Front Mission 3

Robots never looked so machine-like yet so human as in Front Mission 3. This turn-based tactics game from Squaresoft, released in 1999, put you in the cockpits of combat mechs called Wanzer (from the German Wanderpanzer) and told a story that was not afraid of politics, corporate conspiracies, and the gray zones between good and evil.

At the heart of the game is deep mech customization. Each Wanzer is made up of a torso, arms, legs, and weapons, with damage to a specific part having clear consequences, shoot off an enemy's arm and it loses a weapon, destroy its legs and it loses mobility. This modularity turns every battle into a tactical puzzle in which you decide where to aim and what to risk. The skill system, which activates randomly depending on your equipment, adds an exciting element of uncertainty.

The storytelling offered unusual finesse: right at the start, a choice between two paths opened up different story lines following other characters and factions. That meant two full-fledged campaigns in one package and a strong reason to replay. The story, set in a tense geopolitical world of the future, tackled themes of weapons of mass destruction and the power of multinational corporations with surprising seriousness.

The Front Mission series was always off to the side of Square's mainstream, faithful more to a core of tactics fans, and the third installment is often considered the peak of the classic era. For many players in the West it was their very first encounter with the brand, and that is precisely why it earned a special place in their hearts.

Instead of fast action, it offers a patient, thoughtful war of machines in which technical detail and storytelling go hand in hand. It is a game for those who want not just to pilot mechs but to literally take them apart and reassemble them to their liking.

Why play it: Deep mech tactics with a branching story and two campaigns, the peak of the classic Front Mission era.