I am a simple human being, I see a new FromSoft sequel announced, I go back to replay the series even though there will most likely be very little continuation to be found.

I greatly enjoyed the first title though. Fantastic vibes. Running through open spaces, on water, grass or sand, or crawling through these corridors of abandoned military facilities, never knowing when something will jump out, or something BIGGER will jump out. Sounds of long-damaged technology, warning messages cutting in and out, clicking of organisms or heavy footsteps of robots filling the silence or the darkness ahead.

I actually really enjoyed the story and the individual moments were just awesome. Two dueling coporations, a destroyed world, underground cities, human experimentation, independent mercenary group, jumping between contracts for groups with different interests, uncovering the mysteries of your own organization, betrayal, the truth about humanity's future. There's a lot of clever missions with little tidbits of information in each, making for great worldbuilding. FromSoft always had it. They even have the Moonlight Greatsword and a group called "Dark Soul" here. Crazy how deep the rabbit hole goes.

Since you spend so much time in the menus crafting your robot, which seemed complicated until I just smashed all the best parts together, I would like for that part of the game to be better. It's just an UI after all. I'd love to not have to buy and resell items every time I realize something doesn't fit. You sell for the same price so what's the point, if I have enough money just let me pick it from the menu and use up my money when I head out for a mission. Second, invest in more music, or at the very least a longer loop. It's not terrible, has its charm and all, but it's just impossible for it to not get annoying after so much time.

And this is a yet another very good game with an awful final level. It's very interesting thematically and if you paid attention you'll be hit with one surprise after another, as well as some existential crisis-type beat, but the actual structure is awful. The amount of precise platforming you have to do in that level is nuts, and the main enemy is so fast that putting it in a room with a lot of obstacles in the way makes it impossible to follow with a camera. Running away is an even less valid option, its damage output is insane. So, cheesing it is, bait it into a hole you come out of or leave out of and spam your strongest weapon for close quarters. Unfortunate, because it's a great finale and would feel super tense if it wasn't so annoying. And they were doing such an excellent job of avoiding all these problems too in each and every level. Blegh.

Hopefully this is merely a blueprint of what's to come, and it turns out that Armored Core, as a series, was truly overlooked and underappreciated at the time. Mecha games are never easy to get into, but the satisfaction from a good mission in this chonky, hard to control beast is sublime.

É mais um jogo de montar robô do que robô se batendo, e não dá pra negar que nesse ponto, o jogo realmente se sobressai. Inicialmente, o jogo parece bem alien, nada é realmente bem explicado para você, os controles parecem mais clunky do que realmente são, e os menus usam termos e abreviações sem falar nada do que significa - um verdadeiro filtro. Porém, com o tempo, as coisas vão fazendo mais sentido, é genuinamente divertido descobrir o jogo, entender como cada peça do robô se conecta e personalizá-lo para fazer mais seu estilo de jogo (e detalhe: a customização é REALMENTE densa), e entender melhor como controlar esse pedaço de metal gigante, que por sinal, é até que bem lento. O que falta pra esse jogo realmente funcionar melhor, é uma câmera decente (sério, mesmo depois de se acostumar com os controles, a câmera ainda atrapalha bastante, o campo de visão é bem pequeno, e é terrível de controlar isso, tanto verticalmente quanto horizontalmente) , e missões realmente boas. Me parece bem claro que o foco mesmo é em montar o robô, como falei, as missões servem mais pra construir o loop, que se resume em:
Vai na missão -> pega dinheiro -> compra peça -> testa o robô -> volta pras missões pra pegar mais dinheiro.
Mesmo assim, sinto que o loop funcionaria ainda melhor se as missões em si fossem melhores. De início, elas são curtas, simples, e variadas, o que funciona, mas também não chega a ser tão interessante. Com o tempo, elas vão exigindo cada vez mais, e isso é ao mesmo tempo bom e ruim. Porque? Bom, é interessante que as missões exijam mais do jogador, até porque, quanto mais dano você toma, mais dinheiro você perde, então o combate se torna algo importante para o loop de gameplay. Mas, resta um certo ponto: Parece que as missões finais exigem do jogador em pontos que o jogo NÃO faz bem, muito disso por causa da câmera ruim, e pela movimentação do robô. Pelo amor de deus, a última missão tem seção de plataforma, é PÉSSIMO, além disso, alguns inimigos nessa reta final são bem ágeis e exigem uma movimentação bem chata de se fazer com esses controles, a movimentação funciona bem em geral, mas não tanto quando se exige tanta agilidade.

This game was really rough starting off but after I got my bearings with the controls and equipment I started having a lot of fun. I still feel like I was mostly stumbling through the game but those moments of lucidity that had me styling on enemies were really satisfying. The whole game is admittedly really repetitive but I somehow managed to stay engaged. It's probably because of the potential for customization and working towards the next upgrade.

The game could definitely explain things to you better. In fact, it really doesn't explain anything at all. I was diving through guides for a pretty significant amount of time, which likely removed a lot of friction. I'd probably like the game a lot less if I hadn't done so. The last level of the game is insanity and came very close to making me close and just watch the ending. I understood most of the story but it was conveyed terribly outside of emails and mission descriptions.

Had some fun. Will consider playing the sequels.

Played on: PS1 Emulator | Completed main Story

Game context is taken into consideration for the ratings.

Gameplay: 3/5 - Controllers are hard to get used to (probably intentional in some way), but one you get the basics and start playing a bit the game gets pretty fun.

Some levels are somewhat repetitive and boring because you end up flying through monotonous tunnels, also the ending is kind of anticlimactic

Narrative: 3/5 - Not really needed for a game like this but the set up is cool

OST: 3.5/5 - Fits the game atmosphere, very enjoyable.

Soul: 3.5/5 - The game is quite immersive, and it feels like it was made with care and passion.

Visual design / Atmosphere / Worldbuilding 2.5 /5: The narrative behind the game has a lot of potential, but most of the scenarios look like some random real life earth place or some generic sci fi space tunnel, It lacks originality.

Nostalgia factor: N/A

whenever i think about "keep politics out of video games" dudes i think of the fact that the most undisputed ftw mecha game series of all time starts with a choice of two missions, which are:

"kill some squatters"
"kill some strikers"

this is not intended to be a nice place (even if it does have reverse joint mecha)

whine about the controls if you like, i won't stop you, but it's my esteemed opinion that they got the feel of piloting a big magic metal dude so right in just this one game that they kept the core controls basically the same for the many many games between this and armored core nexus

absolutely abysmal balancing -- that one secret collectible weapon could beat the whole game if you welded it to a pickup truck -- but that only adds to the charm. you have to think carefully about your build, and often have no idea what the next mission could require. you'll have setbacks, you'll have absolute disaster missions. the difficulty spikes are a feature!

One of the worst platformers I've ever played in my life. Fortunately, you only ever have to platform like, twice.

While I'm no fan of From Software's more popular works, I couldn't help but be suckered in to this thanks to the presence of mecha. I love me some giant robots, and this delivers without restraint. As a budget game on the PS1 that they were able to churn out yearly spinoffs and sequels to, it looks pretty good, with a lot of well made and recognisable models, and a ridiculous amount of ways to physically customise your mech.

As far as story is concerned, there's a fair few layers to it, but it's all mostly in the subtext of the mission briefings and mail you receive. Simply put, it's a post-apocalyptic setting where corporations control the world with their own private armies - stop me if you've heard it before. You're part of the Raven's Nest, a group of mechs-for-hire, mercenaries with no allegiance - not even to each other.

As you pick missions, you might notice some of them conflict with each other - you can choose to help multiple corporations, but depending on which ones you help more, you may stop recieving missions from others. This does lock you out of a lot of missions, but it's all good; once you clear the story, you can play and replay every mission in the game. It's pretty nicely made altogether, and the lack of direct story isn't really a big deal. You play as a mercenary who's doing dirty work for money and mech parts, why would they care about the finer details?

Concerning the gameplay - it definitely attempts to emulate the complicated process of handling a bigass robot. Of most contention, and the main thing that filters players from the offset, are the controls: D-pad moves you forwards and backwards, and turns you left and right (FromSoft wouldn't discover what an analog stick was for quite some time), while L1 and R1 strafe you left and right - very important for combat. The one that I think perplexes the most people are L2 and R2 for looking up and down. It really takes some getting used to, but mastering the controls halfway makes the game a breeze - the other half of that comes from optimising your build.

There's a lot of build options, holy crap. Heads can have different kinds of sensors and radar, even an automap (VERY helpful). There are all sorts of different arms - some are slender and weak, others are bulkier but inhibit the usage of certain weapons, some even have weapons built into them at the cost of equipping your own. Central cores can vary in attatchment spots for optional parts, and there are different targeting computers and generators for your AC's internals that determine how many lock-ons and the amount of power your weapons and booster can hold. Oh yeah, boosters - those things that make your AC fly all around the place because hell yeah, giant robots.

Most important of all, in my opinion, are the legs. There are 4 types: Bipedal, Reverse joint, 4-legged and Treaded. Bipedals are the most mobile but carry the least weight, and Treaded are the total opposite. The weight is the most important, as the legs can only support so much weight. For big guns, you'll need to sacrifice mobility and vice versa. It's ridiculously in-depth, and best of all - all parts you buy can be resold for full price, meaning there's no real risk in selling a part to try out a new one.

So where is the game lacking? Well, the missions themselves are a mixed bag. Some are short and simple and have lots of stuff to blow up, others are longer and a bit of a gauntlet to survive through, and a few are just...really long, slow and virtually empty, especially towards the end of the game. The final mission, in particular - I won't get into too much details for spoilers sake, but holy shit FromSoft, don't ever do that shit again.

Altogether, I enjoyed my time with this game and I think it's a pretty good, if not fantastic PS1 game....just as long as you're willing to learn a very irregular control scheme.

Me diverti jogando, é um jogo impressionante pra data que foi feito e dá pra ver uns elementos que a FromSoftware testou aqui pra aplicar nas suas famosas franquias.

Tem um conceito interessante, customização e jogabilidade bem legais, porém mesmo acostumando com os controles e sendo uma assinatura única do AC me frustra as vezes.

Sinceramente meia estrela a menos por causa da parte - totalmente infernal - dos blocos na última missão que me deu vontade de cometer crimes inimagináveis contra a humanidade.

As one of the many diving into this series after the announcement of ACVI, my expectations were minimal but my excitement was high.

Armored Core is a customizable mech fighting game, featured in a dystopian future where both government and militia organizations are all over the world. You are one of the lucky few joining the Ravens, a for-hire mercenary group going wherever the money is greenest. Not much to say past that, other than it's a masochistic, self-fulfilling cycle of fighting, repairing, earning, only to flip it right back on customizing your sweet, sweet mechanized suit of armor.

If you're familiar with the Souls Series, Fromsoft's breakout mega-hit in the last few years, you'll see parallels between the companies modern-day hits and this very first endeavor into early gaming. There is minimal hand-holding in this game, prepare to be fighting for your life from the get-go with the mindset that you will learn through dying.

Armored Core even in its first iteration is a fantastic game, but the controls are something to be aware of. Created in the era of PS1 gaming, this game wasn't created with Analog Stick support. That's right baby, nothing but the good old left and right bumpers for strafing, D-PAD for turning + moving forward and backward, and the LEFT AND RIGHT triggers for LOOKING UP AND DOWN.

Insanity, however I just forced myself to look at it as the first mech's made by humanity in the AC timeline being harder to control and getting easier as the technology gets better. I have no idea if that tracks as I haven't looked into any of the future games at all just yet, but it definitely helped me deal with the ridiculous controls.

Anyway, I'm tired of writing this review, the games idle screen has been playing on repeat for about 15 minutes now and let me say, definitely check out the music in the "DEMO PLAYING..." cinematic because my god does it slap.

The first Armored Core is a classic mecha game that like most From Software games at the time, sort of went under the radar but was revolutionary in many different aspects. Shoji Kawamori of Macross fame conceptualized the game's customization system and mech designs but it's definitely much more gritty than in his other works. Especially considering if you are a mecha fan at all you'll noticed the immense amount of influence Ryosuke Takahashi (Dagram and Votoms) has in the story and world for the franchise as a whole. Even if you don't know any of the names I'm spitting out this game can basically be considered one of the more important pieces of media that push the "realistic robot" genre in cool ways.

This game has a badass, late 90s house and techno soundtrack as to be expected from most banger games in this era. A stark contrast to the rest of Fromsoft's catalogue at the time but something to note as even though this game has a dark, omnipotent vibe to it, it makes the game feel more fun and hype than one might expect at first glance. Something that you do have to understand though is that this game is definitely a product of its era and as such it can be a tough game with controls that require some getting used to. This sentiment can be applied for all three versions of Armored Core on the PlayStation 1 and about half of the games that would release on the PS2.

However that does not detract from the fact that if you can get used to it, this game is actually quite fun despite its clunk. Something that pretty much every Armored Core game offers is replayability and this one is no exception. There are two branching routes which will give you different missions and flavor text for missions. Of course being the first game in the franchise the mission and story variance isn't amazing by today's standards but quite honestly it still suffices well enough to be engaging.

Just like all Fromsoft games there's a hidden kind of narrative this game shares to its players. It's definitely not something super in-depth in this entry unlike more modern titles but especially in regards to this game's ending (which is probably one of my favorites in this series) it definitely adds a lot of nuance to this game that's easily recognizable from the offset. This game has a neat little personality and it's really memorable because of it. Even though this game is much simpler than later games, it still carries a lot of the depth of the franchise's well-known core features and more. It's just in a different sense than you maybe expecting. Whether or not you're into mechs I still consider this something you should at least give a shot, it definitely stuck with me for a long time even as a little simple game.

All in all, if you like to blow shit up and feel like a tactical genius who pilots an awesome looking brick you'll love this game. Have fun!

Glorious TPS Mecha game showcasing how well deserved the franchise pedigree is. Holds up neatly to this day even to a fresh pair of eyes and thumbs. It's certainly a product of the era of games where analog controls were technically available but conventions yet to be established, the controls are the first thing a modern player must come to grips with, and would probably smack intimidating to a fair and broad enough audience. That said, it actually feels more intuitive than first impressions. It only took 2 or 3 missions past the first encouter to start "clicking".

The intimidation factor is compounded by an immediate wealth of parts for your customizable mech (What this series is known for), and the seeming insurmountable wall all the stats and specifications represent toward carving out the way you want to make shit blow up with your mech. The wall however is thin, with just a bit of effort in the garage and a liberal use of the save feature, you can boost your way into the tunnels and find your "way" pretty triumphantly. The first sets of missions give you enough variance in enemy types and stages to help leave you questioning your decisions, but don't ramp up enough in difficulty to discourage ongoing experimentation. All the while incised by a manic electronic chiptune OST that's rarely ever raucously grating, and otherwise lauds plenty of catchy well-fitting bangers.

They really set the bar high for a first installment with such exciting, high intensity gameplay. It's the kind that leaves you craving for more and more missions, a watermark of the era this game existed in. It pretty condfidently outclasses the story, as formsoft saw rightly fit to leave it as a tingle in the back of your head while sew your destruction. It's definitely serviceable, and leaves enough to the imagination to keep one guessing (Something fromsoft seems to have standardized on in all their titles), but its dangerously close to forgettable in some spots. I think its because it can get jumbled by missions seemingly randomly dropping off the list upon completion of others where as some seem to be related and propose a binary option. The ending was enjoyable in its tension, but was very abrupt in a lot of senses. Part of it might have just been me wishing for more buildup and more missions, but the other part definitely the reveal I couldn't divine a HINT of during the game. That aside, fantastic freshman title and great starter entry to display what the franchise wound up being all about: Find a bunch of ways to blow shit up with your own custom Mech.

I think this game holds up fantastically for the most part. This is my first armored core experience. The game is exceptionally well realized in all fronts. The mechanics building is intoxicating. I love how mechs can feel so different depending on your build. I ended up building up a behemoth that shrugs off hits and destroys enemies in seconds. But the challenge came in when I had to adapt to fast moving objects. My mech couldn't dodge very well as it didn't have boosters. But it made up for it with a ton of health and the best weaponry I could ask for. Succeeding in this game is about selecting the right missions that take advantage of your mechs strengths. And as you do, you uncover a nightmarish post apocalyptic dystopia. Mission logs, emails, and surprise happenings tell the entire story. It's immersive and very well told. I loved bits where you make rivals depending on the missions you do, or missions where you can take either side of the conflict. The mission variety is overall pretty good. The game also has a unique system where ammo and health is taken out of your cut. So I had to really think smart in my ammo consumption to get more money for my stuff. Because of my build I ended up getting into a lot of maze-like combat missions, which suit it well, but I wish despite the variety, there was a little more going on in some of the levels. I know that this game has a pretty beefy selection, and depending on the missions you play, you could experience a whole other side of the game I couldn't. Which is fantastic. My only complaint about this game, and it's a pretty big personal one, is the final mission. I'm not gonna spoil the happenings of it, it's really cool storytelling. But for my mech, it was an absolute nightmare. Like I said, my mech was a heavy death machine. It's not really great at platforming. But the final bit forces you to partake in one of the most obnoxious platforming segments I've ever played. Enemies knocking me down takes away minutes of arduous climbing where my mechs heavy odd weight and the camera were really getting in the way. After finally getting up, you are forced to do more climbing and fight an insanely difficult enemy that will just eat you alive. I ended up using save states after a while (I was playing on the PSX Core on MiSTer FPGA), which I usually don't do. But I'm glad I did, because if you fail, you get the wettest fart of an ending and have to do the level all over again. It was a real gauntlet. And I might recommend that if you have a build like mine, get another set of legs that will accommodate your weight, and boosters that will last. Otherwise you are gonna go through hell. I think despite all that, this game is still a massive success that's really ahead of its time, and most importantly, gave me a unique experience that was unlike anything I've ever played. Just expect a learning curve. Save after every mission, as the penalty for losing is steep and you can't replay missions that you fail. It's good to reset if you screw something up and think you can do better or focus on another mission. Keep this all in mind and your in for a great time.

Good concept, but i feel like it's too easy to find a build you just vibe with and never have to change your mech afterwards which is kinda weird (i basically didn't change anything about my build around halfway through the game) and seems like it goes against the idea behind the game. The controls suck but once you get used to them it's like passable, it's not good but it's playable

Also that last level was fucking horrendous it's genuinely one of the worst thing i've played through the game loses half a star just for it

O início de uma das minhas franquias favoritas, fico muito feliz de ver o quão bem essa estreia envelheceu, mesmo ainda assim não sendo uma porta de entrada tão sólida quanto o 2 ou principalmente o 3. Armored Core sempre foi minha franquia de mecha favorita, eu gosto muito da abordagem mais "simulação" que ele tem fazendo a via contrária de jogos de mecha mais arcade como Gundam, do looping de gameplay, do ritmo do combate e, principalmente, da vasta profundidade de possiblidades e experimentação que o sistema de customização permite.

Logo no "tutorial", você já dá de cara com a maior barreira que as pessoas têm ao se adentrar nos títulos mais clássicos dessa franquia... os controles! basicamente funciona igual King's Field, movimentação de tanque no D-pad, L1 e R1 pra andar em linha reta para a esquerda e direta, e L2 e R2 para olhar para baixo e para cima respectivamente. Parece papo de maluco, mas sério, depois que você se acostuma, essa movimentação acaba se entrelaçando perfeitamente com a abordagem mais simulação que a From buscou alcançar aqui. Óbvio, os combates não vão ser super complexos e mirabolantes, mas a profundidade vai acabar ficando justamente nas minúcias como a gestão dos equipamentos do robô, o fato de você ter que pagar por munição gasta, se preocupar com o peso, gasto de energia e mobilidade dele..etc

O game tem uma estrutura muito simples, você completa uma missão, ganha pontos, compra equipamentos e repete esse looping ao desenrolar das suas 45 missões. Falando das missões, no geral elas são bastante consistentes e variadas, o que torna o looping de gameplay pouco repetitivo e maçante. Outra coisa que ajuda aqui é o jogo ter uma duração muito boa, eu levei basicamente umas 11 horas para completar tudo, e no geral, duração e consistência é uma das coisas que essa franquia quase nunca erra mesmo.

Sobre a customização, é aqui o ponto mais alto desse jogo, e provavelmente da série AC inteira, tem uma variação enorme em todas as categorias de equipamentos, e sinto que o primeiro AC é um dos mais balanceados e que mais recompensam a experimentação. Eu mesmo usei 3 builds diferentes na minha jogatina, uma mais pesada com foco em armadura e combate a distância, outra mais leve com foco na mobilidade e confronto direto, e por fim, outra usando uma armadura de peso médio os braços com canhões de plasma embutidos (AW-XC5500) e obtive ótimos resultados com todas as três.

Falando brevemente da história, basicamente todos os jogos têm a mesma premissa, a população da terra foi dizimada por algum motivo e as pessoas que sobraram tiveram que se mudar para outro lugar. Nesse aqui, houve um cataclisma causado por uma guerra, então as pessoas que restaram acabaram por habitar os subterrâneos do planeta por cerca de 50 anos, e durante esse tempo duas corporações gigantescas muito poderosas e altamente tecnológicas, a Chrome e a Murakumo, disputavam a soberania, e o nosso personagem é basicamente um mercenário que faz missões para ambas as empresas, inclusive dependendo de qual corporação você se aliar mais, o final acaba sendo diferente. Infelizmente nada sobre a lore é muito plausível ou interessante e ambos os dois finais não possuem impacto nenhum para os jogos seguintes.

A ambientação é provavelmente o aspecto mais datado do jogo, infelizmente os cenários envelheceram muito mal. Nada contra os gráficos poligonais do psone, inclusive eu gosto muito da estética de vários jogos dessa época, mas no caso de AC1 é tudo bem genérico e desinteressante, além de vários lugares serem repetidos. Contudo, a parte artística compensa na trilha sonora, que toca excelentes batidas eletrônicas de IDM diferentes, algumas puxando mais pro lado Ambient Techno, Acid Techno e Downtempo e outras mais Industriais. Algumas faixas parecem ter sido tiradas diretamente de algum álbum do Aphex Twin haha.

Em suma, é uma estreia bem sólida que envelheceu super bem e já acerta em vários conceitos que foram criados aqui, apesar de não ser uma porta de entrada tão boa quanto o 2 ou o 3. Pra quem nunca jogou, eu recomendo começar pela build que eu vou linkar no final da review, que é mais balanceada e focada na mobilidade e na economia de munições.
https://www.reddit.com/r/armoredcore/comments/e8tjfa/meta_build_order_and_part_prioritization_across/