Rather than restrict the storyline and action to one country or part of the globe, it has been completely blown apart. For starters, initially it seems that there are two storylines running on different continents, but where do they meet, or do they? That, is for you to discover however for now it seems the use of vehicles is commonplace throughout the world. In South American rebels fight against government troops (nothing new there then) whilst over in Europe, the E.C. (European community) has total power, but problems of its own.
The outlined story allows for a wide range of situations and characters to develop. Those with experience of the Front Mission series will immediately hit the ground running with the latest instalment. It may not be the most visually stimulating release of this current generation, but Front Mission was never about looks anyway. The core foundation of the series is its deep gameplay, options and strong storyline; these thankfully return in force. However the game does nothing to attract those shunned previously, as its all about customisation of your vehicles and long battles (or stages as theyre called).
Those new to the distinct Front Mission gameplay will have a few missions before the ideally pitched difficulty curve starts to ominously increase its gradient. The simulator provides an additional area for practice, but this is very much on your own time, and there is not much help in terms of building up your wanzer. More often than not its a case of learning from your mistakes, and preparing those vehicles more thoroughly. Be warned that Front Mission 4 is not a causal affair, or one that can be enjoyed here and there for a few quick sessions. It is sizeable, and after the opening stages battles increase in size and scope, lasting well over an hour.
However Front Mission 4 is unforgiving, as the save structure does not allow you to go back to a previous mission or status (unless you create a separate save). This means that if you do not actively create, develop and show skill training up your wanzers and pilots, eventually you will grind to a halt. And if Square-Enix wishes the game to reach out to new players, then they should make it as user friendly as possible. There is a minor concession with a quick save option during battle, but the structure is still extremely rigid and unfriendly.The in-game engine delivers the majority of sequences in the game, whilst FMV is used sparingly, and still backdrops with text bubbles provide a little more depth and interaction. Complainers will highlight the variation from action sequences with voiceovers, straight to silent text, as used in Front Mission 3. Yet all of these methods combine to create a detailed and fulfilling scenario.
The actual battle stages are not the visual leap forward that some would have hoped for. These still employ the grid structure that matches the tactical element superbly well. The most noticeable improvements (aside the sequences) are the weather effects, the sheer size of later levels, and the improved detail of the environments. Apart from these there is little improvement - but ultimately in a series such as this - there is no real need for Doom 3 cutting edge graphics. Disappointingly the lighting and explosions hark back to the Psone, and lack any impact or wow factor. The colour scheme is typically urban and industrial, however you do have the option to change the wanzer camouflage, but not to any great degree.
From an audio perspective Front Mission 4 is again disappointing, especially if you consider the excellent pedigree of Square-Enix, and its recent offerings such as Drakengard. The soundtrack is passable, and the voice acting a little clichd, but the sound effects are lacking any impact or emphasising the scale of the mechanical monsters on show.More than anything, Gamestyle has the gut feeling that the battles in Front Mission 4 have received the most care and attention. And even these are simply a case of destroying all enemies on the board there is not mixture of goals to provide a little variety to proceedings. The set up of wanzers and the sheer amount of weaponry is detailed, and arguably a game in itself.
Conversely the pilot abilities are half-baked, and do not allow for any real freedom to train up your crew in various skills. Their potential abilities are scripted, and do not allow for any real experimentation or skill from the player.In spite of such criticisms Front Mission 4 will again appeal to those familiar with the series. There is much to saviour and overcome for the discerning player, but for others be wary, as this release does not take prisoners.
