Front Mission 3
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| Front Mission 3 | |
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| Developer(s) | Square Co., Ltd. |
| Publisher(s) | Square Co., Ltd. (Japan/Europe) Square EA (North America) |
| Release date(s) | JPN September 2, 1999 NA March 22, 2000 EUR August 11, 2000 |
| Genre(s) | Tactical role-playing game |
| Mode(s) | Single player |
| Rating(s) | ESRB: Teen (T) USK: 12+ OFLC: 8+ |
| Platform(s) | PlayStation |
| Media | 1x CD-ROM |
Front Mission 3 is a game for the PlayStation, created by Square Co., Ltd. and released in Japan September 9, 1999, and later in America on March 22, 2000. Front Mission 3 is a tactical role-playing game most commonly compared with Square's title Final Fantasy Tactics. It is based on the near-future of the real world, circa 2112.
This is the first title in the Front Mission series to be released in America, courtesy of Square Electronic Arts.
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[edit] Gameplay
Front Mission 3 is a mech turn-based strategy RPG, where the player goes through a series of battles interspersed with cutscenes. The player's party consists of several playable characters (PCs) and the mechs they pilot, referred to as Wanzers. Wanzers are customisable, consisting of four parts: body, two arms, and legs. An optional backpack unit can also be attached, which can either be an item container or a power booster.
Battles takes place on maps consisting of a rectangular piece of terrain divided into a grid of tiles. The player may deploy a maximum of 4 units, and gets the first move. Each team moves all their units before the turn switches to the other team. In certain maps there may be friendly units which either help the player or need to be protected. In several other maps the enemy may receive reinforcements in the form of additional units which appear on the battle on later turns. Enemy units are defeated by destroying their Wanzers, killing the pilots driving them, or forcing them to surrender. Most battles are won through the destruction or surrender of all enemy units.
In between battles the story progresses through a series of semi-interactive cutscenes, referred to as intermissions. The player may save the game at any point during an intermission. Player characters each have an email address, as well as a shared one for the team. This is mostly for receiving messages, although characters can only reply to certain messages with predefined replies. There is also a virtual network set up as a sort of mini internet, containing websites which can be accessed after their addresses are discovered, either through interaction with NPCs, reading hints on other websites, or through the email system.
[edit] Story
Front Mission 3 tells the story of a young man named Kazuki Takemura, a resident of OCU Japan. The year is 2112. Kazuki works as a test pilot for Kirishima Heavy Industries, which manufactures Wanzers. After making a delivery to the Yokosuka Military Base, Kazuki and his good friend Ryogo get caught up in a national conspiracy involving a massive explosion that occurs during their visit to the base. From this point the game splits into two completely different storylines depending on a choice made early in the game. One storyline has the player aligned with the USN. In this side of the story, Kazuki teams up with a mysterious woman named Emma. Their partnership brings them into an epic conflict against the DHZ, and a few other world powers in search of the ultimate weapon of mass destruction: M.I.D.A.S.
In the other storyline Kazuki and Ryogo along with Kazuki's step-sister Alisa join up with a mysterious man named Liu Hei Fong who helps them to run away from Japan due to the JDF's (Japanese Defence Force) cover-up story which makes Kazuki and Ryogo scapegoats for the explosion. Unlike the Emma storyline where the player fights against the DHZ Army, players will mainly fight against the USN and Hua Lian Rebels. For example, in one part of the Emma storyline, the player must try to destroy the Changli Army mobile fortress Tian-Lei while in one part of the Alisa storyline the player must protect it from Hua Lian attack.
When Ryogo asks the player to go with him to deliver some Construction Wanzers, this is the question that determines which storyline the player will go through.
- Go with him (Emma's Storyline)
- Don't go with him (Alisa's Storyline)
The two storylines in Front Mission 3 intertwine, often requiring the player to play both sides to understand an entire event. The game has a customizable system of configuring Wanzers and uses a strategic combat system.
It should be noted that except for Kazuki and Ryogo, each scenario has 6 different playable characters.
[edit] MIDAS
MIDAS stands for Matter Irradiation Dissociative Acceleration System. It was designed by Emir Klamsky, head of the USN Special Radiation Laboratories. MIDAS separates the protons, neutrons, and electrons in auric radiation to extract energy. Auric Radiation has vast kinetic energy and breaks the molecular bonds of anything it comes into contact with. On contact with water molecules in the air, auric radiation turns into a stable element, loses all energy, and poses no threat to organisms of the environment.
MIDAS has potential as a new source of energy, and is particularly intriguing to the world's military powers, for the following reasons:
- Energy capacity — Current models are less effective than nuclear weapons, but more effective models can be made.
- Reduced costs — The weapons output is adjustable. Separate tactical and strategic weapons are not needed, resulting in lower costs.
- Deterrence factor — The auric radiation used in MIDAS is stable once it fuses with water; therefore it does not cause contamination.
The story of Front Mission 3 begins when MIDAS is stolen from Dr. Klamsky's Alaskan laboratories by OCU Japan. Several months have passed since the theft, during which the JDF apparently duplicated MIDAS with a limited degree of success.
[edit] Real Number and Imaginary Number Projects
The Real Number and Imaginary Number Projects were started years before in Orsha, Ravnui, which is located in present-day Belarus. They were developed by Orsha National Laboratories and chaired by Bal Gorbovsky who had then recently joined the Ministry of Science. The goal of these projects was to create superior beings imbued with extraordinary capabilities by way of genetic engineering. Their involvement in Front Mission 3 runs deep throughout the storyline. The Imaginary Numbers, created later, were superior to the Real Numbers, although they were discovered to be more mentally unstable.
However, both projects were cancelled a few years prior to the start of the game and the subjects executed, although several of them managed to escape. Bal himself was demoted and given an ambassadorial post. During the course of the game, the whereabouts and identities of the less prominent escapees will be revealed, although the player will need to do quite a bit of sleuthing on the network and exchanging emails to uncover the hidden documents which contain this information.
Bal Gorbovsky had in fact spirited away several subjects himself, most notable among them the Real Number Liu Hei Fong, head of his security force, and Lukav Minaev, the first Imaginary Number. Lukav later on convinced all the Imaginary Numbers to turn on Bal and follow him on his crusade to create his own new world order by eradicating all naturally-born humans.
[edit] Emma and Alisa
Emma and her parents tried to escape the Orsha Laboratories by crossing the Ravnui-Poland border by car, but a chopper sent by Bal caught up with them in Brest, near the border. Only Emma managed to survive the attack. She ran into the woods for cover as the chopper chased her. A USN Wanzer showed up, shot down the chopper, and rescued Emma. Later, this incident was covered up and it was said that Mr. and Mrs. Klamsky died in a car accident.
Before the attempted escape, Alisa was safely flown to Japan and placed into the care of her parents' trusted friend, Isao Takemura, the father of the main character, Kazuki Takemura.
[edit] Characters
[edit] Soundtrack
See Front Mission 3 Original Soundtrack.
[edit] Trivia
- The name of the failed Imaginary Number Subject in USN was Norman Bates. Coincidentally, he shares the same name with Norman Bates of Psycho fame. Both are also killers.
- During this game, it is possible to gain some extra money by apprehending various criminals that are scattered throughout the game by sending an email to the Japanese Police after gaining information or making contact with a suspect. The monetary rewards for doing so is pretty small, so this is more of a novelty than anything.
- Jose Astrada's name and personality bear similarities to the name and movie characters, respectively, played by Philippine actor and former President Joseph Estrada.
[edit] External links
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Front Mission • Front Mission 2 • Front Mission 3 • Front Mission 4 • Front Mission 5 |
