Armored Core For Answer Review

Back In Time.

We put From Software's latest entry into the Armored Core franchise through the grinder.

Dylan Platt |

October 9, 2008

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The last time I tried an Armored Core game was late 1997.  I was 13 years old and had rented Armored Core, the original, for the PlayStation. I enjoyed the game quite a bit, but not quite enough to devote any of my limited gaming budget to securing my own copy.  Still, I kept my fond memories of the game in the back of my mind, and for the next ten years I kept the Armored Core series on the periphery of my interest. When each new title released, I'd debate giving it a shot, but it would always lose out to another game I wanted to try just a little bit more. This year saw the release of Armored Core: For Answer, the thirteenth series installment, for Xbox 360 and PS3, and I finally decided to give the series another shot.

For Answer, like all past Armored Core installments, pits the player in control of a heavily armed giant robot, aka Armored Core or AC for short. The mercenaries who pilot these walking tanks are known as 'Lynx�, and serve as the primary combat force in a resource war between various corporations that have assumed control of the world. The player can accept missions from any faction they see fit, therefore using any profits they occur over time to customize their AC. Completing missions for a given faction improves your status with that faction, which grants you access to more challenging (and more profitable) missions. Scenarios can consist of a variety of goals and objectives, but usually amount to variations of either a) kill all the enemies, b) destroy a specific target as quickly as possible, or c) eliminate as many other mechs as you can before times expires. You can also compete in Ordered Matches, which pit you one-on-one against another AC; victory allows you to move your way up the AC rankings (which grants access to more difficult missions among other things) and lets you use the defeated pilot's AC, if you so choose.

The game is split into two parts. During missions you'll pilot your AC through each stage fighting enemies; 'Normals' are your standard run-of-the-mill opponents, 'NEXTs' (enemy ACs like yourself) will follow immediately after and are noticeably stronger, and eventually you will encounter the uber-superior 'Arms Forts' (giant walking fortresses) who are especially formidable. Your AC is well equipped to fend off most opposing forces, however: in addition to your offensive payload, you've got a variety of boost, jump, and dash jets that let you dart in and out of combat and cover large distances easily, while at the same time firing off hundreds of missiles seamlessly. The action is quick and explosive, and brings to mind the countless giant-robot animes of the last three decades, which will immediately comfort those who enjoy them.



But in between missions is where you will spend a lot of time customization and outfitting your ride, and the list of options here is honestly immeasurable. All the money you earn from missions can be spent on a wide variety of upgrades, weapons, and moving parts ' there are literally hundreds of customizable pieces to choose from, and there's a multitude of statistics to consider following each change: every part has a weight, energy requirement, and offensive or defensive bonuses, just to name a few. Weapon customization is just as deep, too ' you've got your choice of standard guns (rifles, shotguns, machine guns, all giant-robot sized, of course), laser weapons, missiles, rockets, and even energy swords, each with particular benefits and drawbacks. You can even tailor your own custom paintjob, color schemes and patterns on each part. You can even add your own specialized emblem to top it off. The customization elements of the game can get pretty intimidating, especially when compared to the relatively straightforward third-person action during the missions, but it's this eclectic combination of spreadsheet fine-tuning and twitch, arcade-style action that brings the Armored Core fanbase coming back for more.

The game's far from perfect, though.  For starters, it suffers from overly complex controls ' you've got three buttons to attack with (plus the three-button combo that activates your super-attack), two buttons to switch between various weapons, four different ways to boost, and that's just for starters. Not helping matters is the cluttered and complicated menu system, which makes it tough just to figure out how to adjust the controls to your liking ' the separate options are buried three screens deep in one of the game's two opposing menus, so it can take some time just to find a level of personal preference. The game's atmosphere mostly consists of one of two different backdrops (vast, barren-like outdoor areas or complex indoor labyrinths), both of which have a familiarity to them that results in staleness after a while. The game's biggest flaw, though, is its dated design and structure ' I was able to immediately jump into For Answer with very little trouble, because it's virtually identical to the original Armored Core that I played over ten years ago.

At least they've updated the game's presentation, though. Visuals are downright impressive: ACs and enemies are detailed, articulated robots, who animate in a way that really conveys the weight and power of these colossal machines. Environments (despite lacking significant detail at times) are sometimes gorgeous, especially during desert missions or while flying over bodies of water. Particle effects are plentiful and impressive, and when the screen fills with huge explosions, streaking missiles, and boosting ACs, the game becomes a real treat to look at. For Answer's also got an awesome soundtrack that alternates between symphonic scoring and Japanese rock, which never fails to keep the energy level high.



For series fans, the biggest addition is the game's online co-op mode. Versus matches were introduced last time around, and they're still here (and fun), but for franchise fanatics, the ability to team up with other players and tackle missions side-by-side will make the game worth purchasing for that reason alone. Bringing a buddy along makes for easier missions, but it also means splitting the reward, so there's some strategy involved in deciding whether or not to ask for help on any given stage.

It's hard to fault For Answer or the series in general: they accomplished what they set out to do very well ' it's just that the series is very niche in nature to begin with. It feels like a cop-out to say 'If you like Armored Core, then you'll enjoy For Answer�, but that's really closest to the truth. On the one hand, it's an intensely-fun shooter, and anyone who admires the genre will appreciate the action here. On the flip side, it's incredibly deep and complex, and it's not significantly varied from any of the previous titles in the series. Veterans will be overjoyed with the new design parts and bevy of options available, but newcomers will often feel confused and overwhelmed at times. If you're prepared to make the commitment in figuring out the complexity of a title like this, For Answer can be quite entertaining at times. If you're looking for a quick robot action fix, you'd be better off looking elsewhere.