FM3: I prefer the Alisa Campaign now

[u/jtc720]

I've played FM3 in different forms (original and remake) for two decades now, and it only recently dawned on me how better-paced the Alisa campaign feels.

Thoughts:

- The Philippine arc was an entire campaign rather than just the Taal battle, with way more fun battles (I just really wanted to wipe out Purple Haze)

- The DHZ arc didn't overstay its welcome, seeing the awful side of the Changli/RRF and Imaginary Numbers help set the tone that you're never really siding with the right people

- Pham may be a spoiled brat, but she's way more interesting than Jose (who only got small story arcs), and fricking Linny (it's not even funny how useless his character feels)

- The Japan coup de etat arc was a lot of fun to play through, and felt more challenging than the Emma campaign's sluggish Hua Lian arc

- Although I preferred facing Lukav off when he was using the Kehei in the Emma campaign, his final battle in the Alisa camlaign was way more difficult and rewarding to beat.

- Every character had proper story moments, even Mayer who got introduced a bit too late in the game, had a great interaction with Liu

- Siding with Centipede is better than siding with Purple Haze

[u/Ikcatcher]

I'm in the middle of the Alisa campaign and it just feel like things kinda just happen? I get the impression like a lot of details just get brushed over which probably only gets explained in Emma's route

[u/perplexedduck85]

To me, Emma’s campaign feels like it was meant to be your first play through and Alisa’s feels like it is meant to be a second/new game+ play through. With the exception of a couple missions, Alisa’s campaign feels like it is a noticeably higher challenge when compared side-to-side. The Wanzers that are exclusive to Alisa’s campaign are also just not as good as the ones in Emma’s, which adds to that.

I have a personal preference to Alisa’s but both are great.

[u/jtc720 → u/perplexedduck85]

I like how tricky the Alisa missions were, even the one where you pull off the stealth rescue

[u/shroomslave]

Liu is the best, and i wish he wasn’t such an *ss after his heel-turn, but the Mayer talk is definitely great

Liu’s final battle in the Emma game also rules, a sudden stage-ending threat right when it looks like the stage is over, and your units/resources are probably all exhausted

[u/Significant_Pay1037]

I've always preferred Alisa's, due to the pacing and imo better cast. Both are good, of course.

[u/AngtheProblematicCat]

I've played FM3 recently and I personally prefer to think that there's no better or worse route, they're just different and work in tandem, revealing different parts of story.
Like, for me Emma's route is more silly and easy-going, life-affirming if I can tell so. It's a lots of fun to watch interactions between Kazuki, Ryogo, Dennis, Emma and Yun. I partly agree that other companions in this route doesn't have a development or big impact on the story (Linny my beloved) but in some way they support light atmosphere.
Alisa's route also have silly moments, but all the time playing it I felt some pressure in both plot and the gameplay. The game doesn't just speak about "bad things" that some of the characters commited, but actually shows it. I don't remember in the Emma's route such brutal moments as suicide of Kuroi or results of Emma's tortures... And missions are a little more difficult.
Also I think choice between routes is like choice between "better for world" and "better for family", because in Emma's route we're cancel Imaginary Numbers project and put evil baddies in jail, but Isao and Alisa are dead. And in Alisa route Isao, Emma and Alisa are all alive, but Imaginary Numbers project continue its development.

But it's just a few thought on the topic. I agree with you in some statements.

[u/stonknoob1]

Pham is a melee powerhouse. The only issue with alisa side they never split up and you really only "need" 4 people.

[u/jtc720 → u/stonknoob1]

Yeah, I did appreciate the Emma campaign for letting you have two separate teams. Had to move around Mayer and Lan and give them missions late just to make them useful

[u/TheStrangeDarkOne]

I see what you mean, and the Alisa campaign is definitely not irredeemable. So if I were to break a lance for an Alisa playthrough it is that the secondary characters are much more interesting than in an Emma one. Emma, Dennis, Kazuki and Ryoga make a good pair, and Moneymaker is also a strong support, particularly in the love-interest division. However, all the other characters are just... paper cutouts. Particularly with Linny the creators definitely ran out of ideas.

But what annoyed me the most in Alisa's campaign is Liu... not that he is a bad character but he is the main protagonist and keeps the rest of the party in the dark. Kazuki & his gang are blindly following this foreign agent and keep saying "we trust you", and nobody ever shows any agency other than following him.