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 A return to the old-school shooter philosophy? Vanessa reveals all! By Bryn "hardcore_pawn" Williams | Sept. 9, 2003  70Good
The Lowdown: A good combo/score-based shooter in a 3D world.
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Platform: GameCube
 Game Type: Action Developer: Capcom Publisher: Capcom ESRB: Teen Full Game Information You'll assume the role of sexy space vixen Vanessa Z. Schneider. A Computer Arms Management System (C.A.M.S.) has malfunctioned and gone berserk, laying waste to everything on a small colonial planet. Hired by her "client," Vanessa heads out to take down C.A.M.S. in its entirety and save the day. The game presents itself with a slick minimalist design all rendered in a crisp, clean, 3D world. Head-nodding techno tunes pound out a beat that has Vanessa gesticulating like a cyber-raver as her mission begins. She's a graceful individual, scantily clad in a curve-hugging Aegis suit. The suit is equipped with a rapid-firing Palm Shot laser and a special move-inducing Energy Drive. Using these primary methods of attack, Vanessa will face hordes of aggressive C.A.M.S. drones. By engaging in an almost ballet-style method of sidestepping, jumping, and rolling, the idea is to chain together multiple kills creating point-scoring combos. The combo system is very simple and effective. Kill one drone, and a short combo timer is initiated. Kill more enemies before the combo timer runs out, and you'll amass a bigger score. Each level is split up into smaller rooms. There is a finite amount of drones per room, and you'll have to let the combo timer run its course before you leave a room if you want to be credited with the bonus points. Of course, the drones vary in power as the game progresses, so achieving high-scoring combo attacks becomes quite an art form in its own right. The primary reason for wanting to amass a high score is that you'll be able to spend your winnings on new Aegis suits, power-up moves for your Energy Drive, as well as Palm Shot speed, barrier power, and sundry stuff like game continues. P.N.03's premise is simple. It plays much like an arcade shooter of old, rather than the more traditional approach to 3D action titles of recent times. And that's where I think some gamers might be confused or disappointed with P.N.03. This is mainly due to the initially awkward controls provided to guide Vanessa. Seeing as the gameplay design is geared towards dodging, targeting, and shooting, it's easy to fall into the trap of thinking the controls are clunky and unresponsive. Once you've wrapped your head around concentrating on mastering the combo technique of each room, however, everything slots nicely into place. P.N.03 offers substantial replay even though the game isn't lengthy the first time through. There's little chance that most gamers will be able to purchase and upgrade the more fantastical and powerful suits, so the impetus then falls on honing your combo-scoring skills and reaping bigger, better bonuses.  Pose and shoot with style. If you're partial to some good shooter action, then check out P.N.03 -- it's not the longest game ever made, but it's stylish and challenging nonetheless. Those of you waiting for StarCraft: Ghost, however, won't find what you're looking for in Capcom's latest offering. •
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