Game Details
| Size | 186 MB |
| Region | USA |
| Genre | Third Person Shooter |
| Format | 7z / BIN |
| Year | February 27, 2001 |
| Console | PSX |
Army Men: World War – Final Front (2001) is the third installment in 3DO’s grittier World War subseries. Released late in the PlayStation 1’s life cycle, the game focuses entirely on plastic-world military combat rather than the cartoonish household settings of the Sarge’s Heroes games.
Final Front raises the stakes by taking the battle directly to the Tan Army’s capital after intelligence reveals they are building massive weapons of mass destruction. It’s also known by its European title, Army Men: Lock ‘n’ Load.
Story & Premise: Global Retaliation
You are a battle-hardened Green Nation veteran who has successfully repelled the Tan Army twice before. But this time, Green High Command declares an all-out global offensive. The Tan Army is liquidating all national resources at an unprecedented pace to assemble an unstoppable stockpile of advanced war machinery.
To prevent total annihilation, the Green Army deploys across the globe to strike Tan resource pipelines and military facilities. The campaign spans 4 distinct combat fronts, each featuring 3 unique operations, ranging from familiar World War II-inspired battlefields to exotic global hotspots.
Key Gameplay Features
- Submarine and Underwater Warfare: The biggest mechanical innovation in Final Front is the introduction of aquatic sub-surface combat. Players can commandeer military submarines to navigate underwater trenches, dodge mines, and fire torpedoes at Tan naval vessels.
- Direct Vehicle Control: Moving beyond just firing mounted guns, Final Front gives players total control over the steering and mechanics of multiple vehicles, including heavy battle tanks, rapid-attack motorcycles, PT boats, and submarines.
- Diverse Operational Theaters: The campaign breaks away from generic muddy trenches to feature highly thematic settings. You will push through dense South American jungles, fight across hot desert ruins reminiscent of Egypt, clear out complex Tan underground bunkers, and assault heavily fortified coastal bases.
- Classic Era Weaponry: Infanry segments offer a robust selection of weapons to melt Tan plastic, including standard rifles, heavy machine guns, grenades, flamethrowers, and mortars for indirect artillery fire.
Short Review: High Ambition on Tired Hardware
The Good
- Expanded Vehicle Gameplay: Being able to drive tanks and pilot submarines added a layer of depth that previous titles lacked, breaking up the standard third-person foot soldier monotony.
- Varied Level Themes: The shift toward distinct environments—like the Egyptian-style deserts and underground strongholds—gives the campaign a highly adventurous, Indiana Jones-esque aesthetic.
The Bad
Punishing Difficulty and Controls: The tank-style movement controls on foot feel rigid, and struggling with the tracking camera while trading fire with aggressive enemy AI can lead to frustrating, sudden deaths.
Severe Technical Limitations: Released well after the PlayStation 2 had arrived, Final Front squeezed everything it could out of the original PS1, resulting in a heavily compromised technical presentation. The draw distance is incredibly short (masked by dense fog), textures are muddy, and the framerate regularly stutters during heavy vehicular firefights.
Screenshots
