Fuga: Melodies of Steel 3 is the newest addition to the Fuga series. Continuing only days after the events of the second game, we are treated to yet another touch-and-go premonition of the remnants of our fated furry tank-driving heroes in a losing battle, where the main protagonist, Malt, is captured by the Kaiser.
The Kaiser is the very embodiment of the Berman empire, not to be confused with the German empire, but intended to sound similar. The cross-referencing between the Fuga games and our own history’s world wars has been a series staple since the beginning of the franchise. The enemy soldiers are themed to look like Doberman canines. In contrast, the heroes, hailing from a country named Gasco contain more lovable, innocent charms than one would expect from Disney.
Larger, more deceptive, and innocent eye designs, along with fluffier and more endearing features, adorn each of the children’s heroes and heroines who take control of the Tanaris. This indomitable, mysterious tank is equipped with numerous cannons to lay waste to endless hordes of Berman artillery and weaponry.
Two particularly controversial weapons on the Tanaris, unfamiliar to those new to the franchise, are none other than the Soul Cannon and the Mega Soul Cannon. Join Niche Gamer on the war-torn path of the Tanaris in this review and discover the excitement and poignant nightmares awaiting the Felinko Children!
Fuga: Melodies of Steel 3
Developer: CyberConnect2
Publisher: CyberConnect2
Platforms: Windows PC, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X|S, Nintendo Switch (reviewed)
Release Date: May 29, 2025
Price: $39.99
Following the prologue’s premonition, you once again take control of the children inside the Taranis. It will quickly become apparent that a lot of the previous two games’ mechanics make a return, but with some slight tweaks and changes that manage to keep their familiarity intact.
Tandem affinity combos have become a little harder to perform as you can no longer store them. It’s been reworked into a gauge where once they’re filled, they’re spent and used instantly. This will no longer allow you to hoard them between the children, and dump them all on hard battles.
The addition of nonplayable characters being able to become closer via a new bond system is nice. This allows you to call them out into battle to perform a very devastating attack, in addition to various boons and effects. Vanilla, a recruitable character who’s deeply rooted in the Gasco Military chain of command, has been reduced to a support role, this felt disappointing because I was hoping for new comrades.
Vanilla is no longer a playable character, but there are no new playable children this time around, returning to the original cast of children from the first entry. The support friend system facilitates the desire to reuse them. It powers up their attack power, and there’s quite a handful to recruit, some of which were villains from the prior games.
The meat of the gameplay itself remains as great as ever. It’s easily at its best with the inclusion of the combo system. Hitting the enemy’s weaknesses consistently will build this gauge, causing each following attack among your children to deal even more damage, with increments of twenty percent for each successful addition.
Capping at 200% would be the perfect time to call out Boron or Malt to deal a very powerful attack with their cannons, or if weaknesses remain, keep the maximum combo cap going to maximize damage potential. This was a very welcome addition that made the process of blasting down Fascist Berman tanks all the more rewarding. However, one change to the gameplay I simply did not like is what they did with the Soul Cannon.
Boss fights go on for a while, and using the soul cannon will end the boss fight instantly. However, the ammo used for this unstoppable force is none other than the children who drive the Taranis. The soul cannon is by no means a new feature to the series and is, in fact, the flagship gimmick of the game when advertised in many facets. The way it was done this time around feels very intrusive and downright unimpressive.
In several cases during my full playthrough, I had to sacrifice my crew to fire and destroy a boss, as expected for most players. The issue I have is that I was crushing the bosses each time it was used. For the children to load themselves into the cannon chamber as suggested, based on their interactions and dialogue, the fight is unwinnable and hopeless.
I had one of the main bosses literally at a smidge of health, but I was a tad bit too late, so the child loaded himself into the cannon and sacrificed himself. I have known these characters for three games now. None of them have the personality to sacrifice themselves against a threat they know is standing on its last legs.
Without getting into spoilers, the game tries to recreate the feel and threat of the first game, after the very obtuse direction the second game went, playing tag with a villain and chasing them throughout the sky lands. Having to face the Berman once again felt nostalgic, but halfway through the game, let’s just say that the rug will be yanked so fast from your feet your head will spin as the story takes a very violent shift in direction.
Life on the tank is also at its best in between battles via intermissions. All the original features are back with nothing added. It felt like I was doing the same thing in all three games, getting the same materials, fishing the same scraps, and farming the same items and farming the same ingredients for food.
One very new feature is a digital computer with three new features that can be explored inside the Taranis! This allows the use of a new currency called “VP” to be used to customize the Taranis and many of its potential new features, like blowing up entire encounters on the map, supplying travel nodes with supplies, and much more.
Farming this currency certainly feels like a way to boost interest in replaying the game multiple times over, especially when you consider the many different endings involved in the pursuit.
The reworking of the soul cannon just feels intrusive and bad. Some might think that’s intended, but those who have played the last two entries leading to this one might feel perplexed by it this time around, as it certainly feels much more aggressive than usual.
Fuga: Melodies of Steel 3 has small issues but feels like a fantastic experience for me as a fan of the trilogy. The story, gameplay, and replayability make it the definitive experience of the three fantastic games where you ride a massive tank and blow up villainy.
Fuga: Melodies of Steel 3 was reviewed on Nintendo Switch using a code provided by CyberConnect2. You can find additional information about Niche Gamer’s review/ethics policy here. Fuga: Melodies of Steel 3 is now available for PC (via Steam), Xbox One, Xbox Series X|S, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, and Nintendo Switch.
