Second Opinion: Front Mission 3

Despite being one of Square's most popular Japanese franchises, the Front Mission series has never seen US release. Unfortunately for hopeful domestic fans, the third title in the series appears to be just as elusive as the rest. Conspicuously absent from Square's recent spate of US release announcements, Front Mission 3 will likely remain the importer's exclusive domain. The demo included with Legend of Mana is rather unimpressive - but it's not particularly mediocre either. The Front Mission series has always stressed strategic gameplay and the integrity of its mech-populated, near-future world over graphical polish and finesse. Front Mission 3 contains just enough spit and polish to get the job done.

The latest title continues the series' traditional mech-driven, grid-based battle system. Each mecha has a separate energy meter for the torso, right and left arms, legs, and pilot. Disabling the arms or legs lowers attack options and mobility. Destroying the torso or pilot, of course, takes the hulking Vanzer out of commission. Whenever a character is attacked, he or she can choose a weapon with which to counter attack; strategic planning is forced by the consistent give-and-take nature of battling. The demo contains several story elements and two battles; the first is a standard destroy-all-enemies mission, while the second is a mad dash for an elevator against impossible odds. Graphically, the game is fairly unattractive with large and blocky textures - but the environments are so dark and gritty that the blockiness scarcely matters. Front Mission 3 seems to cater to the hard-core series fan with little innovation, average graphics, and quality gameplay.