The Armored Core Series: A Newcomer's Journey
ฝัง
- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 3 มิ.ย. 2024
- In this series retrospective/analysis (and my longest video to date), I discuss how Armored Core went from a franchise I, as a Dark Souls/Elden Ring fan, knew very little about in the wake of that Fires of Rubicon trailer, to becoming one of my all-time favourites.
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Ever since the Game Awards, I've seen a lot of people curious about how similar the recently revealed Armored Core 6: Fires of Rubicon was going to be to developer From Software's Souls games, mainly because Elden Ring was so successful, and partially because Armored Core has never quite reached that level of mainstream appeal. I was one of those curious people, and so I decided to play each numbered Armored Core entry as well as a few of the spin-offs, to get an idea of what this series is all about.
With its weighty combat, extensive customisation options and compelling worldbuilding that I'm sure had an influence on the Souls games, it has been a while since a series has engrossed me quite like this. In this series retrospective/Armored Core analysis, let's talk about why you should be excited for Armored Core.
#armoredcore #armoredcore6 #firesofrubicon
0:00 - Intro Plug
0:17 - The Rebirth of Armored Core and the Fires of Rubicon
8:34 - Armored Core's Systemic Dystopia
18:50 - Armored Core is really, really fun
27:21 - Armored Core 2
36:10 - Armored Core 3
42:11 - Armored Core Nexus and Silent Line
48:10 - Armored Core 4
55:40 - Armored Core For Answer
1:05:56 - Armored Core V
1:14:02 - Armored Core Verdict Day
1:16:17 - Will Soulsborne Players Enjoy Fires of Rubicon?
1:22:05 - Outro
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Thumbnail by HotCyder - / hotcyder
Intro text animation by Isaac Holland - / drazgames - เกม
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I was so happy when I saw that interview with Miyazaki where they asked him "So will it play like Dark Souls" and his answer was "No. It's Armored Core. It's gonna play like Armored Core"
Absolutely shows his understanding of how to manage brand image. There are no words to describe how happy it made a lot of Ravens.
what many souls clone devs miss is that it's not just a hard game, there is a long list of other things that contribute to making those games special. I have never played and Armored core game and I will try this one and i'm happy they are not trying to replicate the souls formula because I think some things will bleed through to this game: responsive controls, world building, atmosphere, hopefully the addition of seemingly useless objects that have interesting or unique interactions, etc.
Good, if ill see one more "souls like" game I'm going to puke in my mouth
@@damp2269 very true. They're hard because the difficulty is part of the story of the player character and the world, in all the games you're doing something that's considered basically impossible and beyond normal humans.
But yeah, the only souls-like I can think of that really nails the feeling properly is Hollow Knight, where the world and the lore manages a similar dying, forbidding and uncaring feeling the Souls games do so well
Miyazaki should have also said "that was a stupid ass question to ask."
"Being broke is pretty taxing."
That bit of writing warrants a sub.
And paying taxes makes you broke
I agree, I am super glad I never sold my collection. Those older ones are ridiculous.
Yeah, hits a lottle close to home.
8:01 - 8:06 is better.
Bro never even used lasers it's all about resource management ammo based weapons are good for early game lasers while expensive save your cheeks financially late game
There's one thing I absolutely want in AC6, a mode like Forzavista where you can walk around and inspect your mech from the perspective of a tiny human. Use elevators and shit to truly get a feel for the absolute scale of your mech.
That’s genius
@@Todzil THey have it in DxM
@FurrrvleTDO Oh it's almost the same size as wanzer from Front Mission
@@Rinrin-ms3lpor Knightmare Frames from Code Geass.
@@noonethatspecial Yeah from Code Geass, great anime, mecha in that size makes it a bit realistic imo, designed as all terrain walking tank (in Front Mission "wanzer" is a short for "Wanderung Panzer", literally meaning walking tank"
it feels so good, after 25 years of being a fan and advocate of this series, and seeing it go woefully unappreciated, to watch all these videos of creators, and new fans alike, FINALLY just GET IT. Thank you for your video, sir.
Thanks for watching!
I made a similar comment too - the series is by no means underrated, but has been left unappreciated for long swaths at a time.
If you want to know about Armored Core TH-camrs / Twitch streamers / content creators, I recommend the following channels:
- Armorecorelore
- Above Average Gaming
- Coffee Potato
- TMRaven
- Lia Lia
- AesirAesthetics
- 0seraphic
- GigaBoots
- FightinCowboy
As someone who never heard of this series before I saw the game on the store page for Xbox,to a experienced fan,should I preorder AC6?
man, been playing since 2003, after read Tips & Tricks mags where they used to do AC head to heads from user sent specs - i used to build them on paper, even staying within weight/power limits even though i didn't have the game year. started with ac2. i just missed having people to play vs since not many people were very good. stoked either way. gl raven
I love how TH-cam essayist are doing Bandai Namco's marketing for them regarding this series lmao
Thats how souls climbed up the popularity ladder. I think people forget how important word of mouth was for that series
Just like Elden Ring. Everyone online hyped that game like crazy without Bamco doing anything.
@@Soulspeed68 and it was foe the best. It felt more natural and made people more curious about the series.
I'm honestly kind of disappointed this will be another Fromsoft game under Bamco. We've seen excellent evidence that they can do great, even *better* work under other publishers. See Bloodborne and Sekiro, both of which I like more than any souls game or Elden ring. Hopefully This will prove the exception... Idk
@@djbeema Elden Ring and Dark Souls 1 both are way better than Bloodborne IMO
You mention "I can't believe this is a PS1 game from 1997", but keep in mind, from the perspective of the time it came out, the opinion would be "of COURSE It's this deep, it's on the super powerful PlayStation, WAY beyond the limitations of my old Genesis!"
It tells more about the decades after the PS1 and the level of innovation (or maybe lack thereof) in them.
To be fair, this was a few years into the PS1's lifespan, so we were quite past the notion of "wow this is better than 16-bit!" and more "okay, so show me what you REALLY got, 32-bit."
@@Tenchigumi Indeed, and at the very beginning, even by the standards of the time we were getting one disappointing platformer after another. Mario 64 really set the stage for how 3D should be done, and Crash Bandicoot helped establish it on Sony's side. But... then there were shooters. Controls for 3D shooters were... difficult to get right early on. Heck even on PC "all keyboard" was the default for Doom of all things, but fortunately people found the mouse/keyboard combo that worked.
I think the first control scheme that didn't feel horrible to me was when I finally switched Goldeneye from 1.1 to 1.2, or "Turok" controls.
@@Dark_Jaguar Yeah, Turok was the first console FPS that made sense to me. But speaking of FPS and platformers, something I really loved when the PS1 launched was Jumping Flash, which somehow managed to be a first-person platformer at the dawn of console 3D that provided a memorable, innovative, and (mostly) functional experience, and I don't think we've really seen anything quite like it since. It also comes to mind because Armored Core 1's final platforming missions almost look like a bizarro version of Jumping Flash.
in retrospect AC does largely contributes to fromsoft soulslike titles back japan-jank AC being a masocore-like steep difficulty.
Finding out Miyazaki was the Director behind Armored Core: For Answer probably explains why it's my favorite in the series.
4A was amazing
Started it yesterday, glint is messing me up
Ah, yeah, Glint's a targeting/dodging skill check.
Fun fact: Notice how White Glint has no voice? The original pilot Joshua died in 4. Guess who's the current pilot?
@@Epsellis "Don't trust anyone, not even yourself" *points gun towards your own back*
@@EpsellisPlayer from 4?
I still remember picking up AC2 at a local used games shop because the box looked cool.
I was blown away. These games were hugely formative for me
I got AC2 from a fair Market that’s hosted every weekend. I didn’t get far but replayed the bits I could beat many times
I played AC2 like everyday when I was about 5 on PS2 and loved every moment. I wish I would’ve remembered more about playing it when the other AC games came out so I didn’t miss out on them. It’s been awhile since a single player game like these were made and just so fun, that you didn’t even think about “I wish I had some friends to play this with”. there was a challenge or the gameplay really was that fun.
Same. I actually played a demo of AC1 or one of its spin-offs first but AC2 was the game that opened my mind
Same thing with me and for answer. I got so immersed in the world the game set. Beat the whole game with a melee only build that I made STUPIDLY fast. Without really knowing what I was fighting for, I picked the side against line ark and felt sooo bad when i got to the end and figured it out. No other game has given me that vibe of, “good soldiers follow orders.” Vs breaking out of the mindless killing machine mindset and try to do some good on this desolate world. A true hidden gem of a series.
It was AC4 for me. So many all-nighters with my buds back in the day.
Tip for new players: When you see an enemy get behind you on your radar, DON'T turn 180! Just boost/jump backwards if you're not blocked by a wall or other obstacle. Turning your AC is slow, moving backwards is faster.
"switching to your sidearm is faster than reloading" advice 😂
Weren't turn boosters a thing later in the series?
Great advice!
@@ZMCFERON Very later in the series not a thing in most of them
From the new gameplay trailer it looks like the quick turns from AC4 will be implemented
The main reason I love armored core might be that it's looks realistic yet so powerful. It's not like a super slow oversized walking tanks nor an overpowered gymnastic expert super robots, but more like a real military assets with high end technologies that were made to destroy their target as quick as possible.
I second this.
AC is the perfect In between of not being slow mecha like mech warrior but also not leaning to heavily into shonen anime fast mecha either
@@billyboleson2830 *(Gen. 4 (AC4/ACFA) AC NEXT Mechs slowly walking away)*
@@moisesezequielgutierrez AC4 is not as fast as ACFA though.
@@moisesezequielgutierrez to be fair, when gen 4 mechs aren't boosting they're actually quite slow
you just never notice because you're always boosting
A quick note for non-veterans: Scan Mode in AC5 dramatically increases energy regen. Folks who mastered this quirk could do some really crazy maneuvers. Sul 'Incasune has a video showing the final battle in Verdict Day where he demonstrates using Scan Mode to great effect in boosting his way through missile swarms. It's one of those gaming mechanics similar to Virtual On's jump-to-auto-face-your-enemy maneuvers that feels clunky but still works well as a good trade-off option.
Scan mode was one of two hands and a dick slapping me in the face in AC5 after the masterpiece that was 4A. The tedium to min-max with it (you're shit by comparison if you don't toggle abuse it) is ultimately what stopped me from diving into the skill cap of 5's generation.
In case you're wondering, the other 2 are:
-No vertical
-Dumpster fire HUD
Virtual On was such a fun time back in the day, shame we never saw sequels......
Well, since you shared that tip, here's mine:
In any video game, any dual wield or full auto has be able shoot the drum solo from Judas Priest's _Painkiller_ to be worth anything.
In V, Gatling guns, rifles, and laser rifles fit that bill, with shotguns and laser rifles following pretty close. Still have yet to find nonkinetic approximations, but it's early game, and I got by.
virtual on
...
Now that is a game I have not thought of in many many summers
I remember enjoying that game so much As a kid. Finally getting armoured core was like having that at home back in the day.
Now ac six feels almost like a spiritual successor in the way that it plays.
And it makes me want to set up a twin stick Motion chair rig To play armored core six in the same feeling that I got from virtual on
I'm just short of 40 and this series was one of the greatest, and most challenging, experiences of my life. It was punishing, unforgiving, highly technical, yet fast paced. A fantastic mix for people who wanted a satisfying challenge.
Finally, someone that has both curiosity to really, truly understand these games in all their "tough-but-fun" complexity and also the presentation skills to articulate it eloquently. This is the video the Armored Core series has deserved for decades. Thank you for treating it with such intention and passion.
Hover legs and machine guns that cause overheat wins the battle every time
If you want to know about Armored Core TH-camrs / Twitch streamers / content creators, I recommend the following channels:
- Armorecorelore
- Above Average Gaming
- Coffee Potato
- TMRaven
- Lia Lia
- AesirAesthetics
- 0seraphic
- GigaBoots
- FightinCowboy
I hope that one day, I can be on that list! I don't think I can right now, but I hope that I am amount the great Coffee Potato and AAG!
@@spudwilkins9440 good luck! I know you can do it.
@@spudwilkins9440 You can do it! Go get 'em!
Shoutout to energy weapons. The best weapons to use in story missions since they use energy and don't have a monetary cost per shot like bullets and missiles. You'll always complete your missions with a net profit and make bank towards those newer parts.
That always struck me as a weird design choice. I felt like using bullets and other ammo was discouraged.
@@tequilawhiskey Solid shell weapon are usually more powerful and versatile with how many different versions there are and how the Energy Defense is usually more prevalent on enemy AC. Energy weapons don't give you as much, making you choose between Logistical (Monetary) Efficiency or Combat Efficiency. But there is a catch to it - in Arenas you don't pay for ammunition and repairs. Making it so you can use all weapons you couldn't afford to take on a mission, and have fun with them there
@@tequilawhiskey Kinetic weapons and ammo doesnt have higher EN drain and require EN meter to use.
@@dowmein sure, but a lot of that is removed by patience
@@tequilawhiskey I tend to build ACs that just barely skirt the reactor limit while boosting and dodging, so I tend to go for solid munition shotguns and the like to avoid more power drain.
Every player's got their own perspective on what risks are worse!
On your description of how far you fall into debt in the first game and how despite winning a mission, the cost for winning, you are sent even deeper into debt. This reminded me of a video by DJ Peach Cobbler on the game Shipbreaker and how he critiqued the game for starting you off with unclearable debt, and how despite the great shock value at the beginning of the game it is ultimately meaningless and would have been more impactful if it was a spiral that YOU fell into. Your description of the gathering of debt in the first game just reminded me of this.
also that game kinda makes the complaints about debt seem bs since if you do the math it takes somewhere around 6 months to get into profit 1 year to pay for a round trip which is not bad for space travel and all fines are on you
Hello! Welcome to Capitalism!
@@Jasonmakesvideo do you have a different preference you'd like to champion or just like to mouth off on semi unrelated points?
Nice to see a fellow Cobbler fan
shipbreaker was full of so many fake objectives and abandoned features when the funding went to a forgettable story
The armored core series (and to a lesser extent dark souls as well) was that game series i couldnt believe wasnt popular/mainstream, because how couldnt it be? Its such an interesting well crafted series
This. I’ve literally said this on the few occasions where the subject came up. No one liked it but it was objectively amazing.
After watching this, I went from "not interested at all" to "keep an eye out for more news" on the Armored Core game 🙂
Glad to see someone new interested in our beloved franchise
Eh, I mostly stayed not interested, since this franchise is clearly not for me.
Nest always welcome new blood. Welcome.
its underrated as niche as its mecha genre.
@@aldiascholarofthefirstsin1051 bro really wanted armored souls 😔
One of the titles you skipped out in this run through the series, Last Raven, was the first one to actually have multiple branching paths that actually gave you a diverging storyline, I'd suggest taking a look at it at some point as it also refines a bit more on the changes made to 3's formula that Nexus brought forth
Verdict Day's servers are also STILL UP AND RUNNING, provided you reach out to the community you can still experience the online component of it
This was a WONDERFUL video!
I really appreciate how you were able to grasp WHY Armored Core is *so good*, you nailed it
Personally I really liked Nexus, I dunno maybe it's due to how much I played Last Raven Portable as a kid on the PSP, but nothing beats going back to the OG 3 games on the PS1
To echo that legendary first game:
"Congratulations. From this day on, you are a Raven"
Welcome aboard!
Technically, Armored Core 1 was the first game to have a diverging storyline (with two endings depending on which company you took more missions for, which would lead to two different endings, followed by the final mission.)
@@SiphonRayzar Was just about to mention this
Wait, VD still has operational online? Must be on pc or something right? I did not find anybody when trying three years ago
@@CrowXIII The servers are still up, but the player base is miniscule so you probably won't find a match right away
Last Raven is my Favorite AC title!
What's really interesting about Nine-ball in the first few games is that a large majority of the parts are available from the very start of the game from the shop. The only difference is that Nine-ball has access to the Human Plus enhancements. Any player can play the game as a Nine-ball clone if they wanted to although it's definitely a challenge run to do so.
Much the same with Freud, AC6’s arena’s rank 1. Seems to be a recurring point they’re trying to make.
@InternetHydra Nightfall is just Loader 4 except for the head piece and weapons.
I think in regards to what you said about Miyazaki joining much later than AC's inception, Miyazaki cites reading stories and comic books in English before he was fluent with it as inspiration for the Souls clue-based storytelling, as he would have to use context clues from pictures and the few words he knew to piece together what was happening. I think him joining FromSoft was just a match made in heaven given that they love less direct storytelling.
Where do y'all find these interviews with miyazaki ?
(the auto correct of his name was hilarious/dark/possibly terrorism) LOL
"if I gotta suffer then everyone will suffer too"
@@JasonmakesvideoTf? Are you just schizo spamming random nonsense here?
to be fair, i am schizotypal and fromsofts storytelling puts it in overdrive. thanks for reminding me i tend to get carried awaylol ......still not ever taking those meds though! @@VictorIV0310
The action focus of For Answer made PVP matches a true breathless joy; dazzling warmachines dancing across the sky, angling for the advantage amidst a sparkling rain of bullets and smoking clouds of missiles and plasma.
I've played so many high speed pvp games, but ACFA will always be on top of the list.
4 answers campaign was the tutorial for pvp as the old joke goes.
I love the insane momentum of the game; a mech combat game that instead of the plodding stomps of usual is one where if you are ever moving less than at least 500km/h you're already dead.
The thing that gets me about For Answer is how quick the situation can change. One minute, you're in a playable Itano Circus, dancing around the enemy player from a safe distance. The next, you're fighting for space as that small dot no longer looks so small when it's in your face, buzzing around like a 10 foot wasp and cleaving chunks from your PA.
Alongside that, this is mostly from my own experience, but there's no...honour, here. OP weapons, builds that can kill you way too fast, tactics that invariably involve "Use Assault Armor, burst them down with dual gatlings". It doesn't matter how you get there, victory is victory, and even your foes will be laughing at the sheer insanity of it.
@@0uttaS1TE and thats why its beauty. I miss doin 1v1 with my bro lol, we did some crazy stuff to get one ups on eachother and yes it got funny like him sniping me with the small tank thing. and me making a speed build in retaliation
Learning the original AC controls is like learning a musical instrument. It's initially a frustrating enterprise, but eventually it allows one to move fluently and experience the joy of versus play with another human...
The OG AC beat my 12 yo ass back in the 90s, learning the controller layout was so beyond what I was used to
@@adampindell wow, it would have beaten my ass at 12 too! A friend showed me AC a little later, in high school.
I was the other way around. I felt at home with the first 3 titles and couldn't get a hang on AC4 /4FA controls for quite a while...
@@TheAzureGhost I feel you! I played AC Master of Arena through Ninebreaker or Last Raven. I played Nexus arc with the old controls. I just bought a PS3 and AC4 and For Answer to catch up on the AC titles I'd missed before 6 comes out, and I just started AC4 last night. The double stick movement makes me dizzy and I keep accidentally pressing L3 and turning off my FCS in the middle of fights! Who thought that was a good idea???
@@taylordiclemente5163 For me, i never really played any shooters on console. I'm mainly a pc player so AC1-3 controls were the console shooter controls for me that i ingrained into my system xD Didn't get into the dual stick shooter controls until V, luckily 4/4 was easy enough (on normal dif) to manage even though i could barely hit the wide side of a barn with those control and went mostly for swords and homings.
Lateron after playing a ton of destiny(2) i got back and finally managed to get decent with those controls.
still remember watching the announcement and me and my buddy absolutely died with excitement as long time fans. we both had a laugh over the "will it play like elden ring?!" questions from people unaware!
I played a bit of an Armored Core game on ps2 when I was 4 years old, and didn’t understand it. When I saw the trailer of Rubicon, I was excited, but still sceptical. Thank you for explaining the world and the gameplay of the past releases (which I can no longer play because I don’t have any of the older consoles)
Emulate
Yes. Please emulate and try them. Try AC Last Raven and AC4 For Answer
You can definitely play them if you have a pc or just any phone that isn't an iphone. If you're stuck with the baby's first smart phone, and don't have a computer, then ig just hope they re-release it
@@MemeLordCthulhu baby’s first smartphone was a low blow though yo
@@D4rkM4773r which emulator is best for those games cause xenia doesnt work well when i tried to play ac V is rpcs 3 good with it?
I am partial to you missing Last Raven. It's probably the most difficult (actually unfair but doable) game in the series but it also has a pretty good, easy-to-follow story. Also has the sickest garage/hangar screen complete with a mech start-up scene after accepting a mission. It's worth giving a try.
also forgot mention it has 6 endings
Also has the first actual branching story path of the franchise, predating For Answer
I unironically bump that garage theme
Last Raven has the best customization of any ps2 games period
One of the best AC games. The difficulty is extremely skill-based and satisfying. It takes everything you learned from the past gen 3 games and pushes it to 11. The physics are the best the series has gotten too (imo)
And that's not even me getting into the story which is amazing.
I envy you. You're discovering the wonder of this cornerstone series as a grown adult, able to appreciate all of it's intricacies through that lens, while experiencing the sheer childlike glee of just playing it as I did when I got it on PS2 back in the day. If it's content like this that FromSoft are relying on to build hype for AC6, they have got their ace in the hole. Great video!!
If you want to know about Armored Core TH-camrs / Twitch streamers / content creators, I recommend the following channels:
- Armorecorelore
- Above Average Gaming
- Coffee Potato
- TMRaven
- Lia Lia
- AesirAesthetics
- 0seraphic
- GigaBoots
- FightinCowboy
Except he got completely filtered by ac2
8:06 this is one of the coolest combat sequences I've ever seen in a video game
From all of us old head Armored Core fans. We all greatly appreciate the time and dedication that went into diving into this franchise. I also still want to see that Gundam video! Huge Gundam fan!
I would love an Armored Core collection of all the old games on the PS1/2.
You'd think From would have lined up a remaster collection of something for everyone ahead of time after announcing 6 to maximize sales.
Oh dude, if they did that and released them on PC it'd be a day 1 buy for me.
I still have AC 2 on my ps2, and I still can't play it right. Also a while ago I tried playing it again and I forgot that to look up and down you had to use L2 and R2. How was that allowed???? Lol!
@@MrJJandJim I reconfigured the controls to the D-Pad and X, triangle, square, and circle. D-pad for movement, buttons for looking. L1 for switching weapons, R1 for shooting, L2 for boosting, and R2 for cutting some poor bastard in half.
@@starhammer5247 Did it let you edit the controls? I don't remember anymore, lol. If I try it again I'll try to remember your scheme.
I feel the exact same way you do about this. Where the HELL has this been all my life?
I love mechs, I love customization, I love Fromsoft. So this is literally perfect for me and I had no idea it even existed until the trailer for 6 dropped. I cannot wait.
I definitely recommend either playing the older games or emulating them. You'll have a blast
@@bombomos yo! Bom how you doin
Yeah it's pretty much what bom said, play some of the older games, the best place to start would be armored core 3 as that's the easiest game in the series
@@Azure9577 I absolutely will when I get the chance. I especially love the idea of the soft restart mentioned in the video, symbolic of you slowly giving in to becoming one with a killing machine. Super cool storytelling.
Just don't play Armored Core Silent Line or Armored Core Last Raven or Armored Core 2: Another Age or Armored Core Master of Arena, as your first games. They feature some of the most nastiest boss fights ever.
@@moisesezequielgutierrez last Raven is literally the hardest fromsoft game to date lmao
As an Armored Core fan, you've done a huge respect to this series. I was avoiding this video because I thought you'd carelessly play through them. I'm glad to see that you've done a great job!
You had the same experience with Armored Core that I had with Ace Combat. Sometimes I'm kinda thankful for missing out, cuz then i get to binge a whole series like a lunatic.
As someone who loved the franchise to the cartoonish point of hundreds of hours as pvp operator in V and Veredict Day, really looking forward to this one.
Expectations are high but I can not imagine they'll give me back my radio at the other shore of the Rubicon. Too many years and design lessons to do so.
Props for your service as the typically less desired role.
worried for mainstream audience not prepared how much of a gameplay-focused title AC franchise was, great cus itll bring a lot of new mecha fans like Elden Ring did for soulslike.
If you want to know about Armored Core TH-camrs / Twitch streamers / content creators, I recommend the following channels:
- Armorecorelore
- Above Average Gaming
- Coffee Potato
- TMRaven
- Lia Lia
- AesirAesthetics
- 0seraphic
- GigaBoots
- FightinCowboy
The timing of you releasing this video is impeccable, was intrigued by the new trailer and wondered what it was about, and you delivered.
If you want to know about Armored Core TH-camrs / Twitch streamers / content creators, I recommend the following channels:
- Armorecorelore
- Above Average Gaming
- Coffee Potato
- TMRaven
- Lia Lia
- AesirAesthetics
- 0seraphic
- GigaBoots
- FightinCowboy
You wildly missed the fundamental plot of several games... but you still nailed the themes and feelings that you were supposed to get from them.
Perfect, 10/10
It's never too late to jump in as a Raven. Congratulations on running through the gauntlet, that is an analysis like this, because I think you have proven yourself, man. Armored Core has always been a series, forcing the player to adapt. I understand that most gamers won't grasp just how it is gameplay wise and the formula to how it really is fun for a player to pick up and start gunning for mission completion while preserving ammo to keep cost down, while maintaining your Armored Core to near 100%.
AC was one of the best examples of "you either get busy fighting, or you get busy dying" specially towards the online multiplayer.
ACV and verdict day when it was active was one of the most fun, compelling co op experiences i’ve ever had. i’ll never forget Eden
Hearing things like this now make me wish I would have given AC V more of a chance. I was so disappointed at how watered down the gameplay felt and the fact that they essentially killed boosting imo that I just tossed the game into storage. The graphics and UI were such an eye sore for me too. I hope they take the good things from AC V and work that into AC 6.
Came here after the gameplay trailer for VI came out, I'm so glad to hear this series has always been fun to play, I'm gonna go through the whole series soon as possible!
When Fires of Rubbicon was announced I was so happy because I knew that with Fromsoft’s popularity, more people will become fans of the AC series.
I hadn't even heard about AC before that announcement. But as a lifelong mecha fan I got giddy, it was a huge breath of fresh air and I'm seeing a lot of new players in other mech games like MechWarrior
A super long video on AC is always a welcome surprise, much appreciated by a fan since AC3
If you want to know about Armored Core TH-camrs / Twitch streamers / content creators, I recommend the following channels:
- Armorecorelore
- Above Average Gaming
- Coffee Potato
- TMRaven
- Lia Lia
- AesirAesthetics
- 0seraphic
- GigaBoots
- FightinCowboy
The AC series was originally self published in Japan by FromSoft and the many different publishers that show up in the splash screens were largely international distributers and some localizations. The EU releases for AC were very troubled where sometimes they would switch publishers between releases and the release dates would range from like years apart to multiple mainline games within one year.
Sega and Ubisoft did localization and publishing/distributing for 4 and FA. I've heard that 4 had a kind of shakey localization and had things cut from the international release.
Around the time of 4 and FA, From was probably in some financial trouble or at least at a somewhat low point. If you look at their full release history, you'd notice how they were at a height of making a lot of content all over the place but also starting to make what could be seen as licensed shovelware and at the time I remember alot of speculation on whether FA would even release outside of Japan at all.
V and VD's inspirations were a mix of AC, Metal Wolf Chaos, and Chromehounds. The movement and mech visual design was partially based on MWC. Chromehounds was an Xbox exclusive FromSoft game that featured much slower more "western" mech style combat and had a prominent online mode called the Neroimus War which was very much what inspired the online modes for V/VD. Sega was in charge of CH's online mode and was also permenantly shut down. Namco was in charge of V/VD's modes, theyre responsible for the servers having region lock which imo was in fact the biggest killing factor for V/VD, the other was very delayed and much needed updates that western players got months after the japanese version did. iirc Japanese VD is still active.
Finally saw someone who mentions MWC and V/VD. The first time I played MWC, my reaction was "is this ACV?" perfect from the you can't raise altitude without using environment but can hover for a long time, weapon swapping, or being able to kick.
@@loopstratos4619 Yeah, they said so in the original dev streams.
seeing this AC would bring a lof of new mecha fans hope this gave capcom an idea to port gundam breaker 3 or NEXT.
The Canadian/American publisher Was a company called AgeTec (rip) who published from games since I believe the very first kings field/armored core but were known to go above and beyond for translation but also for their help on the portable titles all 4 of them were co developed by them since they had experience on the psp you can thank them for the phenomenal port of Forumla front as it was originally released on ps2 in Japan but agetec wanted port it to the psp so they modified it to be Able to do so which if u played it was pulled off beautifully which later was released in Japan as well I believe so from gave them the go ahead for 3, silent line, and last raven which were extremely well received
But due to the psp decline they were merged with Bandai so the legacy of agetec will always be forgotten for how they brought from games to the Americas continent
Found this video after ravenously devouring the story trailer that came out today, and this is exactly what I was looking for.
I could feel the passion you'd built up playing these games from the start of the video, and it's something I'm very eager to feel for myself once I dip my toes into the franchise with this entry when it comes out!
I'm so glad you finally got it. That demo disc captivated me the moment I played it, and I ran out and grabbed a copy as soon as I could. I think that was around the time when Project Phantasma had just come out. I went and picked up every single release from that point forward. It's so amazing.
I'm glad y'all got your time with Souls/Borne really I am, but it's time for AC now. I also wouldn't mind more Otogi.
This was an excellent video essay! You held my attention through every second. I'm a hardcore, die hard AC fan, I've been playing since that demo disk in the 90s. I'm sad that you didn't get the full experience of V and VD, as those are my favorites outside of the old gen.
Sometimes I feel a little crazy due to how much I see gen V get slammed in favor of For Answer specifically. But I also really liked V and Verdict Day especially, my favorites right beside Armored Core 3 and Silent Line.
@@JinTekyta I think 4th gen is your favorite if that's where you started. I see a lot younger players that didn't start at the beginning. If 4th gen is all you know, then 5th gen probably feels clunky and sluggish.
Playing all the games, 4th gen feels more like Ace Combat than Armored Core.
I miss those V and VD days. The clan system and territory takeovers/defense made for some intense matches. I liked 3, 4 and For Answer. But V and VD were definitely my favorite. I played until the player base died off. Ever since I've been trying to fill the void with other Mech Games but they just don't meet that AC standard that I was spoiled by.
I’m surprised there was no mention of the soundtracks for any of the games in this whole video. Each game has some great tracks and for me depending what mood of music I’m in is the game I want to revisit.
Fingers crossed that they bring back Kota Hoshino to compose for AC6. I've missed his music so much
Oh this is so cool to learn about! Thank you for sharing your journey through this series. I'm now far more interested to see what this new entry is going to be about. :)
Bang up job on this video. Really great content/ review of the series.
I'm going through the series at the moment myself, but I'm really looking forward to watching this video after I'm done.
Enjoy!!
In this day and age, the corporate world ethos of Armored Core will feel closer to home than ever.
I laughed as this video was interrupted by corporate ads.
This video was such a treat to watch. Incredibly well narrated and reminded me of a few things I'd forgotten about playing the first, while describing the clever environment building that I didn't quite pick up on at the time. I feel well prepared to play 6 now!
What an awesome video to find your channel by, I can't wait to go through some more of your backlog!
I'll never forget getting Armored Core 2 as a child and not ever understanding how to play it but just pushing with my love of mechs. Mechs are back in gaming guys! (Not counting MechWarrior)
I'm so here for this, Raven.
Great work. So hard to find long in depth videos these days! Keep it up!
New Armored Core VI details via PS Blog:
• Plays different from Souls - same smooth, responsive controls
• Multiple story endings; new paths open up on subsequent playthroughs
• Assault Boost ability instantly switches between long range and melee
• Long range: bazookas, gatling guns, split missiles, plasma rifles and more
• Melee: Cluster bomb thrower, chainsaw, pulse blade, lances and more
• Stagger meter confirmed
• Movement speed between AC3 and AC5
• "Rich variety" of bosses and other mechs
• Focus on customization
• Custom paint jobs
It's great to hear that you ended up enjoying the oldgen controls, I know that's the main thing that puts most people off from playing the old games
I'm happy that mecha games are coming back
Armored core and front mission remake will bring some new people to the genre
maybe it will help mine student solo dev indie mecha game a little bit and so many others big and small mecha games being developed right now too
What? Mech games were always there. People like shit and look for shit. Mech games were overlooked therefore
front mission is getting a remake too? Interesting! I loved that game back in the day
@@paultapping9510 front mission 1 already have. 2 is coming on June 12. 3 on fall of this year and 4 and 5 next year along with spin offs . No front mission 6 unfortunately
@@dotmbarricade3424 I'm looking forward to FM2 as it never came to America, hopefully it will get a Steam release. I've played 1,3,4 and have the translated rom for 5 just hadn't gotten around to playing it yet.
@@Jerrel28 As far as i'm aware of the Front Mission Remakes are Nintendo Switch only aren't they?
This is honestly perfection. Everything I needed to know, whilst leaving me with enough excitement and wonder.
Never played Armoured Core, but I'll try it now, for sure.
Thanks for this awesome video! I've played 1 to Silent Line back in the days and needed to refresh my memory. That did it! I'm sooooooo hyped!
as a series vet from the original I appreciate the care and thought you put into this video. i hope with 6 you'll give the vs a try; i think that aspect of the series is what really brings them to life and changes how you view the nuances of building and piloting in each title. armored core is a franchise that I always suspected would have found a wider fanbase with pc releases (specifically around 4/5) so i'm really living my best gamer life now.
Oh yes, having sparring buddies has been the most fun part of AC for me.
If, by some insane pipedream, it manages to gain a true competetive community, it would be so cool to see how two different players decided to approach their builds, how they may have studied their opponents, and more.
Was going to post my own comment but I saw yours. To blow some minds...Armored Core is a fighting game. The single player portion is there but the longevity of the titles are in the vs matches. There were tournaments for these titles and parts were banned for competitive play. Great series.
@@anhilliator1 those of us lucky enough to have local friends to play AC with have been doing this since the beginning.
@@MTCD-bd4ft I still have a dvd somewhere of footage from an East Coast Alliance Silent Line tournament. Lol
Really well done! I'm so happy to see armored core getting more credit. Thank you for covering this legendary series.
This was a fantastic video! The themes you touch on I wouldn't have thought of back when I played some of the first games.
Absolutely beautiful overview! Superb work!
Just started collecting the whole series. I played many of them but couldn't find them to save my life.
Armored Core is a legendary series. I have vivid memories of AC2 and AC1 as a kid. Been a fan ever since and I hope this new game takes the best out of the classics, especially the more complex customization.
Glad to see channels talking more about Armored Core compared to it being ignored in the past.
Magnificent retrospective! As a long time AC fan, this was an awesome walk down memory lane, as well as a very insightful and informative video 💯👌 Subbed!
For Answer was my very favourite of these games from the moment I picked it up. The frenetic action of the NEXT and knowing you'll instantly die if you're going at under 250km/h at any moment, finally getting the immense, all-powerful mega-adversaries that make that mobility necessary, and the narrative finally bringing all of the disparate thematic elements to a head. The narrative unfolding through conspiracies and plots - finding out in the end you can either fight for 'peace' by destroying the enemies of the very people responsible for the near-annihilation of the planet, fighting for 'freedom' and finding out just which people have been bankrolling this fight and why, or even throwing off all of that and bringing actual punishment to the people and descendants of people who killed the world but in doing so being the single biggest murderer in all of history and becoming the enemy of almost everyone left in the world. THAT is a game narrative.
The ONLY experience I had with Armored Core was when I went over to a buddy's house in junior high and he had either 2 or 3 I think, and I felt very much the same about it - it looked awesome with giant robots and my friend was very excited about it, but I was baffled by its complexity. I've always heard good things in retrospect over the years but never actually seen or played of the entries. So I'll be fascinated to see how I get on with the new one on release.
You definitely explained ACs charm and greatness very well. I also loved the proportions and how seeing freight trucks small in front of you really gave you a sense of scale
You have the best speaking voice ever! Seriously, I can't wait to check out your other vids; this vid was so well done. Interesting and well-researched, I could tell you really cared about the subject. Keep up the good work, please:)
Loved the video. Was a real treat to see this series getting more attention.
Echoing the sentiment of others to try Last Raven at some point. It brought branching paths back from AC1, and went absolutely nuts with them. Super cool, and utterly messed up if you pick a path you and your mech aren't ready for.
So glad to see new Ravens and Lynx coming into the fold. I hope more and more people give this amazing franchise a chance. Armored Core is in my opinion what Gundam wishes it could do. Make a solid Mecha gameplay game. Armored core's core gameplay has hardly changed during it's entire run. It's the ultimate in gameplay, customization, and theme. I love this series. It's always given me so many good memories
Thank you for making this so much!
Great retrospective man. I really love when people really analyze the series, not retell the stories of games scene by scene
Protip for those looking to emulate 4 specifically: Emulate the Xbox 360 version on Xenia, you will have no issues at all and won't have to worry about the cutscenes crashing, so you know, you can actually understand why and what the hell you're doing.
I actually will stand up for 4's story, especially it's framing and how it sets up For Answer. Not to mention how much hard mode actually adds to the story and variety.
Huh, does the method work for FA as well?
Wow, it's beautiful to see how you fell in love with the game the same way as me.
The balancing act of firepower & ammo efficiently on the offense along with mobility & survivability on defense and aesthetics (personal thing) is really a build crafters wet dream.
This was fantastic! I may never find the time to play through these games myself but it's definitely higher up on my backlog now.
i got into it cuz the soundtrack but holy shit it was an amazing experience, the Corporations, the AC they were all created with a Soul of hope in a desolate world
god every title has some amazimg tracks! i dig Last Raven cause i'm a weirdo.
@@danhectic5629 Last Raven is a bitch but once you get your hands properly around it it feels amazing to turn things around on those cheating bastards lol
@@RayShadow278 *(Laughs in the Background corner for using the emulator JUST to get access to Human Plus/OP-Intensify)*
"The Corporations, the ACs, the Ravens' Nest... all of these were created by me... for the sole purpose of protecting mankind. Those who are too powerful, those who create only chaos, they are simply not part of the program."
"they were all created with a Soul of hope in a desolate world"
Feel like this is actually an aspect of the series that a lot of people kinda gloss over. Like just for example in AC4A the main menu theme is called "someone's always moving on the surface" and when you pair that name with the plot being about how to deal with the floating cities and the pollution they cause it really feels like the intention is to inspire a bit of hope, that regardless of who wins the war that even though the surface is as hellish as it is somehow people are still there clinging on and will continue to do so.
Final Fantasy 7 and original Armored Core were two of the first console games I ever played. Actual first was pokemon blue and some helicopter sidescroller on OG Gameboy. Man, I really did get to play some incredible games growing up. As I still do today =]
Look at how good we're eating, now. Armored Core is one of those 'you had to be there' moments in gaming history, especially seeing how difficult it was for him to play ACV. Now, We have the FFVII remake AND AC6.
Great video about a series I and I guess many others hadn't heard of until recently!
This is the exact video I wanted after seeing the FoR trailer and playing AC4 in my youth, thanks for the content, definitely makes me want to check out your channel now
Fortunately for me I went and got every console AC game before AC6 was announced. I went and got a PS3 several years ago specifically to play the AC games there because I didn't trust my computer or the emulators to work well enough. And, even to this day, obviously all the issues have yet been ironed out.
Anyway, good vid. Although I do say that ACV's missions are more than do-able with a single player, especially since ACV's story missions have refill points. Of course, I, too, didn't get to play ACV while the servers were up but even in its gutted state, ACV specifically is one of my favorite games of the series. Also, if you do get to return to ACVD, do put some time into the UNAC AI builder, considering that, while it requires a good deal of money to upgrade, you can basically, eventually, tweak it's AI to a degree unmatched by other games in the series.
And while I do like For Answer, I do appreciate that someone new to the series sees FA for what it is: It's a good action game, but not really much like an AC game, at least less than the other games.
Funnily enough, if one asked me which AC game to start with, your video lines up with what I would say: Start with the first game, or AC3, with AC2 being basically more Gen 1, and Gen 4/5 being too different from the other games to justify them getting into the franchise.
Finally, I'd suggest playing Formula Front as well if you want a more building focused game, specifically the International re-release for PSP, as that was geared towards 1 on 1 AI battles.
Man, I loved that first game. And that looping menu music is still lodged in my mind 25 years later! I don't know why I never went back to the series, but I am definitely interested in the upcoming one.
Edit: now that I've watched your video, I'm remembering that there just seemed to be so many releases, each with only minor incremental advances, and always technically behind other games of the time. For all of these reasons, at a time when we couldn't afford much, I think I was put off from buying any others, but it sounds like I should get myself #3 👍
Fam you really summed up why ive been a fan from jump. Its funny you mentioned getting this from Blockbuster because I WAS THAT KID. And now here we are. You pushed me over the edge on the AC VI special addition. I owe it to myself being a fan this long.
That motherwell reference made me laugh so much and brought back an old memory i had forgotten laughing about playing this so many years ago.
Great video all round!
Those first two armored core were revolutionary...in alot of ways no one had seen a game like this before ...
I'm glad you discovered how enjoyable this series has been.
Watched this video twice now and just leaving a comment to boost the algo on it, as I still think it's fantastic and a great lookback at the series through your personal lens. Good job, writing on games - now head back to base to rest up.
These games were amazing I played them all upon their respective releases. I'm glad to see another being released soon. Armored Core series ranks up in my top 5 all time favorites. Thanks for the work showcasing each game; brought back some memories for sure.
I'm just glad that one of my favorite franchises is finally getting attention
If you want to know about Armored Core TH-camrs / Twitch streamers / content creators, I recommend the following channels:
- Armorecorelore
- Above Average Gaming
- Coffee Potato
- TMRaven
- Lia Lia
- AesirAesthetics
- 0seraphic
- GigaBoots
- FightinCowboy
also
Armored Core 1 soundtrack still slaps so hard
Super good narrative dude, really well written, captivating
Wow really thorough breakdown. Thanks for sharing your thoughts on AC!
Alright... guess im canceling my plans for tonight and ordering a pizza
Same
such a well written video!!! was super curious about this series!
This video deserves so many views and you deserve so many more subs!
Thanks a lot for this video. Good work, I love watching it 😊
I'm gonna double comment to boost your algorithm but also I wanna say that ACV and VD did not exactly run well on its original hardware, and i vehemently wish they were released a console generation later. I loved the games ambition, as well as the movement, loadout, and focus on team tactics. The game was hoisted by its own ambition, and I think the more powerful hardware and better online infrastructure could have made these interesting but flawed gems truly great!.
I love how the mechas move in V and VD. the idea of parkouring off buildings and using the terrain to both go faster and save energy compared to boosting was an inspired design decision. Leg choice mattered more than ever and my love for the digitigrade mechas was cemented when you use their enhanced jumping power to outmaneuver your opponents. When I played single player I adored using them quickly get to vantage points to use a sniper rifle, while in group play i loved playing a fast-moving scout who tagged enemy players with sticky recon units while harassing them with light weapons. It was great fun giving the enemy nowhere to hide while coordinating my teammates to take the game. It was like being an in-combat operator and was loads of fun!!
I do think Scan Mode has a bit more depth than just "cuts through the mud of the of-era gritty graphics." the ability to recover energy quickly, and the fact that you don't get a natural radar in combat mode means ducking behind cover and using scan mode is a key defensive strat. It also plays into the three-way damage types and how enemies are often explicitly weak to a certain weapon style. I think that scan mode made finding enemies easier because it was also meant to show the player which weapons they should target.
I do think that the emphasis on weaknesses with the kinetic/chemical/thermal triad does make single player a much more brutal experience. You basically need to know what enemy types show up in the mission and what you're weak to ahead of time. it makes your first time through a mission extremely difficult, and the cost to calling in your resupply workshop disincentivizes swapping on the fly. It also forces you to make a generalist mech that is forced to carry one of every weapon type, and even equipping the weakest thermal weapons to keep in your back pocket tanks your EN recovery. VD alleviates this with your AI ACs as well as giving you better options for all weapon types. The damage type system is absolutely designed for a team-based mission structure where you mark enemies with your recons and tell your teammates who bring those weapon types to engage with them while you handle other foes.
this may be controversial for an AC fan to say, but i want Fires of Rubicon to draw most of its inspiration from Verdict Day. I want FROM to have the artistic bravery to take what did work in VD and amplify it, and identify its weaknesses and fix them. I am ecstatic for a new AC title after a decade, but I would be personally a little disappointed if FROM repeated DS3's mistake of discarding DS2's mechanical ambition and just doing DS1 again instead of honing the rough edges of their last title and making a good game great.
Much as it stings to say... I agree. VD's refinement to 5's formula seems to have been closer to the sweet spot between 1-3 and 4/FA mechanically. We know that an equivalent to Primal Armor is gonna be in 6, and if they avoid the 'multiples of the same part of different number values' design trap which made starting 5 so painful, I think there's real potential there I'd like to see explored.
@@Sorain1 4th gen is still my favorite AC era but that's largely due to the writing and how good i was at PVP.
one thing i want to return from 4th ere [besides the great writing] in Fires of Rubicon is multiple manufacturers with highly recognizable part silhouettes. one of the issues with V/VD is that it's hard to see at a glance what your opponent is using but in 4th gen the designs were all so visually distinct. I could immediately tell what weapons an enemy used at a glance , even at AC4A's twitchiest speeds.
It kills me that Verdict Day also fails to run well emulated (unlike For Answer, which can be easily be 4K/60'd with just a few setting tweaks). It certainly has the potential to run well; you can do precisely one mission at high res with a solid 30+ framerate. But doing so will inevitably cause the game to crash, and the only way to prevent that crash is to accept settings that cause the game to dip into single digit FPS. Hopefully folks figure this out down the line.
Agree but can do without Verdict Day's completely unnecessary tying of lore to the 4 Universe.
I get that this isn't the first time they did a cross-numbering connection (2 connects to 1 and arguably 4 connects to 3) but the jarringness of fighting in Vth gen Armored Cores around a ruined Motherwill...gives me a queasy feeling. All in all though, yeah.
Fantastic deep dive. I only played For Answer, but remember it being an absolute riot.