Front Mission 3: Remake

“The remake does a great job of bringing FRONT MISSION 3 back to life for a new generation of gamers and making it portable and easy to play for long-time fans. On the other hand, it's not really an improvement; it's more of an improved port than a completely new experience.”

“If you want to revisit the glory days on the PS1 with a cult classic tactical title, you can't go wrong with Front Mission 3 remake.”

“Front Mission 3: Remake doesn't do a good job in updating the classic game, but its base is still compelling. For fans of RPGs, tactical games and mecha, it's worth getting to know the game, whether in its original version or the remake.”

“All of this together means that while it is very easy to give an unequivocal recommendation for Front Mission 3, the remake is a mixed bag as a remake.”

“At its heart, Front Mission 3 Remake is a mostly-faithful adaptation of the 2000's original. It retains the same tactical mech action, with some smoother transitions and polished graphics. But with the looming accusation of AI asset usage, and not much else being done to draw in newcomers, it may be a slightly harder sell than expected.”

“Overall, Front Mission 3: Remake is a solid update to a classic mecha tactical role-playing game from the PlayStation era. It does feel rushed in places, and here’s hoping the game receives some patches to fix some of those issues, much like the previous remakes in the series have.”

“Front Mission 3 Remake at its best is held back by a weak story and characters, but the best gameplay in the original trilogy means there is absolutely fun to be had by players more focused on the strategic battles and mech customization. The core game mostly holds up after all these years. The awful aesthetic choices, though, make this the sort of remake that is hard to recommend because it’s a worse experience in many ways than the version that came out over a quarter century ago.”

“FRONT MISSION 3: Remake is a worthy tribute that recaptures the strategic and narrative essence of the original, albeit with a visual that doesn't quite shine as we expected. It's a must-have experience for fans of the series and an excellent entry point for those looking to discover one of the most beloved classics of the tactical genre.”

“While it can still be a bit of a slog getting through its turn-based battles, and no targeted aiming is still aggravating, overall it could still be worthwhile if you have patience with it”

“In a world where games can be patched and updated till they barely resemble their original form, Front Mission 3: Remake still could not grow into a better and more satisfying sequel. Clean up the graphics, tweak the AI and make the missions load faster, and you’re still left with bland combat and unlikeable leads. I doubt this’ll be my last time with the franchise, but, in a world where even the best games can be left behind in a blink, I have no choice but to eject from Front Mission III immediately to save myself.”

“Front Mission 3 Remake is a fantastic strategy JRPG. It has excellent combat, and deep mech customization, led by an engrossing story. It’s easy to get sucked into the conflict of the Front Mission world. And that early choice leading to different narratives truly shocked me. I had no idea! The game does have some visual oddities and too much framerate stutter in its cutscenes, but I would still say Front Mission 3 Remake is a must-play for fans of strategy JRPGs.”

“The branching narrative of Front Mission 3: Remake is the strongest of the series for me and kept me engaged with it long after I had grown frustrated with the combat system. The new music is solid, but also highlights some of the older sound effects that haven't been updated. And, to top it all off, the new artwork for the Switch port is bafflingly bad and gives strong AI-generated vibes, making this feel like a rushed, half-finished remake of a beloved tactical RPG.”

“The original is one of my favourite SRPGs of all time and FRONT MISSION 3: Remake does a decent job of modernising the gameplay. However, its downgraded visual assets often make its aesthetics feel cheap. 🦾”

“It's perhaps one of the most interesting and fun tactical RPGs I've ever played. This makes Front Mission 3 certainly not a game for “babies”, considering how complex it can be, which confuses me even more as to why the game behaves (narratively) as such.”

“The original Front Mission games were hard to get into, and when the third game came around, it marked a shift to make them user friendly. Front Mission 3: Remake is very faithful to its source material and improves a few gameplay mechanics subtly, which makes it a smoother experience. It's not the best strategy RPG since the RNG and the small party size can seem restrictive, and it also isn't the best remake, but it is the best Front Mission game so far.”

“Visually, Front Mission 3: Remake is a sideways upgrade. You have fully 3D maps and environments and higher-res models than the PS1 version, but the upgrade is rather lackluster. In some cases, I preferred the PS1 design for the Wanzers to the Remake's version. I also found the map a tad harder to read at times, since enemy mech designs would sometimes slightly blend into the background. It looks far better on high-resolution screens than the blurry and pixelated PS1 version, but I think the art design took a hit. The music is quite good, offering both the original soundtrack and a new remastered modern version that did a good job of remixing the music.”

“FRONT MISSION 3: Remake continues to be a very fun game and, I believe, one of the highlights of the series. It has more than enough to please fans of the tactical JRPG genre and giant robots and, barring one or two mistakes, it is a must-play for those who enjoy the style.”