Do you have the military know-how to outsmart the empire? Do you have the mind to accept such a different JRPG?
On top of the screen, you have small gold medals lined up across the screen that represent how many moves you can make during your turn. The more you have, the better off you'll probably be since you'll probably use all of them during that turn. To move one soldier, you need to use one medal. One tank is two. We have your scouts who are used to pretty much scout the area out and take a few people out on their way. We have your Shocktroopers who don't run nearly as far as a Scout can in one turn, but can surely work magic with that machine gun. Engineers restock other troops ammo/grenades and fix the broken. Lancers are anti-tank units...you'll need them to blow stuff up. And of course we have Snipers, who do exactly what they're known for.
If you noticed, I didn't name any characters. That is because you choose which characters will go out there on the field depending on your tastes. Each character has a unique personality and unique skills to go with their class. So if you don't like that annoying character, switch him or her out for an awesome character. Easy as that. Just be careful. If you let anyone die in battle, you will NEVER be able to use them again. That's right. This is war. Once you get them killed, they'll never come back...even if you start a new game +.
Most of the time, you will have to take over enemy camps to accomplish a mission, but let me tell you...the variety and different methods you'll need to take to get to those camps is a wonderment in itself as you'll face many surprises and unfair situations....making the victory feel far more than earned. This is not your regular JRPG...Not in the slightest comparison.
The charm is certainly there. Although the story has been done for the most part, you will still feel the need to see how the story ends, and when a game manages to do that, it got the job done. The only qualms I have with this game would be that there needs to be a way to quicken the enemy's turns and texts we can't skip. I also had to take the point down because the story could've been fleshed out more like the anime counterpart that came AFTER this game was released. If they have used the ideas from the anime, no doubt this game would've had a more emotional hit for me.
Don't get me wrong, this game is worth playing for the gameplay alone and anyone looking for a unique experience for their PS3 will see that this game stands out on it's own in terms of art choice and gameplay. And the gameplay is truly worth experiencing for the patient.