"Solid, arcade-style mech-shooter..."

If you've followed the Iron Soldier series from its humble Atari Jaguar beginnings, you'll surely be pleased by the jump in technology with IS3 for Playstation.

A convoluted story-line tells the tale of an industrial world gone bad. You take the role of a mech pilot for the good guys, and with your choice of three vehicles, it's up to you to tackle the multitude of missions on your way to final victory.

After extensive play, I found IS3 to be a solid, arcade-style shooter, that, while not exceptional in any one category, makes for an entertaining play. With a Dual Shock gamepad, the control is rather intuitive, although it does come with a learning curve (every button is used). The Iron Soldier mech has the ability to walk forward/reverse, fire a variety of mounted weapons, fly, swivel its torso, and aim up or down. This is definitely nothing compared to the complex layout of the Mech Warrior series on the PC.

Most of the missions tend to boil down to a few simple concepts; destroy all the buildings, kill the enemies or intruders, escort convoys, or any combination of those three. While the setting will change, the levels typically end up as giant landmasses with four city areas at the corners. There are a few variances, with the occasional bonus island, hill, or bridge.

The game earns its points in the variety of weaponry, and in the strategy needed to successfully complete each mission. Machine-guns are weak, but are plentiful in ammunition and great for long-range targets (like those pesky helicopters). Rockets are great for aimed shots that require a bit of a punch. Grenades, my personal favorite, are wonderful to lob into a busy area, igniting a light show of chain-reactions and flaming shrapnel. Then of course, who can forget the trusty robotic fist; great for knocking down skyscrapers when ammo conservation is important.

Strategy is employed in successfully coming out of a level alive. While the basic objectives might be familiar, the particular level and/or situation might find you scrambling for ammo or health, and it would be a good idea to remember which facilities yield what. Don't be surprised to find yourself repeating a mission numerous times before getting it right.

Graphically, Iron Soldier 3 does the job. The draw-distance reaches far into the horizon, allowing you to see the four corners of the map and to anticipate incoming aircraft long before they actually become a threat. The textures are adequate, and the explosion effects, where buildings and enemies explode into cubic pieces, are strangely exhilarating. The frame rate is decent throughout, maxxing out at 30, but averaging somewhere around 20 fps during normal play.

Sound and music are fitting for their theme and environment, nothing outstanding nor deplorable. Distinctively solid.

Extras include excellent CGI cinemas, head-to-head split screen battles, and a unique two-player, one mech cooperative mode.

I can't say with certainty that Iron Soldier 3 is significantly better than the previous games, graphics excepted. The gameplay is basic enough to seem like a majority of the time has been spent in adding polish to the series. Regardless,the German-based developer did a fine job in producing a game that is fun to jump into and engaging enough to spend some time with. I'll revert back to my opening word; solid effort.

Reviewer's Score: 7/10, Originally Posted: 02/27/02, Updated 02/27/02