Iron Soldier 3 Preview

Giant robot-based entertainment products have never been scarce. From anime to pen-and-paper role-playing games to tank simulation-style PC games, the concept of big, walking battle tanks stomping on everything has maintained its popularity. While the aforementioned PC games usually take a complex simulation slant, their console-based relatives lean more heavily on responsive controls and quick action.

In the latter vein, Eclipse Software and Telegames are bringing Iron Soldier 3 to the PlayStation. The Iron Soldier franchise may not be instantly recognizable for good reason: The first two games were available on Atari's defunct Jaguar. While the system itself may not have survived, the Iron Soldier games were among its most popular titles.

As one might expect of this type of game, Iron Soldier 3 places you inside a giant robot (42 feet tall, in this case) and pits you against seemingly endless waves of enemies. Complementing the original Iron Soldier mech is a new model called the Satyr, which sacrifices armor for a speed boost. Iron Soldier 3's 25 missions take place across a wide variety of land- and cityscapes where buildings can now be destroyed more realistically. The weapons loadout has now been increased to 15 separate types; longtime fans of the series will note the addition of a flamethrower and smoke grenades. Also new to the gameplay is a jetpack that lets your robot fly (Armor Core-style) for a short period of time. Eclipse is also including a duel-oriented two-player mode that can be viewed in horizontal, vertical, or diagonal split screens.

Iron Soldier 3's engine is receiving special attention to ensure a high frame rate and superior visual quality on the PlayStation's admittedly outdated hardware. Eclipse is foregoing many of Sony's provided software tools in favor of programming directly for the system, which will result in a more efficient engine and, thus, better performance. Some other resultant special effects include fog, lighting tricks, and transparencies. The system will also prevent some of the ugly texture-wrapping the PlayStation is known for.

Shipping in the fourth quarter of this year, Iron Soldier 3 should fit the bill for those in need of a new big robot game. At the very least, the game's release on the PlayStation ensures that more people will experience this newest iteration of an often-overlooked franchise.