Retrospective: P.N.03

The one thing everyone remembers about P.N.03 is that it was the first game in the Capcom Five, the publisher's proposal to prop up the then-ailing GameCube with a set of third-party exclusives. Though the games turned out quite nicely, the plan wasn't exactly a roaring success: Dead Phoenix was canned, while Resident Evil 4, Killer7 and Viewtiful Joe were ported to PlayStation 2. Only P.N.03 remained loyal to the Cube, though that's less a case of a publisher attempting to stick to its guns so much as a total lack of interest in a new version.

Indeed, of Shinji Mikami's seven games as director, P.N.03 is the obvious outcast. Rarely does it earn a mention when the best games on GameCube are discussed; nor does it attract the vociferous cult adoration of the likes of God Hand and Vanquish. Heck, Dead Phoenix is probably more fondly remembered.

In truth, it's quite easy to see why P.N.03 isn't anyone's favourite Mikami joint, because this isn't the most welcoming game ever made. Its challenge is stern, its plot is underdeveloped and its environments are chilly and sterile. And while protagonist Vanessa Z Schneider (the Z is important; without it she sounds a bit like a fortysomething criminal law solicitor) moves like a ballet dancer, she controls like a tank. In most games you're tasked with conquering unforgiving environments or aggressive enemies; in P.N.03, it's the control scheme that proves the biggest obstacle.

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