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Front Mission is the first entry in the Front Mission series of tactical role-playing games. It was originally developed by G-Craft, but the DS port was developed by TOSE with G-Craft becoming a part of Square Enix. A remake called Front Mission 1st was released in Fall 2022 by Forever Entertainment.
Gameplay[]
Game progression in Front Mission proceeds in a linear manner: watch cut-scene events, complete missions, set up 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.
Development[]
Plot[]
The plot of Front Mission revolves around OCU captain Lloyd Clive. An OCU reconnaissance platoon led by Lloyd is assigned to investigate a USN munitions plant in the Larcus District, located on eastern Huffman Island. Upon reaching the premises, the platoon is ambushed by USN wanzers led by an officer named Driscoll. He quickly ambushes Karen Meure, Lloyd's fiancée, and destroys her wanzer. As the two forces engage in battle, Driscoll detonates explosives inside the plant and escapes. The USN accuses the OCU of the attack, later known as the Larcus Incident, but the OCU insists that the incident was a set-up. Both sides soon declare war, setting off the 2nd Huffman Conflict. The OCU pins the blame of the incident on Lloyd's platoon, discharging them from the military indefinitely. One year later, OCU colonel Guri B. Olson seeks him out at a wanzer fighting arena in the town of Barinden. Dangling the prospect of killing the person responsible for Karen's death, he manages to recruit Clive to the Canyon Crows mercenary outfit. With the Canyon Crows, Lloyd is assigned to help the OCU military reverse its fortunes and win the war.
In the Nintendo DS version and the PlayStation remake Front Mission First, the player can also play a second scenario revolving around USN officer Kevin Greenfield. Months before the Larcus Incident, Kevin and his teammates in the Black Hounds special forces unit are participating in an operation against a terrorist organization known as "The Star of Freedom". Upon finding out the location of their headquarters in the Andes Mountains, the Black Hounds execute an operation to eliminate the group. A grave mistake on Kevin's part gets him fired from the unit and arrested by USN MPs. In a last-ditch effort to remain in service, Greenfield accepts a post to the USN special weapons research division known as the "Nirvana Institute". He is then deployed to the Nirvana branch on Huffman Island, which is led by Driscoll. After a few operations with the division, the 2nd Huffman Conflict breaks out and Kevin is recalled to active duty. As the new leader of the Silver Lynx strike force, he aids the USN offensive to defeat the OCU and help end the war quickly.
Understanding Front Mission in its entirety requires playing through both the OCU and USN campaigns. They each have their own unique events and mysteries, the latter of which is fully explained only by playing the other scenario. The two scenarios also have a plot connection when a link between the Larcus Incident and the Nirvana Institute is established.
Reception[]
External links[]
- Front Mission at Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
- Front Mission at GameFAQs
| Front Mission series | |
|---|---|
| Main series | Front Mission • Gun Hazard • Front Mission 2 • Front Mission 3 • Front Mission 2089 |
| Related | Square Enix • Toshiro Tsuchida |
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