Beaten in spirit, not technically (put a pin in that).
As a remaster, barebones. As an original Xbox mecha game with proto-Armored Core 4 controls? Pretty damn fun.
It has some poorly explained mechanics (how investment works isn't really explained in an understandable way) but the core gameplay of fuckin up shit is just enjoyable on such a primal level.
It has some wild difficulty spikes (battleship level and Liberty Island level say hello) but once you have two of the top-tier energy chainguns you can just farm Arizona for an hour and never need to worry about money again.
The writing and voice acting are top tier kitsch, with everyone clearly enjoying their ridiculous lines. Especially the actor for Richard Hawk who is loving every second of playing an over-the-top villain.
The musical score is great, with the main two contributors being FROM's own Kota Hoshino supplying some nice rock jams and contractor Shohei Tsuchiya doing most of the soundtrack. Tsuchiya in particular does all or the majority of the unlockable tracks which are almost all bangers. "Boku no Moku" especially.
Back to the pin. I say beaten in spirit because I basically got to the end. However both times I was either close to finishing Liberty Island, something bad happened. First my computer's hard drive died completely. Then the PS4 kept crashing on victory. My copy is clearly cursed, and I dare not tempt fate.
In closing, I will leave you with one of the strongest quotes I've seen in a piece of fiction recently, from the ending to the Chicago level of this very game:
"I looked up, and saw God. And you know what?
"God is made of steel."
As a remaster, barebones. As an original Xbox mecha game with proto-Armored Core 4 controls? Pretty damn fun.
It has some poorly explained mechanics (how investment works isn't really explained in an understandable way) but the core gameplay of fuckin up shit is just enjoyable on such a primal level.
It has some wild difficulty spikes (battleship level and Liberty Island level say hello) but once you have two of the top-tier energy chainguns you can just farm Arizona for an hour and never need to worry about money again.
The writing and voice acting are top tier kitsch, with everyone clearly enjoying their ridiculous lines. Especially the actor for Richard Hawk who is loving every second of playing an over-the-top villain.
The musical score is great, with the main two contributors being FROM's own Kota Hoshino supplying some nice rock jams and contractor Shohei Tsuchiya doing most of the soundtrack. Tsuchiya in particular does all or the majority of the unlockable tracks which are almost all bangers. "Boku no Moku" especially.
Back to the pin. I say beaten in spirit because I basically got to the end. However both times I was either close to finishing Liberty Island, something bad happened. First my computer's hard drive died completely. Then the PS4 kept crashing on victory. My copy is clearly cursed, and I dare not tempt fate.
In closing, I will leave you with one of the strongest quotes I've seen in a piece of fiction recently, from the ending to the Chicago level of this very game:
"I looked up, and saw God. And you know what?
"God is made of steel."