Front Mission Evolved Hands-on

When specially rigged mechs head into battle wielding an array of deadly weapons, we want to be there. So we headed over to Square Enix's booth at E3 2010 to take a fresh look at Front Mission: Evolved, the new third-person action game in a series traditionally known for its more strategic focus.

Previous Coverage: In previous visits with Double Helix and Square Enix, we talked to the developers about their decision to take the Front Mission series into a new genre and the elements they plan to focus on in Evolved.

What's New: We got our hands on Front Mission: Evolved for the first time and got a feel for combat. One mech we hopped in was equipped for agility and long-range damage-dealing. In addition to the jets that allowed us to quickly dodge in any direction, we had a jump pack that let us leap on top of buildings to get a better angle on our opponents. In one hand we had a long-barreled sniper rifle complete with a scope, so we could zoom in to blast our enemies from pretty far away. Furthermore, we could target their gun-toting limbs to decrease their accuracy or shoot their legs to slow them down. FM:E mechs take damage to specific parts of their bodies, though grabbing the green health packs that you can find on battlefields will automatically restore damage across your whole chassis.

We also tried out a heavier, slower mech that could take (and dish out) a lot more punishment than our sniper loadout. Shoulder-mounted missile launchers and a bullet-spewing rifle allowed us to fling a lot more ordnance at the enemy, though our massive plodding frame did make the level feel more methodical than we would have liked. Keep in mind that this was an early level, and, as we were told by developers, later levels will be packed with many more enemies. Having a big hulking tank in that situation could make the difference between explosive victory and fiery defeat.

What Has Changed: PC owners will have the chance to play Front Mission: Evolved in 3D, and we sampled this setup during our demo. It added some nice depth of field, but the real kick (as Double Helix said it would be) was watching our missile launcher in action. That little puppy spewed out a whole bunch of missiles that spread out immediately and then rocketed toward their target. In 3D, the effect was very, very cool.

Final Word: Front Mission: Evolved has certainly embraced the move into the world of fast-paced mech action, and so far things are looking good. The customization seemed deep enough to provide some real tactical depth while remaining accessible to those who might not be so familiar with such systems. The action itself offered a variety of different plays styles and boasted some nice fiery effects. While Front Mission veterans may still be wary of the move away from the strategy genre, Evolved is making a solid case for them to remain loyal to the series.