[Review] Armored Core: For Answer

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Armored Core: For Answer is a 3D vehicular combat mecha-based video game developed by FromSoftware and published by Ubisoft for the PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360. It is the 13th installment of FromSoftware's Armored Core series. Armored Core: For Answer is the direct sequel to Armored Core 4, and takes place around ten years later.

AC customization has been changed from the previous Armored Core title, with a new interface and many new parts not found in Armored Core 4. Online mode returns with a new co-operative mode alongside the player versus mode. Gameplay enhancements included a power increase for both Quick Boost and Over Boost, as well as an auxiliary high-speed booster, which is known as the Vanguard Over Booster (VOB). Another new feature in the game is the Assault Armor attack that becomes available by equipping certain OB parts. This attack uses up all available Primal Armor that the AC has and generates a huge blast consisting of Kojima (highly reactive particles) that destroys or damages all objects surrounding the AC. However, this also leaves the AC vulnerable because not only will the AC lose its PA, it will also not regenerate for a few seconds. Laser blades are deadlier because of the revamped laser blade attack. Once the blade has acquired a lock-on, the AC will instantly rush to the target, traveling a great distance to use the laser blade. All parts carried over from the previous game have had their parameters altered, much like the transition between previous series installments Silent Line and Nexus. The on-screen HUD can now be changed to any of 20 colors. There are now 442 FRS tuning points available to unlock, which is an increase from the 300 (PS3) and 337 (Xbox 360) FRS points available in AC4. Maps are much larger and more detailed including environmental damage such as collapsing buildings. The game is also the second in the series (after Last Raven) to feature multiple endings, with three different possible plot branches available depending on your actions and decisions in the game.

Armored Core: For Answer received "mixed or average" reviews on both platforms according to the review aggregator website Metacritic. One of the most consistent complaints among reviewers seemed to be the lack of any sort of online community. Kevin Van Ord of GameSpot stated in his review that there were "fewer than a dozen [players on] Xbox Live" when he tried to playtest the game, and that similar attempts to find a game on PlayStation Network yielded "just a single opponent". In Japan, Famitsu gave it a score of 29 out of 40 for the PlayStation 3 version,And one nine and three sevens for the Xbox 360 version,while Famitsu Xbox 360 gave the latter console version 31 out of 40.

Armored Core for Answer is the most recent iteration of the niche Armored Core franchise that first started on the PSone in the late '90s. Combing in-depth customization options with a fairly fast-paced, arcade-style action shooter, Armored Core is fun but has always catered to a very select audience. Answer, as the name indicates, is not technically a proper sequel to its predecessor nor is it a tremendous leap over the original in terms of its feature set or visuals. Like several of the other Armored Core titles, Answer offers new missions and a few minor tweaks, but everything else is about the same. But that's okay with me.

I've actually been a fan of the franchise since the original titles on the PSone, but Armored Core is the type of series that's best to revisit after a long hiatus. Answer is the first Armored Core game that I've really delved into in a long while and thus suits me perfectly. If you're trying to decide whether to purchase this one or not, your choice will be made infinitely more difficult if you just bought Armored Core 4 last year. Although Answer is an improvement, your decision depends entirely on how much money you want to spend on a few new bits of content.

If you're approaching Answer from a fresh perspective and you belong to the somewhat eccentric mech-fan crowd like I do, then this title is going to be a lot of fun, despite its flaws. What I've always loved about the Armored Core franchise is the style and emotion running underneath third-person mech combat. The ACs (Armored Cores -- a mech's proper name) are more than just massive war machines; they're symbols for a variety of things: angels, demons, warriors, corporations, etc. This symbolism has always been incredibly cool for me, but it simultaneously serves as one of the franchise's weak points. The story of Armored Core has never been terribly fleshed out, but the inklings that are given to players -- whether through mission briefings, voice-only dialogues or battle chatter -- hint at something desperate and nostalgic in tone.

But what From Software has always tried to deliver is customization and action, and both are in full abundance here. Before entering battle, Armored Core feels very much like a sim game, where you can build your AC from scratch and purchase a menagerie of parts, like arms, legs, heads, weapons, boosters, generators, stabilizers -- I could go on. Almost any type of mech you could imagine from a typical anime can be constructed in Armored Core. If you want to design a light-weight sniper unit that can cut through the air with ease, you can do so. Or, if you prefer loading up a heavily-armored beast with enough firepower to level a city, the option's there. Building your AC is half the fun of Armored Core and that's still the case here.

To add a cherry to the top, Answer also gives you extensive paint and emblem options to add a personal touch to your AC. If you want to ride into battle and lay waste to your enemies in an AC covered with green penguins, you're welcome to do so.

Actually getting into a battle changes the dynamic of Armored Core quite a bit. After accepting a task from a branching mission menu, you'll be treated to a highly stylized briefing that not only breaks down your objectives but gives you a little insight into the world of Armored Core. Depending on what company you support, different missions will be opened up to you and you'll see varying perspectives of the conflict which rages across the Earth's surface and through the skies.

Once your adorable little war machine finds its way onto the battlefield, Armored Core feels more like an action arcade game than a mech simulation. Although controlling your AC can still be a very technical experience (you have to manage ammo count, heat levels and tons of baddies), the action is extremely fast-paced, and using your AC's boosters is a necessary part of gameplay. You'll be flying around the screen and blowing stuff up in no time.

Gamers unfamiliar with the Armored Core formula might be a little confused at first during some of the beginning missions. Yes, your AC NEXT (the class assigned to highly advanced ACs) can take on MTs and NORMALs without much of a problem. You'll take damage if you're not paying attention, but usually you can boost through a level and decimate your unsuspecting opponents with little opposition. It's when you face an enemy NEXT that the game really gets insane -- almost too crazy for my tastes.

Sometimes, facing off again another AC can be extremely frustrating because the computer can quickly boost and fly around you and still land some fairly absurd shots, without you coming close to keeping up. This isn't always the case, but some NEXTs will trounce you and then walk away whistling. I appreciate the challenge of a good battle, and the frantic pacing of AC fights is definitely a thrill, but it would have been nice had From Software found some sort of middle ground between the laughably easy and excruciatingly tough.

What Answer does boast over its predecessor is Arms Forts confrontations. Arms Forts are massive mobile fortresses that your AC must take out for certain missions. While some of them are just oversized tanks, there are others that take up entire stages and are actually impressive. These fights add something to the mix and spice up the missions, which are otherwise typical for the franchise.

The other main addition to Answer is online cooperative play, or Partnerships. I can assure you that taking on a mission (for money, no less) with another player is sweet. Not all the missions are cooperative, unfortunately, as some of them are supposed to be one-on-one battles, but during my time with Answer it seemed like most of the tasks at hand were multiplayer accessible. Of course, you'll have to split the reward with your teammate, but the cooperative dynamic works very well. I was also surprised at how well most of the matches ran, both on the PS3 and 360. There really wasn't much lag to speak of and the missions only took a bit longer to load than normal.