Front Mission 3

—by Kenneth Lee

Those unfamiliar with Square's FRONT MISSION series may be bewildered by the sudden release of FRONT MISSION 3 in the U.S. on the Sony PlayStation. Indeed, many may be wondering if a "Part 1" and "Part 2" ever came out for FRONT MISSION, and rightfully so—Square never did release any games of the FRONT MISSION series overseas until now. The U.S. PlayStation is truly becoming a "landmark gateway" for allowing previously never-before-released-in-the-U.S. games to be brought over. And gamers should be thankful for this godsend in the form of FRONT MISSION 3, a tactical mech strategy/role-playing game from the kings of RPGs, Squaresoft.
Like most of Square's other series, FM3 requires no prior knowledge of the earlier FRONT MISSION games to enjoy this one—its story and characters are all unique to this game. Indeed, it is the story and characters that are at the forefront of the appeal of this game. From the powerful story and intriguing characters, to the refreshing modern world setting, to the fully customizable mechs, FRONT MISSION 3 proves to be an awesome game that is already a classic for the PlayStation library.
One of the most difficult aspects of the gaming industry as a whole is the cyclical nature of hardware and games. Usually the best games—in terms of technical achievement with graphics for a particular system, solid story/gameplay, and overall high production values—come at the end of a system's life cycle. Look at the SNES and Saturn. And now, the PSX with games like FRONT MISSION 3. The "difficult" aspect of it all is that while these great games are coming out at the end of a console's life cycle, many of them might be forgotten or overlooked, as retiring consoles are usually replaced by "next generation/super consoles," in this case, the Sega Dreamcast and PlayStation 2. With these new consoles, gamers are easily wooed by the amazing new graphics, and as a result lose sight of the gems of the older consoles that they've had for years already. Such might be the case with FRONT MISSION 3, as the graphics can't hold a candle to the next generation consoles visual power, but it still holds up admirably well based on PlayStation 1 standards.
While the graphics aren't exactly stunning, they are still quite amazing in terms of visual choreography. Square's use of excellent cinematography and many in-game cut scenes combine to create a powerful, believable world and story about political espionage, back-stabbing and world domination, all while keeping the action and interest level high throughout. The mechs themselves are pretty standard, low-poly models, and their texture maps do get pixelly at times, due to the ambitious nature of the game—using in-game cut scenes to zoom way in or way out to portray the gripping story. One can only imagine what this game would look like with the power of the PS2 or Dreamcast. There are also ample amounts of movie-quality CG movies that are spaced out across the game and that also help make it more enjoyable.
Yet, if you can look beyond the graphics, what you'll find is a powerful and amazing story. Trust me when I say that FRONT MISSION 3 is a flat-out awesome game. I had initially believed that this might one of those boring, hard-core mech simulation games that only a die-hard GUNDAM otaku could get into. But I am glad to say that I was severely wrong; FRONT MISSION 3 carries with it a very believable and epic story that serves as the cornerstone for this strategy/RPG game.
Essentially, what you have are two entirely different storylines in this one package. And each storyline is totally separate (but intertwines) with the other, which each one lasting for a good 60-80 hours of gameplay. Talk about value. The most amazing part is playing through either Emma's or Alisa's story and finding out how they intertwine with one another and seeing the war and struggle from both sides' perspectives.
The game takes you on a worldwide journey across many continents, from the futuristic Japan OCU, to the Philippines, to China (the DHZ—Da Han Zhong), all in search of a stolen "super bomb" that leaves no radioactive fallout, and as a result, it can be used nearly anywhere with no other repercussions except the annihilation of the specific target you intended.
Not only are there two different storylines, there are also two major aspects to the game: the 3D strategy/mech combat section, and the non-combat "adventure" section, where you engage in dialog conversations and search the Internet! The mech combat alone is worth the price of admission, as you are allowed to fully customize your giant robot, changing its colors, different parts, different weapons—even its onboard computer can be changed, as well as the ability to rename the robot.
From there, you can take it into battle and here the game resembles FINAL FANTASY TACTICS: you get a 3D battle map, and each of your units and the enemies' are represented on the field. It is turn-based, and as you move to attack (or get attacked) the camera will zoom in to an awesome close-up of your mech dealing major damage to the enemy with whatever weapon you chose. It is here that you can really relate to your mech, as all the changes you made to it are shown in real-time in the game. One aspect that keeps the game challenging is the "special powers" that each mech part contains. By using that piece over and over again (under its specified conditions), there'll be a chance that you might unlock its latent ability/special move. From there, you can assign it to your onboard computer and you'll always have a chance to activate it in the future.
The non-combat side of the game is just as intriguing. It is reminiscent of the classic "graphic adventure" games on the Apple and IBM's. You basically have key locations that you can visit, and with a cursor you highlight a section to visit. You'll then jump to that location and from there a drop-down menu shows various actions you can do, like "Talk" or "Buy" (if you're in a part shop), etc. From here, you try and uncover clues and other information necessary to go on.
Also, at any time you can access a portable "Network" system that hooks you up with FRONT MISSION 3's version of the Internet. You can send and receive e-mail, as well as browse "web pages" and find out secret information from hackers, etc. You can even hack into various web sites to find out more important information! Overall, this section of the game is very intriguing and very refreshing in this day and age of generic sports, shooters and fighting clones.
Overall, FRONT MISSION 3 is a true classic and must-play game for anyone interested in a great story with refreshing gameplay. From the mature (war, death, and world domination) story, to the great mech battles this game comes highly recommended. FM3 holds more entertainment value and interest than all of the PlayStation 2 titles put out to date combined! Kudos to Square for bringing it to the U.S.

Rating: 9.4 / 10

Sony PlayStation
Strategy / Simulation
1 Player
SLUS-01011
$49.95
Available now in the U.S.A.
Where to buy