Armored Core stands as perhaps the strongest reminder that the defining qualities attributed to the Souls series already defined FromSoft's design philosophy a whole decade prior.
AC's credits add greater weight to defeat than a simple loss of progress, but they also heighten the potential windfall that comes with victory - much like the titular souls of the Souls games. Missions are often playfully constructed, sometimes as a joke the player gets to play on the enemies but other times as a joke played on the player. Player builds act as an in-game difficulty slider, and the equipment on offer provides a fun combat sandbox to engage in. The game's narrative is gleamed through logs, emails, and flavor text even!
A game that was so exceedingly ahead of the curve it needed an all-time classic to translate its design philosophy into a form acceptable for the masses.
AC's credits add greater weight to defeat than a simple loss of progress, but they also heighten the potential windfall that comes with victory - much like the titular souls of the Souls games. Missions are often playfully constructed, sometimes as a joke the player gets to play on the enemies but other times as a joke played on the player. Player builds act as an in-game difficulty slider, and the equipment on offer provides a fun combat sandbox to engage in. The game's narrative is gleamed through logs, emails, and flavor text even!
A game that was so exceedingly ahead of the curve it needed an all-time classic to translate its design philosophy into a form acceptable for the masses.