[b]Full Metal Sergeant 2 was featured on my YouTube channel[/b]
https://youtu.be/nx04SILspao
and now onto the short review
[h1]TL;DR Review[/h1]
//intro//
Hello, MF Kraven here- and welcome to a less than 10 mins review. A YouTube series where I take a look at niche titles, hidden gems & often overlooked games & tell you whether or not you should buy it, in less than 10 mins. So if that is the type of content that you like, consider subscribing, & liking this video.
Today I will be looking at FMS2, the sequel to 2023's FMS. It's 3 years later but war... war never changes & neither does the formula to FMS2. You will manage your camp, drill soldiers into war machines & then go on a turn based battle across a hopefully fictious landscape in a seemingly banana republic. But is there enough substance this time around in 12 weeks to whip your recruits up to lead into a good time? or will it be Operation Game Over? Let's find out
//Graphics, Sound & Artstyle//
Taking a retro almost 16 bit approach to its style feels like the correct way to approach a game like this. The artstyle makes me think of games from Newgrounds or MiniClip I use to play in school, the sounds are nice- while the drill sergeant feels a bit cliche- where it brings it altogether for me is the cadences everyone will sing to while taking a full run.
//Gameplay//
You take on the role of a drill sergeant and have 12 turns to make your guys gain as much stats while managing their stamina & stress. Each recruit will come with a predetermined stat set & one negative trait such as loner, chubby, etc etc. You can get rid of these negative traits through the training. You start off with 4 different sets of PT, where you can train Strength, Melee, Agility, Shooting, Intelligence & Discipline. Upon completing the 12 weeks each stat will determine the recruit's battlefield stats, for example the more strength the more HP they will have, more agility the more movement, the more melee they have- the more melee damage they do & well you get the point.
Every week leading up to graduation there are different events that can influence your troops in training. There will be 3 inspections, 3 competitions and a few mail days & random events like a local getting a flat tire or one of your recruits parents wanting to take their little boy away for a funeral or family event. How you respond to each situation will determine what you buffs or debuffs you can get.
Prestige points help your base become top notch and you will get them through some of the events but especially during inspections, competitions & in the later part of the experience- the combat.
Usually an inspection will occur & they'll want you to have removed negative traits or trained a recruit to a certain point, or make sure that you've put every single recruit through at least a few drills. The competitions are fun because you have boxing, track, swim & shooting meets where you can earn prestige points, it's all skill based but beware as they drain your recruits stamina.
And once the 12 weeks are up, it's graduation and straight to combat! where you can
lead. observe or just randomize what happens. you traverse through a map using supplies per move you make, random events, supply drops & combat can earn your team more supplies to keep going but beware as permadeath is always on & the harsh reality of combat can be too much for some- and they will flee. The combat is simple, its turned based and placement is important as cover will grant your soldiers. At first you'll only have access to two MOD classes Infantry & Rifleman, one specializing HP while the other Attack damage, eventually you will be able to unlock more MOD such as Sniper, Mortar, Gunner, etc etc.
//Price//
10 USD
//How many hours estimated//
I'm about 6 hours into my playthrough and I've pretty much unlocked two tech trees out of 4, all achievements minus 2. So I'm guessing if I want to 100% this ill have played this about a good 12 hours.
//Is it Playable on Steamdeck?//
Yes, it's almost like this game shines on portable devices.
//Final Thoughts//
As a fan of the first iteration I was excited to see what the big changes to the FMS2 and while not a lot has changed on the surface, one huge improvement for me was the combat. It feels much more manageable and like I want to go into battles not only for supplies but to rank my men up as much as possible. I have a guy with around 90 confirmed kills through 2 tours. But- unless i'm going up against a tank, i feel confident I'm winning, the combat loop can be cheesed. Like I said, 90 kills- he has perks with double HP, double Attack, first hit of the round always misses him- it's cool to feel invincible but my other guys sorta are too, i don't run for cover, i just spray & pray that everything gets done as quick as possible & thats pretty much how it goes.
The management aspect of the game is fun and having only 4 PT courses limits you on the more advanced training as it takes a week to set certain terrain up. Managing their stress and Stamina is a fun micromanaging game mechanic, but when you get more recruits you have to keep a mental note on whos getting trained for what & who's doing what, id like a feature where you can maybe mark them for certain training only. I'll have a few guys train in Shooting + Intelligence solely for battle and others get Agility + Strength for competitions to get more Prestige Points. Full Metal Sergeant 2 wont set the world on fire and if you've played the first part this sort of just feels like a Remaster.
This game is for people who like micromanaging and lite management battlers. If that's not your cup of tea you'll probably not like it very much. There are some things I wanted from FMS1 like the ability to rename recruits or add nicknames to the pool of names, variety in the calendar year as
competitions are still every Week 3, 6 & 9. Inspections are always 4, 8 & 12 and the Postman comes every Week 2,5, 7 & 10. Competitions would be amazing if they were on say weeks 7,8,9 one year- that way you need to strategize who you're using and resting between the three weeks of competition. The monotonous feeling of always knowing whats coming while very military oriented, isn't as fun as something completely random like the weather which i like very much as a mechanic in this game.
I almost feel like FMS2 would shine as a mobile game now with the resurgence of indie games like Peak, Ballionaire, Balatro setting the standard. The gameplay loop is just grind for the sake of grind but alas I am the target demographic for stuff like this. I like it, but I don't love it, i think it's well worth the asking $10 USD but only if youre a sicko like me, if you're on the fence get it on sale, which it will be on sale for it's launch week for 8.49 USD extending until April 27, 2026.
[h1]Buy it Now![/h1]
