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''Front Mission 2'', also known in Japan as is a
tactical role-playing game Tactical role-playing games (abbreviated TRPGs), also known as strategy role-playing games and in Japan as (both abbreviated SRPGs), are a video game genre that combines core elements of role-playing video games with those of tactical ( turn-b ...
for the
Sony , commonly stylized as SONY, is a Japanese multinational conglomerate corporation headquartered in Minato, Tokyo, Japan. As a major technology company, it operates as one of the world's largest manufacturers of consumer and professional ...
PlayStation is a video gaming brand that consists of five home video game consoles, two handhelds, a media center, and a smartphone, as well as an online service and multiple magazines. The brand is produced by Sony Interactive Entertainment, a di ...
developed by G-Craft and published by
Square In Euclidean geometry, a square is a regular quadrilateral, which means that it has four equal sides and four equal angles (90-degree angles, π/2 radian angles, or right angles). It can also be defined as a rectangle with two equal-length a ...
, and was released in Japan on September 25, 1997. ''Front Mission 2'' is the second main entry and the third entry overall in the ''
Front Mission is a collection of video games and related media produced by Square, now Square Enix. The series was created by Toshiro Tsuchida and developed by G-Craft, a studio that was later absorbed by Square and existed within Square Enix as Product Dev ...
'' series. Like other ''Front Mission'' titles, ''Front Mission 2'' is part of a serialized storyline that follows the stories of various characters and their struggles involving
mech In science fiction, or mechs are giant robots or machines controlled by people, typically depicted as humanoid walking vehicles. The term was first used in Japanese after shortening the English loanword or , but the meaning in Japanese is ...
a known as ''wanzers''. The game was well received by critics and fans, and was part of Square Enix's " Ultimate Hits" collection in 2005. A remake for the
Nintendo Switch The is a hybrid video game console developed by Nintendo and released worldwide in most regions on March 3, 2017. The console itself is a tablet that can either be docked for use as a home console or used as a portable device, making it a ...
, titled ''Front Mission 2: Remake'', was announced in 2022 and is set to release on June 12, 2023.


Gameplay

''Front Mission 2'' uses
3D models In 3D computer graphics, 3D modeling is the process of developing a mathematical coordinate-based representation of any surface of an object (inanimate or living) in three dimensions via specialized software by manipulating edges, vertices, an ...
and a moving camera. ''Front Mission 2'' expands on the mechanics found in ''
Front Mission is a collection of video games and related media produced by Square, now Square Enix. The series was created by Toshiro Tsuchida and developed by G-Craft, a studio that was later absorbed by Square and existed within Square Enix as Product Dev ...
''. The video game progresses in a linear manner: watch cut-scene events, complete missions, set up their wanzers during intermissions, and sortie for the next mission. The player travels to locations on a point-and-click world map. As the player progresses through the plot, new locations are revealed on the world map. Towns and cities act as intermission points where the player can organize and set up their units for the upcoming mission. Battle zones are where the missions take place, though they become inaccessible upon the completion of a mission. A new element of progression in ''Front Mission 2'' involves alternating scenarios between the game's three main characters. After reaching a certain point of the game, control switches over to a different group of characters for the next few missions. Towards the climax, all three scenarios merge for the remainder of ''Front Mission 2''. ''Front Mission 2'' missions are traditional tactical RPG fare, ranging from destroying all enemy targets to protecting a certain allied target. There are a number of new main features that are used for mission play in ''Front Mission 2''. Action Points (AP) is a feature that dictates how much actions can be done with each unit. Actions such as moving and attacking require a certain amount of AP to use. At the end of a full turn, which is one Player Phase and Enemy Phase, a set amount of AP is replenished. A unit's AP amount and recharge value increases as their pilots gain proficiency levels through destroying enemy targets. The Action Points feature ties into a second feature known as Honor. Moving around while allied units are nearby can result in statistical advantages such as increased AP charge or accuracy. In contrast, being surrounded by enemy units will result in statistical disadvantages such as decreased evasion or AP charge. By destroying enemy targets, a unit's pilot can gain Honor Points. When enough Honor Points are accumulated, the aforementioned pilot will learn abilities that provide special benefits or detriments to nearby allied or enemy units; one of these abilities is Links. Links is a unique ability that allows multiple units to provide defensive support to each other during Enemy Phase battles. Up to two units can be linked together to form one "link". For linked actions, only melee weapons and short-range weapons can be used during a linked battle. As long as the linked units are within an eight-square radius of each other, they can participate in linked battles. Furthermore, the target of an enemy unit is protected entirely from their attack; the linked unit is hit by the attack instead during linked battles. Other new features for mission play include armor coating and flanking. Armor coating allows a unit to resist certain types of attacks, while flanking improves a unit's chances at hitting an enemy target. Missions aside, there are several returning features from ''Front Mission'' that are expanded upon ''Front Mission 2''. The Arena feature returns, which allows players to fight against the AI or against another player for monetary rewards. A new addition to the Arena is team matches, in which the player can field more than one wanzer to do battle with an opposing team. Briefings are also retained, and now operate differently. Instead of providing basic information on the enemy, briefings allow the player to review battle maps - enemy placements, allied units, and player starting positions can all be seen. Returning features aside, ''Front Mission 2'' introduces the Network - a pseudo-Internet feature that allows the player to better understand the world of ''Front Mission'' through various websites and web pages.


Story

The story takes place 12 years after '' Front Mission 1st''. Set in June 2102, the game's story of takes place in Alordesh (modern-day
Bangladesh Bangladesh (}, ), officially the People's Republic of Bangladesh, is a country in South Asia. It is the List of countries and dependencies by population, eighth-most populous country in the world, with a population exceeding 165 million pe ...
), a member state for the Oceania Cooperative Union (OCU). The formation of the OCU in the early 21st century led to rapid industrialization of developing countries such as Bangladesh. During the 1st Huffman Conflict in 2070, Bangladesh's economic growth flourishes with the OCU because of many war factories in the country. However, the economic boom begins to slow down in 2080, with a loss of foreign investments and pullout of several businesses. Five years later, the OCU offers to provide Bangladesh with foreign aid, provided it joins the union. The Bangladeshi economy resurges briefly during the 2nd Huffman Conflict. Anti-OCU sentiments grew after the war and in 2094, Bangladesh renames itself as the "People's Republic of Alordesh". Four years later, the Alordeshi military staged a
coup d'état A coup d'état (; French for 'stroke of state'), also known as a coup or overthrow, is a seizure and removal of a government and its powers. Typically, it is an illegal seizure of power by a political faction, politician, cult, rebel group, ...
. While the coup failed, it further increased anti-OCU support and led to a second coup in 2102.


Plot

The plot of ''Front Mission 2'' revolves around three individuals from the OCU - Corporal Ash Faruk, Captain Thomas Norland, and intelligence officer Lisa Stanley. On June 12, 2102, the Alordeshi Armed Forces overthrows the pro-OCU government and subsequently declares independence from the OCU. Through a well-orchestrated plan, Alordeshi troops overwhelm the local OCU garrisons at their military bases in the country. In the midst of the chaos, Ash Faruk and members of the Muddy Otters unit attempt to flee the country. Along the way, they come across some OCU survivors led by Thomas Norland of the Dull Stags unit. Thomas leads the survivors to the estate of Saribash Labra, the CEO of the transport business Burg Transportation. Saribash offers to help them escape by the seashore, the only part of Alordesh not controlled by the coup d'état forces. As the survivors head for the seashore, an OCU regiment lands in the country. Tasked with freeing
POWs A prisoner of war (POW) is a person who is held captive by a belligerent power during or immediately after an armed conflict. The earliest recorded usage of the phrase "prisoner of war" dates back to 1610. Belligerents hold prisoners of ...
, Stanley leads a small unit to investigate the movements of the coup d'état forces. Upon intercepting a transport helicopter, she learns of a detention center where OCU POWs are being held. Lisa succeeds in liberating the inmates and begins preparing for an operation to rescue Alordeshi government officials in
Dhaka Dhaka ( or ; bn, ঢাকা, Ḍhākā, ), formerly known as Dacca, is the capital and largest city of Bangladesh, as well as the world's largest Bengali-speaking city. It is the eighth largest and sixth most densely populated city ...
. A major battle breaks out in the city. The operation succeeds with some help from Thomas and his subordinates, who opted to stay in the country and fight the coup forces. Meanwhile, aboard the OCU aircraft carrier ''Monto'', Ash is confronted by an officer from the OCU's Central Intelligence Unit. He reluctantly agrees to return to the country when the officer, Pike Reischauer, reveals that some of his colleagues in the Muddy Otters are still alive. Upon returning to Alordesh, they are pursued by coup leader Ven Mackarge. A link between Ven's pursuit of them, the OCU's liberation attempts, and Burg Transportation's involvement in the war is eventually formed when it is revealed that the coup forces are receiving support from an unknown third party, and are in possession of a device codenamed "FENRIR".


Development

''Front Mission 2'' was developed by G-Craft, the company which had created and handled development of the original ''
Front Mission is a collection of video games and related media produced by Square, now Square Enix. The series was created by Toshiro Tsuchida and developed by G-Craft, a studio that was later absorbed by Square and existed within Square Enix as Product Dev ...
''. Series creator
Toshiro Tsuchida (born 1964) is a Japanese game director and game producer who currently works for Japanese Social Game company GREE. He formerly worked for Square Enix Co., Ltd. (formerly Square Co., Ltd.). He is most notably credited for creating the ''Front ...
acted as director. Production of ''Front Mission 2'' ran parallel with the spin-off title '' Front Mission Alternative''. During production, Tsuchida was approached by Square, who wanted to buy out and incorporate G-Craft into Square itself. This deal took place midway through development, with G-Craft being redubbed as Square's Development Division 6, making ''Front Mission 2'' the last title produced under the G-Craft name. While the previous game was produced for the
Super Famicom The Super Nintendo Entertainment System (SNES), commonly shortened to Super NES or Super Nintendo, is a 16-bit home video game console developed by Nintendo that was released in 1990 in Japan and South Korea, 1991 in North America, 1992 in ...
, publisher
Square In Euclidean geometry, a square is a regular quadrilateral, which means that it has four equal sides and four equal angles (90-degree angles, π/2 radian angles, or right angles). It can also be defined as a rectangle with two equal-length a ...
decided to shift production of all core titles from Nintendo's hardware to the in-production
PlayStation is a video gaming brand that consists of five home video game consoles, two handhelds, a media center, and a smartphone, as well as an online service and multiple magazines. The brand is produced by Sony Interactive Entertainment, a di ...
.


Music

''Front Mission 2'' was composed by
Noriko Matsueda is a Japanese former video game composer. She is best known for her work on the ''Front Mission'' series, '' The Bouncer'', and '' Final Fantasy X-2''. Matsueda collaborated with fellow composer Takahito Eguchi on several games. Composing music ...
, who also composed the original ''
Front Mission is a collection of video games and related media produced by Square, now Square Enix. The series was created by Toshiro Tsuchida and developed by G-Craft, a studio that was later absorbed by Square and existed within Square Enix as Product Dev ...
''. The ''Front Mission 2 Original Soundtrack'' was released by
DigiCube DigiCube Co., Ltd. (株式会社デジキューブ; ''Kabushiki-gaisha Dejikyūbu'') was a Japanese company established as a subsidiary of software developer Square on February 6, 1996 and headquartered in Tokyo, Japan. The primary purpose of Digi ...
on September 21, 1997 on a single 43-track disc.


Release

According to the series'
public relations Public relations (PR) is the practice of managing and disseminating information from an individual or an organization (such as a business, government agency, or a nonprofit organization) to the public in order to influence their perception. ...
manager Koichiro Sakamoto, the game was never released outside Japan due to the presence of situations and vocabulary which would be considered faux pas in North America. ''Front Mission 2'' was both a financial and critical success in Japan. The game sold 496,200 copies, making it the 18th best-selling game of 1997. It received a "Gold Prize" from Sony in May 1998, indicating sales above 500,000 units in Japan. The game was also later re-released alongside both ''
Front Mission is a collection of video games and related media produced by Square, now Square Enix. The series was created by Toshiro Tsuchida and developed by G-Craft, a studio that was later absorbed by Square and existed within Square Enix as Product Dev ...
'' and '' Front Mission 3'' as part of the ''Front Mission History'' compilation. This version included a Quick Battle option that allows players to progress through the game's story at a faster pace. It was released on PlayStation Network on December 24, 2008.


Reception

''
Famitsu formerly ''Famicom Tsūshin'', is a line of Japanese video game magazines published by Kadokawa Game Linkage (previously known as Gzbrain), a subsidiary of Kadokawa. ''Famitsu'' is published in both weekly and monthly formats as well as in the ...
'' magazine awarded the game 32 out of 40 upon its release. The magazine chose the game as the number 63rd best game on the original PlayStation. At the time of the re-release of ''Front Mission 2'' under the Ultimate Hits line on October 5, 2006, the game sold over 510,000 copies in Japan. ''Front Mission 2'' has been criticized for its long loading times. A workaround for this technical flaw was added in the Ultimate Hits version of the game, which enables the ability to skip battle sequences.


Notes


References


External links


''Front Mission 2''
at Square-Enix.com
''Front Mission'' official website
at Square-Enix.com {{Front Mission series 1997 video games Forever Entertainment games Front Mission Japan-exclusive video games Nintendo Switch games PlayStation (console) games PlayStation Network games Single-player video games Tactical role-playing video games Video games developed in Japan Video games scored by Noriko Matsueda Video games set in Bangladesh