Front Mission 3
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| Front Mission 3 | |
| Missing image Fm3.jpg North American box art Missing image Fm3_japan.jpg Japanese box art Missing image Fm3_europe.jpg European box art (clockwise from top) North American, Japanese, and European box art | |
| Developer(s) | Square Co., Ltd. |
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| Genre | Tactical role-playing game |
| Mode(s) | Single player |
| Rating(s) | ESRB: Teen (T) USK: 12+ OFLC: 8+ |
| Platform(s) | Sony PlayStation |
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.
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Story
Front Mission 3 tells the story of a young man by the name of Kazuki Takemura. 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 you 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 for the ultimate weapon of mass destruction: M.I.D.A.S..
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.
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 for the Department 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 Klamsky – Escaped Imaginary Number, Kazuki Takemura's adopted sister
- Emir Klamsky – Escaped Imaginary Number
- Ivan Larzalev – Failed Imaginary Number
- Serov Warren – Failed Imaginary Number
- Rosavia Gray – Imaginary Number Soldier
- Jared Bogandof – Imaginary Number Soldier
- Sasaki - Imaginary Number
Emma and her surrogate parents tried to escape the Orsha Laboratory 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.
Alisa on the other hand, was safely flown to Japan and into the care of 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; therfore 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
- The Official Square FM3 Website (http://www.square-enix-usa.com/games/FM3/)
- Overview of the game's storyline (http://www.ex.org/5.5/39-game_fm3.html)