Armored Core

I really like this game. I've always wanted to play it, and it was one of those games that shone to me as a young grasshopper just getting started as a gamer. I'm going to make another confession (nothing to do with Elly, don't worry). I've always been a huge fan of giant robots. I did have a stint in which I loved Gundam Wing, then it was Zoids, and all along I've been playing Mechwarrior and Earthsiege. So imagine my joy when I got my hands on Aromored Core, a giant mech game that features the most in-depth customization in any game. Period. You can mix and match arms legs, rifles, cores (the torso) heads, you name it. Just watch your weight because you can't field an overweight AC (that's what your mech is called). Wonderful in set up. But how good is it? Read on.

I'll start with the graphics, which are bad. Yes, they are extremely pixalated, with low-res textures. However, I didn't find that it hindered my enjoyment of the game.

The music is nice when you hear it, but my copy of the game is rather old, so I rarely heard it. I doubt you will either, since the "used" bins are the only place you'd find AC. Still, nice techno, and good AC sounds. The weapon sounds are OK.

The game structure is formulaic all the time, as it becomes a loop of "begin mission, complete it, get paid, upgrade AC, repeat." I never tired of it, as I loved customizing my AC. The interface is easy and fun to use, but the game can't load the models for parts fast enough. This game is from From Software, so you have thier "slow and steady" approach. There are about 25 missions, but I haven't completed them all yet. More on that later. There is an open structure, as you can embark on any mission that your employers present to you, of which there can be up to 7 at once. You are cast as a mercenary in a post-apocalyptic world, and money is your god. One mission you could fighting yourself fighting beside one faction, and the next killing them. The single player campaign is fun, and enjoyable. There is a story if you care to follow it.

My biggest problem is the ?last mission. I haven't beaten it, so I don't know if it's the last. You go into that mission with a sense of uncertainty. The setup is perfect. The mood is perfect. The feel is perfect. But somehow it all goes wrong. I'm not going to spoil anything for you, but you end up in a horrible platforming section. You must jump from moving box to moving box out of a vault. If you mess up you must restart. I don't know how tall the vault is, I've never gotten anywhere close to completing that section. AC's behind view is simply not good for platforming. This section is unessecarily frustrating, and I don't know how many people have actually finished it. This was a complete killjoy, and what could have been an awesome ending to a great game became a tedious, frustrating excersize in anger management. Too bad, sigh.

Well, on to the multiplayer. Simple, 1P vs. 2P. Not too bad, besides the fact that there aren't enough parts to both players, especially those who don't have a save file to load.

Speaking of enough parts, there is a crapload of them, but I personally like the humanoid legs, and none of the fast legs can support the rest of my set up. The next up is a pair of horrendously slow legs that suck. I wish that there was more parts, but that's what expansions are for.

There's at least one expansion, Project Phantasma. I'd recomend you try it out, as it features more missions, more difficulty, and more parts. You can also load your original AC save file, so your AC can follow you to the next game.

All in all, good, but it could have been so much better. This game has so much potential, but it was killed by a horrendous last mission. Still, try it out, if not this one, maybe a newer iteration. There is at least one for PS2. Still, it's fun being a bloodthirsty, ruthless mercenary. Give Armored Core a spin.

4 star(s) out of 5

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