Armored Core 2

"AC veterans will find it too little too late."

Don't get me wrong, I really like Armored Core as a whole. It actually delivers to gamers what we've been clamoring for in the first place: customization. The first time I played through it in AC1, and beat all the missions, I was awed. However, From Software never realized that the glitz of a game premise can only last for so long.

Which brings us to...
ARMORED CORE 2

The first thing I noticed from early screenshots, and about the only thing to notice from them, is that the graphics looked really good for an AC game. When I played it, the framerate is very solid most of the time, 60FPS usually, which is a very large adjustment over the choppiness of the PS1 games.
After that, the problems start piling up. Keep in mind that my expectations of what AC2 should have been are sorely higher than what the game did manage to deliver. For most intents and purposes, I'm reviewing this as a seasoned AC player. Bear this in mind when you read. And with that, the real review begins...

SINGLE-SHOT REVIEW
Good golly. The graphics and framerate certainly throw the gameplay fun factor up a few notches, but the fact that the gameplay really hasn't progressed since... the first game released years ago... that kind of knocks it down a lot. Added now are the overboost system, which is a step forward, and the limiter off mode, where you have unlimited energy for a set amount of time (after which, no more energy).
In this case, it's all well and good, but there really is not enough of a leap forward. Seeing as how the first 2 sequels, Phantasma and MoA, didn't do anything except add new parts, I expected more than this for a next-generation update.
Anyone that knows AC knows that the meat of the game is in the parts and customization. Well, you get a lot of parts. The downside lies within gameplay balance. Frankly, there are not the ''this part is good for this, and this one for that'' deals you get with most games. It's clearcut: some parts are overpowered, most parts blow. While true that there are tens of thousands of different combinations you can make, don't be shocked if your friend has a strikingly similar AC when you fight him 2-player.
Take for example, the fact that a certain weapon has 50 high-power shots with a big target window. It doesn't use much energy, and is fairly light. The downsides? None. Compare this to a shotgun of about the same weight, which does far less damage (even if every hit connects) and has half as many shots. Balance? I think not.
Moreover, the target reticules have shrunk dramatically from the first games, making certain weapons virtually useless against targets that move around (more on this later). For the larger part of the game, most weapons require you to kneel down in a stationary to use them, causing you to take massive damage in the process from any capable opponent. In the arena mode, this is simply not an option.
Therefore, missles are your best options, as the enemy AI does not do well at dodging them, missiles do lots of damage, and they home in. Also, they fire in swarms and have a gigantic target window. I found myself asking, ''Why use anything else?''
Sadly, there is no reason to use anything else, except for the fact that a victory feels empty when you can beat every arena opponent by using missiles, but not if you actually try by using a weapon such as a machine gun or bazooka.
AC fans will feel a little angered by this. I wanted a fair fight from the arena opponents, and towards the top, the only way you can beat them is by using the overpowered weapons I criticized in the first place. It feels sloppy, to say the least.
I have been hung up on the arena mode, which really does constitute the meat of the game. However, the single player missions are often horrible. Too short, and when they aren't short, you run around aimlessly until death due to poor mission briefings. You'll either die, not knowing what to do, or you'll complete your objective in under a minute. Certainly, the missions feel much less engaging than either the arena or missions in past games.
Another criticism lies within the fact that the targeting system (FCS) is way too damned small. The way aiming works in AC games is that you have a box, and anything inside this box you can target with computer-aiming. Vertical aiming is accomplished with the top shoulder buttons, which is fine when your FCS is any larger than a postage stamp. With half of all non-missile weapons, it isn't. Additionally, it tracks enemy movement horribly. If From Software had widened the boxes, aiming would have been much easier. Given the unusual nature of vertical aiming, it would have been a welcome change. In essence, the FCS changes have made certain weapons completely obsolete.

For pissing all over the game though, it is pretty fun for most of the game, and many of the new parts are interesting. The problem lies truly in the fact that there is little balance between parts, and that the single-player missions are anemic. Change is needed NOW. As an AC fan, I wanted so much more for it, and I am constantly frustrated by things which seem like they should have been elementary in terms of getting an overhaul.

FINALLY!
Overall: 5 / 10
Average. Good points are bottomed out by overwhelming lows.

Reviewer's Score: 5/10, Originally Posted: 11/12/01, Updated 02/18/02