Front Mission 1st: Remakeis not the first time this game has been made. This series is an almost forgotten franchise in Square Enix’s back pocket. It was originally released in 1995 on the SNES exclusively in Japan. It got several ports after that including ones for the WonderSwan Color and PS1, also both in Japan only.
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The west would not receive this game until 2007 with the DS remake. This was long after the series was introduced to the west viaFront Mission 3for the PS1 in 2000. Overall, this series has been all over the map as far as the releases go.Front Mission 1st: Remakemay not be the game fans want to play again right now, but it is a solid tactical RPG nonetheless. For those who opt to check it out, these beginner tips should help.
8Menu Adjustments
Before jumping intothe hardcore tacticsof this RPG, players should go into the options. Unlike most recent Square Enix remakes and new titles in 2022,Front Mission 1st: Remakedoes not have a fast-forward button for battles. However, there are ways to make maps go by quicker.
Players should turn on Instant Movement and Instant Battle to increase the overall flow of battle. If these names weren’t obvious, they will turn off animations for movement and combat, making the whole experience much smoother.
7Who To Play First
One of the best things about this game is that it presents players with two scenarios. They can begin with Royd Clive or Kevin Greenfield. There is a description under each campaign icon. The game will explain that Royd’s campaign is recommendedfor RPG beginners.
This is true, as the battles in Kevin’s campaign can be more intense even on the easiest setting. From a non-difficulty perspective, Royd’s campaign is more diverse in terms of its gameplay locations, characters, and story, so that’s also why it is worth diving into first.
6Tips For Saving
With only four save slots in the game, and two campaigns to follow, players have to be careful with their files. Whichever campaign players choose, they should keep the top two saves for out-of-battle experiences and then rotate the bottom two for battles.
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Players should save at the beginning of each round. Rotating will ensure players can go back if they think they messed up a round of actions or something. It’s always a good idea to keep multiple ways openin an RPG.
5The More You Destroy, The Faster You Level Up
Pilots will earn experience in an encounter even if they don’t hit their opponent. Doing damage will not increase experience earned by much either. The way to boost experience earned is by destroying parts on the mech whether it’s an arm, leg, or whatever. Pilots get the most experience by destroying the entire unit, but sometimes it’s more fruitful to pick off parts off of the enemy’s mech one by one.
It takes a while until players can choose which parts to attack, so this is more like a strategy tip to keep in mind for later. As it is hard to level up outside of story missions, it’s important to take all advantages one can which is a good tip forany tactical RPG.
4Creating Diverse Wanzers
Players will get a diverse set of options tocustomize their mechsfrom body parts to weapons. They can even color them with over a dozen choices. It’s a nice cosmetic feature for a mech game but it is also a good idea for strategy purposes.
For every new ally that joins the team, players should be sure to give their mech a different color from everyone else. They can then get to know pilots not only by their names but their colors as well. This should help players plan out their attacks and movement strategies more easily without having to constantly click on mechs to see who is piloting what.
3Weapon Loadouts
Coloring mechs is important but so is stocking each unit with the proper equipment inFront Mission 1st: Remake. Weapons that fire more than one round, like machine guns, are recommended. They have lower accuracy and attack power technically, but they at least guarantee more hits than one round from a rifle or fist.
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Players should attach one gun per unit and then put a missile launcher on the opposite shoulder. This will allow all units to attack from a distance. Again, as it is hard to level up, it’s important not to waste any turn in thisintense tactical RPG.
2Attack In Groups
Most missions will have enemies come at the player from multiple sides. While it might save time to split up the group, it is safer to attack in numbers. Enemies tend to head toward allies anyway.
With this in mind, players could move all units to the left side of the map, eliminate those enemies, and then be prepared to intersect others hailing from the right. The maps are nicely varied, so this is not a solid strategy to live by for every mission, but it is something to keep in mind if players find themselves struggling.
1Stock Up On Items
Players can use a turn to heal a part of their unit whenever they feel like it. However,unlike most RPGswhich allow heroes to use items from shared in a pool, items must be equipped inFront Mission 1st: Remake. Before each battle, players should therefore make sure these item slots are filled.
Money can get thin at times, so it may be difficult to fully equip every hero. Even so, players will want to give units at least two items per mission and remember to restock them afterward. Also, they shouldn’t forget to sell unwanted equipment after upgrading to make a little extra scratch.
Front Mission 1st: Remakewas released on Aug 07, 2025, and is available on Nintendo Switch.
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