| Girls' Frontline 2: Exilium | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Release Date | Gameplay & Story | Pre-Register & Pre-Order | Review |
Girls' Frontline 2: Exilium Gameplay
Girls' Frontline 2: Exilium Combat
Girls’ Frontline 2: Exilium (GFL 2) is a turn-based tactics game similar to Firaxis Games’ XCOM series. Hence, these types of titles are often referred to as "XCOM-lites." There are numerous differences between XCOM and GFL 2, however, such as its cover mechanics, lack of the Overwatch feature, and unique combat effects.
Cover
While cover in XCOM provides Defense, which directly reduces incoming attacks’ accuracy, GFL 2 has no such mechanic. In GFL 2, all attacks will connect, regardless of the improbability of a straight line intersecting a target from an attacker’s position. So instead, cover in GFL 2 directly reduces the damage a character hiding behind it will take. To be specific, covers in GFL 2 provide a flat 30% damage reduction against all direct attacks that do not have any cover-ignoring properties.
There are also differences between partial and full covers between the games. In XCOM, a partial cover, where a unit must crouch to get behind, will offer +20 Defense (reducing enemy accuracy by 20), while a full cover, which a unit can get behind while standing, will offer double that amount. But in GFL 2, both half and full covers offer the same amount of damage reduction. The difference lies in T-Dolls being able to vault over and shoot in any direction from behind half covers, while full covers cannot be vaulted over and only provide limited line of sight.
Full covers are further limited by operators only being able to perform "leaning attacks" toward the direction of the cover’s edge. This cannot be performed if the adjacent tile to where the T-Doll will lean to is occupied. But since units cannot attack through full covers, they must be moved to a location where they can peek at the target to damage them, giving full cover a tactical use.
Covers are also divided between permanent and destructible ones, the latter of which can be destroyed using Area of Effect (AoE) skills or attacks with Cover Destruction properties.
Furthermore, every unit also has a unique stat called the Stability Index. While a unit has it, they will take 60% reduced damage on top of the 30% damage reduction from covers if they’re behind one. However, every incoming attack will reduce their Stability Index, and when it reaches zero, they will suffer under the condition called Stability Collapse, or an "Exposed" state. Units under Stability Collapse, units not behind cover, or units that are flanked, will not benefit from the damage reduction bonus from Stability Index.
There are exceptions to the coverage of Stability Index’s effects. Melee units, such as Krolik and Ullrid, can completely bypass their target’s damage reduction from Stability Index, although they will still incur the 30% damage penalty from cover unless they’re flanking. AoE damage also ignores Stability Index damage reduction, and some can even ignore damage reduction from cover on top of that. Units attacking from high ground or through perforated high ground can also ignore Stability Index and cover bonuses.
Special types of cover also exist, such as the Iron Fence and Energy Cover. These are two contrasting types of covers: Iron Fences can block movement and melee attacks, while Energy Covers can only block ranged attacks.
Action Support
Action Support replaces XCOM’s Overwatch feature in GFL 2 for T-Dolls, turning it from a reactionary action to enemy movement to one based on attacks. Specifically, Action Supports can be triggered by allies getting attacked or by allies attacking, which will result in the T-Doll performing the Action Support to counterattack for her ally or join in on attacking the enemy. Action Supports cannot trigger other Action Supports, and T-Dolls can only perform Action Supports once per turn unless they possess skills or effects that allow multiple uses.
A more faithful version of XCOM’s Overwatch exists, but it’s currently exclusive for enemy use. In GFL 2, it’s called "Surveillance," and it comes in two forms: Action and Movement. Action Surveillance triggers a counterattack from the enemy if the T-Doll performs an action within its surveilled zone, while Movement Surveillance does so for any movement within the zone.
Area of Effect Damage
Unlike in XCOM where explosives and other area skills are favored to remove cover on top of dealing damage, AoE skills in GFL 2 are often used for their widespread damage and accompanying effects. They can also destroy cover, but considering that most of GFL 2’s covers are indestructible, that utility is secondary to their main effect of dealing damage.
However, it’s not as if Area of Effect damage is no longer useful against units hiding behind cover. Area of Effect damage can ignore a unit’s Stability Index and sometimes even their cover bonuses, at times depending on the source of the damage, and sometimes regardless of it, depending on the skill.
Weaknesses
Most units have a Phase Element, though certain exceptions like Groza exist. However, all units have Weapon Damage Attributes. These correspond to the elemental damage they can deal and the type of ammunition they carry. Similarly, each unit also has a Phase Element and Weapon Damage Attribute weakness. When attacked using a Phase Element and/or Weapon Damage Attribute matching their weaknesses, an additional 10% damage and 2 Stability Index damage are added to the result.
The total damage is calculated after the reduction of the unit’s Stability Index, as the unit may enter Stability Collapse as a result. These effects can stack, enabling units to deal significant damage to their targets.
There are five Phase Elements: Burn, Corrosion, Electric, Freeze, and Hydro. The five Weapon Damage Attributes are Light, Medium, Heavy, Shotgun Ammo, and Melee.
Girls’ Frontline 2: Exilium RPG Mechanics
Classes
T-Dolls are divided into four classes: Bulwarks, Vanguards, Supports, and Sentinels. These classes define their roles on the field, allowing players to more easily set their teams. Certain skills may also specifically affect only certain classes.
Bulwarks are the game’s tanks. They are defined by their extraordinary bulk and often have skills that allow them to counterattack enemies or buff their allies. They sometimes also possess skills that taunt their targets, forcing aggro onto themselves.
Vanguards, meanwhile, often have very high mobility and burst damage. Best used on the sides to flank enemies entrenched behind their covers, they are fragile and must be used with care.
Supports specialize in providing buffs to their allies and healing them during emergencies. Their repertoire includes dealing high Stability Index damage, cleansing debuffs from allies, regenerating ally Stability Index, and providing reliable Action Support damage.
Lastly, Sentinels are the game’s equivalent of carries. With high damage output against single or multiple targets, they require significant protection from allies due to their lack of bulk. However, they are essential as the core of a team’s offensive power.
Skills
Unlike XCOM’s weapon-based combat, GFL 2 leans on skill-based combat due to its RPG mechanics. Essentially, every T-Doll has two active skills and an ultimate that they can use in combat, as well as a passive skill that is either always active or activated under specific conditions.
Ultimate skills depend on a resource known as the Confectance Index. This resource can be restored by dealing damage or through certain skill effects. Active skills, on the other hand, are typically limited by their cooldowns, forcing players to space them out strategically. Some active skills also use Confectance Index, though these are rare.
Barring the use of skills, every unit also has basic attacks that they can rely on for more traditional cases. However, due to GFL 2’s system, basic attacks are often primarily used with Action Support.
Weapons
Similar to Genshin Impact’s Weapons and Zenless Zone Zero’s W-Engines, GFL2’s weapons are what your T-Dolls carry into battle. Each T-Doll has a specific weapon type they can use and cannot equip weapons of other types. For example, Qiongjiu can only use Assault Rifles, while Littera can only use Light Machine Guns.
Every weapon may have a Weapon Feature, a Trait, and an Imprint Boost, depending on its rarity and exclusivity. Weapon Features are passive effects providing specific bonuses beyond the attribute bonuses (Attack, Crit Rate, Attack Boost, etc.) inherent to each weapon, regardless of rarity. For example, Peritya’s Optical Illusion increases her damage and gives her a chance to debuff targets after attacking more than three enemies. These values can be upgraded by Calibrating the weapon, which requires duplicates.
Traits, on the other hand, are similar to Weapon Features in providing separate bonuses outside the weapon’s attributes. These are present in every weapon of standard rarity and above. However, Traits cannot be upgraded through Calibration.
Lastly, Elite T-Doll-specific weapons, such as Suomi’s Unspoken Calling SMG or Ullrid’s Rectrix Sword, have an Imprint Boost that activates when used by the appropriate T-Doll. Non-exclusive weapons, even if they are of Elite rarity, may lack Imprint Boosts and instead only feature Weapon Features and a Trait, similar to Standard Weapons.
Weapon Attachments
Weapon Attachments are another feature where GFL2 differs from XCOM. In the latter, they are called Weapon Upgrades and simply provide individual bonuses to the weapons they are attached to. In GFL2, however, Attachments are more similar to Wuthering Waves’ Echoes or Zenless Zone Zero’s Drive Discs, as they also offer set bonuses based on their properties.
These Attachments can be obtained from farming the Targeted Study, a Supply Mission unlocked at Commander Level 23. Attachments are divided by weapon types (Assault Rifles, Handguns, Light Machine Guns, Submachine Guns, Shotguns, Sniper Rifles, and Swords) and Sets. Sets determine the effects provided when multiple Attachments of the same type are equipped, such as Phase Strike for damage.
Each Attachment has 3–4 stats, with muzzle attachments having the most. These stats are randomly generated with every drop, and their specific values can be recalibrated by "Calibrating" them. While you cannot select which stats will appear on your Attachments, you can choose which Set you want to farm in the Targeted Study menu.
Neural Helix and Key Regulation
Key Regulation is a method available to all T-Dolls that allows them to specialize in certain roles. Each T-Doll, regardless of rarity, can equip up to three Exclusive Keys and three Universal Keys. Universal Keys can be obtained through various means, such as events, and can be equipped by any T-Doll, though only one T-Doll can use a specific Universal Key at a time.
Exclusive Keys, however, are more specialized. They are unlocked by investing in a character’s Neural Helix, which provides passive attribute bonuses and two Exclusive Keys every 10 levels starting at level 20, for a total of six. These Keys are unique to their respective T-Dolls and help mold them into specific specializations through the bonuses they offer.
Fortifications
When players obtain a T-Doll they already own, the duplicate is converted into Neural Archives, which can be spent to unlock Segments through Fortification. These Segments provide significant passive bonuses to the corresponding T-Doll, sometimes greatly influencing their usability in battle.
Certain Neural Archives can also be obtained through Events, Mystery Box drops from Dispatch, and specific Combat Simulation modes such as the weekly Boss Fights. However, they are predominantly acquired through the game’s gacha system.
Girls’ Frontline 2: Exilium Features
Gacha
GFL2 utilizes a gacha system to provide players with limited T-Dolls and Weapons. Each gacha rotation features a T-Doll banner and its corresponding Weapon banner, with slightly different rates for each.
The limited T-Doll banner has a base drop rate of 0.6% for Elite T-Dolls, 6% for a mixed pool of Standard T-Dolls and Weapons, and 93.4% for Retired-rarity weapons. This banner also employs a 50-50 mechanic, meaning the featured T-Doll has a 50% chance of appearing when an Elite T-Doll is pulled. If the player does not obtain the featured T-Doll on their first Elite pull, they are guaranteed to receive her on their next Elite pull.
The limited Weapon banner has a base drop rate of 0.7% for Elite Weapons, 7% for Standard Weapons, and 92.3% for Retired Weapons. Unlike the T-Doll banner, the featured Weapon has a 75% chance of appearing when an Elite Weapon is pulled. As with the T-Doll banner, if the player does not obtain the featured Weapon on their first Elite pull, they are guaranteed to receive it on their next Elite pull.
The Girls' Frontline 2: Exilium Story
Girls' Frontline 2: Exilium takes place in 2074, 10 years after the events of the original Girls’ Frontline. Set in Eastern Europe, the private military company Griffin and Kryuger have been dismantled by the government due to the threat of becoming too powerful and uncontrollable, but the player, the Commander, still persists in leading a small group of Tactical Dolls– dangerous tactically trained and armed women– well after their forced retirement.
As they live off of fulfilling odd bounties with their new, trusted partner Groza, as well as a lineup of new and returning T-Dolls, one delivery mission has them come out of a contaminated zone, wherein they are suddenly ambushed by an unknown force that steals their hard-earned cargo– a mysterious girl. The Commander must now set out to recover the cargo and uncover secrets and conspiracies tied to it.
