Armored Core: Project Phantasma

"I tried it- I liked it!"

I just recently got interested in the years-old series of custom-mech/battle games by From Software- Armored Core. I've only been at it a week, but I like this game so much I'm prompted to do a review.

First off, Armored Core (AC) games are all about building & customizing your own gigantic robot(s). The player is given a large variety of parts- heads, arms, legs, "cores" (torsos), & a veritable plethora of weapons & other offensive/defensive items. There's even a mini paint-program to create/edit emblems & colors! At first, your AC is at its most basic- barely equipped to go into battle; however, the preliminary missions (presented via "email" from a mysterious unknown source) are simple enough to ease into. Completing missions earns you credits to buy assorted parts/weapons to outfit your AC in the Shop. But you can't just slap together pieces & go- you must pay attention to & be aware of energy consumption, weight restrictions, & other limitations & constraints. This is where the "fun" comes in- mixing & matching (sometimes via trial & error) different parts to build the ultimate AC. Luckily, you can safely test your AC against drones in Garage mode.

Another part of the game- Arena- allows you to battle/work your way up a 50-opponent AC list, earning parts/credits as you go. 13 battle areas are available, from dank caves to open fields to a nighttime cityscape.

Now the bad news- if you can call it that. Graphics are dated & blocky- I expect PS2 "AC" versions look much better. There's also quite a bit of saving & loading, as personally, instead of incurring the loss(es), I reload my last save & try again. (Cheating? Maybe.) This also prevents making drastic or unwanted changes to your AC. Sound effects are loud & adequate (you NEED to hook up your PS/2 to a stereo system!), the techno-tunes are appropriate, & gameplay action is fast-paced, although your speed depends on how you build your AC!

All in all, I must admit I was apprehensive about the game- I'm not a fan of micro-management within games & hate dealing with minor gameplay details. However, I was pleasantly surprised with Armored Core: Project Phantasma. I'd definitely recommend it or any of the games in the series to anyone with even a slight interest in mech games &/or robot-based combat.

SCORE: 8/10
PROS: Near-total customization, TONS of parts/weapons, build the ultimate war machine!
CONS: Blocky/dated graphics, excess saving/loading, may be TOO MUCH customization

Reviewer's Score: 8/10, Originally Posted: 05/16/05