This is the worst game I have ever played. But also the game that reminds me games are art and they are experiences as much as any other art form. Weird comment right? It's weird but this game uses it's faults to it's advantage knowingly or not knowingly, maybe subconsciously? This is also a game that impossible to get rereleased in this "modern", "sensitive" times with it's grotesque/violent/disgusting content. Let me explain:

This game have the worst broken combat mechanics in the square enix catalog(I mean from what I played from them this is the worst one). I mean the ground combat part. Not the dragon riding part(there is a ace combat like free dragon riding missions that actually works). Ground combat is broken because: There is a guard button for example, it's also a lock on button and it's just doesn't work and does it's own mind and keep changing it's locked enemy itself without your request??, there is a dodge button and it's satanicly designed to change your camera view without your request and destroy your flow!?. Attacks are boring and repetitive with there is only one 3x combo with optional explosion attack at the end. Also there is magic that does a room kill move or a protection buff(depending on your weapon). There is multiple weapons and playable characters that feel the same with only difference is their range, magic and damage values. Also not just that, you can't play on easy to cheese the game if you want to get all the endings, because last ending is exclusive to side content completion that can only be done on normal difficulty. Do you want to know what is side content completion? Getting all the weapons in the entire game that have satanistic requirements like, do this mission but on 2 minutes! Or kill 500 enemies in 50 minute. Or find that hidden enemy in the shitty arena that is impossible without a guide. Sounds fun? No. It's not.

But also story is genius with going insane with the same pace as the player, you go insane as the story go insane. You do messed up shit, as the story does messed up shit. You somehow connect to characters in a spiritual level? Now for those who don't know, this game have probably the darkest characters and the darkest story Yoko Taro wrote in gaming (actually mangas are on another level to the point of torture p#rn but that's beside the point). To explain myself, I want to give the beginning of the story.

Game starts as the main character fights against an evil empire to protect his sister, but gets injured and finds a injured dragon like himself. To live, he does a pact(something like sharing life force I guess?) with the racist dragon that hates humans but wants to live as well. Then after we continue slaughtering the enemies and arrive at our sister's place. Then we get a cutscene that shows the main character Caim stabs a soldier over and over and over again even tho soldier is dead already. Then we realize, the character we play as isn't sinless as the enemies we fight. He is a pyschopath.

And the story continues. You go insane, characters you play go insane, story goes insane, enemies become more grotesque, hope disapears, despair inflicts and you start to connect with the game. A cycle that goes to infinitum. A repetition that never ends. Characters that are maniacs. Disgusting violent actions you take to progress.

And in the end, you just want characters to kill more and more. Because you are a psychopath yourself now aren't you?

Because. You. Are. Insane.

Fantastic video game, my favorite of the PSX Armored Core games now!

Campaign is great, as good as the first game. Music is great. Customization is as great as always.

What turns this game from a 9 into a 10 is the Ex. Arena mode which takes up disc 2. I had SO much fucking fun doing all the challenge ladders, especially the one where you fight against mechs made by, and represented by, From Software employees who worked on the game.

It was hard for me to choose this over Armored Core at first, but that Ex. Arena mode was wild as hell and definitely a memory I will keep with myself (and whoever saw it on my twitch stream) for a long time.