History YMMV / FrontMission

* ContinuityLockOut: Every canon video game entry are continuations of unresolved stories from the previous one chronologically. This is because the franchise tells its story like a TV serial: the standalone stories (for newcomers) often interconnect with other ones and tie back to a larger overarching storyline (for fans). ''Front Mission 2089'' leads into ''2089-II'', ''2089-II'' leads into ''1st'', ''1st'' leads into ''4'' and ''2'', ''2'' leads into ''3'', and so on for an 80-20 split between the standalone and on-going stories. Most evident in ''5'', which is a 50-50 split, but really requires having played ''all'' of the previous titles to truly understand. Also very evident in the [[LoadsAndLoadsOfCharacters 70+ characters]] that show up in at least two or more of the games, some showing up as many as ''five'' times [[spoiler:(Royd Clive from ''1st'', Morgan Bernard and Glen Duval from ''5'', etc.).]] Oh, and add in the other ''Front Mission'' media which only adds to this, and it becomes quite obvious that this is one of those things you REALLY have to get into, or don't even bother trying! This does not apply to ''Gun Hazard'' (which takes place in a completely different universe) and ''Evolved'' (which is a reboot story-wise).

* AntiClimaxBoss:
** [[spoiler: SCION]] in ''Evolved'' starts as one of these. Then it goes OneWingedAngel. It still manages to be less dangerous than it looks.
* BrokenBase: The release of ''Evolved'' divided the fanbase into two camps. On one hand, some people claim it to be an enjoyable action title, even if it isn't on the same level as its predecessors. On the other, some call it a disgrace to the franchise and that another strategy title should have been made instead. Over in Japan, the reception is simple and universal - while fans have no problems with another genre spin-off (as they have access to ''Gun Hazard'', ''Alternative'', and ''Online'' unlike the rest of the world), they point out its numerous design flaws and don't see it as a successor to ''Gun Hazard'', let alone the brilliant ''Online''.
* ClicheStorm: ''Evolved'' rather ironically degenerates into this.

* FranchiseKiller: ''Front Mission Evolved'' was poorly received for its radical, but ''unnecessary'', transitioning from the series' traditional Turn-Based Strategy roots to the Third-Person Shooter genre. It made the series a FranchiseZombie with ''VideoGame/LeftAlive'' being the latest entry in the Front Mission series, taking place between 5 and Evolved.

* ItsEasySoItSucks: Another complaint about ''Evolved'' is how easy it seems sometimes, with player wanzers being able to regenerate damage in any difficulty, power-ups that heal damage, replenish ammo, or restore energy respawning everywhere, and complaints of non-existent AI, except for the bosses.

* ScrappyWeapon: The Raptor MG, which has appeared in two games, stands out as being a fairly poor beginner-tier weapon that suffers from bad accuracy and low damage output.
* TheyChangedItNowItSucks: ''Evolved'' gets this a lot. Most people who dislike ''Evolved'' cite the genre shift as a reason, saying that Front Mission is supposed to be about turn-based strategy. Though this only applies to everyone outside of Japan, considering ''Evolved'' is not the first spin-off (''Gun Hazard'', ''Alternative'', ''Online'') and is definitely not the first TPS spin-off (''Online''). And none of the spin-offs were released overseas. For Japanese fans, it comes down to one reason - it throws out almost everything that makes Front Mission "Front Mission". Sure, the customization is there and it's fun to blow things up in a wanzer. Unfortunately, that's about it. As for why it's not like really "Front Mission"...
** In the story campaign, there's no multiplayer co-op (''Gun Hazard'' has 2 player co-op), there are power-ups found everywhere or dropped by enemies (''Gun Hazard'' does this more realistically, like ammo crates in a supply depot and never dropped by enemies), ally units are invincible (in ''Gun Hazard'' their Wanzer's could be destroyed, forcing you to buy new ones for them), and there's no real depth to the combat (''Gun Hazard's'' combat allows for a wide variety of moves and fighting styles). Online multiplayer is heavily unbalanced in many ways, like in the progression system - experienced players have access to top-tier parts that flat-out overpower gear that newbies start with. Throw in how overpowered some weapons are, like Bazookas, and ''Evolved'' is a far cry from the well-balanced ''Online''.
** As far as the story of ''Evolved'' goes, it's a complete disgrace. Aside from outsourcing the game development, art design, and music, Square Enix also "outsourced" the storytelling to Motomu Toriyama. Yes, [[TheScrappy Motomu]] [[VideoGame/FinalFantasyXIII Toriyama]]. Instead of an intricate, mature tale about mankind versus itself, ''Evolved'' ironically degenerated into a ClicheStorm as it rehashed every major mecha cliche in existence. As Front Mission was penned by a team of some of Japan's best writers (most being scriptwriters or novelists), it's tragic to see a product with those words churn out something incredibly bad.

** The FinalBoss of each route in the first game:
*** The O.C.U. scenario has [[spoiler: Driscoll - in his wanzer Mir Orlen]]. He has no ranged attacks, and is immobile. His second form is [[spoiler: exactly the same as the other two times you beat his ass]], while you're controlling a unit of virtual demigods at this point. It wasn´t so bad in the original [=SNES=] version, in which he can attack up to a range of 4 squares and up to [[ExtraTurn 3 times in a turn]].
*** In the U.C.S. scenario, the central antagonist is a NonActionGuy, so you have to fight [[spoiler:[[TheDragon Gail]] and two EliteMooks in "Type 11DS Ravens" wanzers.]] This is more challenging than the OCU route, but it's still easy due to only having three enemies (against you party of 6+) who lack long-range attacks.

* CompleteMonster: [[TheDreaded Driscoll]], real name Mikhail Ilyich Rezanov, from the first game, is a USN captain, who in reality is working for the Republic of Zaftra, in the hopes of making it the most powerful government on Earth. Forcing Koichi Sakata, the President of Sakata Industries, to work for him under threats of death, Driscoll has the company develop and produce the most powerful [[AMechByAnyOtherName wanzers]] called "B-Type" and "S-Type Devices" by kidnapping the most experienced soldiers from both USN and OCU armies and [[HumanResources removing their brains to use as computers]]. When an OCU reconnaissance unit, led by [[PlayerCharacter Royd Clive]], was sent to investigate a USN munitions factory in the Larcus District, which in reality was a B-Device research facility, Driscoll destroyed it, to hide any trace of inhumane experiments, which started a bloody war between USN and OCU. Capturing Royd Clive's fiancée Karen during this incident, Driscoll removed her brain and used it for his own Mecha "Raven", taunting Royd about this when they fought several years later.

* GeniusBonus: Remember Paul in ''1st''? The hippie, with the mech named "Rainbow"? Yes, you snorted and laughed at a weapon of war being named after pretty colors. Because you're not too familiar with Literature/TheBible. When the Flood is over, God sets his bow in the sky as a promise never to point it at humankind again. That's right. The rainbow is God's own personal planet-killing WaveMotionGun.

* MoralEventHorizon: Driscoll crosses this when he reveals [[spoiler:what he did to Karen]] in ''1st''.

* AnnoyingVideoGameHelper:
** Can be invoked in ''5'' with its line of sight system. If you're standing directly between an enemy and an aggressive ally, get ready for some serious pain.

* SugarWiki/AwesomeMusic: In contrast to ''4'', which had a forgettable soundtrack, ''5'' has much improved music. Standouts include: the main theme, "Scars of the War"; the Strike Wyverns theme; and "Deliverance", the battle BGM for the final mission.

* AnnoyingVideoGameHelper: Sort of. You'll be saying "Stop Helping Me!" to Luven al-Hadi if you spend too much time around him in ''Gun Hazard''. It's also an actual command to order your computer-controlled partner to retreat.
** Thing is, he got to stay around you for a while because you'll be needing him for a certain mission, so he needs the EXP! [[SarcasmMode Good Luck!]]

* EnsembleDarkhorse: Darril Traubel from ''4''. Besides his game proper, he shows up as a playable character in ''1st'' and ''5'' (and is recruitable later in ''5''), and is one of the best pilots in ''5''; strategy guides rate Darril as being more useful than a counterpart S-Type device pilot. May have something to do with the fact that he's not as goody-two-shoes as other protagonists in the series.

* MemeticMutation: YTMND latching on to the "Secret Nazi Forest" made of [[NoSwastikas paths on the Cenktrich map]] in ''Gun Hazard''.

** As far as the story of ''Evolved'' goes, it's a complete disgrace. Aside from outsourcing the game development, art design, and music, Square Enix also "outsourced" the storytelling to Motomu Toriyama. Yes, [[TheScrappy Motomu]] [[VideoGame/FinalFantasyXIII Toriyama]]. Instead of an intricate, mature tale about mankind versus itself, ''Evolved'' ironically degenerated into a ClicheStorm as it rehashed every major mecha cliche in existence. As Front Mission was penned by a team of some of Japan's best writers (most being scriptwriters or novelists), it's tragic to see a product with those words churn out something incredibly bad.
* ViewerGenderConfusion: Emil in ''Gun Hazard'' is a good example of this: People who have played the game for the first time will most likely assume that character is a girl on their first meeting... then they read a bit into the detailed canon and find out that ''Emil is actually a boy''.

** Jose Estrada in ''3''. Introduced as a climax boss during the Taal Base missions where he pilots a Jinyo Mk.110, a grunt unit. If you fight him in the Taal Base runway missions, he starts right next to you...and you take him out on the first turn.

** Overlapping with Gundamjack and FailsafeFailure, in '3'' if the player can successfully force an enemy to eject (or just gets really lucky), the player can have a pilot hop out of their wanzer and into the enemy's vehicle. The computer player doesn't know how to get into any vehicle that a player has ever piloted, resulting in them being reduced to shooting your death machines with their pistols. The player doesn't even need to stay in the new vehicle; he can switch back to his wanzer if he prefers and there's nothing the computer can do about it. If that wasn't enough, you get to keep wanzers you "capture" this way.
*** Actually, it is possible for the computer to steal your wanzer when doing this. It's just so infrequent and rare you have to be very, very unlucky to have it happen.
** The Smash abilities in ''3'' in general. You can activate them with melee, sniper, or missile shots. They '''WILL''' hit the enemy regardless of accuracy. A body smash is a straight up instant kill. An arm smash will ''ALWAYS'' destroy the left arm first (and the game never equips weapons on the right arm, only shields), which means you screw over your opponent from doing any significant damage to you afterward, since all they can do is punch you with a Hard Blow.
** Stacking [=ROFUP1=] in 3. Very few enemies in the game can withstand it if it decided to chain.

* HilariousInHindsight: Or HarsherInHindsight depending on your political stance. In ''Front Mission 3'', the Japanese Defense Forces can participate in conflicts alongside its fellow OCU members while maintaining a defense doctrine. [[http://www.theguardian.com/world/2014/jul/01/japan-pacifists-military-intervention-shinzo-abe?CMP=twt_gu Guess what they're planning to do with the real-life Japanese Self-Defense Forces]].

* FranchiseKiller: Front Mission Evolved was poorly received for its radical, but ''unnecessary'', transition from the series' traditional Turn-Based Strategy roots to the Third-Person Shooter genre. As a result of this and no future plans by Square-Enix to develop a new Front Mission title, it is the last game that ended the series on a low note.
** Evolved is more a FranchiseZombie as the original Front mission team already finished what they wanted to do with the games before hand.
** Subverted later, in 2015 (after a 5 year hiatus), as Square Enix [[http://www.siliconera.com/2015/06/08/square-enix-japan-developing-new-front-mission-game/ announced a new game of the series]], this time developed in-house and not outsourced.
** Confirmed, as that game, VideoGame/LeftAlive was confirmed to be an entry in the Front Mission series, taking place between 5 and Evolved.

* WhosLaughingNow: It seems like the folks at Creator/SquareEnix are psychic, because in Front Mission 3, the Japanese Defense Forces can participate in conflicts alongside its fellow OCU members while maintaining a defense doctrine. [[http://www.theguardian.com/world/2014/jul/01/japan-pacifists-military-intervention-shinzo-abe?CMP=twt_gu Guess what they're planning to do with the real-life Japanese Self-Defense Forces]].

* TheScrappy: Molly O'Donnell in ''1st''. Molly rarely does anything in the OCU scenario and when she does, her actions don't really benefit anyone. Rather, the rest of the Canyon Crows get pissed off at her [[spoiler: for trying to lure them into a USN ambush shortly after she's recruited]].

* MostAnnoyingSound: The limited and frequently repeated taunts spouted by ''Evolved's'' boss enemies get old ''fast.'' And many boss enemies will repeat a line ''every time'' they use a particular attack.

* CompleteMonster: Driscoll of the first game is a ruthless commander who makes an enemy of [[TheHero Royd Clive]] by seemingly killing his fiancee in front of him and setting off a massive explosion to frame him for it. When he reappears later, Driscoll attempts to destroy civilian areas to recreate this disaster and reveals he is behind a scheme to make the current battle mechs, The Wanzers, obsolete- by forcing [=POWs=] to be forcibly mechanized and trapping their brains as digital computers for warfare. He has already done this to the hero's fiancee Karen with his own mech as well.

** Subverted again (maybe?) as that game was announced at TGS as "Left Alive", which (according to a few sources) is a spiritual successor to the series (though, they could announce it as a Front Mission game later).

** Stacking {{ROFUP1}} in 3. Very few enemies in the game can withstand it if it decided to chain.

** I thought it was a reference to Gravity's Rainbow, the parabola a rocket makes just before it blows your torso out, from Pynchon.

** In the story campaign, there's no multiplayer co-op (''Gun Hazard'' does), there are power-ups found everywhere or dropped by enemies(''Gun Hazard'' does this more realistically, like ammo crates in a supply depot and never dropped by enemies), ally units can't be killed (''Gun Hazard'' does), and there's no real depth to the combat (''Gun Hazard'' does). Online multiplayer is heavily unbalanced in many ways, like in the progression system - experienced players have access to top-tier parts that flat-out overpower gear that newbies start with. Throw in how overpowered some weapons are, like Bazookas, and ''Evolved'' is a far cry from the well-balanced ''Online''.

* AntiClimaxBoss: The FinalBoss of each route in the first game:
** The O.C.U. scenario has [[spoiler: Driscoll - in his wanzer Mir Orlen]]. He has no ranged attacks, and is immobile. His second form is [[spoiler: exactly the same as the other two times you beat his ass]], while you're controlling a unit of virtual demigods at this point. It wasn´t so bad in the original [=SNES=] version, in which he can attack up to a range of 4 squares and up to [[ExtraTurn 3 times in a turn]].
** In the U.C.S. scenario, the central antagonist is a NonActionGuy, so you have to fight [[spoiler:[[TheDragon Gail]] and two EliteMooks in "Type 11DS Ravens" wanzers.]] This is more challenging than the OCU route, but it's still easy due to only having three enemies (against you party of 6+) who lack long-range attacks.

* AntiClimaxBoss: [[spoiler: Driscoll]] at the very end of ''1st''. His Mir Orlen has no ranged attacks, and is immobile. His second stage is [[spoiler: exactly the same as the other two times you beat his ass]], while you're controlling a unit of virtual demigods at this point. In the original ''Front Mission'' version, the Mir Orlen can attack up to a range of 4 squares and up to 3 times in a turn. However, since it doesn't move...

** Stacking ROFUP1 in 3. Very, very few enemies in the game can withstand it if it decided to chain.

* StopHelpingMe: Sort of. You'll be saying this to Luven al-Hadi if you spend too much time around him in ''Gun Hazard''. It's also an actual command to order your computer-controlled partner to retreat.
** Thing is, he got to stay around you for a while because you'll be needing him for a certain mission, so he needs the EXP! [[SarcasmMode Good Luck!]]
** Can be invoked in ''5'' with its line of sight system. If you're standing directly between an enemy and an aggressive ally, get ready for some serious pain.

* ViewerGenderConfusion: Emil in ''Gun Hazard'' is a good example of this....