P.N. 03 ~ Product Number 3

[Moonlight]

Vanessa Z. Schneider is the main character of P.N.03. She is depicted as extremely lithe and agile. She wears various "Aegis suits" which allow her to shoot energy blasts out of her palm and perform special moves called "energy drives" named after various winged creatures such as the harrier and the tengu. She has been hired by an anonymous person known as "the client" to destroy a group of rogue Computer Arms Management Systems robots that have been massacring innocent colonists, including Vanessa's parents.

Near the end of the game Vanessa discovers a specimen that is an identical clone of herself. It is also revealed that "the client" is also a clone of the same person Vanessa was cloned from. The revelation of Vanessa being a clone does conflict with the earlier statement of Vanessa's parents being killed by machines, though it is implied, but not actually stated, that her parents may actually have been just an implanted memory.

~ Wikipedia

Wikipedia Page
Aegis Suits

It is safe to say that P.N. 03 has suffered at the words of the critics for years, but it is a severely underrated game. The plot is fairly lacking as are most shooters, but that is where creative liberty comes into play. Developing the world on your own makes it that much more enticing, in a way. I myself picked up the game gently used, but apparently the written plot was "all in the manual" that was missing. Even so, Wiki can suffice.

Moving on to the actual characters and scenery, it is safe to say that futuristic has taken an entirely new meaning. Ode is a barren planet, desert and wasteland. However, in outdoor missions, it is clear that an entire city has sprung up. Architecture is similar to that of notable cities in real life, and resembles them closely aside from vaguely different additions or spins on design. Standing up to the climate would be difficult for most humans, I'd imagine, which is probably the base of the projects that led to Vanessa's existence.

While it is not clear which clone she is exactly, it is clear that she's somewhat developed considering the shortness of the game. Sarcasm is her second language, as is a biting wit. She clearly defines the "Action Girl" trope as well, being a mercenary out for blood. Her past is never directly divulged in game, though. Mostly snarky banter is exchanged, but also with a few curbing comments from our anonymous Client.

People have complained relentlessly about the controls in various online reviews, though. Personally, I fail to see where they are that difficult to get used to. They're simple for the most part, save for a few Pro Energy Drives not wanting to work on occasion.

Has anyone else played P.N. 03, or seen it advertised? What are your views on the game? Discuss.