The Girls Frontline series returns with the free strategy RPG Girls Frontline 2: Exilium, recently released on PC and mobile devices. It introduces a up-to-date cast of characters and fully three-dimensional maps, building on the foundations created by its predecessor.
If you’re not familiar with the series, it is the sequel to the 2018 free mobile game Girls Frontline. This has set in a war-torn future world where most of humanity has been killed and they now rely on androids called tactical dolls, also known as T-Dolls or Dolls, to fight their battles for them. Players took on the role of a commander commanding Doll combat teams, called echelons. The first title spawned a manga and multiple anime series, and now the sequel follows in their footsteps.
The action of Girls Frontline 2: Exilium begins 10 years later and is characterized by a significant evolution of the gameplay. You still play as the same commander as in the first game, but your team has been disbanded and you are now a bounty hunter. You’ll need to recruit up-to-date dolls to form your team and lead them in turn-based combat as you try to uncover the truth about the growing conspiracy.
Combat has undergone a thorough modernization. The original featured a 2D map on which you could move rungs along to attack enemies, after which combat would begin based on the positioning of your characters in a formation. Girls Frontline 2: Exilium is a fully 3D tactical combat game in which you take direct control of each character, moving them around the map and following commands.
The dolls are anime-style personifications of and equipped with a wide range of real-world weapons, including handguns, submachine guns, assault rifles, machine guns, sniper rifles, and shotguns. Each weapon was created in 3D, can be viewed from any angle, and can be viewed in your personal weapon gallery. You’ll also be able to apply different skins to your weapons, which will give you some options to customize your collection.
Characters are grouped into classes that define their combat role. Bulwarks are classic tanks that act as front-line warriors who can provide defensive reinforcements to your team. Guardians are your main offensive characters, focused on dealing as much damage as possible. The Vanguard can also facilitate deal damage, but their greatest advantage is their high mobility, which allows them to perform flanking maneuvers on enemies. Finally, supports provide healing or buffs to teammates.
Each character is feeble to one element and one type of ammunition, so you must be careful when building each combat team. You don’t want everyone to be feeble to the same attacks. Enemies also have these weaknesses, so you have an incentive to build a team that can exploit a wide range of weaknesses to turn the fight to your advantage.
Unlike its predecessor, Girls Frontline 2 allows characters to move freely around the battlefield during combat and find objects to hide behind. When a character is behind cover, damage dealt to them will be drastically reduced. However, hitting them with attacks they are feeble against depletes their stability stat, and once it reaches zero, their defense will be broken and they will no longer benefit from being behind cover.
This means you need to be strategic about how you apply each of your characters. Since enemies are feeble to element and ammunition type, it is possible for one character with the right combination of attributes to hit both weaknesses with one attack. This depletes stability even faster, quickly breaking down enemy defenses and leaving them vulnerable to devastating attacks.
Outside of combat, you can also spend time with your squad members in the training room or dormitory. Both offer full 3D interactivity and present a non-photorealistic game graphic style (NPR). You’ll need to recruit up-to-date characters to expand your squad, and Girls Frontline 2 is celebrating its launch with in-game rewards to facilitate you out.
In the image above you can see a summary of all the goodies on offer, including codes you can redeem and rewards from multiple events. If you want to jump into the action, you can download Girls Frontline 2: Exilium now on PC, iOS or Android. To stay updated with the latest information, you can visit official website or join the community on Twitter, YouTubeOr Discord.
