Front Mission 3

Front Mission 3 is a game for the PlayStation, created by Square Co., Ltd. and released in Japan September 9, 1999, and later in America on March 22, 2000. Front Mission 3 is a tactical role-playing game most commonly compared with Square's title Final Fantasy Tactics. It is based on the near-future of the real world, circa 2112.

This is the first title in the Front Mission series to be released in America, courtesy of Square Electronic Arts.

Story

Front Mission 3 tells the story of a young man by the name of Kazuki Takemura. The year is 2112. Kazuki works as a test pilot for Kirishima Heavy Industries, which manufactures Wanzers, large walking mecha comparable to MechWarrior's Mechs. After making a delivery to the Yokosuka Military Base, Kazuki and his good friend Ryogo get caught up in a national conspiracy involving a massive explosion that occurs during their visit to the base. From this point the game splits into two completely different storylines depending on a choice made early in the game. One storyline has the player aligned with the USN; formerly the United States. In this side of the story, Kazuki teams up with a mysterious woman named Emma. Their partnership, along with the Purple Haze (a specialist team of the USN military), brings them into an epic conflict against the DHZ (Da Han Zhong, the equivalent of present-day China combined with neighboring Taiwan), and a few other world powers in search of the ultimate weapon of mass destruction: M.I.D.A.S.

In the other storyline Kazuki and Ryogo along with Kazuki's step-sister Alisa join up with a mysterious man named Liu Hei Fong who helps them to run away from Japan due to the JDF's (Japanese Defence Force) cover-up story which makes Kazuki and Ryogo scapegoats for the explosion. Unlike the Emma storyline where the player fights against the DHZ Army, players will mainly fight against USN and Hua-Lian Rebel Forces. For example, in one part of the Emma storyline, the player must try to destroy Tian-Lei (DHZ Army's mobile Fortess) while in one part of the Alisa storyline the player must protect it from the Hua-Lian attack.

When Ryogo asks the player to go with him to deliver some Construction Wanzers, this is the question that determines which storyline the player will go through.

Go with him (Emma's Storyline)
Don't go with him (Alisa's Storyline)

The two storylines in Front Mission 3 intertwine, often requiring the player to play both sides to understand an entire event. The game has a heavily customizable system of configuring wanzers and a strategic combat system.

It should be noted that, except Kazuki and Ryogo, each scenario has 6 different playable characters.

Characters

Main characters

Kazuki Takemura

Age : 19
Nationality : OCU-Japan
Occupation : University Student at Yokosuka Technical Institue, Wanzer Division Test Pilot for Kirishima Industries
Starting Wanzer : Zenislev ( Or Zenith Rev )
Specialities : Melee ( Although he starts with a shotgun and a knuckles )

One of the main characters of the story, Kazuki is a university student with a brash and hot-headed nevertheless kind nature. Losing his mother at the age of 12, Kazuki been living on his own since then. Kazuki feels a deep hatred for his father (Colonel Isao Takemura , a well-known JDF Officer) who wasn't by his mother's side when she was dying. Over protective for her step-sister Alisa, Kazuki has a strong sense of justice (which is becoming a some sort of taboo among video game main characters.) and always does what he believes is right.

Ryogo Kusama

Age: 19
Nationality : OCU-Japan
Occupation: University Student at Yokosuka Technical Institue, Wanzer Division Test Pilot for Kirishima Industries
Starting Wanzer : Kyojun Mk107
Specialities : Burst Weapons ( Starts with a Machinegun )

Kazuki's friend from the high schools days, Ryogo is some sort of a comic relief of the story. Unlike Kazuki, Ryogo is hardly ever serious about anything even when going into battle. Trying to charm almost every lady character he meets, Ryogo is nevertheless a reliable friend and a talented wanzer pilot, helping Kazuki in both scenarios.

Emir "Emma" Klamsky

Age: 22
Nationality: USN (Ravnui before moving to USN)
Occupation: Head Researcher - USN Alaska Special Radiation Laboratories
Starting Wanzer: Drake M2C
Specialities: Shoulder Weapons (Starts with a Missile)

Accidental creator of MIDAS, Emma is trying her best to find and disarm it before a disaster happen. Came to Japan with FAI's "Purple Haze" squad and several other agents after hearing the accident at JSF Yokosuka Base, she is a very serious and responsible person and very talented at wanzer pilotting. Her family was killed by an unknown organization when she was 12. Exteremely intelligent and resourceful, Emma is the creator of almost every battle plan in her scenario, most notably, USN's airbone attack on Taiwan. She begins developing feeling for Kazuki as game progresses. Emma is only avaiable for her scenario.

Alisa "Aliciana" Takemura

Age: 19
Nationality: OCU-Japan (Ravnui before moving to Japan)
Occupation: University Student at Teihoku University , Radiation Engineering Dept.
Starting Wanzer: Meledyne M1
Specialities: Shoulder Weapons (Starts with a Missile)

Kazuki's step-sister. After losing her family at age of 9, Alisa was adopted by Kazuki's father Isao and moved to Japan. Very intelligent, she is star of her class in university. She was also recently nominated for the "Miss Teihoku" beauty contest. Before the accident at JDF Yokosuka Base occurred, she was transferred there to work on MIDAS. In Emma's scenario, she is kidnapped multiple times but is a playable character in her scenario.

Playable Characters

Dennis Vicarth

Age: 35
Nationality: USN
Occupation: FAI (Federal Agency of Intelligence) Agent
Starting Wanzer: Rekson M4F
Specialities: Rifles

A very experienced and talented FAI agent, Dennis came to Japan with the FAI's Purple Haze unit and Emma to investigate the incident. Calm and rational, he was a USN Army officer before joining the FAI and capable of almost everything including aircraft and wanzer piloting. Although he doesn't like showing it, he is very caring for his friends and people around him. Apparently Dennis has a friend or a contact in almost everywhere of the world. He is playable character in Emma's story and enemy character in several missions in Alisa's story.

Hei Fong Liu

Age: 32
Nationality: People's Republic of Da Han Zhong
Occupation: Intelligence Agent "Real Number"
Starting Wanzer: Shangdi 1
Specialities: Rifles

A mysterious agent working for the DHZ, Liu is a member of a unit named "Real Numbers". He also came to Japan after hearing about the accident at JDF Yokosuka Base. Fiercely loyal to Ravnui's DHZ ambassador Bal Gorbovsky, he seems to have a hidden agenda. He is an enemy character in Emma's story but a playable one in Alisa's scenario and helps Kazuki, Ryogo and Alisa to escape from Japan.

Yun Lai Fa (AKA Moneymaker)

Age: 17
Nationality: OCU-Singapore
Occupation: Spender (Hacker for hire)
Starting Wanzer: Prow Paw 2
Specialities: Burst Weapons (Starts with a shotgun)

A young spender with a spoiled and childish attitude, Yun famed herself in internet as the most talented hacker ever. During the Emma's team's infiltration to OCU controlled Singapore, Dennis and Emma hired her to hack the OCU's military database to find out what happened to MIDAS. However, she screwed up and got captured by the OCU military. She was recruited by Dennis after the jailbreak. She got the team into trouble a few times afterwards and even tried to sell them out. Yun is playable only for Emma's scenario but she also helps a little in Alisa's story. Most players said that Yun is probably the most annoying playable character in the game, even more than Pham.

There are two different ways to recruit Yun. If you destroy Cadenza (armoured vehicle) in

Mission 11: Wilson Cliffs, Australia, before it escapes, you will recruit Yun in Singapore. If it escapes however, you will have to wait until Tian-Lei raid missions.

Miho Shinjo

Age: 22
Nationality: OCU-Japan
Occupation: Police Officer-Wanzer Pilot
Starting Wanzer: Kyokei Mk108
Specialities: Rifle (Although she starts with a shotgun and baton)

A young, cute but naive looking police officer from Yokosuka. Miho and Kazuki's team crossed roads in the beginning of the game where Miho was attacked by the JDF. Apparently she accidentally heard about MIDAS after heading to the incident and being hunted by the military. Kazuki decided to take her with them after realizing her life is also in danger. Although she looks rather last person to be a police officer, Miho is talented in Wanzer pilotting and other things such as hacking. Maybe she also have some kind of a hidden agenda...? Miho is only available as a playable character in Alisa's story. But she can also be seen in a poster (and in a rather cute appearance) published by the Japanese Police during Emma's story.

Jose Estrada

Age: 38
Nationality: OCU-Philippines
Occupation: Military Convict for insubordination / Ex-OCU Maritime Defence Force officer
Starting Wanzer: Pare Paw 1
Specialities: Rifle

Maybe the character with the most unfortunate background, Jose quit obeying the orders and convicted after mistakenly killing his wife during a mission. Sworn to never take up arms again, Jose was forced to pilot a wanzer one last time during OCU Taal base was attacked. Jose can be recruited in Emma's story if the player chooses the option of climbing the mountain. He will join the unit after escape from Taal. However, he will be an enemy character if player chooses to go inside the mountain. He is also an enemy character in Alisa's story. It should be noted that Jose and Li cannot be recruited together.

Pham Luis

Age: 17
Nationality: OCU-Philippines (She lives in the PLF occupied zone)
Occupation: Idle Rich (?), Member of PLF
Starting Wanzer: Zeros
Specialities: Melee

A spoiled but kind of likeable daughter of one of the most richest families of The Philippines, Pham joined to the PLF (Philippines Liberation Front) an organization that sworn to separate the country from the OCU. Although her character is undesirable at the beginning, she gradually becomes more serious and responsible and decides to go with Kazuki's team after incident at the Taal base ends. She gets into fights with Ryogo occasionally. She is only available in Alisa's story to recruit but can be seen as an enemy character in Emma's story if the players don't destroy the Cadenza in Stanley Mountains. Most FM3 players say that they are reminded of Shoryu Asuka Langley from Evangelion, for both personality and appearance.

Pierre Wells (NPC)

Age: 52
Nationality: EC-UK
Occupation: Butler and bodyguard of Luis Family.
Starting Wanzer: Yongsai 3
Specialities: Burst Weapons (Starts with a shotgun and with sometimes a missile)

Pierre's been working for the Luis family for twenty years and is fiercely protective of Pham. He is so loyal that he agreed to join the PLF alongside with her. Not much is known about him except that he is talented at almost everything from cooking to wanzer piloting. He is only available as a NPC in Alisa story, if you add Pham to combat in Dagat Ahas and Taal Base missions.

Marcus Armstrong

Age: 37
Nationality: USN
Occupation: USN Marine Sergeant / Wanzer Pilot
Starting Wanzer: Grapple M1P
Specialities: Melee

A wanzer pilot from the USN Marines, Marcus is a man with a big stature and heart. During the USN's invasion of Taiwan, his unit got wiped out but he survived. After informing Kazuki's team about the betrayal of the USN's DHZ ambassador (He was a Double Agent), he joined with them in their quest for capturing Lukav Minaev. Married but divorced because of an unknown reason, he is a father of twin daughters. Marcus tries to help his fellow wanzer pilots with anyway he can, both in and out of combat. He is only available at Emma's story and an enemy character in Alisa's story.

Xiang Mei Li

Age: 35
Nationality: People's Republic of Da Han Zhong
Occupation: Wanted by military / Ex RRF soldier
Starting Wanzer: Getty
Specialities: Burst Weapons ( Starts with a machinegun )

Li shares the same fate with Jose. Accidentally killing his son and wife during a mission, Li realised that the government he served has no love for his people and decided to run away. He and Kazuki's team met in a village under siege by the Imaginary Numbers. Li was desperately trying to protect the village while the team entered the fray. Li was a member of the Rapid Reaction Force, a top secret military unit handling the dirty work for DHZ government. Apparently he was also kind of responsible for the disaster occurred 10 years ago, which resulted in dictator Chairman Jie's rise to power. Li is only available as a recruitable character in Emma's story and only if players choose to take the inside mountain route in Taal Base assault mission. It's rumoured that Square created Li with Bruce Lee's image in mind (this can also be seen in his Wanzer's victory pose whenever he destroys an enemy). You can't recruit both Jose and Li.

Linny Barilar

Age: 27
Nationality: OCU-Indonesia
Occupation: Businessman for Barilar Corp.
Starting Wanzer: Foura M12A
Specialities: Shoulder Weapons (Starts with a missile)

Heir of the agricultural business company, the Barilar Corporation, Linny is touring the world to prove the might of the Barilar's newest creation: The Methane Wanzer, which uses manure as fuel. (...) Linny first appears as an enemy character in Emma's story if players miss the Cadenza vehicle in Stanley Mountains mission. Later in the game, after he was almost killed by the Wulong Mercenaries, he joins Kazuki's team to prove the Methane Wanzer's usefulness. (Although he never uses it again in battle.) Probably the most insignificant character in the game, Linny has almost no dialogue lines. He is also Pham's cousin.

Xiao Hua Lan

Age: 29
Nationality: People's Republic of Da Han Zhong
Occupation: Rapid Reaction Force Squadron Commander
Starting Wanzer: Tieqi 4
Specialities: Burst Weapons (Starts with a Flamethrower)

Losing her husband and son during a Hua Lian rebel attack, Lan joined the RRF with the sole purpose of revenge. She is known for her ruthlessness and deadly effectiveness in battle as well as her cold nature. She realizes the error of her and her government's ways only after she witnesses military's and Imaginary Numbers' massacre of a Hua-Lian camp, Kazuki's decitation of disarming MIDAS and hearing the military's decision to execute Kwang. She was nearly killed while trying to rescue an escaping child from the camp and arrested for insubordination afterwards. She escaped from Tian-Lei with Kwang and with the help of Kazuki and others. She appeared a few missions later with a helicopter to evacuate the civilians from Nanjing. She immediately joined the team afterwards as the only Flamethrower specialist in the whole game. She is an enemy character in Emma's story.

Mayer Edwards

Age: 29
Nationality: OCU-Australia
Occupation: CIU (Central Intelligence Unit) Agent
Starting Wanzer: Enyo Mk109
Specialities: Shoulder Weapons (Starts with a Missile)

A Descendant of an Australian father and a Japanese mother, Mayer traveled to DHZ and found Kazuki's team in order to help them to quell the coup d'etat in Japan. Very cheerful and jolly person, Mayer can be serious when the time needed. A mysterious woman, Mayer likes to dress fancy and seems to have an interest in Liu. (Or even Isao Takemura...) Mayer can only be seen in Alisa's scenario.

Imaginary Number Project

The Imaginary Number Project was started in Orsha, Ravnui, which is actually present-day Belarus. The goal of this project was to create superior beings imbued with extraordinary capabilities. Unfortunately for the Imaginary Numbers, they were to be used like tools. Their involvement in Front Mission 3 runs very deep in the storyline.

Behind the entire conspiracy of Front Mission 3 was Orsha National Laboratories. Its scientists were engaging in unethical research and development in the field of Genetic Engineering. It was this research that resulted in the creation and production of Imaginary Numbers.

Bal Gorbovsky was the head of the project and later became the Ravnui Ambassador to the DHZ. His security force is composed of Real Numbers, less advanced version of Imaginary Numbers, led by Liu Hei Fong.

Lukav Minaev, the first Imaginary Number, managed to convince all the Imaginary numbers to turn on Bal and decided to create his own new world order by eradicating all naturally-born humans.

Imaginary Numbers

Lukav Minaev - The first Imaginary Number
Aliciana "Alisia"(or Alisa) Klamsky – Escaped Imaginary Number, Kazuki Takemura's adopted sister
Emir "Emma" Klamsky – Escaped Imaginary Number, Alicia's sister and head of the USN Special Radiation Laboratories
Ivan Larzalev – Failed Imaginary Number
Serov Warren – Failed Imaginary Number, OCU Mechanical Engineer
Rosavia Gray – Imaginary Number Soldier, one of Lukav's lieutenants
Jared Bogandof – Imaginary Number Soldier, one of Lukav's lieutenants
Norman Bates - Failed Imaginary Number, A Convicted Killer in the USN

Emma and Alisa

Emma and her surrogate parents tried to escape the Orsha Laboratories by crossing the Ravnui-Poland border in a car, but a chopper sent by Bal caught up with them in Brest, near the border. Only Emma managed to survive the attack. She ran into the woods for cover as the chopper chased her. A USN wanzer showed up, shot down the chopper and rescued Emma. Later, this incident was covered up and it was said the Mr. and Mrs. Klamsky died in a car accident.

Before the attempted escape, Alisa was safely flown to Japan and into the care of her Parents trusted friend, Isao Takemura. The father of the main character.

M.I.D.A.S.

M.I.D.A.S. stands for Matter Irradiation Dissociative Acceleration System. It was designed by Emir Klamsky, head of the USN Special Radiation Laboratories. M.I.D.A.S. separate the protons, neutrons, and electrons in auric radiation to extract energy. Auric Radiation has vast kinetic energy and breaks the molecular bonds of anything it comes into contact with. On contact with water molecules in the air, auric radiation turns into a stable element, loses all energy, and poses no threat to organisms of the environment.

M.I.D.A.S. has potential as a new source of energy, and is particularly intriguing to the world's military powers, for the following reasons:

Energy capacity — Current models are less effective than nuclear weapons, but more effective models can be made.
Reduced costs — The weapons output is adjustable. Separate tactical and strategic weapons are not needed, resulting in lower costs.
Deterrence factor — The auric radiation used in M.I.D.A.S. is stable once it fuses with water; therefore it does not cause contamination.

The story of Front Mission 3 begins when M.I.D.A.S. is stolen from Dr. Klamsky's Alaskan laboratories by OCU Japan. Several months have passed since the theft, during which time the JDF was busy attempting to duplicate M.I.D.A.S.

For More information on M.I.D.A.S., see The 3 Incidents.

External links

1999 computer and video games | 2000 computer and video games | Front Mission | PlayStation games