Product Description
-------------------
The giant robotic wanzers return in Front Mission 4. The game
takes place 6 years after the previous one, in 2096, and the
world is divided into 3 superpowers: a united Europe (E.C.), a
pan-American union (U.C.S.), and an Asian alliance (O.C.U.). The
battlefields of this future are dominated by wanzers, battle
robots equipped with action points enabling them to move, fire
and counter attack. Direct the wanzers through realistic battle
elements and highly detailed graphics on air strikes, air drops,
repair jobs, and more. An all-new link system allows players to
set up amazing combinations of commands to perform spectacular
maneuvers. The stage is set with a rich cinematic opening
sequence that tells the stories of Elsa, a talented E.C. recruit,
and Darril, a U.C.S. soldier happy to be in the rear guard.
Review
------
Considering the pedigree of the series, the publisher, and how
much I enjoyed Front Mission 3 on PSone, Front Mission 4 is a
disappointment on just about every level. It's a shame too, as
the opening movie features wanzers (this series' version of the
classic mech) battling it out in a ballet of death that got my
strategy RPG juices flowing.
Unfortunately, the game isn't as exciting as its opening cinema.
The story follows the tale of two wanzer pilots – Elsa and
Darril. The game opens with Elsa as she investigates an attack on
several German bases, then it shifts to Darril and his team in
South America. Not a bad tale, but nothing you haven't heard
before.
The same can be said for the gameplay as well. Front Mission 4 is
a fairly basic strategy game from beginning to end. There are
some nice touches however, including the ability to vastly
customize your mechs, and a brand new Link System lets the player
sync wanzers together so that you can unleash multiple attacks in
a single round of combat.
Overall, the game moves fairly slow and the combat is not nearly
as deep as it could have been. Combine the mediocre gameplay with
the sub-par graphics and campy story, and you can begin to see
why Front Mission 4 is a bit of a disappointment. If you love
giant robots, there is a good twenty hours of gameplay here, so
this game isn't without its merits.
Concept:
Watch floating heads tell a story while you wage strategic battle
with giant robots
Graphics:
For a company like Square Enix, the graphics are surprisingly
low-budget
Sound:
From the voice acting to the battle music, no word fits better
than "adequate"
Playability:
Considering how deep strategy games have become, this is
disappointedly shallow
Entertainment:
The story, battles, and overall production values fall far short
of expectations
Replay:
Moderately Low
Rated: 7.25 out of 10
Editor: Andy McNamara
Issue: June 2004
2nd Opinion:
Even for being a turn-based RPG, Front Mission 4 starts
off awfully slow. Barring the intense opening cinema, the first
three or so hours alternate between painful and lame. After that,
FM 4 quickly becomes an engaging RPG, though the
graphics will never wow you and most everything that happens
outside of combat is tedious and boring. Except for character
development, that is – the new Link system adds an extra layer of
strategy and keeps gameplay fresh. The nice RPG elements and
challenging battles make FM 4 worth any strategy gamer's time.
Rated: 7.75 out of 10
Editor: Adam Biessener
Subscribe to Game Informer
( http://www..com/exec/obidos/ASIN/B0000AN45D/ ) -- Game Informer
Review
- A mech(wanzer) pilot named Elsa fights off an attack from unknown invaders in Germany, while a young soldier named Darill retrieves a mysterious cargo whose plane ced in South America. These two eful events will set the stage for intense futuristic.
- Squad-based fighting as you lead teams of wanzers in strategic combat.
- Outstanding new graphics - Spectacular visuals will leave you dumbfounded -- it's practically cinematic.
- New features like the Link System bring a new dimension of multiplayer strategy to your game.