Edit: Public Service Warning: TVtropes will ruin your life. Hey, at least they're honest about it.
As I have noted previously, I loves me some Steam sales. I am also an all-day sucker for mecha, particularly of the "real robot" variety. So when Front Mission Evolved, a mecha-based third-person shooter by Double Helix, popped up for less than $20, DLC included, I sprang for it. My reaction is... mixed.
Some games you play for the story. Front Mission Evolved is not one of those games. The plot is cliched and the characters hackneyed. The hero is your standard hot-blooded young man, in this case an engineer, who shows an unexpected talent for combat. His companions are the tech support chick, the captain, and a sergeant who is so obviously suffering from crippling PTSD it boggles my mind how she is still on active duty. The big bad is the psychotic war-worshipping blood knight archetype so common in anime you'll probably have his entire agenda figured out before he even opens his mouth, and the actual plot holds no surprises either.
That said, the gameplay is, for the most part, quite good. Fighting as a two-story mecha feels like fighting as a two-story mecha. The map design really conspires to sell the sense of scale. Weapons pack a punch appropriate to their size and appearance, and movement likewise feels right. The on-foot segments of the game... are a little harder to explain. As in, I'm not sure why they exist. They're not bad, necessarily, they just don't add anything to the game. Maybe they're some designer's random idea that got thrown in, I dunno.
Bottom line: On my scale of 1 to 10, where 6 shows some promise but remains mired in mediocrity and 8 is where games start edging toward greatness, I give Front Mission Evolved a solid 7. If you, too, are a mecha fan (and really, who isn't?), you may find it worth your while.
Full Version: Front Mission Evolved
QUOTE (Tanegar @ Feb 17 2011, 06:34 PM) 
As I have noted previously, I loves me some Steam sales. I am also an all-day sucker for mecha, particularly of the "real robot" variety. So when Front Mission Evolved, a mecha-based third-person shooter by Double Helix, popped up for less than $20, DLC included, I sprang for it. My reaction is... mixed.
Some games you play for the story. Front Mission Evolved is not one of those games. The plot is cliched and the characters hackneyed. The hero is your standard hot-blooded young man, in this case an engineer, who shows an unexpected talent for combat. His companions are the tech support chick, the captain, and a sergeant who is so obviously suffering from crippling PTSD it boggles my mind how she is still on active duty. The big bad is the psychotic war-worshipping blood knight archetype so common in anime you'll probably have his entire agenda figured out before he even opens his mouth, and the actual plot holds no surprises either.
That said, the gameplay is, for the most part, quite good. Fighting as a two-story mecha feels like fighting as a two-story mecha. The map design really conspires to sell the sense of scale. Weapons pack a punch appropriate to their size and appearance, and movement likewise feels right. The on-foot segments of the game... are a little harder to explain. As in, I'm not sure why they exist. They're not bad, necessarily, they just don't add anything to the game. Maybe they're some designer's random idea that got thrown in, I dunno.
Bottom line: On my scale of 1 to 10, where 6 shows some promise but remains mired in mediocrity and 8 is where games start edging toward greatness, I give Front Mission Evolved a solid 7. If you, too, are a mecha fan (and really, who isn't?), you may find it worth your while.
Some games you play for the story. Front Mission Evolved is not one of those games. The plot is cliched and the characters hackneyed. The hero is your standard hot-blooded young man, in this case an engineer, who shows an unexpected talent for combat. His companions are the tech support chick, the captain, and a sergeant who is so obviously suffering from crippling PTSD it boggles my mind how she is still on active duty. The big bad is the psychotic war-worshipping blood knight archetype so common in anime you'll probably have his entire agenda figured out before he even opens his mouth, and the actual plot holds no surprises either.
That said, the gameplay is, for the most part, quite good. Fighting as a two-story mecha feels like fighting as a two-story mecha. The map design really conspires to sell the sense of scale. Weapons pack a punch appropriate to their size and appearance, and movement likewise feels right. The on-foot segments of the game... are a little harder to explain. As in, I'm not sure why they exist. They're not bad, necessarily, they just don't add anything to the game. Maybe they're some designer's random idea that got thrown in, I dunno.
Bottom line: On my scale of 1 to 10, where 6 shows some promise but remains mired in mediocrity and 8 is where games start edging toward greatness, I give Front Mission Evolved a solid 7. If you, too, are a mecha fan (and really, who isn't?), you may find it worth your while.
You may want to explore the online portion as well. I couldn't even be bothered with what seemed like a huge step back in FM storytelling, but the online isn't too bad... provided anyone else is actually playing. I picked up the 360 copy on launch. It's been... barren.
QUOTE (Tanegar @ Feb 17 2011, 09:34 PM)
As I have noted previously, I loves me some Steam sales. I am also an all-day sucker for mecha, particularly of the "real robot" variety. So when Front Mission Evolved, a mecha-based third-person shooter by Double Helix, popped up for less than $20, DLC included, I sprang for it. My reaction is... mixed.
Oh that is on sale too? I just bought that $606 Square-Enix package that they had on sale for $75, which included Front Mission. I saw about $115 of stuff in that package that I would play so I thought, "Why not?"
Also, shame on you for linking -that site- in your post. You should be ashamed at the amount of wasted time you attempted to generate.
QUOTE (X-Kalibur @ Feb 18 2011, 01:31 AM)
You may want to explore the online portion as well. I couldn't even be bothered with what seemed like a huge step back in FM storytelling, but the online isn't too bad... provided anyone else is actually playing. I picked up the 360 copy on launch. It's been... barren.
I've played some multiplayer. Nobody ever seems to be playing deathmatch or team deathmatch, though, so all of my experience has been in the Last Stand mode. I find it incredibly irritating that you don't get experience unless you last all 25 rounds, though. I'm basically stuck as a Private.
Now I'm kinda sorry I didn't pick this up the other day...
On the other hand, I can borrow it from a friend if I *really* wanna play.
On the other hand, I can borrow it from a friend if I *really* wanna play.
QUOTE (StealthSigma @ Feb 18 2011, 07:59 AM)
Also, shame on you for linking -that site- in your post. You should be ashamed at the amount of wasted time you attempted to generate.
Public service message added. Happy now?
QUOTE (Tanegar @ Feb 18 2011, 02:57 PM)
Public service message added. Happy now?
Yes. You did it the proper way by warning that TV Tropes will ruin your life by linking to "TVTropes Will Ruin Your Life" and thus the prophecy shall be fulfilled.
QUOTE (StealthSigma @ Feb 18 2011, 03:13 PM)
...and thus the prophecy shall be fulfilled.
Aheh, aheheh, hahaha, AHHHHHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA! *shakes his fists at the sky as lightning splits the night* Come, Powers of Darkness! Reward your faithful servant! MWAHAHAHAHAHA!
For some reason I could never get FME to play well on my current rig. I tried lowering resolution and giving it ass-bad low quality settings but it was still choppy and ultimately frustrated me to the point that I uninstalled it.
Plays a bit more like Armored Core rather than the older Front Missions though, I kinda miss the wargame type aspect of the previous versions.
Plays a bit more like Armored Core rather than the older Front Missions though, I kinda miss the wargame type aspect of the previous versions.
This is a "lo-fi" version of our main content. To view the full version with more information, formatting and images, please click here.