Ah, yes. Armored Core. The Gran Turismo of "mech" franchises. There are many who claim to love games involving big robots, but have shied away from the Armored Core franchise because of the complications of actually having to build that big robot. It's one thing to be able to take control of a wicked cool mechanical masterpiece from the very start, like in say, Zone of the Enders 2, but it's another to have to build up a 'bot from scratch and actually have to succeed with it.
That's why the Armored Core series, much like the Maximo franchise, is one that is generally only loved and adored by those who tend to appreciate difficult games. Armored Core 3, the latest in the series from developer From Software (someone needs to tell them that that's a horrible name for a software developer) doesn't veer away from its “big robot simulation” game. In fact, the third installment is almost identical to its predecessor, Armored Core 2.
As petroleum jelly is often referred to as the brand name “Vaseline” in the household, so it is that most big robots are often referred to as “mechs” by gamers. But the name “Mech” is actually copyrighted, and so therefore every big robot game developer has to figure out a unique name for their big robots. Taking after the game's namesake, they're called “armored cores” this time around, or AC.
Like in Armored Core 2, the mercenary organization named “Raven” is sent on missions that predictably lead into a much greater worldwide threat. This time around, it has to do with something called “The Controller”, a machine that touches every aspect of the world. That premise is a way too clichéd for any good to come out of it, and as is the case with mission-based storylines, the plot is given in a very poor way. Basically, the major events in the story are sent via confusing emails from the conflicting forces of the world all trying to advertise their point of view.
But Armored Core 3 isn't about storyline, right? It's about building a phat AC! And this is the aspect where Armored Core 3 is at its best. Almost every robotic aspect imaginable can be built, from the legs right up to the radar antennae sticking out of an AC's head. An improvement above Armored Core 2 is that now an AC can operate even if it is overweight, with the expense of reduced speed in combat. But this is a small price to pay for those who want their AC bristling with too much weaponry. For that matter, weapons can be abandoned mid-battle, at least in the arena and VS. modes. Whatever the case, it's a nice thing to be able to make so many different kinds of “characters” that are totally different from one another in speed, power, style, and other aspects.
The beauty of making a fully customizable, good looking piece of work is not realized until it is actually used in battle. We shouldn't take for granted Armored Core 3's ability to take an AC of ANY shape, color, size, and functionality and apply it into actual gameplay with few hiccups. The missions are an important part of this game, and the idea of bringing up to three completely original robots into battle is quite thrilling. In Armored Core 2, most of the missions had to do with simply blowing everything else away with whatever is on the AC from a very large assortment of weapons. Essentially, all one had to do was make the most powerful, most heavy mech of all and the missions were mostly a cake-walk. This time around, in Armored Core 3, more of the missions require thinking, maneuvering, and speed, forcing the gamer to make at least a couple different styles of AC.
While the missions in Armored Core 3 are definitely improved from Armored Core 2 in terms of scope, variety, and appearance, there are still some major and minor flaws that haven't been addressed. On the major side, the missions are still as confusing as all-get-out, where the purpose, directions, and requirements towards success are quite often hard to understand. Sometimes, the only way to know what to do is to die, and at other times a mission is completed totally by mistake. On the minor side, enemies are still able to shoot one another through opposite sides of a solid wall if they stand close enough to it. This is quite an irritating Armored Core 2 problem come back, because often one's AC has to get next to a solid door in order to open it.
Even though the missions and the battles within those missions don't look as good as the screenshots that came out before this game, Armored Core 3 is slightly improved in terms of graphics beyond any Armored Core game before it. Colors are clearer and not so washed out, the various weapons have brighter and more realistic energy signatures (this is one of the few PS2 games where fire actually looks pretty good, especially when glancing off the shiny armor of another AC), and the boost from jetpacks is lovely to behold. Where things should be angled they are angled, where things should be round they are round, and the different environments actually look different from one another. That's why the battles against drones, machines, and other AC in Armored Core 3 tend to look very good(except for the still weak-looking explosions). When many enemies and allies are on the screen at once and firing on one another like crazy, things do slow down a bit, but this is understandable considering the customization of each AC.
That being said, the ease of fighting(aka looking good) in this game has to do with how well one understands the controls and the customized mech. Every button on the controller can be altered to fit one's tastes, and these buttons will have different effects on what the AC does. There are some people who like a lumbering, slow AC with tank wheels and giant weapons. There are others that like a fast AC capable of dodging and striking before most enemies even spot them on their radar. A game as customizable as this will never have the easiest of controls; there are simply too many factors involved. In other words, this isn't much of a party game at all, where a group of people could just pick up and play. Each new AC will require quite a bit of time of individual practice to effectively use in combat.
But it's a wonderful thing to play another human being with their own customized AC. The arena mode that can be accessed during Armored Core 3's storyline is an interesting way to see the variety of models that the computer produces, but the comptuer A.I. is quite low and the “deadliest” AC can be tricked into exploding within 5 seconds. The true test of this game's worth, the true stretching of this game's customizing muscle is found when playing against another human who has also mastered the controls of their unique AC. For those lucky enough to know someone else with an i.link, another T.V., another PS2, and an extra copy of Armored Core 3, there is even the potential of having an exciting four player battle. Unfortunately, that's a whole lot of hardware just to avoid being online compatible.
The Armored Core franchise will never be something for the casual gamer. It simply requires more thought and creativity than most people want to employ for a videogame. Even Maximo 2 would be preferable to this one in terms of difficulty. There are plenty of rewards, however, for those who are fans of the series and can't get enough of the concept. Upon playing Armored Core 2, there was always the feeling that this concept hasn't quite been polished up yet to its full potential; perhaps a game like this cannot truly be realized until the next generation of gaming hardware. Armored Core 3 proves this point further, by supposedly being an improvement upon its predecessor, yet ending up being practically identical to it in every way that matters.
