I can definitely understand why this is the black sheep of the franchise. It's an okay game in a series of incredible ones. I'll shotgun my thoughts.

- The addition of analog controls is much appreciated, but also oh my god they feel so alien after playing with the default controls for so long. Two out of 4 face buttons and the dpad being disabled, for some reason the left stick still activates extensions unless you rebind and is really sensitive to activating, the right stick having strafe instead of the left which shouldn't be an issue but is one for some reason, everything being backloaded onto the shoulder and triggers. It just doesn't feel as good as sticking with the tank controls I've used for 2 games now, at least in my opinion. Thank god for control rebinding. A properly rebound analog setup works like a dream, but still.

- The game is significantly slower than it's predecessors, which is fine, but I feel like it's slower pace doesn't help it. It just feels like AC3 in half speed with the thruster and movement changes exaggerating the issue. I personally don't like the thruster change like a lot of people coming from AC3/AC3:SL but I think it's a necessity due to how in a lot of builds in AC3 you could just fly forever with tapping the thruster without consequence. The real problem is it's also stacked on top of a general movement change where every set of legs is slower moving compared to their AC3 counterparts. This wouldn't be a problem if the thruster change wasn't like that.

- I don't care too much for some of how some of the parts are rebalanced and the fact that Human Plus/OP-Intensify traits are in the game but not given to the player even as separate optional parts I think is really, really dumb. I'm fine with them removing OP-I/H+ but some traits like moving with cannons is like, why not bring this back as a standalone optional part??? And then they give the strongest OP-I traits to enemies while you never get the chance to?????

- I'm actually kinda a fan of tuning. Having the ability to adjust items prevents the problem in AC3/SL where certain parts look good on paper but are completely useless compared to much cheaper parts that do it's job better. Tuning helps comfort this problem and helps squeeze some extra use out of parts you like aesthetically.

- The story's pretty aggressively okay and definitely way, way further in the background than the last 2 games. Then the last 3 missions hit which are absolutely amazing. The ending is phenomenal and the cutscenes are a treat. Probably my favorite part of the game.

- Whoever decided the blur should be so aggressive, constant and should affect the HUD needs to have their head checked.

Nexus is okay. It's not bad but it has iffy changes I really don't see eye to eye with. I hear Last Raven is MUCH better, with this game basically being a warm up - but after being mildly disappointed by Silent Line outside of its boss fights I'm not gonna hold LR up to a super high expectation. I'll probably going to loop back around to it after another non-AC game and a playthrough of 6 - I can't wait any longer.

Finally, an Armored Core game I truly love. It has its flaws just like the rest of them, but has the best balance of mission design, story and music to date.

Armored Core 3 is a little more direct with its story from the get go. The world is explained to you, a society built in layers ruled over by a force known as "The Controller". It's simple sci-fi guff, giving me big Psycho Pass vibes, but more effectively established a core threat. Obviously, the idea of a supercomputer making every single decision is rather dystopian, and the game grapples heavily with themes of control and oppression. It won't win any awards, yet I was hooked throughout, and once again found myself building rapport with different companies based on how they responded to current events. It's AC storytelling at its best!

Missions are about as good as they've ever been, too. Plenty "kill all enemies" objectives, with a smattering of escorts, defences and more unique goals, such as surviving a firing range without shooting back or my favourite level, a vertical dive into a sunken cargo ship where you balance how much you can destroy with both a time limit and limited ammunition. Once you get to the bottom, you're put against the clock and have to scale your way back and with the game's electrifying soundtrack, it makes for an incredibly intense setpiece.

AC3 does fall into the trap of previous titles where the final stretch of the game can just be a tad too brutal. Everything kills you in seconds and requires an accurate onslaught from yourself in order to stand a chance. It's just a touch frustrating, but otherwise this game excels in its mission design.

Just a fantastic entry in a series I'm truly growing to adore. I've got a lot more Gen 3 ahead so I'm happy to see it's off to a great start.