Front Mission 2089 Detailed

via IGN


Square Enix has at last opened the floodgates on the second the second DS entry in the Front Mission strategy series. The latest issue of Famitsu has a full report on Front Mission 2089: Border of Madness, which is currently 78% complete.

This newest Front Mission game has its origins as a cell phone game. According to Koichiro Sakamoto, producer of 2089, the game was successful as a mobile title, but Square Enix learned through a survey that fans of the Front Mission series don't really play cell phone games that much, so they decided to bring the title over to the DS.

Square Enix has made some major changes to the title for the new platform. The game has received a complete visual overhaul. The story has also been reworked into something that players can enjoy as a complete storyline. Even the game's cast has seen some changes. Events are presented using full screen artwork, something that the mobile version lacked.

Gameplay has been updated for the DS as well. You can now use the stylus to set up and command your troops. Although, you won't have to if you don't want to. The game will allow players to select button or stylus controls according to their preference. Yes, the mixed controls of Front Mission 1st are gone.

Unfortunately, Square Enix has had to skip out on one feature from Front Mission 1st: multiplayer. Sakamoto cited space problems as the reason for the missing feature.

Making up for the lack of multiplayer, the game's single player mode will have plenty of volume, with so many branching paths that you'll have to play multiple times to experience everything.

Front Mission 2089 is still without a final release date, but given the quick turn-around with DS games, we don't expect to have to wait too long.