Armored Core 3

"Insert Huge Robot Foot A....into Enemy Ass B"

With the list of Armored Core games that are appearing on the Play Station 2, you have to wonder just where there might be some differences in the way that they are played. In Armored Core 3, you essentially have the same base for the game in terms of missions and goals as well as the famous arena battling that allows you to use created machines. While the game itself really hasn’t changed much in the way that it plays or looks, the most impressive feature that you’ll find here is the way that the game has changed the creation process with new weapons and styles of machines.

Seek And Destroy…

Each part has a specific rating that must be met without overloading the weight requirement of your Machine, and most weapons need to be used on a trial and error basis. Putting you inside of a huge arena, there is a need to do a lot of testing, and then defeat your opponent before your Mech is completely destroyed. While this doesn't seem too difficult, the computer intelligence ranges from the insanely fast and weak to the ultra slow and super-powerful. Again, there will be a need to set your machine to the situation that you're up against.

The missions that you undertake really don’t require too much thought, though you might want to revisit the briefing once or twice in order to find out what it is that you’re attempting to do. With the different stages, you’ll have to use your best judgment in what type of machine you want to use with speed, power and armor. Where you might have one stage that you blaze through with little or no problems, the next stage with the same machine might prove to be your downfall because you haven’t really thought about what you’re going up against. This bit of strategy and game play variation really does add to the overall replay value that the game has to offer. Just like the previous Armored Core games, the building feature is where you will probably spend most of your time.

One of the coolest features is the fact that you can use your own created custom machine that's saved on your memory card and fight against your friends on their game. This gives way to endless possibilities for battles and custom created machines. With the numerous parts that you can buy at the store, there are tons of different custom combinations that you can make that will effect how well you do in open combat. You’ll see that the game has plenty of things going for it in this respect, complete with all of the general statistics that you would expect from a robot game of this size. The difficulty that you find with the game really depends on how well you’ve done with creating your machine, so it is a complete trial and error type of game.

In terms of precise control needed to play, a lot of practice will be needed to learn how to move your robot warrior and use the speed or sloth of the machine to your advantage. The learning curve is relatively steep, so beginners will find some aggravation in trying to learn the movement of their Mech. Veteran and Expert gamers will find some difficulty at first, but once they've had a few rounds in the Arena with their custom machine, there shouldn't be any problems in learning just what the machine can do and in what situations. These is another part of the game that brings the difficulty up to par, and you’ll find that the game does have some challenge to it in simply controlling your robot in the way that you want it to go.

Let My Eyes Behold…

From massive explosions to huge missile barrages that race across the screen, each and every attack made or produced comes blazing across the screen in brilliant fashion. Mech's come in all shapes and sizes, being built from scratch and from core units to produce a well designed and neat looking robot warrior. Gamers will find that the speed placed into the game and the well-produced explosions and weapons effects dazzle the eyes. Most arenas are straight forward, with well-designed obstacles and items to find. Once you’ve been taken in by the sheer expansive of some of the areas, you might find that the actual mission locations have some repeating portions to them that do give you a little repetitive motion

Another feature in the game is that your robot looks exactly as you want it to and exactly how you create it. You’ll have different animations depending on the weapons, armor and even legs that you use for your robot. With this much detail, it would be expected that there are instances of slow-down in the game and there are portions that will test your patience when the screen seems to become overcrowded with action. These points are few and far between, but if you play enough, then you’ll find that the in-close battles are the ones that keep you from really getting a handle on where your robot is and where the enemy is as well. Another disappointment is there really isn’t anything here that will keep you buried in a story, as most of it is simple text mission briefing.

Dancing To The Same Funky Beat…

A killer soundtrack with a heavy rock beat to it keeps the gamer in the action. Each stage keeps a fast paced tempo, and with a good stereo system hooked up, the 3D sound comes from all directions as you look at on the screen. Near perfect except that some of the sounds can become overwhelming and sometimes too loud when the volume is set too high from the stereo. The in-close battles have some problems because the sheer amount of bass coming through the stereo speakers can overload them and create static noise. The sound effects with the rockets, guns and even damage that you take can really overload the ears, so this is a game that really needs to be played during the day when everyone is awake or if you live by yourself.

Moving Into The Age…

Armored Core is the premier Mech game that you can get on the Play Station 2 with plenty of customization and plenty of bright visuals to really fill up the screen. With the constant battles and action as well as a funky audio track, you might be wondering what could be wrong with the already tried and true formula that is apparent in the series. One of the first problems that you’ll find is that the visuals haven’t changed from the original Armored Core games and you will find that the missions are still the same goal oriented series of events. What would make this game one of the key PS2 Mech games is the addition of an online battle mode that allows you to play and fight with other gamers on the net, but we can only hope for that later on. If you’re into the Armored Core games, then you can’t go wrong with this addition to the series, but if you’re a simple gamer looking for a simple time, then Armored Core 3 might be a too much and too complex for your tastes.

Reviewer's Score: 8/10, Originally Posted: 02/23/03, Updated 02/23/03