Armored Core

Description

In 1997, a title appeared on the console gaming scene that brought a fresh breeze to the mech fighting game genre and started a long and successful franchise. That title is Armored Core from FromSoftware, best known for their later Dark Souls series. Although this is one of their early games, we can already see the germs of the innovative design and complex gameplay the studio would become known for.

In the game, you take on the role of a mech pilot, called Raven, who freelances for corporations in a dystopian world devastated by war. The story isn't chosen perhaps to be the focus of the game, but rather as a backdrop and motivation for each mission. Still, it is interestingly presented and has a few surprises to motivate you to keep progressing and improving your skills.

One of the most notable features of Armored Core is the extensive customization options for your mecha. You have a wide variety of parts at your disposal, from main weapons to support systems to different types of legs and torsos. Each part has specific properties and stats that affect the performance of your machine. This allows you to build your mech to suit your play style, whether you prefer speed and agility or brute strength and heavy weapons.

Armored Core's gameplay is dynamic and damn challenging. Missions take you into a variety of environments, with tasks ranging from infiltrating enemy bases to protecting allied troops to fierce battles against other mechs. The economy system is also a typical feature, forcing you to consider your actions carefully as repairs and new parts don't come cheap. This financial component adds another layer of strategic thinking, pushing the game beyond mere action.

Graphically, the game may not feel like a marvel of its time, but its purposeful and functional mech and environment designs still deserve recognition. The game's audio, including robust sounds of gunfire and explosions, adds to the atmosphere and helps immerse the player in the feeling of intense combat situations.

Armored Core is a game that draws you in with its depth and complexity. Its emphasis on strategy, customization, and thought will provide hours of entertainment as well as a serial reason to return. It's a title that laid the foundation for a series with many sequels and inspired other games in the genre. If you're a fan of mechs or just love tactical action games, Armored Core should definitely not be missing on your gaming shelf.