Video Summary - Cannon Fodder 3

Overview

The video is a harsh review of Cannon Fodder 3, framed as the third entry that should never have existed. The narrator explains that the series’ original entries—especially on Commodore—were beloved, era-defining games featuring comedy, war satire, and memorable presentation. So when Cannon Fodder 3 was announced, he assumed it would be a faithful continuation.

After detailing the messy rights/development history, he argues the project was essentially a money grab that ultimately ruins what made the series special. He bought the game hoping for a real English release, but what he receives (Steam/boxed edition) becomes the start of a long list of issues.

Main highlights: what goes wrong

Bad presentation and “uncentered” basics
- Even early logos and splash screens feel careless.
- He mocks the visuals and repeatedly compares them unfavorably to the charm of earlier versions.
Tone and satire feel broken
- The early “training camp / war” framing and depictions of soldiers come off as a crude caricature instead of the original’s human, tragic-yet-satirical humor.
Gameplay becomes mindless
- Missions are repetitive regardless of the objective (destroy base, hack computer, etc.).
- You’re still essentially walking around and blowing up buildings.
Annoying mechanics that punish strategy
- Tedious controls (notably grenades and squad actions hidden in settings).
- Checkpoints that effectively save and allow mid-level reloads, undermining tension.
- Enemies that often behave stupidly—standing still and taking damage.
Ammo/weapons and destruction feel “designed” rather than clever
- Grenades are emphasized heavily.
- New building types often require specific explosive solutions.
- He also criticizes “barrel” physics as predictable and overly engineered—barrels travel in consistent trajectories that conveniently put you and others in danger.
Death/reward/progression systems feel wrong
- Soldiers allegedly have names, but you only learn them after death.
- This is delivered through a poorly designed “grave” UI with music and text spam.
Checkpoint + soldier-count systems create dull looping
- Soldiers are reduced to about 20 per mission.
- Failures reset at checkpoints with recruits, removing the tension and character of the earlier games’ systems.

Plot and “bosses”

The narrator claims the story doesn’t connect to the second game at all.
It jumps through absurd settings:
- Terrorists of multiple origins
- Then a rocket to the Moon
- Enemies there are compared to pop-culture imagery, including “Luke Skywalker”-style visuals.
Boss battles are the only area he concedes are more dynamic, but they’re still repetitive and revolve around you receiving endless ammo from above.

Final verdict: key punchlines

The ending includes a killer mechanoid controlled by a mad scientist, which could have been interesting—except the commander spoils the next phase ahead of time, making it feel even more shallow.
He concludes that the game is unnecessary, disgusting, and irreparably damages the series.
- He even advises people not to look at the box if they want to experience Cannon Fodder the “right” way.
There’s also a humorous “series fate” jab: he compares it to other franchises (e.g., Kingdom Hearts), implying that the “third part” mythology/misinformation won’t actually satisfy fans.

Personalities mentioned (as in the subtitle)

The narrator/reviewer (main speaker)
Tatsu and Amura (referenced in the closing as making claims about the story)
Zia Orta (referenced in the closing in the same context)

Cannon Fodder 3 - GameShelf #31