

One of the biggest draws is the customization aspect. The player is able to customize a wanzer from its parts, auxiliary backpacks, weapons, and even paint schemes. The incredible amount of customization can be addictive, but also daunting to those who are not into micromanaging their games. It’s very comparable to From Software’s Armored Core series in this sense so those who have played those games will feel right at home with Front Mission. In battle, the uniqueness of the wanzer is also displayed a wanzer’s performance is dictated by its four parts: a body, two arms, and the legs.

Destroyed parts reduce a wanzer’s ability to fight blow off its legs and it can’t move or evade attacks. A lost arm means that it can’t use any weapons it has equipped. Take out the body and the wanzer is destroyed. Combat is similar to other genre offerings in that it takes place on isometric 2D (in Front Mission) or 3D grid maps. When a battle initiates, the action zooms into a close-up of the map that shows the wanzers fighting. While battles were modeled initially after Fire Emblem, it has evolved dramatically since the first game. Action Points (AP) were introduced and dictate how many actions a unit can do on their turn. Melee, ranged, and artillery weapons that acted in a rock-paper-scissors manner became true melee, ranged, and artillery weapons with their own unique qualities. Eventually, squad-based combat and friendly fire made its way into the series, giving it a tremendous amount of strategic depth and variety. Game mechanics aside, Front Mission‘s true strength comes from its design and story elements. The biggest design influence is the series’ grounded realism the setting is based off of near-future trends of how our world will evolve.

#FRONT MISSION 2089 BORDER OF MADNESS CONCEPT ART SERIES#įor example, the technology of the series has real-life applications. Front Mission‘s cast of characters come from all over the world, from Venezuela to Korea to even Iceland. In terms of game design, each game differs in how it’s meant to be played and these result from the atmosphere and story direction. For example, the player is thrown into all-out wars in Front Mission 2 as it takes place during a coup d’etat. Its art and music direction are gritty and depressing, fitting for the game’s storyline. #FRONT MISSION 2089 BORDER OF MADNESS CONCEPT ART SERIES#Ī notable trend in terms of art and music is that artists and composers differ amongst the games.
