Gaming Target - PlayStation 2: Armored Core 2: Another Age

Written by Chris Reiter on September 05, 2001

Full Review: More than meets the eye...

As the Armored Core series progresses, I am amazed. Five straight years in a row an Armored Core game has been spewed out of the Lion's mouth. Each time, the game proves to still be the most hardcore, fan based, automation combat game: dedicated to giving gamers what they really want in a series of robot against robot.

I had not even heard of the series until my close friend introduced it to me. He's one of those guys who only play a certain set of genres. And usually, he plays some really old games. It just so happened one of the games was Armored Core: Project Phantasma. Phantasma is the second game in the series. "Second game?" you ask. See, even though there's been five straight years of five different Armored Core games, really, the majority of them are expansions to the original. In other words, each time a new Armored Core AFTER the original in that one set is made, the game becomes an expansion. Armored Core (1997); Armored Core: Project Phantasma (1998); Armored Core: Master of Arena (1999); Armored Core 2 (2000); and lastly Armored Core 2: Another Age (2001) are the entire lineup of games in the series so far. Notice after the first two "Armored Core" titles, there's a subtitle afterward. Thus, the theory of evolution in expansion packs for Armored Core.

Getting back to the review here...I'll tell you, the game's different. The only story line given to the popular robot series is that, well...you're a Raven. Ravens are hired mercenaries to pilot giant robots. You're paid to help out in destroying company affairs. Basically, as a Raven, you're like a guidance counselor. Greedy, large corporations in the future rival against each other, hiring people like you to handle their dirty work. Whoever is the highest bidder is all the more guaranteed to win the war of the bots.

Through the game, you're able to create a robot in your own image. Of course, this metallic image naturally comes with some hundreds of parts available at your very whim. The kind of parts one such as yourself can add to your creative design, consist of: head parts; some with radar, some without, some that can lock on to human life forms, etc. There's leg parts; these comes in different shapes and sizes for carrying little weight or a lot...they can be rear jointed types, tank types, or even humanoid. There's also back parts; you're able to attach either weapons or radar parts...some of the weapon attachments are missile launchers or even gattling guns. And even arm parts make the list (two types of arm parts involve either the actual humanoid arm itself, or sometimes, your arms can be transformed into two giant lasers; machine-guns, etc.). Building the ultimate preference of robot can take hours per day to complete missions, while gaining money, and further buying new bigger and better parts.

While there are literally too many weapon parts to count from the list, the actual gameplay of using your robot is rough. Turning one of the giant androids in a complete circle can usually take some time to complete. And while enemies are bombarding you with missiles, you'll still be sitting there...rotating, waiting to turn around to face them and fight back. The gameplay can further detract from a really great experience when each robot feels too slow. Some leg parts attached will allow for a faster moving robot, however. The catch, though, is that you won't be able to use heavier weapons, due to the fact that the legs themselves can't carry much weight. Here's where the skill of being able to select certain parts and play around with your robot for hours comes into place.

Although the control resulting in stiff awkwardness lessens the fun of the game, some features, like the jet packs and weapons on your machine bring in a lot of the fun. When experimenting, with adding variations in parts to the robot, will also change the overall effect of the performance. If you were to enable an energy weapon, for example, then the energy bar on screen will drain while in gameplay. Other objects like the boosters on your back use energy too. So most of the time you've got to watch and try out different things, finding out which parts work the best for you. No robot design is ever perfect. Pretty much, robot designs are only great because the game gives the player mounds of preferences. It's up to you, the player, to experiment with them.

If you hate how the controls work, at least the graphics make up for a lot of those flaws. Visually speaking, everything in the game has strict detail. The weapons each have a realistic look to them; the robots impress in futuristic fashion sense, and even little details like explosions and smoke trails behind a missile help out in the long run. Each year as a new Armored Core title is released and certain new features enhance the game even further. One of the new little implements added to the game this time, are changes like the weather effects found in certain levels. Such effects like fog or rain really bring out the detail in combating. I sometimes dislike how enemies are too over done. For instance, when in mission mode, you'll have to fight the same type of mindless robot, again and again at different times. The missions never really change much from having to defend a company by battling one type of android, or attacking another company by fight yet again the same type of android by the barrel full. Repetitive, yes, but at least battling enemies at times can be a challenging work of art.

Listening to the game's music may be even better than actually playing through it. The music is weird. Sounds of explosions, totally believable gunfire, and even trance-like music swallow gamers in whole with the DJ stylings behind the world of the Core games. The best treat of all is the opening sequence; where in each new Armored Core game, gamers get to see what's in store for an interesting and fresh FMV. While there's an almost total lack of FMV (Full Motion Video) in the game as a whole, the beginning sequence shines the most. That is because the Armored Core tradition, as I can see it from playing every single Core game, is that their opening movie is one of the most important and fantastic parts to any Core title. Your eyes will unveil its glory, while listening to the great new tunes in the background, and watching the kick ass graphics.

The next Armored Core couldn't be without new features. Truthfully it isn't. One of the best creations ever in a robot game (being brought to players everywhere in this game) is the use of the two-player mission feature. What I mean is what I said. Two players are now able to enter missions together and complete the game together simultaneously. Want more? Well, you can also connect two consoles side by side with an i-Link cable for even more multiplayer frenzy. The two-player battle mode has also come back. In it, players can go head to head against each other, loading in already saved creations to see which robot is really the most lethal of all. If you have saved Armored Core 2 data already on your PlayStation 2 memory card, you are able to load in your past data, now by using it in the new game. What's bad about the game's features though is that AGETEC had announced before the game came out that there would be no online feature where you and friends online can go at it. So really, the only bright side to the game is the new two-player mission options, which of course is good for families or friends, but terrible for single players without a brother, sister, mom, dad, or even a friend to play the game with (Hey, it could happen).

I was also shocked, and very disappointed to find out that the Arena battle mode has been completely removed from the game's interface. The previous two titles (Armored Core: Master of Arena and Armored Core 2) had an option where you would be able to fight against boss-like robots to see who the real champion of the game is. Wow...not only does the single player experience lack in battle mode, but it also entirely takes out battles against some of the hardest opponents in the game.