I tend to think I have pretty balanced tastes. I love all kinds of games, all kinds of comics, all kinds of movies, etc... However, I've come to learn over the years that I really love mechs. This love was solidified after playing Armored Core: For Answer. I'll review that one some day, but for now, let's look at the origin of the series all the way back on the PS1!
First off, I set the controls so that moving is handled by the d-pad and aiming by the face buttons. This could've had an adverse affect on my experience if this was a conventional shooter, but Armored Core locks onto enemies for you, meaning you only have to aim close enough to the enemies to hit them in most cases. It ultimately wasn't hard to adapt to considering this.
As stated before, Armored Core is fairly unique, and most people probably wouldn't care for it that much. The main appeal is the customization of your ACs. You can make big ones, quick ones, add some tank treads or quadrupeds, give it machine gun arms, paint it like your favorite Gundam or Eva Unit or whatever else, all sorts of stuff. Even if later entries expand on this, the original still nailed this core part of the series, no pun intended. It strikes a good balance between challenging the player to experiment with their loadout and still giving the player tons of freedom. A significant part of the game, at least for me, is just spent properly preparing for missions, and this is why I say that this series isn't for everyone. But for me? Nah, my inner autist adores this.
However, there are some issues with gameplay for sure. While there is a lot of level variety, far too many take place in repetitive labs where you kill the same kinds of enemies. Later games realized that mechs being outside was more fun and logical, but the developers didn't get the memo here with many missions.
On the customization side, you can't actually see stats for weapons before buying them. The names are also pretty confusing. Instead of just calling the sword a sword, they have to make it a bunch of letters and numbers. It definitely puts a damper on customization and can waste some time. However, the game wisely lets you sell back parts for the same price you buy them.
If you worry that such is a bit forgiving, don't worry. The game is plenty punishing. You see, upkeeping your cool mech is quite expensive. Your ammo and repair costs can impact your finances significantly, especially if you fail the mission. Just like in Animal Crossing, you can go in debt if you're not dedicated to constant saving and resetting! If you're really down on your luck, you even end up being sent to a lab and experimented on, which ends up giving you cool new abilities. You do have to start from square one, but this difficulty system is really neat, and one of the few ways this series actually feels accessible.
The story of Armored Core is interesting. Most story is just told to you through mission briefings and emails, but I rather enjoy it regardless. You're ultimately a gun for hire called a Raven who takes the highest bidder to avoid debt and build your cool robot. Oftentimes that means killing strikers and causing general mayhem at the behest of warring corporations. Yeah, uh... if you hate doing mean things in videogames, this one's not for you. It's not like this game's story is brilliant or anything, but it's good enough. It has hints of commentary between the missions. Such things as the economy of war, the established system, etc... It's moreso setdressing than anything, but the effort is appreciated.
All in all, I did really love this one. But I think it's time I play another Fromsoft title I've long been rejecting. One with a more supernatural theme. That's right, next time I'm playing Echo Nights! See you then!
First off, I set the controls so that moving is handled by the d-pad and aiming by the face buttons. This could've had an adverse affect on my experience if this was a conventional shooter, but Armored Core locks onto enemies for you, meaning you only have to aim close enough to the enemies to hit them in most cases. It ultimately wasn't hard to adapt to considering this.
As stated before, Armored Core is fairly unique, and most people probably wouldn't care for it that much. The main appeal is the customization of your ACs. You can make big ones, quick ones, add some tank treads or quadrupeds, give it machine gun arms, paint it like your favorite Gundam or Eva Unit or whatever else, all sorts of stuff. Even if later entries expand on this, the original still nailed this core part of the series, no pun intended. It strikes a good balance between challenging the player to experiment with their loadout and still giving the player tons of freedom. A significant part of the game, at least for me, is just spent properly preparing for missions, and this is why I say that this series isn't for everyone. But for me? Nah, my inner autist adores this.
However, there are some issues with gameplay for sure. While there is a lot of level variety, far too many take place in repetitive labs where you kill the same kinds of enemies. Later games realized that mechs being outside was more fun and logical, but the developers didn't get the memo here with many missions.
On the customization side, you can't actually see stats for weapons before buying them. The names are also pretty confusing. Instead of just calling the sword a sword, they have to make it a bunch of letters and numbers. It definitely puts a damper on customization and can waste some time. However, the game wisely lets you sell back parts for the same price you buy them.
If you worry that such is a bit forgiving, don't worry. The game is plenty punishing. You see, upkeeping your cool mech is quite expensive. Your ammo and repair costs can impact your finances significantly, especially if you fail the mission. Just like in Animal Crossing, you can go in debt if you're not dedicated to constant saving and resetting! If you're really down on your luck, you even end up being sent to a lab and experimented on, which ends up giving you cool new abilities. You do have to start from square one, but this difficulty system is really neat, and one of the few ways this series actually feels accessible.
The story of Armored Core is interesting. Most story is just told to you through mission briefings and emails, but I rather enjoy it regardless. You're ultimately a gun for hire called a Raven who takes the highest bidder to avoid debt and build your cool robot. Oftentimes that means killing strikers and causing general mayhem at the behest of warring corporations. Yeah, uh... if you hate doing mean things in videogames, this one's not for you. It's not like this game's story is brilliant or anything, but it's good enough. It has hints of commentary between the missions. Such things as the economy of war, the established system, etc... It's moreso setdressing than anything, but the effort is appreciated.
All in all, I did really love this one. But I think it's time I play another Fromsoft title I've long been rejecting. One with a more supernatural theme. That's right, next time I'm playing Echo Nights! See you then!
DeltaWDunn
1 year ago