Post by angelzeromatt on Dec 28, 2008 18:44:12 GMT -5
Welcome to the Real World - Episode VIII
Name: Armored Core 4
Console: Xbox 360 (owned), Playstation 3
I have to admit, I'm not so much a mecha fan but I started out my dealings with anime and the like from Voltron, Robotech, and Gundam Wing. When I heard about a game where you could play mechs some-odd years ago, I was very excited. The excitement was short-lived however. The Armored Core series is very notorious for its horrible difficulty curve, heavy customization, way too many stats, and being an all-around action mech video game series. The first game to hit the newest generation, Armored Core 4, seems to have rectified certain problems in that aspect. In any case, on to the review.
Story: 7/10
The game begins as defining you as the "Raven" from previous Armored Core installments, an AC (short for Armored Core, the machines) pilot who somehow survives a great many cataclysms and remains a pilot without a second thought. This time around, you play mercenary for a colony named Anatolia that desperately needs money. The actually story starts off with a narration from a guy who sounds like Captain Picard (oddly enough, the guy playing him is from the Star Trek series). Looking past that, he narrates as if looking back on the past and retelling the story as he knows it between chapters.
During chapters, you get to take on missions that put you against certain companies in some cases and then taking out rebels and terrorists the next. Assisting you is an operator by the name of Fiona, a woman whose father researched new types of ACs known as Nexts. As you play through the chapters, Fiona is more astounded by your abilities and regrets forcing you to fight in battle. The culmination of the game's story comes when you fight an unknown AC that has attacked Anatolia and left you cut off from Fiona. Then, apparently, she steals you away from Anatolia and the old guy narrating says he let it happen because he felt like it.
While I've often found the Armored Core stories rather interesting in certain cases, Armored Core 4's story seems to be recycling some of the old while not quite bringing anything new. The many companies in charge of the world reminded me of Silent Line's story, except with AC4, you don't know who exactly is giving you which missions. Overall, the story is mostly the same as every other game in the series, but then again what is there to change to make it better?
Gameplay: 9/10
The greatest hindrance to the series was mainly steep difficulty curves. At the beginning, without tutorial, you were given a few sparse missions that would put you against some non-AC machines called MTs which look like the chicken-walker things from Star Wars. After that, you were stuck with taking a single mission that led you to an AC that was nearly impossible to beat without previous gameplay or access to a bottomless pit of money.
AC4 has rectified the mission problem by making the mission selection a lot more simple. All missions available are optional unless they are highlighted red or say "end of chapter #". While it's suggested to do all missions before you end a chapter or take on a red mission, it isn't a bad thing to skip one or two missions you can't handle at the time.
Difficulty has also been lowered to a decent level, especially considering there are two difficulties for missions. Alongside that, when first starting, you get to choose between several pre-made ACs to start with: a heavy weapons, a sniper, a melee, a balanced, and a lightweight machine. Not only does it show you the machine and explain what it does, it even tells you the difficulty level of picking that machine.
The usual Arena has been removed and replaced with a Simulator section that involves data packs of certain well-known ACs (usually 3 to a pack, sometimes 4 or 2). Fighting them individually gets you their schematics and some money, but completing a pack gives you more money, parts, and sometimes more data packs. The battles tend to be fairly easy, though, considering all you need most of the time is a back missile part and relation missiles on the shoulders.
A downside to the gameplay is that certain missions are fairly easy and other missions seem to beg for a very specific AC build in order to get a proper rank in the mission. Also, hard mode adds on extremely difficult enemies and tasks to certain missions. While not modifying ammo, damage, or anything else, Hard Mode adds extra enemies or changes certain mission traits, like removing assistance. Basically, you should only attempt Hard Mode if you're hardcore or want to get more achievements.
Music/Sound: 8/10
Usually a big crutch for Armored Core, this installment has some pretty good music going for it. Especially the ACSIS theme (a.k.a. the Garage). Music is often quite evoking of certain feelings, and there's a special "Holy crap!" theme when something big happens or is going on. Though, for Simulator battles, it picks a random mission track to play. Luckily, the 360 can play music off a flash drive while not removing the game's sounds so that problem is quickly solved.
Presentation: 8/10
I'm never sure what to put in here because it seems a bit like a "fill in random stuff here" place. Anyways, Armored Core 4 gives you a taste of story between chapters while random commentary from Fiona before and after missions fills smaller gaps in as well. Other than that, very action-packed and explosive.
The game's progression is steady and, while certain missions tend to be a pain in the butt, promises plenty of exciting mech action that can border on insane but rarely on annoying... Unless you're doing hard mode missions... Or you're just bad at it.
Overall: 8/10
While normally I would take Armored Core games right to below the C-range of grading, I found myself genuinely enjoying AC4. The new control scheme and easier gameplay left me feeling quite pleased and happy when I finished the game, instead of tired and frustrated like with the others. I was also able to quell my sniping spirit with this game, seeing that most games tend to never give snipers a second or good look. Customization is still a big part in gameplay experience and can cater to the player's tastes or the needs of specific missions.
I recommend this game to anyone who is a mech fan and would like to play a good mech game. While it can create frustration on certain occasions, the game is playable and possible to beat... On normal, at least. If you're just starting the Armored Core series and don't know the other games' difficulty, play a friend's completed save file with one or two normal missions then immediately go to a Hard Mission. Any one of them is fine. You'll get the idea how AC4 is really a large improvement on its predecessors.
Name: Armored Core 4
Console: Xbox 360 (owned), Playstation 3
I have to admit, I'm not so much a mecha fan but I started out my dealings with anime and the like from Voltron, Robotech, and Gundam Wing. When I heard about a game where you could play mechs some-odd years ago, I was very excited. The excitement was short-lived however. The Armored Core series is very notorious for its horrible difficulty curve, heavy customization, way too many stats, and being an all-around action mech video game series. The first game to hit the newest generation, Armored Core 4, seems to have rectified certain problems in that aspect. In any case, on to the review.
Story: 7/10
The game begins as defining you as the "Raven" from previous Armored Core installments, an AC (short for Armored Core, the machines) pilot who somehow survives a great many cataclysms and remains a pilot without a second thought. This time around, you play mercenary for a colony named Anatolia that desperately needs money. The actually story starts off with a narration from a guy who sounds like Captain Picard (oddly enough, the guy playing him is from the Star Trek series). Looking past that, he narrates as if looking back on the past and retelling the story as he knows it between chapters.
During chapters, you get to take on missions that put you against certain companies in some cases and then taking out rebels and terrorists the next. Assisting you is an operator by the name of Fiona, a woman whose father researched new types of ACs known as Nexts. As you play through the chapters, Fiona is more astounded by your abilities and regrets forcing you to fight in battle. The culmination of the game's story comes when you fight an unknown AC that has attacked Anatolia and left you cut off from Fiona. Then, apparently, she steals you away from Anatolia and the old guy narrating says he let it happen because he felt like it.
While I've often found the Armored Core stories rather interesting in certain cases, Armored Core 4's story seems to be recycling some of the old while not quite bringing anything new. The many companies in charge of the world reminded me of Silent Line's story, except with AC4, you don't know who exactly is giving you which missions. Overall, the story is mostly the same as every other game in the series, but then again what is there to change to make it better?
Gameplay: 9/10
The greatest hindrance to the series was mainly steep difficulty curves. At the beginning, without tutorial, you were given a few sparse missions that would put you against some non-AC machines called MTs which look like the chicken-walker things from Star Wars. After that, you were stuck with taking a single mission that led you to an AC that was nearly impossible to beat without previous gameplay or access to a bottomless pit of money.
AC4 has rectified the mission problem by making the mission selection a lot more simple. All missions available are optional unless they are highlighted red or say "end of chapter #". While it's suggested to do all missions before you end a chapter or take on a red mission, it isn't a bad thing to skip one or two missions you can't handle at the time.
Difficulty has also been lowered to a decent level, especially considering there are two difficulties for missions. Alongside that, when first starting, you get to choose between several pre-made ACs to start with: a heavy weapons, a sniper, a melee, a balanced, and a lightweight machine. Not only does it show you the machine and explain what it does, it even tells you the difficulty level of picking that machine.
The usual Arena has been removed and replaced with a Simulator section that involves data packs of certain well-known ACs (usually 3 to a pack, sometimes 4 or 2). Fighting them individually gets you their schematics and some money, but completing a pack gives you more money, parts, and sometimes more data packs. The battles tend to be fairly easy, though, considering all you need most of the time is a back missile part and relation missiles on the shoulders.
A downside to the gameplay is that certain missions are fairly easy and other missions seem to beg for a very specific AC build in order to get a proper rank in the mission. Also, hard mode adds on extremely difficult enemies and tasks to certain missions. While not modifying ammo, damage, or anything else, Hard Mode adds extra enemies or changes certain mission traits, like removing assistance. Basically, you should only attempt Hard Mode if you're hardcore or want to get more achievements.
Music/Sound: 8/10
Usually a big crutch for Armored Core, this installment has some pretty good music going for it. Especially the ACSIS theme (a.k.a. the Garage). Music is often quite evoking of certain feelings, and there's a special "Holy crap!" theme when something big happens or is going on. Though, for Simulator battles, it picks a random mission track to play. Luckily, the 360 can play music off a flash drive while not removing the game's sounds so that problem is quickly solved.
Presentation: 8/10
I'm never sure what to put in here because it seems a bit like a "fill in random stuff here" place. Anyways, Armored Core 4 gives you a taste of story between chapters while random commentary from Fiona before and after missions fills smaller gaps in as well. Other than that, very action-packed and explosive.
The game's progression is steady and, while certain missions tend to be a pain in the butt, promises plenty of exciting mech action that can border on insane but rarely on annoying... Unless you're doing hard mode missions... Or you're just bad at it.
Overall: 8/10
While normally I would take Armored Core games right to below the C-range of grading, I found myself genuinely enjoying AC4. The new control scheme and easier gameplay left me feeling quite pleased and happy when I finished the game, instead of tired and frustrated like with the others. I was also able to quell my sniping spirit with this game, seeing that most games tend to never give snipers a second or good look. Customization is still a big part in gameplay experience and can cater to the player's tastes or the needs of specific missions.
I recommend this game to anyone who is a mech fan and would like to play a good mech game. While it can create frustration on certain occasions, the game is playable and possible to beat... On normal, at least. If you're just starting the Armored Core series and don't know the other games' difficulty, play a friend's completed save file with one or two normal missions then immediately go to a Hard Mission. Any one of them is fine. You'll get the idea how AC4 is really a large improvement on its predecessors.
