Front Mission 3 Remake PS5 Review – An Improvement Over the Switch Version

Front Mission 3 Remake brings one of the most beloved late-’90s tactical RPGs back into the spotlight … a second time. The remake attempts to modernize the original’s presentation while preserving its distinctly grounded mecha warfare. Fans have sung the praises of the PS1 cult classic from 1999 for its industrial tone, deep customization, and ambitious in-game “internet” elements, and now the rest of us can see what the buzz was all about. This remake builds on the Switch version with several notable improvements, but also carries forward some frustrating limitations that prevent it from being the definitive version fans may have hoped for.

"As a tactical grid-based game from the ’90s, the original featured pixelated, steampunk designs that feel genuinely charming today."

If it wasn’t already clear from the mech lying despondent in some rubble on the game’s cover, Front Mission 3 has a thoroughbred industrial aesthetic that screams ’90s (if not late-’80s) anime. The visual tone is surprisingly grounded, it plays like a military technothriller, more geopolitical tension than super-robot spectacle. While mechs are the clear focal point, even they avoid overly fantastical elements, favoring believability over exaggerated spectacle.

As a tactical grid-based game from the ’90s, the original featured pixelated, steampunk designs that feel genuinely charming today. This remake builds on that foundation, and compared to the previous Switch release, several visual upgrades enhance the aesthetic. Most notably, the controversial AI-generated portraits used in the Network have been removed and replaced with original PS1 artwork. In other cases, those Network images have been reworked to look far more natural and cohesive than the AI-generated weirdness that was featured in the Switch release.

That said, the character portraits still have that ‘processed’ look, cleaner, but less textured than the original art. For old-school pixel art fans like myself, a portrait toggle, or better yet, a full graphical toggle, would have been ideal. The new 3D backgrounds are serviceable, but several side-by-side comparisons reveal that some environmental detail has been lost in the transition. Street lamps, traffic cones, and other small flourishes present in the original pixel art are occasionally omitted in the new 3D overhaul.

"While mechs are the clear focal point, even they avoid overly fantastical elements, favoring believability over exaggerated spectacle."

The upside is improved lighting and color contrast. Environments pop more vividly, and mechs often look more imposing as light reflects off their armor. Unfortunately, this comes with a trade-off: some of the mech designs lose their distinctiveness. Several Wanzers (the game’s mechs) that once leaned into cool steampunk-inspired silhouettes have been redesigned into generic industrial forms. These are designs we’ve seen countless times before compared to the unique pixel depictions of the mechs from the original. Because these 3D assets represent such a mixed bag, a graphics toggle between classic and remake visuals (similar to the music options) would have been the best solution.

Speaking of music, the Front Mission 3 soundtrack is all re-orchestrated in faithful, one-to-one arrangements. Even so, many fans will still prefer the punchy, compressed soundfont of the original PS1 release. Thankfully, both soundtracks are included and can be toggled freely in the menu, a feature I wish was available for the graphics, but we’ll take what we can get.

The music in general is pretty dang good. It’s your classic PS1 quality, but still head-bobbing and atmospheric. Some of the battle music can grow repetitive though. Short loops combined with long combat engagements don’t leave much room for variety, and the limited number of tracks becomes noticeable over time.

Unfortunately, there’s no option to revert to the original sound effects. The new effects are noticeably tinny and piercing, not to mention the imbalance in the audio mix that overpowers the music with the tinny effects. While individual volume sliders help mitigate this issue, it’s still a disappointment given how much care was taken with the music itself.

"Smaller map sizes compound visibility issues, especially in tight indoor environments."

All the audiovisual polish in the world wouldn’t matter if the core combat didn’t hold up, and thankfully, it mostly does. Front Mission 3 is a tactical RPG in the same general lineage as Final Fantasy Tactics, though it’s far less complex. Battles play out on grid-based maps with turn-based strategy, but without class systems or meaningful terrain mechanics, the tactical depth is relatively light.

Maps are noticeably smaller than in previous Front Mission titles, which reduces the number of combatants and keeps engagements more focused. While mechanics like damage types, action points, status effects, and skills are present, the true depth lies in the kind of mech customization that can be done. Each pilot’s Wanzer can be assembled from different bodies, arms, shoulders, legs, and weapons, all of which you unlock gradually over the course of the game.

Progression, however, is sluggish in the opening hours. You’ll spend a long stretch using the same limited parts before the game even introduces tutorials for more advanced customization systems. Once it finally opens up, tinkering with Wanzers becomes one of the game’s biggest strengths.

Character growth revolves around Medals, which are earned by destroying individual enemy parts or eliminating them outright. This system encourages targeted combat, one of Front Mission’s signature mechanics. Unfortunately, manual targeting options are limited, and too much relies on RNG-driven targeted attacks rather than deliberate player choice.

Battles themselves are engaging and fun for tactical fans, but their pacing can feel glacial. Sitting through the sluggish mech travel speeds and attack animations can put you to sleep pretty quick. While “Fast Battle” and “Fast Movement” options exist in the settings menu to skip these slow animations, there’s no satisfying middle ground. Fast Battle hits the skip button on everything, including the info you actually need. No animations, no mech-part or pilot damage indicators. Fast Movement skips travel animations completely, which is nice. But a simple ‘skip’ button for animations, or a fast-forward toggle would’ve been the ideal solution here.

"You need to enter a separate top-down view mode to check enemy attack squares."

Situational awareness also suffers during battles. You can’t easily check enemy movement spaces or attack ranges during standard play, instead needing to enter a separate top-down view mode. Transitioning between that view and the normal camera is a chore, making it difficult to remember which specific tiles are safe and whatnot. The game would’ve benefited by having persistent tile overlays showcasing enemy unit actions, especially given the increased button count that modern controllers provide, allowing these kinds of toggles to be possible. You also need to enter the top-down menu to see the mission objective for each map, which is just bizarre.

Smaller map sizes further compound visibility issues, especially in tight indoor environments. Awkward camera angles, wall clipping, and obstructed paths are common. While unit transparency can be toggled, there’s no universal option to make walls and environmental objects transparent.

Lastly, there’s some fairly good replay value here thanks to the game’s two branching campaigns. Early on, players choose between following Alisa, the protagonist’s sister, or Emma, a mysterious covert agent. Each route offers different dialogue, stages, and enemies, though the game does a poor job of signaling how important this choice actually is. I didn’t even realize I had made a branching decision on my first playthrough. While the two routes aren’t drastically different, the incentive to replay remains attractive.

"The plot won’t blow anyone away, but it’s a solid slice of late-’90s mecha storytelling."

But is Front Mission 3 worth playing for the story? Well, yes and no. I absolutely love the lore in this installment, but the main plot is just serviceable when you discount the cool mecha aesthetic. And outside of the Emma/Alisa split, the story is linear and delivered through brief cutscenes and textbox dialogue.

Front Mission 3 continues the series’ tradition of grounded war narratives and industrial themes. Inspired by mecha anime classics like Evangelion, it largely avoids supernatural elements in favor of political intrigue and military conspiracies. The plot won’t blow anyone away, but it’s a solid slice of late-’90s mecha storytelling that I think genre fans will appreciate. What truly elevates the narrative is the Network; an in-game simulation of the internet that functions as a massive lore database. As the story progresses, new webpages unlock offering news articles, character profiles, military reports, and hidden content tied to character interactions.

As a relative newcomer to the series, the Network impressed me more than any other aspect of the game. It’s dense, immersive, and structured like an actual web browser, complete with interconnected links and discoverable secrets.

"As the story progresses, new webpages unlock offering news articles, character profiles, military reports, and hidden content."

Navigation, however, is clunky. Manually scrolling to exit tabs and dealing with slow page transitions can be frustrating. Still, customization options like unlockable desktop backgrounds are welcome touches.

Front Mission 3 Remake is a slight improvement over the Switch version, especially in its handling of artwork and presentation. It’s also an upgrade over the original with its suite of options and modern control scheme. The inclusion of multiple soundtrack options, enhanced lighting, and general 3D overhaul leans in the remake category, while the rest of the game feels like it mostly did on the PS1. The remake still struggles with uneven pacing, awkward visibility, limited tactical depth, and a frustrating lack of toggles letting playes choose between classic and modern elements.

Despite its shortcomings, the game’s strong mech customization and distinctive tone make it easy to recommend to fans of tactical RPGs and grounded mecha fiction. It may not be the definitive version longtime fans dreamed of, but hey, it’s still a worthy way to experience one of the genre’s most interesting cult classics.

This game was reviewed on the PlayStation 5.