Front Mission 3

"It has an awful storyline, average graphics, and repetitive music. How come this game is still good?"

Strategy-RPGs games aren't exactly the most popular genre on the PSone, but when one comes around, it usually delivers (such as Final Fantasy Tactics and Kartia). Front Mission 3 is the third game in the popular series, but this is the first installment to actually make it here, most likely because all of the games take place in Asia. We Americans (and Europeans for that matter) apparently can't handle a game that doesn't focus on our glorious homeland, but I guess Squaresoft decided to give it a shot anyways. Was their decision a waste, or is this a worthwhile effort?

What sets Front Mission 3 apart from other games in the genre abandons the typical medieval-fantasy setting and takes place in a futuristic Earth. Mechs called wanzers are now the commonplace. These multi-purpose vehicles are used for farming, law enforcement, and as you'll soon see, war. But wanzers aren't the only change in the future. The power of each nation has changed greatly, and so has their allies. In fact, North and South America are now combined to form one powerful union. The world in Front Mission 3 is so rich and full of details that it's impossible to write about all of them. You can obtain most of the information from the dozens of simulated websites.

With such a well-crafted world, it's a shame that the narrative that goes along with it is so poor. On the surface, things appear to be somewhat promising. The main character is a Japanese wanzer test pilot named Kazuki Takemura. Along with an old friend, Ryogo, he drops off some new wanzers at a military base, but as they arrive catastrophe happens. A massive explosion goes off, and considering how headstrong he is, Kazuki flips out and ends up traveling across the world trying to put an end to some dangerous enemies and a vast conspiracy, all while teaming up with an of assortment allies. There's even two separate storylines! It's like two games in one package! Now what could possibly make the plot miss the mark?

First, there is a HUGE cast of characters, but you don't feel for any of them. Considering there are so many boring scenes of nothing but dialogue, it'd be nice to actually care about what they're saying. It doesn't help that the translation is so awkward and impersonal, which removes any of the drama and tension. The plot takes up large percentage of Front Mission 3, so a lot of the time the game fails to raise any interest.

Even though the dull plot takes up a far too large portion of Front Mission 3, the game is ultimately redeemed when it comes down to the gameplay. Before even entering a battle, there are seemingly infinite ways to customize your party's wanzers. There are dozens of different arms, legs, and bodies with differing hit points and weight. You're only allowed hold a certain amount of weight, so a balance between strength and efficiency is required. There are plenty of wildly different weapons at your disposal as well. Machines guns, missiles, shotguns, and many other forms of attack are there for your consideration. You can even change the color of your wanzer. Perfecting your wanzer from the infinite possibilities is a blast, but the fun hasn't even started yet.

Once your wanzers are locked and loaded, you're ready to battle, which just happens to be the best part of Front Mission 3. Battles are turn-based, and you're able to control four characters (plus the occasional NPC). In battle you can see how your wanzers customizing skills paid off. There are many factors to take into affect, such as movement, routes of attack, what type of weapon the enemy is weak to, and so on. Each part of a wanzer have it's own hit points, so taking out an enemy's leg or right hand may seriously cripple them, but the only way to fully destroy them is to attack their main body.

Each battle feels unique due to the varied enemies and landscapes. Considering there are over 100 different battles, this is an amazing feat. Not once did I grow tired of fighting. It's rewarding to see your meticulously designed wanzers succeed in combat despite being outnumbered. Also, things never become frustrating because of the fair, yet occasionally challenging, difficulty level.

While the gameplay is entirely excellent, the graphics only excel in certain areas. The wanzers are intricately detailed and move realistically (well, as realistic as fantasy robots can move). The human character models fare worse with their lack of detail and extremely wooden animations. Even worse are the incredibly pixelated backgrounds. This is embarrassingly evident when the camera zooms in to show an attack. Front Mission 3 isn't an ugly game, it just looks sub par when compared to similar games. Unfortunately, the music is also hit and miss. Squaresoft is known for their great music, but here they somewhat falter. The tunes sometimes feel out of place with their overly synthetic sound and repetitive nature.

The one area that Front Mission 3 absolutely delivers in, aside from the perfect gameplay, is its lifespan. The two storylines offer at least 60 hours of playtime. There's also plenty of websites to browse, which include little secrets here and there. It's too bad that most of the 60 hours is spent telling a mundane plot, but hey, you're getting a lot of bang for your buck nonetheless.

The plot is incredibly dull, the music is forgettable, and the graphics are average. All of that can be overlooked with such amazing gameplay. It's really a testament to how gameplay can overshadow every other aspect in a game. If you're a fan of strategy RPG's, then Front Mission 3 is worthy of your attention. Don't let the huge faults deter you; the gameplay makes the game shine.

Reviewer's Score: 8/10, Originally Posted: 11/07/04