A sequel to the best selling Super
Famicom game in Japan, Front Mission, Front Mission 2 is a Battletech-like
robot simulation unlike anything you've played before. You play the role
of Ash Faruk, the young Wandrung Wanzer (Panzer) pilot. Equipped with state
of the art weaponry, you must pilot your 18-foot, 25-ton Wanzer (Panzers)
across many battlefields across the world and destroy a horde of enemy
Wanzers (Panzers), tanks, missile launchers, and helicopters.
THE STORY
Front Mission 2 takes place
in 2102, 12 years after the original Front Mission. The story is set in
Alordesh (formerly Bangladesh), where a rebel army is fighting the OCU.
For
over a hundred years now, Southeast Asia has been suffering political turmoil.
In an attempt to solve this problem, Asian countries establish the Oceana
Co-operative Union, a unified nation set to calm down the heated disputes
between countries.
In the year
2094 AD, The People’s Republic of Bangledesh decides to affiliate itself
withthe OCU, and renames its country the People’s Republic of Aroldesh.
It’s now 2102
and the people of Aroldesh are poverty-stricken. In response to this horridrid dilemma,
the Aroldesh Army revolts. Now known as the Revolutionary Army, they
attempt to recapture their independence from the OCU. Ash
Faruk, an OCU soldier, and his small band of companions, encounters the
overwhelmingly powerful Revolutionary Army deep within the borders of Aroldesh.
Narrowly escaping through the Aroldesh Underground, Faruk survives to fight
the rebel army again.
FM2 Timeline
2005 A.D. The unfication of ED. Asia's opportunity
to unify is high.
2020 A.D. USN (New Continent Federal State)
is born. North and South America becomes one nation.
2026 A.D. Asian countries establish the OCU
(Oceana Co-operative Union), aiming at economic independence.
2070 A.D. Halfman Dispute I
2090 A.D. Halfman Dispute II
2094 A.D. People's Republic of Bangladesh
is formally affiliated with OCU. The country changes its name
to "People's Republic of Aroldesh."
2102 A.D. The People's Republic of Aroldesh
is poverty-stricken. Lamenting the fatherland's sad plight, the army's
soldiers have revolted. They declare their independence from OCU, taking
on the name "The Revolutionary Army." An OCU soldier, Ash Faruk,
and his companions encounter the Revolutionary Army's attack, and
escape fighting a fierce battle, but the Revolutionary Army completely
brings the interior of the country under its control. The heroes slip
into the chaotic Aroldesh Underground, and plan on escaping the Republic.
However, they soon find out the existence of a giant conspiracy on the other
side of the coup d'etat.
THE GAME
In Front Mission 2 you have complete
control over the weapons, parts, items, and skills of your individual Wanzers
and Pilots. Using the money earned by successfully completing missions,
gaining bonuses, destroying enemy units, and keeping your own losses low
you can customize your Wanzers with a wide variety of body parts and weapons,
each with different hit points, attack and defense strengths, and weight.
You can build fast-moving units with short-range machine guns, close-combat
units that rely on their armor and fists, or long-range stand-off missile
units which can blast the enemy from a safe distance. Add battle computers,
flash grenades, chaff missiles, and repair kits and you get an idea of
the complexity of the game. In addition, your pilots gain special attack
skills as they increase in level.
Like Front Mission, and Final Fnatasy
Tactics, Front Mission 2 is played on a large-scale strategic map for choosing
the next destination, a smaller scale tactical map for moving units, and
a close-up view battlefield for the one-on-one duels between robots. Although
you are always outnumbered, the AI of your computer opponent is rather
limited and you can usually out-maneuver the computer with careful planning.
This is one of the strongest points of the game: you must choose the correct
balance of robot types and use them effectively to win.
Front Mission 2 is a "must play"
for diehard simulation fans who want a complex, challenging war game. Building
your own unique robot force is a lot of fun and the incredible variety
of weapons, parts and items, and pilot skills make each game different.
Get to an import game shop and look for a copy of Front Mission 2, or otherwise
start a letter campaign to Square Soft and demand that they translate this
game. It'll be worth the wait.
FRONT MISSION 2: A HECK OF ALOT MORE COMPLEX!
When you first look at the differences
between Front Mission and Front Mission 2, there don't seem to be many.
After you have played Front Mission 2 for awhile you will see! There are
7 skills you can obtain in Front Mission while there are over 65 in Front
Mission 2! The movement, usage of items, and usage of weapons are now circumspect
to the amount of A/P (action points) you have. Items you carry onboard
(like repairs, chaff, ect) now have a weight and you must be sure to have
enough room on your Wanzer for them. Missles are less useful than they
were in Front Mission. The enemy units are usually alot tougher, the fighters
are the toughest to beat, the NPCs are more useful, and there are many
different types of Wanzers and other vehicles.
PANZERS, VANZERS, OR WANZERS....WHICH ONE?!
In Front Mission the mechs are called
Panzers and Vanzers. In Front Mission 2 they are mainly called Wanzers.
For the sake of clarity, I will refer to them as Wanzers.
