Yet another brilliant installment in the Armored Core series. With over 200 new parts added and over 400 in all, there are literally thousands of combinations possible to build the perfect AC for you.
The point of the game is you're a Raven. Ravens are an elite group of mercenaries hired by the government and corporations to do tasks that are impossible for the average solider or pilot to do. Your AC or Armored Core is designed to fit your personality and interests. For instance, you are a swordsman at heart. What do you choose for your AC? Why, you deck it out with blades and back-up weapons of course! There are also different styles of combat, leg types, and body types.
Gameplay: 10/10
What can I say? Big guns shoot big bullets at big robots that make big explosions. The gameplay is a bit repetitive but fun, if you're a hardcore fan like me, you'll love this game. But, this game is not beginner friendly. The slow beginning movement from the starting boosters and the "have to learn quickly" gameplay gives hard, powerful blows to first comers. Overall, once you get the hang of it, it is very fun, and very addictive. It now even has a first person viewpoint that you can select as well as new camouflage paint schemes.
Graphics: 9/10
The graphics are subtle but in the new Arenas and area maps, they are jaw-dropping. What I noticed when I first played this game was that the game's details were drastically improved. The part designs were even improved and the parts seemed to smooth out, even the blockier looking ones. The area that is out of sight, like when you're in the wasteland, is even less blocky. You don't just see big brown squares in the distance; it actually looks like the far of distance in everyday life.
Sound: 9/10
This game is not to be played at night. The explosive sounds of weapons hitting, the explosions, the boosters, everything is loud. But, that's not always a bad thing. The sounds are crisp and sharp. When accompanied by Dolby Surround Sound or even sub-woofers, the sounds bring this game to life. It makes you feel like you're in the cockpit of your own Armored Core.
Replay Value: 9/10
This game's series has the highest replay value of any game I've ever played. After getting 100%, you actually are unhappy that the game ended. So what do you do? You start over, and rebuild different models, but you end up improving your old models by figuring out what weapons are good and what weapons suck that you might have thought were good before.
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