Player 1

This week: Front Mission 4

PJ HRUSCHAK | CIN WEEKLY CONTRIBUTOR

Front Mission 4.

JUST THE FACTS

TITLE: Front Mission 4

SYSTEM: PS2

NUMBER OF PLAYERS: 1

PUBLISHER: Square Enix

GENRE: Action/Adventure

ESRB RATING: "T" for Teen (for mild language and violence)

WEB SITE: www.square-enix-usa.com/games/fm4/

PJ'S LAST WORD: Don't be fooled by the action-packed video; this game lacks pace, graphics and story. Borrow or skip entirely.

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I like certain turn-based and role-playing games. I can even enjoy a strategy game or two. Most of all, I love to stomp around in a giant mechanical suit and blow up stuff.

If Square Enix, the master of turn-based RPGs, combines all those elements and slaps some big guns on it, it should be lots of fun, right?

Well, not always.

WHAT VS. WHO?

Set six years after the original Front Mission game, FM4 follows two mech pilots and their pals. The first is Elsa, a new recruit of a tactics research and development institute, sent to investigate a friendly German base that has been destroyed. The second is Army slacker Sergeant Darril, who has been sent to Venezuela to prevent possible secession.

Each pilot controls a massive mechanical suit, a Wanzer, inching across various terrain grids to confront enemies or defend friendly targets. As the game progresses, you befriend pilots who will join in your quests, allowing you to control multiple mechs during each battle.

For each turn, you decide where all ally Wanzers will go, target enemies and pick a weapon to attack. Then the computer takes its turn moving each of its players in action.

For defeating enemies, you earn money and gain experience points which can be used to build up your pilot's inherent attack and defense skills and purchase new Wanzer parts.

Missions can last more than 100 rounds, and since you must watch every mech's move, attack and defense, it's easy to spend more than an hour per mission, even when set on fast speed. That also means I was forced to listen to the same grating 50- to 60-second music loop for several hours when I had to repeat missions.

NOT THIS 'BOT

This game has a good premise, but more time should have been spent on the music, graphics, story, options ... OK, everything.

FM4 could have even easily added multiplayer missions, online competition or even additional downloads to beef up the game a bit. Even hard drive support would have been nice.

As a strategy game, it is fun for a little while, until you get to the long
missions where you die in round 99
or even end in an ammo-less draw. At least give every mech a rudimentary physical attack, for game's sake!

Only consider buying this game if you are a long-term, die-hard Front Mission fan. Otherwise, skip it - or borrow it from a friend, if you must.

If you could be a robot, what would be your coolest weapon? Let me know at player1@cincinnati.com.