Review: Front Mission Evolved

Game: Front Mission Evolved (2010)
Genre: Third Person Shooter (TPS), Action
Developer(s): Double Helix Games
Publisher(s): Square Enix
Platform(s): PS3, Xbox 360, PC
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Rating: 6 out of 10
Pros: Varied customization, good graphical animations, minor Front Mission "feel"
Cons: Short single-player experience, gameplay differs from original Front Mission genre
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------


    Front Mission Evolved takes place in the year 2171, 50 years after the events of Front Mission 5 (which was only released in Japan, so this pretty much means... squat). The world's super-powers have started a massive push into outer space through orbital elevators to set up surveillance satellites, allowing them to keep watch over their adversaries. However, a North American elevator is attacked by unknown forces, creating a torrent of destruction, conspiracy, and armed conflict. The player takes the role of Dylan Ramsey, a young wanzer (this series' term for 'mech' or mechanized armor) engineer that finds himself caught within the coming storm of war.


   As a stand-alone game, Front Mission Evolved was entertaining to play, but needed some serious polishing. The controls were clunky and rigid, making it difficult to maneuver or aim. I would get caught on corners constantly, which wasn't aided by the fact that the levels were too compact and the camera angle was ill-positioned. The graphics were decent, offering detailed scenery, nice explosions, and realistic animations, but could have been much more brilliant and breathtaking given the capabilities of the PS3's hardware. The voice acting was stiff and repetitive, but the game's music score wasn't too shabby. The presentation was slightly lacking, consisting of blue boxes packed with information and inconsistent voice acting (speaking one box and screaming the next). Lastly, the story-telling was rather weak, leaving things rather vague and non-immersive.


  One feature that I really liked was the depth of customization the game offered. You could customize each body part of your wanzer, each weapon and the combat skills used with that weapon, the wanzer's combat role (melee striker, sniper, assault, mobility, artillery, etc.), and the color scheme and logos of each part. This customization is what really gave the game its Front Mission "feel". However, there were times where certain missions forced you into certain builds for no real apparent reason. Some missions made me use hover-legs or spider-legs, greatly reducing my mobility and ability to avoid damage, when I could have just as easily used normal legs to complete the mission.


   Another interesting feature they added in Front Mission Evolved was the 'non-wanzer' missions, where you would play out the mission as Dylan Ramsey on foot, armed with a few grenades, a rocket launcher, and an assault rifle. However this feature was still sub-par compared to other third-person shooters. There was no cover system other than crouching, your health regenerated over time, the only collectible items other than ammo were briefcases of money for upgrading your wanzer, and the enemies (including enemy wanzers) were easily killed with a couple of shots.


   Front Mission Evolved's multiplayer section was slightly more developed. Wanzer mobility was slightly less of an issue, and combat was a little more engaging than just having npcs standing there to be shot at. However, multiplayer mode felt very "grindy" and long; 70 levels to achieve in experience and game matches that would last for 15-20+ minutes at a time. Also, after a couple of game matches, the game would just kick you back to the main menu after a few seconds of freezing, instead of showing the scoreboard.


   For being a fan of the Front Mission series and its original real-time strategy (RTS) RPG gameplay, Front Mission Evolved was a major disappointment. The previous games in the series were extraordinary in both gameplay and story-telling, which is what I was expecting of Front Mission Evolved. 


   As a designer, I would have kept the game in its original RTS RPG roots and better developed the game's story, but kept Front Mission Evolved's new on-foot TPS game feature for a few select missions, giving the game an "evolved" mix of gameplay experiences. Multiplayer would also be a mix of both the RTS and TPS elements, allowing players to choose what element they preferred most, as well as offering variety. You do have to respect the game's designers for trying to take the series in a new direction, but that great of a step could have been handled with more care and development. 


   It is totally possible to beat this game in 3-4 days, including replaying some missions or playing a few multiplayer matches. But if you really want to play a Front Mission game, play the original four. Evolved wasn't horrible as a stand-alone game (aside from the polishing), but in relation to the Front Mission series, it fails in comparison.