A Crack in the Armor
Armored Core finally hits next-gen systems, but there's little about it that actually feels next-gen.
Published: April 14, 2007
This extends to nearly every part of the game; Nexts now have force fields (called Primal Armor) and boosts that pull from Kojima Energy, which also feeds the ever-recharging meter unless you kick off either a quick burst or blow it all in an extended burst. In fact, because you only burn your boost meter when you're gaining altitude or dashing, you'll want to skate all over the place lest all the incoming fire make you dead. And in fact that incoming fire -- as well as the stuff you can dish out -- now have the ability to sap or punch through Next Primal Armor.
It is the customization that's always been the game's bread and butter, though, and it's perhaps here that things are most newbie-friendly. Consider for a second that now parts are unlocked as you wade through the story missions, spoon-feeding the upgrades experience -- and new FRS points that let you bulk up nearly every little section from stabilization to offense and defense in teeny tiny elements -- and they can be cleared off and reassigned at any time to help teach just how certain stats being bumped up help things. And, like the stabilizers, you can let the game auto-assign all this stuff.
By far the most next-gen part about the game, though, is probably the visuals. Sure, the improved speed and boost-heavy duels are the most refreshing change, but From's experience on Chromehounds has yielded some fantasic visual style. From the lighting that spills out from the boost exhaust and over each Next's various nooks and crannies to the various film grain and speckle effects that are ladled over the general visual style to the bursts of static that are barfed all over the screen during big hits, there's plenty here to take in, but you'll want to do so on an HDTV.
Yes, the levels are larger and infinitely more detailed (though in an archaic throwback, you can still accidentally leave the level and fail the mission, which means another trip through the loading screen), but a lot of the finer deets like particle effects and visual styles just don't come through as well on a standard-def TV. That's not to say you can't appreciate some of the more intricate parts of the levels or the huge jump in detail in the Nexts, but again, it's the little things that make the game pop. For the most part the framerate is solid, too, which is something early PS3 games have had some issues with.
Aurally, things are more subdued. If you've got a Dolby Digital receiver, you'll be able to appreciate the painfully limited but admittedly awesome half-dozen or so tracks that tuck themselves just under the various explosions, streaking rockets, burping gunfire and thunderous stomps that are meted out between the almost constant low hiss of activated boosters. Mission briefings and mid-chapter narration are both quite well done, though some of the text in subtitles suffers from the odd bit of Engrish. It's a wonderful mix of subdued, simple sound effects that boast plenty of low range rumble, but no one part tries to take the fore for too long, and it makes for a game that sounds quite impressive indeed, though it's more for the fact that it is so controlled more than anything else.
You may have noticed that aside from the initial mention, I haven't really talked about online play at all. That's effectively because it's almost a non-feature. Yes, you can hop online and actually jump into regional rooms to duke it out with up to eight players in a battle royale or 1-on-1, 2-on-2 and 4-on-4 fights. The problem here is that's really all you can do -- aside from trading your custom schematics with other players in a clumsy, annoying process -- and with no voice chat, no clans, no buddy lists, no... well, you get the idea. It's a half-baked mode, and though it's better than nothing (Virtua Tennis 3, I'm looking at you), it's still not what it could be -- nor what was ventured on the 360 with Chromehounds.
I know I keep referencing that 360 title, but I perhaps naively though that the lessons learned with that game would carry over into a truly community-oriented entry into From's flagship series. Alas, that was not to be. Instead, we get a game that is more accessible than previous entries, still offers an addictive suite of customization and building tools, but doesn't quite make the full next-gen leap. Armored Core 4 is a decent game, but right now the PS3 needs more than just decent, and as a result, many may skip over this on the eternal hunt for that must-have game. It's a decent rental, but it's hard to recommend it as a buy for all but series die-hards.