PAX West - Kriegsfront Tactics

No matter how history is painted, war never changes. Things get more dangerous, more lethal, and more sophisticated. The brilliance of science yields to the madness of men. In a world that has witnessed the dawn of the Atomic Age, the next war is fought I'm with cold steel and sheer firepower. This is Kriegsfront Tactics. 

Over the summer, Toge Productions released Kriegsfront Tactics: Prologue. This prologue acts as a sort of demo of what players can expect. After successfully completing the demo and emerging victorious, Kriegsfront Tactics should be wishlisted immediately as its Fire Emblem Meets Front Mission. 

What A Wonderful World

Kriegsfront Tactics takes place in an alternate 1970s. The atomic bomb ended World War II but global unrest emerged. Mercenaries, terrorists, and rising nations raise their flags to declare themselves. It isn't World War III but a Cold War grown hot. Southeast Asia erupts in what can be described as mechanized warfare. Mecha are introduced to combat and change the face of the battlefield. The demo out me as part of a small unit fighting deep in the jungle. The enemy is everywhere and can strike at any time. Soon enough, another unit arrived and wiped out several allied mechs. Taking command, enemy engagement begins. 

The Front Mission games very much inspire Kriegsfront Tactics featured online PS1 in the mid-90s. The visual style has a somewhat polygonal and pixelated look to pay homage to that line of games, as well as other nech-focused PSOne titles like Armored Core. Soldiers communicate via radio with a small profile image. I was surprised to hear voiced dialogue too. Visually, the game has a wonderous distinctive look but it is in the combat that Kriegsfront Tactics excels. 

I Ain't No Fortunate Son

Similar to Front Mission and Fire Emblem, the game is a turn-based tactics game taking place on a grid-based battlefield. Unlike Front Mission, there are no hexagons or transitions to 1v1 battling. The goal of the demo was to wipe out the enemy unit, a feat easier said than done. Your enemy is armed and well-trained. Brains matter most before firepower.

I had a standard mech with traditional equipment, a melee-focused mech, a sniper, and a heavy artillery mech with a quad-leg setup. The enemy had their own standard mech and marksman but we're not to be underestimated. On more than one occasion, they blended into the trees and took well-placed shots, eliminating another mech I had. 

California Dreamin'

The combat in Kriegsfront isn't just about hunting and exposing enemies but denying their ability to camouflage. The demo encouraged using artillery to obliterate forests, which I was much obliged to do. The sooner the enemy is found, the better chances to engage the enemy first. 

Kriegsfront Tactics felt like I was playing an episode in Gundam 08th MS Team, which stages a Gundam world in their own Vietnam War. Here, while the worlds are different, Kriegsfront underscores the chaos and uncertainty of jungle warfare, now made more chaotic because of these mechanical behemoths. 

Everybody Look What's Going Down

Every turn felt like a battle of life and death. Rifle rounds came from the trees and well-placed actions were something to cheer for. I returned fire with rifle and grenade rounds, finding some success. The area was around Temple ruins and I depended on those concrete slabs for any kind of protection. It was war and it wasn't pretty. 

At some points, players are given direct control over their mech. Like the Fallout VAT system, some actions allow players to aim at an enemy and directly target a specific part of the enemy. The head, the arms, the legs, etc. This furthers the strategy. Sometimes, it is wise to disarm an enemy and then directly destroy it. Other times, leaving the enemy barely mobile can expose that enemy to more enemy fire. 

Use those Kriegsfront Tactics

Using special abilities, such as the marksman sniper rifle, was great! I also used small ballistic missiles to think out and obliterate the remaining opposition. Seeing trees clearing out from missiles was euphoric and downing a distant enemy with a sniper rifle was satisfying. The enemy was smart and unrelenting but it was the tactics and skill that eventually won the day. 

While Front Mission may have had a remake that's now available, I can't recommend Kriegsfront Tactics enough, even in its early state. The world-building is immense and teases an engaging tale of war and humanity. The combat is excellent and the gameplay has potential. I've been following Kriegsfront Tactics for quite some time, and each iteration has been better than the last. Hopefully, we won't have to wait too long for the final game.

Kriegsfront Tactics is nearing the end of development. Kriegsfront Tactics: Prologue is available to download for free.