Front Mission is a media franchise created by Toshiro Tsuchida and owned by Square Enix. Although the main focus of the franchise is on the Tactical Role Playing Games that make up the main series, a large number of manga and novels were created to tie into the games and help expand the Front Mission universe. The series has also ventured into other genres besides tactical role-playing, such as side-scrolling shooter, real-time strategy, third-person shooter, and massively multiplayer online shooter.
The main draw 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. Although the games use self-contained, standalone stories, these tie into a greater overarching storyline that encompasses the entire franchise, giving the series a level of storytelling depth and continuity comparable to a serial drama. Another major draw of the series is its use of giant mecha called "wanzers" (from the German word wanderpanzer) in battle that can be customized by the player in a variety of ways.
Main entries[]
In order of release:
- Front Mission First - 1995
- Front Mission 2 - 1997
- Front Mission 3 - 1999
- Front Mission 4 - 2003
- Front Mission 2089 - 2005
- Front Mission 5: Scars of the War - 2005
- Front Mission 2089-II - 2006
Spin-offs[]
In order of release:
- Front Mission Series: Gun Hazard - 1996
- Front Mission Alternative -1997
- Front Mission Online - 2005
- Front Mission Evolved - 2010
- Left Alive - 2019
Manga and Novels[]
Manga:
- Front Mission Zero - 1994
- Front Mission (manga) - 1995
- Front Mission Series: Gun Hazard (manga) - 1996
- Front Mission 2: Wanzers of the Elite - 1998
- Front Mission ~The Drive~ - 2007
- Front Mission: Dog Life & Dog Style - 2007
Novels:
- Front Mission: Front Line Report - 1995
- Gun Hazard: A Mercenary's Iron Legs - 1996
- Front Mission 4 ~Elsa~ - 2004
- Front Mission World Historica - 2007