Armored Core 4

Written by Troy Matsumiya  on February 09, 2007

First Impressions: Get ready for some more mech mayhem.

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Armored Core 4 marks the franchise's amazing 10-year anniversary and first foray into the next gen (despite the У4Ф in the title, the game is actually the 12th in the series). Armored Core has long been a mech fan's staple on the PS2, and so fans will be happy to learn that AC veteran From Software is once again back at the helm to quench our thirst for giant gun-totin' robots.

Although mech games are often considered a УnicheФ genre, AC4 will try to change that with an increased emphasis on fast-paced action. This is in stark contrast to Chromehounds, From Software's most recent mech title, which typified the genre's niche appeal with its often agonizing slow pace and complex customization options.

AC fans will notice a considerable mix of old and new. The story goes back to the franchise's origins as humanity is trapped in oppressive colonies run by six mega-corporations who effectively rule the world. You will play as a mech Ц or Armored Core Ц pilot in the Raven resistance and attempt to free your fellow citizens by blowing the crap out of big-assed robots.

You will be able to affiliate yourself with one of the six corporations, each specializing in unique AC characteristics like tougher armor, more powerful weapons, state-of-the-art technology, faster speeds and so on. Choosing your loyalties could be a very important decision since this will also determine which ACs and parts will be available to you. As in Chromehounds and previous AC games, you will have a ton of customization options ranging from weapons (machine guns, rifles, cannons, missiles, cluster rockets, huge melee blades and many others that can be mounted on arms, shoulders and even your back), legs (biped, inverse, four legs or treads), boosters, countermeasures, assist parts like radar, the new Primal Armor defense shield (which adjusts its strength according to battle conditions) and so on. You can tinker with specific attributes of parts by using special upgrade chips, and can even create your own custom paint job and decals. Parts will be unlocked as you progress or can be purchased with cash earned after every mission.

Chromehounds fans and loyal AC players will no doubt go giddy about the deep customization options, allowing you to create an AC that perfectly fits your own unique playing and aesthetic style. With new categories containing hundreds of new parts, the garage should be a gear-head's dream come true. However, From recognizes that this can be intimidating for casual players or those new to the series, and so will let you choose from up to 30 preconfigured ACs to make things easier.

Gameplay will be fast and furious thanks to the AC's Quick Boost and Over Boost rocket boosters which allow you to quickly zip around opponents, dodge incoming fire or rapidly fly across the map. In fact, AC vets should notice considerably more action and speed over previous iterations, which can only be a good thing. This will no doubt be a huge relief to Chromehounds players who were often in danger of falling asleep by the time their sluggish Hounds reached the battlefield.

The ACs not only move fast but even look fast when they're standing still. Unlike the purely functional industrial designs of Chromehounds, ACs have got style, resembling sleek robotic samurai warriors that are rendered in impressively high detail thanks to the brand new game engine. The environments are very attractive and are quite varied, with missions taking place in towering metropolitan cities, shimmering open water, snow covered tundra, forests and sandstorm-ravaged deserts. Better yet, the environments will be destructible so when you're not shooting enemy ACs you can teach some damn annoying buildings who's boss. Especially eye-catching are the beautiful explosion, fire, smoke, particle and lighting effects which look better than Chromehounds Ц which itself was pretty darn impressive so that's saying a lot.

The single player campaign will stretch across 37 levels consisting of search and destroy, escort and defend missions. The Simulation Battle mode will have you fighting tough AI ACs in what is essentially a training mode for online play. Multiplayer will support up to eight players online in deathmatch and team deathmatch only; disappointingly, there will be no CTF, Battlefield-like Conquest or anything else other than these two. The game will support two-player split-screen and System Link for those who are not online, however.

PS3 owners will also be disappointed to learn that AC4 will not support Sixaxis motion control; apparently, From tried it but felt it was inappropriate for the gameplay mechanics and so dropped it. Sure, it would have been nice to have but it will be a good trade-off if it means better control and gameplay without it.