This game comes off as pretty average to me.
To put it simply, this game borrows a lot from Advance Wars... to the point of being a ripoff. They play almost identically. This could have been a good thing, as the Wars gameplay is timeless. However, Field Commander doesn't transfer the slick presention or really add anything new... so as a vet of the other games I felt like I'd already played a better version of this game three times already.
The graphics are nice, but the animations are sluggish and the game has plenty of long load times. All of the units have a generic sci-fi look to them, and the missions are tied together with a forgettable story. That's fine, you usually don't play this kind of game for the story anyway. Actually, the plot of this game isn't bad compared to many other sci-fi war sims.
The sound effects are few and I can't even remember if there was music in this game. The map editor in this game is nice but limited... you can't actually modify the terrain aside placing buildings and trees. Now don't get me wrong... to someone who might never have experienced this type of game before, it can be deep and a lot of fun. The gameplay is challenging, balanced and rewarding. Multiplayer is a blast if you can convice a friend to get the game. Multiplayer is the best way to play too, becuase the singleplayer campaign can be far too easy sometimes. The fact that it is so similar to Advance Wars makes it hard to hate... but the fact that it really isn't as novel, endearing or of the quality of those games makes it hard to love.
The addition of online play really could have made this game. Indeed, if you have a friend across the globe with a copy of the game, you could get some milage out of this. Unfortunetly, the competition online is sparse... don't expect to find a wealth of random opponents.
The Verdict:
I know my review comes down hard, but I bought this game not knowing it was so similar to Advance Wars... and when I discovered it I was simultaneously suprised, delighted and disappointed.
This game stands well on its own as a TBS, but becuase it copies so heavily from Wars it's hard not to compare them. The Wars games have been around a while, and are extremely balanced, polished and loaded with features, which this game is not.
Field Commander is, atm, the best TBS for PSP. For those with a GBA or DS... there are many other compelling alternitives I recommend over this.
+Uses Wars gameplay style
+3D maps and graphics
+Online play
+Map editor
-Sliggish animations
-Long load times
-Generic Presentation
-Doesn't add much to the Wars formula it "borrows"
-Map editior isn't as full-featured as I'd like
-Online play is deserted