Armored Core: For Answer

"Disappointed before? You've got your Answer."

I'll be honest; I'm no AC nut, and the last ACs I played were AC2 and AC: Last Raven on PS2. I picked up this game because there was no other games coming out for a long time, and I've heard that it's an improvement over the last AC4, the demo of which was VERY disappointing.

Boy, it's not an improvement. It's an overhaul, and most importantly, fun!

Don't get me wrong. The AC series are fun, but the casual gamer will eventually tire of the (sometimes) incredible difficulty, demanding customization, and monotone mission layout. Now AC4A does NOT depart too far from the routine (Destroy, Protect, Destroy, Protect), but subtle additions like a more useful lineup of blades, barrage missiles, and cooler AC designs easily take one and another hour of attention. Onto the details:

Story - 4/10
There is the notion that you are making progress through some kind of a campaign, but overall, story is still rather poor. You are just another Lynx in just another big war. Sure, you decide the fate of the mankind in the final battle (I don't think it's spoiling anything at all; it's always been this way), but the near zero character interaction and sparse dialogues bomb the story department of AC yet again.

Graphics - 7/10
Most others would probably demand more, but overall, AC4A is a pretty game. Aside from little gimmicks like cool boosters and the opening movie, the graphics are not outstanding. It doesn't really stand up to, say, Soul Calibur 4 or even Call of Duty 4, but I'd say just around the Devil May Cry 4 level. They advertised destructible environments, and while it is destructible, it's no big improvement from Last Raven.

Playability - 8/10
Customization got a subtle upgrade. It seems easier to put different parts together to make a satisfactory machine, unlike past ACs, in which if you messed up, it was game over with no hope in sight. Difficulty is also more balanced (but not totally so), but the game still indirectly demands that you use certain types of weapons for certain obstacles/opponents. The NEXT (the AC machines) AI is very exploitable, but the new Arms forts, while cool, are often cheap and almost always too weak.

Fun Factor / Conclusion - 7/10
AC4A is by no means a perfect game, but more worth your money than most crap out there. Yes, it does take more effort and time initially, but the increased variety of missions might just pull you over, like it did for me. There are some incredibly frustrating missions, but if you turn on your brain just a little, you will get the value for your hours. AC4A is a concrete improvement on the AC series, but it's still lacking the mainstream factor to draw in more casual players. It's worth your money, but it wouldn't hurt to wait until the price tag goes down.

Reviewer's Score: 7/10, Originally Posted: 09/22/08

Game Release: Armored Core: For Answer (US, 09/16/08)