Armored Core V Xbox 360
User Score
7.1 out of 10

Mixed or average reviews- based on 27 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 19 out of 27
  2. Mixed: 1 out of 27
  3. Negative: 7 out of 27

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  1. Chabuduo
    Mar 21, 2012
    10
    Obviously, the game has its faults. FROM Software has been known to make some frustrating games. That being said, it was almost the fact that I have had such an amazing time with Dark Souls that I bought this game, and I am very happy that I did. While it has a steep learning curve, I found that playing with my friends, unlocking equipment and making my AC better has been a real blast, and has definitely scratched my Chromehounds itch. I like the slower pace; back to the roots of the series.

    If you want some amazingly fun giant mech multiplayer, be sure to get this title -- don't get it for its singleplayer. Learning, while frustrating at times, is so rewarding. Be sure to give this one a chance, you won't regret it.    … Expand
  2. Wataru2001
    Apr 3, 2012
    9
    This game is amazing and a "10" *IF* you are the following player: 1) Love Mech "Simulators," endless tweaking and customization for your vehicle, and love a trial-and-error kind of game-play. 2) Enjoy playing a game without any hand-holding. Love experimenting with how things work and what things do without being told with simple, clear step-by-step tutorials. 3) Interested in playing against human opponents in a massive online battlefield, and continuously re-adjusting your strategy and mech-builds to stay competitive.

    If any of the listed items interests you, definitely give Armored Core V a shot. It's essentially the spiritual successor to "Chromehounds," meaning the game is all about online combat, making adjustments to your mech so its a better war machine for next time, and coordination with your clan/team to achieve the objective. For those who have friends (or are willing to make new ones) this game offers limitless possibilities to gameplay. Working as a team and changing your strategy on the fly is one of the joys this game has to offer, with several interesting player-vs-player mechanics. The game also as a long "scenario-driven" setting that keeps players coming back day after day as their clan/team struggles to defend terrorities or conquer new lands, making each battle you win/loss actually matter.

    But this game is also unforgiving, often frustrating, and not very helpful in teaching players what they did wrong when they die. Like any good "simulation" game, this game is all about the numbers. How you build your mech will directly impact how you will perform on the battlefield, and not understanding what each stat does can be extremely frustrating.

    Finally, there is NO real single player in this game. There's a collecting of "story" missions available to play that poorly tell the background story of the war that's going on, but it's more of an after-thought than an actual campaign. Likewise, the Story is difficult, and often you should recruit human "mercs" to assist you when you complete it. If you enjoy playing alone, this is not the game for you.

    The best review quote I've read that describes this game is, "It's Forza for Mech Lovers." This game is as much a simulation as it is a game. But also, Armored Core V was made by the developers of "Dark Souls," which makes it relentless and unforgiving. You will die in this game. A lot.

    If all of those things sound pretty good to you, this game is easily a 10. If you're more interested in a casual game that you can enjoy at your own pace (and without other players all trying to kill you) this game is more like a 6.    … Expand
  3. purgat0ri
    Mar 21, 2012
    9
    The main thing you should ask yourself when considering Armored Core V is "am I a 'hardcore' gamer"? I know it's a somewhat generic and vacuous term, so let me fill in the details a little bit: are you the sort of gamer who finds complexity and a steep learning curve off-putting, or do you thrive on them? If the latter is true, and you have any interest in the giant mech genre, then you shouldn't pass this game up. The game isn't going to score well with mainstream critics, or mainstream gamers, but everyone else will appreciate the incredible amount of depth Armored Core V brings to the table. The online, in particular, is very nearly revolutionary, with only Chromehounds offering anything comparable for the console.… Expand
  4. Xborn74
    Mar 20, 2012
    6
    Well ... The opening CG is fantastic, ultra-realistic like the opening of the other games, you don't know if it is a CG or a real movie sometimes... but that's it.

    I did not like the game, it has the same scheme of controls of the other franchise games (which I never liked too much anyway), and now with smaller robots, they are not so mobile (even your thrust is limited compared to the pr    evious versions of the franchise), the graphics are good, but there are a lot of things at the same time on the screen, with same colors at the same time, with some occasional graphics issues, and looking closely, sometimes there are simple textures that try to hide in between all the mess.

    The animations are cool between phases, made with the game engine ... Of course the high point beyond the opening, is the design of the robots, which is more raw and mechanical, like real war machines (Mechs), and not the Gundam style, and this, as we know, is one of the characteristics of the franchise.

    You have two main weapons, one on each arm and shoulder, and uses a tactical vision that differs in color, and that is used to detect and analyze data. Of course, the personalization and customization is ultra-detailed, you can change anything you want in your Armored Cores (from every single part, to every single aspect of the color of it), but it's so much, that it somehow loses the fun of it... I'd rather do a Mech in a Auto CAD that would be more fun and more rewarding.

    The songs are great, now the voice-overs ... I'll tell you, it seems that every woman has the same voice, at least a few other main characters have more charisma and are better voiced. In the effects department, they are are adequate with the action on the screen... when switching from combat mode to scanner mode, you have the same nagging voice announcing that, over and over, and over... for God's sake, do not know how many times I hear it.

    The story is also a little confusing, honestly it's kind of hard sometimes to know where to go (the scanner helps a lot in this) and what is happening, listening to the dialogs. The majority of the game passes in urban scenarios, with many building that you can't even climb with your initial thruster...

    I hope the online mode, which is the "differential" of this game version, is better... - My score: 6.6 / 10,0 - I liked "For Answer" and "Armored Core IV" more.    … Expand
  5. MegWhiteley
    Mar 21, 2012
    7
    Good game, have some mistakes, for example it's same like the other Armored Core games, but that's okay, I believe that can be better, this Armored Core is good, for play if you dno't have other game.
  6. SpartanEdge
    Apr 2, 2012
    4
    Like all the other AC games,If only the actual game was anything remotely like it is in the CGI bits... Your supposed to be in a big robot.A walking tank.So why are you skating,zipping & flying all over the place like a ninja!? Unfortunately i'm still waiting for my perfect Mech game,with a tactical,considered pace,thats as much about squad commands,positioning & damage/systems managment than anything else.The Core customisation tantalises at the depth this game could've had,but as soon as you start playing,any sense of all that evaporates as quickly as the Cores themselves.The Co-Op is good though,& definately something to build on,if they can get the actual gameplay right.… Expand
  7. Jaez
    Apr 5, 2012
    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
  8. kremeovsumgai
    Mar 27, 2012
    8
    This game is not a AAA offering, but it doesn't mean that it isn't good. It has the clunky mech feeling from the earlier games, and it's not as accessible as IV. You won't be sniping bros or mashing quick time events. If you like mech games, enjoyed the earlier offerings of the series, and don't like hand holding, then this is the game for you. Once you get the controls, figure out the customization, and devise some strategy you will find that this game has a lot to offer. Personally, this is my favorite ac since the first one. It's a solid game at best, and it will be enjoyed best by fans or willing newcomers.… Expand
  9. UberGrav
    Apr 16, 2012
    10
    Armored Core V is probably the best Mecha-style video game ever made. If you cannot play it online then you are missing out on the real fun of the game, for sure. Armored Core has always been a game franchise whose ethos is rooted in two things: 1.) ultra competitive online play and 2.) hundreds of hours worth of customizing your Armored Core, or AC (i.e. Battlemech/Mobile Suit/Arm Slave, etc...pending on your discourse for robo-facebeating). AC5 is an exception to this in one major way: it also offers a seriously awesome cooperative function! Looks like From Software realized after Dark Souls and Demon's Souls that online cooperative mixed with pvp is the way to go! The decal/emblem creation function is the best in AC5 out of all AC games; my ACs are all amazing looking, and they each handle totally differently. The ability to tailor an AC so that it can fit any number of play styles or missions is unbelievably effective. AC5 introduces a streamlined system of parts integration in which parts actually effect each other's performance like "amp" traits in RPG style games. Certain heads can amplify the power and speed of your boosters, for example. It's really cool. My favorite AC games were AC3 and AC3 Silent Line, which both featured very difficult controls; however, the controls in AC4 did a lot to simplify the gameplay, for new players--honestly I think they did too much. AC5 is the perfect blend of simplified and advanced controls; anyone can pick it up and play effectively immediately, but with time it is possible to get really good with the controls to the point where the player's piloting skill actually matters; you could put two people in the same build of an AC, but the veteran player will have a slight advantage--that's how it should be. AC5 draws a lot of flack for its short missions. Every AC ever made has had short missions, except AC4 which had slightly longer missions; if you are entering the franchise from AC4, then AC5 will feel very quick. Here's what you should notice about AC5: 1.) there are almost no load times ever 2.) the pvp is only quick when people play rush tactics; advanced players will not do this, and protracted pvp battles in AC are amazing--when you're almost out of ammo and it comes down to a blade fight it is like OMG sick 3.) the game is more about the fun of building uber competitive ACs for either coop or pvp than it is about playing single player missions; if you're thinking about it as a single player game, you're probably not thinking about it in terms of getting an "S" rank in every mission. Single play is not about winning, it's about winning in the most insanely difficult way possible, and if you can do that, the game rewards you with awesome parts, and a lot of team points [multiplayer wager currency] 4.) it's awesome when you network play with friends, and the 8-10 [total] player team pvp is extra cool when your buddies are sitting right next to you. If you haven't ever played an AC game, AC5 is a great place to start. I vote you should go buy a copy. NOW.… Expand
  10. an_ill_wind
    Mar 24, 2013
    9
    As singular an experience as Dark Souls, and one as well crafted too. The multiplayer on this game is the future. FromSoftware, these guys are the next wave of great game creators.

Critic Reviews

All reviews »
Metascore
68 out of 100

Mixed or average reviews - based on 37 Critics

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 14 out of 37
  2. Mixed: 20 out of 37
  3. Negative: 3 out of 37
  1. Armchair Empire
    Jun 13, 2012
    65
    The process of building mechs then testing their mettle on the battlefield is Armored Core V's strongest element, but with another showing like this if there ever is a sixth Armored Core, the longtime mech franchise may be dishonorably discharged.
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  2. Gaming Nexus
    Jun 11, 2012
    67
    Armored Core V is big, explosive and full of good ideas. Too bad the game is nearly incomprehensible. Thankfully the game's strong online component and roughly one hundred levels make up for some of the learning curve problems, but don't go into this game looking for an easy ride!
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  3. GameFocus
    May 12, 2012
    60
    Armored Core V is not for brand new gamers. The single player is shameless because no one else can see your inexperience, but newbies will get eaten alive if they try to join a team of seasoned AC vets.
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