Goddamn Newtypes

I haven't played Front Mission: Evolve yet, but based on the review I just saw it's probably inevitable. Based on that review, it seems the franchise has transitioned surprisingly well from a turn-based strategy/RPG into a third-person shooter. The review pointed out three potential problems, one of which isn't a problem for me because I like to win and another isn't a problem because I don't do multiplayer. First, multiplayer sucks. With that out of the way, another problem is balance. When fighting as infantry against giant robots the player seems strangely effective at knocking the behemoths down. When fighting in your own giant robot, the game turns into a war crime as your advantages over your enemies make it less like a battle and more like a murder. The last problem is the story. Apparently the hero is a newtype or he has Trans-Am or he has the EXAM system or [insert another Gundam reference]. In any case, super powers wouldn't be terribly out of place in most giant robot stories, but Front Mission has built itself around believable geo-political intrigue. Cut out the giant robots and most Front Mission stories would read like a good political pot-boiler set in the real world. The sudden inclusion of newtypes or something seems very out of place. So story wise, Front Mission: Evolve is the best Gundam spin-off never made.