Mech fanciers ahoy, here's a Steam demo for the Front Mission 2 remake
Wanzer? I hardly knew 'er
Friends! Jaegers! Evas! Lend me your radar dishes or cybernetic ear trumpets. Developers Storm Trident and publishers Forever Entertainment have popped up a Steam demo for their Front Mission 2 remake. Tucked within its coils there are two whole levels, Rimian Base and Batari Forest, together with a Garage where you can customise your Wanzer and access to the in-game Network menu.
"Who are you calling a Wanzer?" you bellow. Calm down and stop waving that chair. A wanzer is a mech, in short. And Front Mission, by the way, is a 90s tactical RPG series from G-Craft and Square, both of which have since been assimilated into the terrifying robot octopus that is present-day Square Enix. Much as with Final Fantasy Tactics games, Front Mission games are stagey political thrillers about countries and corporations and other factions waging perpetual war upon each other, with players thrust into the mix as mech squad leaders.
Front Mission 2 specifically alternates between the perspectives of three characters, Ash, Lisa, and Thomas, who are navigating a violent coup and attendant underground conspiracy. It strives to create "a worldview that goes beyond a simple dichotomy between good and evil". Ack, one of these days I'd love to play an RPG that boldly declares its intention to strip out all moral nuance and tell a crude and simplistic tale of Goodies and Baddies.
The remake is already available on Nintrendy Switcheroo, where it has attracted moderately positive reviews. Its tune-ups over the original include faster loading, a free camera option that lets you inspect your Wanzers - I swear, it's not a pun - up close during combat, new colouring and camouflage options for the Garage, "modern in-game effects" of various kinds, and a remastered soundtrack.
I have dim memories of playing the first Front Mission on PS1 (wee update: Front Mission 3, actually - thanks Aerothorn). I never stuck with it, but I remember enjoying the grittiness of the mech designs and the sombre intricacy of the world-building. I'm going to give the demo a shot over the weekend. The full game is out on Steam on 30th April 2024 and your demo save data will carry over.