Front Mission

This article is about the video game series. For the first game in the series, see Front Mission (video game).
Front Mission
The text "Front Mission"
Series logo
Genre(s)Tactical role-playing game, Third-person shooter, Side-scrolling shooter, Real-time strategy, Massively multiplayer online game
Developer(s)G-Craft, Square, Square Enix, Omiya Soft, Winds, h.a.n.d., Double Helix Games, Ilinx, Forever Entertainment
Publisher(s)Square, Square Enix, Forever Entertainment
Creator(s)Toshiro Tsuchida
Platform(s)Super Famicom, PlayStation, WonderSwan Color, PlayStation 2, PC, Nintendo DS, PlayStation 3, Xbox 360, PlayStation 4, Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 5, Windows, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S
Original release1995
First releaseFront Mission
February 24, 1995
Latest releaseFront Mission 2: Remake
October 5, 2023

Front Mission (フロントミッション, Furonto Misshon) is a collection of video games and related media produced by Square, now Square Enix.[1] 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 Development Division-6. Since the release of the original Front Mission in 1995, the series has gone on to encompass several media, including film, manga, novels, radio dramas, mobile phone applications, and toys. While the series is primarily rooted in the turn-based tactical role-playing genre, it has also ventured into other genres such as side-scrolling shooter, real-time strategy (RTS), massive multiplayer online (MMO), and third-person shooter through its spin-offs. The Front Mission video games achieved moderate success, selling over 3 million units worldwide up until January 2006.[2]

The main selling point of Front Mission is its storytelling approach. Taking place during the 21st and 22nd centuries, the series revolves around military conflicts and political tension between powerful supranational unions and their member states.[3] Although the Front Mission video games use self-contained, standalone stories, these tie into a greater overarching storyline that encompasses the entire series. In combination with the stories from its other media, the series possesses a level of storytelling depth and continuity comparable to a serial drama.[4] Another major draw of Front Mission is its use of giant mecha called "wanzers" (from the fictional German word Wanderpanzer, or walking tanks) in battle.

  1. ^ Pineda, Angelo; Thompson, Kyle; Tam, Wilson. "Hardcore Gaming 101: Front Mission". Gamespy. Archived from the original on 2009-04-12. Retrieved 2010-12-07.
  2. ^ Winkler, Chris (2006-01-12). "Front Mission Series Reaches 3 Million Plateau". RPGFan. Archived from the original on 2015-09-23. Retrieved 2010-12-08.
  3. ^ Dengeki PlayStation Editorial, LogicGate, ed. (March 2007). Front Mission World Historica – Report of Conflicts 1970–2121 (in Japanese). MediaWorks. ISBN 978-4-8402-3663-8.
  4. ^ Dengeki, ed. (February 2004). "100 Year History of Front Mission". Dengeki GAMES (in Japanese). No. February 2004 Special Edition. MediaWorks.