1. Jaez

   10

   The Best Armored Core game so far. Those who love the mech action genre is gonna love this game. Front Mission Evolved should have been this game. If only Squeenix chose From Software instead of crappy Developers... Anyway, this game plays so much like the old school AC games, which is great. Gone are the flying dual rifles, missile spamming days of AC4/FA. Now, you need to think tactically to flank your adversaries. Great Team online play and customizations options. -- Veteran of AC games since AC: Project Phantasma.… Expand

   • Helpful? 3 of 3 users said Yes.
2. obliviondoll

   8

   There are two reasons this game is short of a 10/10 rating from me, and each is major enough to cut a full point away. One is the separation of North American and European servers. The other is the game's lack of mass appeal - it's very clear this product is targeting a specific niche, and while it offers that target market almost everything, it's not even remotely fun for most players outside that core group.
   
   I live in New Zealand, and our local copies of the game connect us to the European servers. I'm literally on the opposite side of the world from almost everyone I've faced, and while there has been visible lag in a handful of matches (literally 4 or 5 of the DOZENS of online matches I've played), it's NEVER been severe enough to actually influence a battle. I've seen an incredibly fast-moving target teleport ALMOST the width of their mech in a worst-case scenario so far, which means literally nothing in the context of even the most precision-sensitive weapons.
   
   As for the gameplay itself, the full freedom to reassign EVERY function in the game to a different part of the controller means that you can create your own control scheme EXACTLY the way you want. At first, I started with minor tweaks to the default controls, then adjusted a few more things as I got more in-depth into the game. Even after settling on a basic control scheme, there are a couple of tweaks I use for different builds, since each AC (the name for your mechs) handles VERY differently, and emphasises different functions.
   
   Previous games in the series allowed players to "fly" as long as their AC's energy reserves held out, with the most recent releases, AC4 and For Answer, making "permaflight" builds a common sight. Those two games also made lightweight ACs significantly more durable than previous titles, where you had to sacrifice armour even more than firepower to get the fastest mechs. In this, and some other aspects, ACV is a return to the roots of the series. A good lightweight AC pilot can run rings around a less-skilled pilot with a heavy AC, but if you make a mistake, you go down fast and hard. LIkewise, a good pilot with a heavy AC will bring a lot of firepower against even fast-moving targets, but if they can stay out of the line of fire, it doesn't matter how big your guns are.
   
   As every fan knows, customisation is the most important aspect of the series, and this game has done it justice. There are multiple types of arm, leg, core and head, along with generators, boosters, and FCS. In addition to all these options, up to 5 weapons can be equipped, with up to 3 available at a time. While Japan is 2 patches ahead of the rest of the world (and about to get another), there are some balance issues that need to be addressed, but there's still a lot of variety if you avoid the obvious overpowered weapons.
   
   ACV has also expanded on the balance between physical and energy attacks, by dividing damage into 3 types, Kinetic, Chemical and Thermal Energy. Each body part on an AC provides a different amount of protection against each energy type, as well as a different amount of AP, or armour points (which are your health). High resistance to enemy attacks will reduce the amount of AP lost with each hit, so having lots of AP isn't always the most important thing. A good balance of AP and resistance to the right energy types for your opponent can be the difference between victory and defeat. I've won dedicated blade matches by bringing a KE damage physical blade when my opponent's AC was built with high TE defense in expectation of a laser blade. The same can be said of bringing a CE weapon like a Battle Rifle when the opponent thinks you'll have a Gatling Gun that deals KE damage, or vice versa.
   
   The AI in the game can be pretty dense at times, with some of the lower-level AC pilots doing incredibly stupid things like shooting at you through walls. A few of the bosses are similar, but more often by "telegraphing" their attacks and giving the player time to find cover before firing super-powered weapons you otherwise wouldn't have a chance against. Most of the tougher enemies are less likely to do this, but they tend to be quite predictable, and once you understand an enemy's patterns, it becomes a little too easy to beat them. It would have been nice to see at least a few enemies who change their build based on your recent history, or at least react differently based on how your machine is assembled.
   
   In addition to the less-than-impressive AI, the game's single player story is lacking - there's the groundwork for a GREAT plot, but they never really delve into it, and while there are some clever moments worthy of any mecha anime, they're usually short on the context necessary to make them work.
   
   Overall, the game is impressive, but flawed, and it really is only suitable for players who want to focus on both building and piloting highly-customisable giant robots.… Expand

   • Helpful? 0 of 0 users said Yes.
3. Sushin

   7

   Armored Core has become something of a fan franchise. Anyone coming in from the outside probably won't have as much fun and will be a lot more aware of the flaws the game has. Let's ignore the franchise and treat this game as it's own.
   
   First of all, the combat is, at first, confusing. After a few hours of playing though, any regular gamer should have a good grasp of the combat, and it's actually pretty fun and good. You get to keep trying out new weapon and suit combinations with it's vast amount of mech customization. A bit after that, however, things get repetitive. You will be going through the same several maps fighting a bunch of "bowling pin"-esque enemies. They will stand there and wait for you to come before they all attack you in a predictable fashion. Fighting other NPC pilots in more duel like situations is always fun though, because they behave more differently based on how they are equipped. That is only the single player, however. I haven't tapped into a lot of the online play, but essentially, you will be playing this game online even throughout single player. If you buy this game and expect to ONLY be involved in you vs the AI, don't even bother getting it. It will get boring fast. I don't fancy myself a competitive gamer, ready to join a clan and do matches with my team, but I will say joining a team and doing some co op with strangers has been fun. The PVP isn't bad either from the bit of it I've played.
   
   All in all, this is a great game for people who like the more complicated details of mechs and yet can be pleased with relatively simplistic PvE. It's fun if you let it be, but if you don't particularly like mechs and you expect an easy to play enthralling game, just don't get this title.… Expand

   • Helpful? 3 of 3 users said Yes.
4. n1ner6er

   2

   Really unhappy with the direction this game took the series in. The speed is gone, maneuvering your robot is a chore, buying new items is confusing and the visuals are sub-par--textures on the mech models are muddy.… Expand

   • Helpful? 0 of 3 users said Yes.

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