ho knows what originally attracted us to battling 'bots? Was it Jordan Weisman's BattleTech or the Japanese anime-inspired Robotech? Probably a little of both, and several other universes thrown in for good measure. But whatever the catalyst of our desire for building-sized, humanoid-shaped, weapon-bristling robots, there is no denying it. SquareSoft (Square Enix) understands that and threw its Mech hat in the ring long ago with its Front Mission franchise; now we have the series' latest iteration and the first for PlayStation 2—Front Mission 4.
The game covers familiar Square Enix territory, mating an involved tale of intrigue with complex, turn-based Mech (Front Mission calls them Wanzers) strategy. The game begins as the two heroes—Elsa, a beautiful young French woman who works (and fights) for Durandal (a Wanzer research company), and Darril, a soldier fighting/goofing off in South America—are sucked knee-deep into an evil plot to change the world as we know it.
To thwart the plot, gamers will fight tens of battles with Elsa, Darril and their comrades. The skirmishes are fought from the third-person isometric perspective used in the other Front Mission games, and employ many of the same mechanics. Between missions, players may upgrade their Wanzers, and their pilots, preparing them for even tougher foes. There is no multiplayer component.
Mecha manna from heaven
Let's face it, folks. In this age of fast-paced action and real-time combat RPGs, any game that requires thought, planning and tactics is blessed manna for the strategy-game community. Front Mission 4 is such heavenly bread. I once called Front Mission 3 a college-level course in mecha tactics; well, this is where you get your master's.
The game is at once familiar and different. Front Mission 4 uses many of the same mechanics found in earlier iterations of the series—action points, customizable Wanzers and an intricate story—but it also adds the ability to link several Wanzers' actions. The linking is reminiscent of a similar system found in Koei's Dynasty Tactics series. The employment is simple; when conditions are met, linked Wanzers will jointly attack the designated target—inflicting massive amounts of damage. It's a cool concept, and flows well with the turn-based tactical Wanzer battles.
Better still, Front Mission 4's artificial intelligence has received a massive shot in the arm. It was possible to play through Front Mission 3 without any serious hiccups. Not so with this latest addition to the franchise. The AI is clever, links its attacks and avoids stupid mistakes. To top it off, the player is always seriously outnumbered by his computer opponents. You can win, but you'll work up a sweat doing it.
Make no mistake, this isn't the prettiest game on the PlayStation 2, but neither is it ugly. The camera zooms on the target Wanzer as your guns rip it asunder, beautiful full-motion animation punctuates the ROM, and well-done voice acting (a first in the Front Mission series) adds ambiance.
When all is said and done, Front Mission 4 is one of the finest strategy games we have played this year. Its combination of tried-and-true turn-based tactics, boosted AI and the new link system make this a must-have for any strategy gamer.
Super game; believe not the naysayers. If you like tactics, strategy, Mechs or fun, you'll love Front Mission 4.
— Mark
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