Front Mission Evolved - Xbox 360

What We Know:

Front Mission Evolved is the latest action-based installment in the long running mech-based RPG series from Square Enix and Double Helix. Unlike previous Front Mission games, Evolved is a third-person shooter in which players control giant war machines called wanzers and battle for humanity’s survival in a future where the world’s two superpowers--the O.C.U. and the U.C.S.--stand on the brink of all out war.

What We’re Seeing Now:

Multiplayer was the focus of the floor demo for Front Mission Evolved, and I’m sad to say that it did very little for me. Sure, controlling giant mechs and unleashing rocket barrages and firing shoulder mounted cluster bombs is cool, but it also surprisingly got pretty boring pretty fast. The only mode on display was a deathmatch of sorts, which included other human players and several AI controlled mechs as well. The mechs looked and felt right enough, but it also just felt like I was playing a less crisp looking, mech-only version of Lost Planet 2.

Having the option to skate/float in order to move around the map quickly is appreciated, and definitely kept the combat fast and furious. Also, there’s just something so amusing about a mech meleeing another mech in the face, especially since it takes a ridiculous amount of rocket strikes to bring an opponent down yet one or two melee strikes and they’re dead. The framerate was smooth, and each mech had a unique and finely crafted design and animation. Unfortunately, the game itself just wasn’t all that fun.

I can’t decide if my frustration was the result of the particular map and mode on display, or if the game itself just isn’t all that engaging. Whatever it was, something about the demo just didn’t sit right with me. I have little to no experience with mech games, so that could have a lot to do with it too, but I’ve also never had a virtual pet either and yet Kinectimals made sense to me.