When you think of Square Enix games, what comes to mind? Fluffy, yellow chicken-like Chocobos running across vast world maps? Or maybe pretty girls and boys fighting giant flaming monsters while flinging healing items at each other? Well, you wouldn’t be wrong. After all, Square’s mega-popular Final Fantasy series always has been the sprawling JRPG capital of videogame-land and has a permanent place in gamers’ hearts everywhere.

But even with FFXIII towering in the 360’s headlights, Square apparently isn’t content to rest on its turn-based laurels. Enter one of the company’s longest-running non-Final Fantasy-related series: Front Mission. Doesn’t ring a bell? Don’t worry — you’re not alone. The series hasn’t seen a North American release on console since 2004’s Front Mission 4 for PS2 (two titles did make it to the Nintendo DS more recently, however), and its futuristic military universe paired with a heavy tactical bent limited its strong but niche appeal to only the truly hardcore genre enthusiasts and Square fans.

We could launch into a long, storied history about the depth and strategies involved with the franchise’s twisting storylines and politics, but the most important thing to know about this Front Mission? It’s in the title — “Evolved.” Square has no plans on returning to the series’ tactical roots as Evolved is entirely set on tackling the neo-future with giant Wanzers — the name of the mechs in the game — that you can now directly control.

Front Mission Evolved is, in fact, entirely an action-shooter being shaped by California-based Double Helix (Silent Hill: Homecoming) under the watchful eye of Square Enix. But this isn’t actually entirely new for the series in some ways. The Japan-only PS2/PC release of the online action-RPG Front Mission Online in 2005 prepped the publisher for what life might be like if the series ditched the more methodical, top-down tactical strategy and headed into more 3D weapons-based, third-persons shooter action. Evolved follows in Online’s footsteps by offering up pilot-able Wanzers, but there will also be scripted moments (“Players won’t usually have a choice in the matter,” notes the dev team) when you’ll be able to run around on foot outside of the mech to chat with different characters.

But your Wanzer is your lifeline and Square is ensuring that you’ll be able to customize it to your heart’s content.  Depending on different game conditions, you’ll be able to tweak everything on your mech, from its body to its arms and legs to something the Evolved team refers to as “backpack parts. Their hands and the weapons equipped to their shoulders can also be customized,” claims the team.

And your choices in customization are important — this is, after all, the far future of 2171 where nations are locked in cold war states and “technological advancements have revolved around space exploration,” Square tells us. And fighting against computer-controlled enemies will only last so long. Evolved will feature a full lineup of online modes for you to shoot friends and strangers in.

But will longtime Front Mission fans be able to recognize any characters, locations, or other bits and bobs from past games in the series? Don’t count on it. While the team is set on intentionally using names from previous Wanzer models and weapons, the time frame for Evolved is “furthest ahead in the future in the series. Characters from previous titles will not make an appearance.”  But real otaku may want to note that the game will feature a cameo of sorts of Huffman Island, the same location as the very first Front Mission. Talk about a shout out.

We’re very interested to find out more about what’s in store for 360 owners with Evolved. Square doesn’t have the most robust (read: little to none) resume when it comes to third-person action shooters, but if they and Double Helix can craft a solid shooter within Front Mission’s rich universe, consider us ready for duty.