Since its origins at SquareSoft (long before the company would become Square Enix), the Front Mission series has occupied a unique corner of the strategy RPG landscape. Few franchises have blended methodical tactical combat, intricate mecha customisation, and politically charged science fiction quite so deftly. Across decades and platforms, Front Mission has been unafraid to evolve, experiment, and occasionally stumble, all while building a dense, interconnected world shaped by war, ideology, and human cost.
What follows is a look back at the full history of the Front Mission franchise, from its tactical roots to its more divisive later years.
Front Mission (1995)
The original Front Mission arrived on the Super Nintendo and immediately set itself apart. Set in a near-future Earth fractured by geopolitical tension, the game depicts proxy wars between global powers fought not with infantry, but with towering mechanised units known as Wanzers.
Players take on the role of Royd Clive, a disgraced soldier leading a rogue Wanzer unit while uncovering a conspiracy tied closely to his personal life. From the outset, Front Mission established the pillars that would define the series: deliberate turn-based combat, deep Wanzer customisation, and story-driven cutscenes that treated war as something messy, personal, and deeply political.
Front Mission: Gun Hazard (1996)
Rather than playing it safe, Front Mission: Gun Hazard swerved sharply away from turn-based tactics. In its place came side-scrolling action, faster pacing, and a heavier emphasis on moment-to-moment combat—while still preserving the franchise’s love of mechanical tinkering and mature storytelling.
Set in an alternate universe separate from the mainline continuity, Gun Hazard stands as one of the series’ most unusual entries. Though it never saw release outside Japan, it has earned lasting admiration, not least for its standout soundtrack, composed by Yasunori Mitsuda alongside Nobuo Uematsu.
Front Mission 2 (1997)
Front Mission 2 pushed the series forward both technically and narratively. Set years after the original, it introduced polygonal environments and Wanzers, along with a new Action Point system that added greater tactical flexibility by allowing players to bank actions across turns.
The story focuses on the fictional nation of Alordesh, caught in the grip of a violent revolution. With expanded cutscenes and more elaborate battle animations, Front Mission 2 leaned further into cinematic storytelling, reinforcing the sense that large-scale political movements and individual lives are inextricably linked.
Front Mission Alternative (1997)
Released as a spin-off, Front Mission Alternative once again reinvented the formula. This time, the series ventured into real-time strategy, placing players in the role of battlefield commanders rather than individual pilots.
Set in 2034, Alternative serves as a prequel, exploring the early development of walking tank technology that would eventually become the Wanzers central to the series. Though experimental, it broadened the franchise’s timeline and underscored its fascination with the evolution of military technology.
Front Mission 3 (1999)
For many fans, Front Mission 3 represents the franchise at its most confident. The game refined the series’ tactical systems while introducing a bold narrative structure built around a branching campaign. An early player choice splits the story in two, encouraging multiple playthroughs and alternative perspectives.
The narrative follows test pilot Kazuki Takemura, who is drawn into a global conspiracy surrounding the MIDAS weapons system. Spanning locations across Asia, the story balances personal stakes with international intrigue, cementing Front Mission 3 as one of the series’ most ambitious entries.
Front Mission 4 (2003)
With Front Mission 4, the series expanded its scope once again. Set in 2096, the game presents two parallel campaigns, each following a different protagonist on opposite sides of the globe.
Players can experience the conflict through Elsa Eliane, a former French Army master sergeant operating in Europe, or Darryl Traubel, a disgraced soldier navigating the political underbelly of South America. Their stories eventually converge, revealing a broader narrative of corruption, power struggles, and hidden alliances. Mechanically, the introduction of the Link System encouraged coordinated attacks and reinforced the importance of unit synergy.
Front Mission: Online (2005)
Front Mission: Online marked one of the franchise’s boldest departures. Reimagined as an online-focused action experience, it placed players into massive faction-based conflicts on Huffman Island, emphasizing scale and persistence over tightly scripted storytelling.
While it differed sharply from the series’ traditional structure, Online expanded the Front Mission universe by showing warfare as an ongoing, systemic struggle rather than a single contained campaign.
Front Mission 2089 (2005)
A return to form in many respects, Front Mission 2089 brought the series back to its isometric, turn-based roots. Centered on a mercenary Wanzer unit operating on Huffman Island, the game delivered a focused narrative steeped in the franchise’s familiar themes of loyalty, survival, and shifting allegiances.
As a canonical entry, it also enriched the broader timeline, adding further texture to one of the series’ most important settings.
Front Mission 5: Scars of the War (2005)
Often regarded as the narrative culmination of the series, Front Mission 5: Scars of the War weaves together story threads that stretch back to the franchise’s earliest entries. Rather than focusing on a single hero, the game follows multiple characters across different eras, examining how war leaves marks that persist long after the fighting ends.
True to its title, Scars of the War is as much about aftermath as action, offering a sweeping meditation on conflict and consequence.
Front Mission Evolved (2010)
With Front Mission Evolved, the series once again reinvented itself—this time as a third-person action game. The shift away from turn-based tactics toward direct Wanzer control marked a dramatic change in tone and pacing.
The result stands as one of the franchise’s most divisive entries, emblematic of a period where Front Mission was actively searching for a new identity.
Left Alive (2019)
Though it dropped the Front Mission name entirely, Left Alive occupies a canonical place within the same universe. Set in a war-torn city, the game blends third-person shooting and stealth while focusing on ordinary people struggling to survive extraordinary circumstances.
While mechanically far removed from the series’ origins, Left Alive maintains Front Mission’s long-standing interest in portraying war from a human, ground-level perspective.
Across its many incarnations, Front Mission has remained united by a fascination with warfare as more than spectacle. Whether through careful tactical planning or genre experimentation, the series consistently explores how politics, technology, and human ambition collide—and who is left to carry the scars when the dust settles.
That thematic consistency, even amid mechanical change, is what continues to define Front Mission’s enduring legacy.
The post War, Weapons & Wanzers: The History Of Front Mission appeared first on Green Man Gaming Blog.
