If you're new to strategy RPGs, move along; this game will kick your butt. Seriously.
User Rating: 9.4 | Front Mission 4 PS2
Front Mission 4 is the kind of strategy game that a jaded Strategy RPGamer needs. It is different in setting, plot, and gameplay, from just about any other SRPG on the market. Gameplay: FM4 is not a simple game. The difficulty varies slightly from mission to mission, but all in all you're going to have to repeat most missions at least once to figure out how in the world to beat it. The game plays like most Strategy RPGs do. You start off your units at a set point on the map, and you and the enemy close in on each other, fighting as you get close enough together. The game has the standard square system that most SRPGs use. Your movement consists of moving a certain amount of squares. Every action including moving costs AP, but we'll get into that later. One of the best things FM4 does to make this feel unique and fun is the fact you use RANGE. Different guns have different range. Say, a machine gun, for example, doesnt have the range of a sniper rifle, but a melee weapon is of course one square away. Missiles have a much larger range, but have a minimum wage, meaning if you are using a Wanzer (what the game calls the massive mechs) to be a missiler, you must defend it with wanzers that can destroy enemies that get within the missiles minimum range. Every action in the game uses AP. All Wanzers have varying levels of AP, but can be upgraded as you level. The management of AP plays a very important role in the game, as you must constantly think if you want to conserve it to get the counterattack, or spend it all to get the extra mileage. Let's discuss one of the games other nuances: links. Once your pilots acquire link points, they can be spent to link Wanzers to each other to attack or defend. Example: Pilot 1 links with Pilot 2 on defense. When Pilot 1 is attacked, if Pilot 2 has enough AP and is within range, Pilot 2 will join in on the counterattack. Links greatly increase the damage you can dish out on your enemies, and it is the Link system, combined with the element of futuristic weapons, that really makes FM4 shine. Then there is the customization. Customization- Every Wanzer is a weapon of war. FM4 lets you modify these tools of war to maximum effectiveness. You can replace ever part of the Wanzer you like. Legs, right/left arms, and body, and then weapons (right/left arms, right/left shoulders). The customization options are HUGE. You can change the colors of the mechs as well. Newer gamers that just want to get to the action can simply select a premade Wanzer and move on, while more hardcore gamers may spend hours configuring Wanzers to perfection. Skills can also be learned by pilots that allow for you to uniquely make each Wanzer/Pilot combination to maximum efficiency for your unit. Storyline/setting: FM4 is set in a futuristic period, but its setting is on earth. The fact that you are fighting in real countries just makes the storyline more believable. The characters in the game are also fairly well done, while not up to snuff of more story based RPGs, they still have unique personalities, and you will end up liking most of them. Graphics: Graphically, FM4 is a mixed bag. The FMV sequences are some of the coolest mech-themed warfare you will see, but the maps, while huge, are low in detail. When Wanzers attack each other it zooms in and looks pretty good, but the overall graphical quality isnt great. Sound: What music there is is amazing! I love the soundtrack of this game. The main problem is there isnt ENOUGH music, there is almost no variation in the tunes you will hear throughout the game. Voice Acting is surprisingly good. In movie sequences, different languages native to the country the FMV sequence is in blare on loudspeakers. The accents of the characters are actually believable, and all in all the Voice Acting is some of the best I've heard. Value: While one playthrough can last from 40-60 hours if you fly through it, there's a good 100 hours of gameplay if you decided to explore the game fully. New Game + also enhances the replay value. Tilt: FM4 is the best SRPG I have played in a very, very long time. I couldnt recommend it more highly, but again, only to advanced players.
