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I like blowing stuff up. Let’s face it, 90% of the gamers in the world today enjoy exploding things at the touch of a button from time to time. Something might occur during your otherwise fine day that sets you in a horrible mood. Instead of coming home to take it out on a younger sibling or significant other, we as gamers tend to dive head first into the realm of digital interaction and let loose a few hundred missiles. The satisfaction of total annihilation creates a near perfect release for tension in a world as tough as ours.
Unfortunately, not too many games allow players to go on an absolute berserk path of destruction anytime they want to. For those of you who thirst for blitzkrieg action and massive guns, Armored Core for Answer may just quench your needs. The game, developed by From Software and produced by Ubisoft, follows swiftly in tune with previous iterations from the long running series. While in the past, the games have only appealed to a niche group of fans who practically worship the well established franchise, Armored Core for Answer is determined to break the cult mould and begin a new reign of more widespread appreciation.
Now before I go any further I need to make note that if you are a Y-axis inverted player and can’t play games otherwise, STAY AWAY from this game. I tried to look through every corner of the manual and game settings but was unable to find the option to change the Y-axis setting to invert. Now I’m an inverted player so this game was very difficult for me to play so unless you can bear with normal settings or will wait for a possible patch, I would sadly, avoid this game.
Anyway, from the swift delivery of the opening cinematic, Armored Core for Answer holds nothing back. This beginning video is not only worth watching, but it might be one of the coolest, most satisfying opening videos I’ve ever seen from a video game. This pace is maintained throughout much of the gameplay, only slowing down as the enemies diminish beneath your quaking guns.
Unfortunately, the blistering pace can sometimes become overwhelming. At times, the game will toss a large number of enemies at the player, and the player must react quickly with their button selection. During the more panicky incidents, I found myself rapidly tapping in button combinations that were only effective sometimes. I also lost track of enemies often, especially during quick fly-bys.
The button layout works fairly well, but without practice, can be slightly overwhelming during the more hectic encounters. Flying through the air is controlled by the left trigger, and will surely become an integral piece of your button mashing arsenal. Weapons can be exchanged rapidly, but at times I found it difficult to be sure which weapon I had equipped. There are also two different firing buttons, one assigned to each of the two weapons on the mech’s shoulders. The button layout is sure to become second nature to those fans of the series that just can’t get enough.
The menu contains a number of different areas to venture into, with the campaign as a primary focus. Initially, I found myself quite interested in the story as I viewed the first cinematic after beginning a campaign, but I quickly discovered that story involvement within the actual campaign is less than stellar. The player is cast as a mercenary looking for work on a desolate Earth. Warring factions are at a constant struggle on the Earth’s surface, while survivors from Earth currently reside in floating “cradles” that are massive in size and float about the atmosphere. As an interesting take on mercenary work, you are hired by different factions throughout the game to do their bidding. When first starting a campaign, you will choose which faction to begin with, but this essentially only dictates which mechanical warrior you play through the game with. Beyond a few cut scenes tossed in between missions, the story basically falls away as the game proceeds.
Gameplay itself is extremely fast paced and entertaining. Not only can the player destroy enemies at will, but each environment actually contains destructible structures that can also be bombarded with missiles. The environments themselves are very large, as expected when playing a game that involves giant mech robots. I found many of the environments very attractive in terms of design. Unfortunately, the dreary landscapes can become repetitive after extensive play time.
Graphically, Armored Core for Answer is quite attractive. The atmospheres are always ominous, which fits nicely with the aforementioned storyline. My only complaint in terms of background design is a lack of detail from a distance. The mechs themselves are very detailed, but the overall background can seem a bit bland at times.
While the in-game graphics are great to suck in with your eyes, the true detail and precision that the Armored Core franchise is known for can only be viewed through the insane amount of customization options made readily available to players. Within the customization menu, the player is able to tweak, change, and color any piece of their specific mech. Not only can guns be traded out as more are unlocked to use, but players can even adjust the balance of the massive robot by adding weights to certain areas. The color palettes are extensive and robust, offering a very wide range of choices. Some templates are even available for use, and are a personal favorite of mine. Upgrades are unlocked during battles throughout the main campaign, so a persistent player will surely benefit from their ability to defeat the toughest of enemies.
Beyond the actual campaign are a few other ways to play Armored Core for Answer, one of which being the side missions that become available as you progress through the storyline. These side missions allow the player to battle a tough boss for extra points to spend on upgrades. Players can also burst online and compete against any other Live opponent willing to clash mech with mech. As you can expect, online battles against friends and foes are bound to be fast paced and extremely entertaining. Unfortunately for those niche fans, the population online might not be as busy as they might be hoping.
Armored Core for Answer is fast with action, and quick with satisfaction. Fans of the franchise will undoubtedly fall in love all over again as the opening cinematic unfolds before their eyes. Newcomers to the franchise could find themselves frustrated at first with the intensity of the gameplay and the speed of on-screen encounters.
The range of customization available is nearly as mind blowing as the initial video, but once again, could intimidate any fresh faces to the series. Overall, Armored Core for Answer is impressive in scale, but average in concept.
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Armored Core For Answer will surely quench any mech fan's thirst for destruction, but might fall short with anyone unfamiliar with the franchise. Casual gamers can still have fun playing the game, but only those who delve deeper into the customization will see Armored Core For Answer's true power.
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