Armored Core 2

Review

by Jon Thompson

Armored Core. If fans of the mech genre don't crack a smile at the very mention of the name, most of them must at least grin inwardly at the thought of the rampant customization and giant-robot destruction the series has to offer. From Software has developed a nifty little niche for itself in the console world for mech fans that don't have access to or want something different than Mechwarrior or Heavy Gear. There's furious combat involved, one-on-one duels with other cool machines, and it doesn't hurt that the game lets you design your own robot from the ground up.

And so comes the sequel, Armored Core 2, the first mech game out of the gate for the PlayStation 2. The graphics are prettier, of course, with the ACs more defined and arenas more complicated, but that's to be expected, given the extra power of the console. Armored Core 2 should please both fans of the genre and those casual gamers looking for something new in their steady diet of console-game uniformity.

The presentation in Armored Core 2 is compelling. When you first enter the single-player game, you're given a short training mission that you must pass, and while the AC pilot assigned to help you out doesn't do much, you'll quickly get used to the controls (or at least as used to them as you can get, but more on that later) and once you pass, you're off to Mars. Once there, you're taken to a screen where you can choose your destination. You can accept missions, customize your mech, fight in the arena, and read your e-mail, in which most of the plot is delivered to you. It's a neat trick, and although this isn't the first game that has used that gimmick, its implementation and the great voice work involved make the mail interesting.

Customization is also great fun, and will probably be a highlight for many tinkerers out there. The options aren't unlimited, but the number of different bots you can build is well into the 100 thousands, with the ability to put on different arms, legs, heads, chassis, cores, weapons, and more. Want to focus on brute power? You can do that. Want to make your mech light and quick? No problem. Want a decent balance of all your systems? Go right ahead. This process might take awhile, but it is one of the game's biggest strengths.

The Arena, likewise, has a number of mechs that, despite not having much of a story behind them, are so cleverly designed that they exude personality -- you really get the sense that you're part of something more as you look over the list or go into battle with them. Likewise, the different missions are varied and many are pretty distinct, making them a decent experience.

If you've ever played the original Armored Core, you will be immediately familiar with the controls for this game, because they're almost exactly the same. And while it was forgivable for the original to have the questionable mech-moving capabilities, since the series was still a work-in-progress, the sequel should be able to do better. The mechs are not as responsive as they should be, the targeting is oversensitive, and on the whole, the process of combat sometimes becomes more of a hassle than a good time. It's curious that since the game goes for an arcade feel, there isn't a quicker, more functional engine. Given what's available out there in such games as Virtual On: Oratorio Tangram, it's a pity that Armored Core 2 isn't more functional and exciting.

Those problems, however, can be overcome with patience and replay, and while that might be an annoying facet, they don't serve to ruin the experience. The whole package makes the game more than worth it, especially for fans of both the series and the genre.