five or six hours and their is definitely nothing to go back for once it's finished. The potential is there for a great game and a sequel would definitely give the chance for Capcom to execute its ideas with greater effect. It’s an interesting take on the action genre but there is no depth or substance to the game at all. The only challenge in the game is to see how long your thumb will last bashing the A button since that's pretty much all you'll be doing. P.N 03 is a poor title especially from developers Capcom whom are famous for so many wonderful games. Better luck next time.

Reviewer's Score: 3/10, Originally Posted: 12/28/03