A rollercoaster of emotions for this title, this is by far the most extensive and testament to the player’s adaptability. The back of the case tells you all you need to know. Fuck the politics and narrative, just do Raven stuff. Exactly that is done!

Right off the bat, you’re given an AC and 100k, this is excellent as there’s way more leeway on what to do build wise, like using moderate cost shell weapons if you’d like.

At the beginning, there’s very few missions you can do and very simple ones at that. The further it goes, more areas open up, newer parts, old areas finished earlier now have quests to do and so on. Some areas fully focused on being water battles, outside battles, or exploring deep ruins. I love this as there’s a real encouragement to change your AC for the missions and areas. Some missions you outright can’t beat due to your boosters being too weak is like tank legs can’t be used. Near the end of the game, I had so many leg parts just in the garage and not even sold in case I had to switch. The menu mania stays, but the gameplay here is PACKED.

There’s great amount of fan service in this title as well, most popular being the post game content and experience a true struggle on the final mission. I would go as far to say it’s the hardest boss battle I’ve ever experienced in gaming yet, so many times I had to go back to drawing board and think about what I can optimize. I find the entire process fun, even if frustrating, if I’m getting my cheeks beat. I tried out melee, light, heavy, quad, full rocket builds, you name it, I probably tried it out nearly every build imaginable and it’s all thanks to this game.

If you love the fundamentals of Armored Core and want that normal Raven experience, this game is for you for sure.

Reviewed on May 30, 2023


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