Girls’ Frontline 2: Exilium is a free-to-play 3D tactical strategy RPG developed by SUNBORN. It is the sequel to Girls’ Frontline and continues the series’ post-apocalyptic science-fiction setting while introducing a new chapter, 3D characters, tactical combat, and expanded customization systems.
The game puts players in the role of the Commander, who leads a squad of Tactical Dolls through dangerous contamination zones. Rather than simply continuing the events of the original game in the same environment, Exilium follows the Commander after leaving the previous organization and beginning a new life as a bounty hunter.
The game combines turn-based tactical battles with character collection, story-driven gameplay, equipment customization, and relationship-building features. It is available on PC and mobile platforms and uses a free-to-play model with optional in-game purchases.
The Story and Setting
Girls’ Frontline 2: Exilium takes place in the same broader universe as the original Girls’ Frontline.
The story begins after the Commander has severed ties with Griffin & Kryuger (G&K). Rather than continuing in the previous role, the Commander ventures into the contamination zones and takes on bounty missions to earn a living. During this journey, the Commander encounters new people and Tactical Dolls who gradually become members of the team.
What initially appears to be an ordinary transport mission eventually becomes much more complicated. The Commander is ambushed and becomes involved in a much larger conflict.
This setup provides the foundation for a new storyline while retaining connections to the world and characters established by the original Girls’ Frontline.
The contamination zones are particularly important to the setting. They represent dangerous areas shaped by the environmental and political circumstances of the game’s post-apocalyptic world, giving the Commander and the Tactical Dolls a hazardous environment to explore.
The Commander
The player takes on the role of the Commander, serving as the central character who leads the Tactical Dolls.
Rather than directly controlling a conventional human military squad, players command a group of highly specialized android-like combat units known as Tactical Dolls, or T-Dolls.
The Commander is responsible for selecting an appropriate team, positioning units during combat, managing equipment, and responding to different battlefield conditions.
The character’s journey is also connected to the game’s narrative. The Commander is not simply a silent player avatar moving from one battle to another. The story explores the consequences of leaving the Commander’s previous organization and the relationships formed with the Dolls encountered throughout the journey.
Tactical Dolls
The Tactical Dolls are at the center of both the gameplay and narrative.
Each Doll has individual characteristics, combat abilities, weapons, and personality traits. Players assemble squads from the Dolls available to them and select combinations suited to particular missions.
The relationship system adds another dimension to these characters. Players can increase their affinity with Dolls through activities such as giving gifts, eventually unlocking additional story material and other rewards.
One of the game’s systems is the Covenant Ring, which allows the Commander to form a deeper bond with a Doll after reaching the required affinity level. The game can unlock exclusive archives, memories, voice lines, and a Covenant Projection through this system.
This makes character development an important part of the experience beyond simply improving combat statistics.
Tactical Turn-Based Combat
Combat in Girls’ Frontline 2: Exilium is built around turn-based tactical strategy.
Instead of relying exclusively on fast reflexes, players need to evaluate the battlefield and determine how their units should move and attack.
The game’s maps include features such as cover, terrain, and environmental mechanisms. These elements affect how units approach opponents and how players protect their own characters.
Positioning therefore becomes an important part of combat.
Players may need to consider factors such as distance, cover, enemy locations, movement opportunities, and the strengths and weaknesses of individual Dolls.
This creates a battlefield experience closer to a tactical strategy game than a conventional action RPG.
Three-Dimensional Battlefields
One of the major changes from the original Girls’ Frontline is the move toward fully 3D environments and characters.
The battlefield is presented from a three-dimensional perspective, allowing players to see characters and environments in greater detail.
Terrain and cover are not merely visual decorations. They form part of the tactical system, creating opportunities for players to protect units and develop different approaches to encounters.
The game’s 3D presentation also contributes to its cinematic storytelling and character interactions.
Weapons and Customization
Weapons play an important role in Girls’ Frontline 2: Exilium.
The game features different categories of firearms, including handguns, machine guns, and shotguns, among others. Players can customize weapons by attaching different accessories.
The system includes a 360-degree weapon preview, allowing players to examine their equipment and customize its appearance.
Weapon customization therefore has both functional and visual elements.
The ability to modify equipment also reinforces one of the game’s central themes: building a squad that is suited to different combat situations.
Character Interaction
Although tactical combat is the core gameplay system, Exilium also places considerable emphasis on interacting with the Tactical Dolls.
The Refitting Room allows players to interact with their characters and examine them in a more personal setting. The Dormitory provides another environment where players can observe their Dolls outside combat.
The game uses detailed 3D character models and animations to make these interactions more immersive.
Players can also use a dynamic camera in the Dormitory to capture moments involving the Dolls, creating a more relaxed contrast to the game’s combat missions.
These systems contribute to the character-focused side of Girls’ Frontline 2.
Character Collection
Like many modern free-to-play mobile RPGs, Girls’ Frontline 2: Exilium incorporates a character-collection system.
Players gradually build a roster of Tactical Dolls and can use different combinations of characters in battle.
Each character can occupy a different role within a squad, meaning that assembling a team is not simply a matter of choosing the characters with the highest statistics. Players can consider their abilities, weapons, range, battlefield roles, and compatibility with the rest of the squad.
This encourages experimentation with different team compositions.
The game’s free-to-play structure also includes in-game purchases and randomized elements, which are part of its monetization model. Steam identifies the game as containing in-game purchases based on chance.
Storytelling and Character Development
The story is another major component of Exilium.
The game combines traditional mission progression with character-specific narratives. The Tactical Dolls are presented as individuals with their own personalities, histories, and relationships rather than simply being interchangeable combat units.
As the Commander encounters new characters, the story gradually expands the cast and develops their relationships.
The Covenant system reinforces this approach by allowing players to deepen their relationship with selected Dolls and unlock additional narrative material.
This combination of tactical missions and character-focused storytelling is one of the defining features of the game.
Connection to the Girls’ Frontline Franchise
Girls’ Frontline 2: Exilium is not a completely separate game set in an unrelated universe.
It continues the world established by Girls’ Frontline, but introduces a new stage in the Commander’s story.
The decision to move the Commander away from Griffin & Kryuger provides a narrative explanation for the change in circumstances while allowing the developers to introduce new characters, environments, factions, and gameplay systems.
For existing fans, the game therefore provides continuity with the franchise while offering a different gameplay presentation.
For newcomers, the 3D tactical RPG structure provides an entry point into the broader Girls’ Frontline universe.
Release and Platforms
The game was released internationally on December 3, 2024, according to contemporary coverage, while Steam lists its release date as February 10, 2025 for its Steam version.
It is available across PC and mobile platforms, including Windows and mobile operating systems.
The game follows a free-to-play model, allowing players to download and play without purchasing the game upfront while offering optional in-game purchases.
Its availability across PC and mobile also allows players to experience the same general tactical RPG concept across different types of devices.
Visual Style
One of Exilium’s most noticeable characteristics is its detailed anime-inspired 3D presentation.
The Tactical Dolls are rendered as fully three-dimensional characters, with detailed costumes, weapons, facial expressions, animations, and environments.
The game also uses cinematic presentation during story sequences and character interactions.
This visual upgrade distinguishes Exilium from the original Girls’ Frontline, whose presentation relied more heavily on 2D character art and a different tactical interface.
The transition to 3D allows the developers to present the characters and world with significantly more visual detail.
Reception and Player Experience
The game has attracted a substantial audience on PC and mobile, although player reception has been mixed overall.
Steam’s listing currently shows the game with a Mixed overall review rating, while recent reviews have been more positive.
Players and reviewers have highlighted the game’s tactical combat, detailed character models, story presentation, and production quality, while discussions around its free-to-play and gacha mechanics have also influenced opinions about the game.
For players who enjoy tactical RPGs, anime-style character collection, and turn-based combat, these systems form the central appeal of Exilium.
Conclusion
Girls’ Frontline 2: Exilium is a free-to-play 3D tactical strategy RPG developed by SUNBORN and set in the universe of the Girls’ Frontline franchise. It places players in the role of the Commander, leading Tactical Dolls through dangerous contamination zones and a new storyline following the Commander’s departure from Griffin & Kryuger.
The game combines turn-based tactical combat with three-dimensional battlefields, cover and terrain mechanics, weapon customization, character collection, relationship systems, and story-driven gameplay.
Its Tactical Dolls are more than combat units: players can develop relationships with them, unlock additional memories and voice content, customize their equipment, and explore their individual stories.
With its combination of tactical strategy, character-driven storytelling, anime-inspired 3D visuals, and free-to-play mobile and PC structure, Girls’ Frontline 2: Exilium represents a significant evolution of the original Girls’ Frontline formula.