Armored Core 2

by Agetec

Product Details

• ASIN: B00004YKHS
• Item Weight: 5 ounces
• Media: Video Game
• Average Customer Review: 4.3 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (64 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #19,843 in Video Games (See Top 100 in Video Games)

Product Description

GameSpot Review

Two hundred years into the future and 70 years after the last Armored Core, From Software's Armored Core 2 picks up where the previous sequels left off: a world in ruin, humankind struggling to survive, and order on the brink of chaos. In this release, you'll assume the role of a Raven, a highly skilled mercenary for hire. Your tool of the trade: a ten-ton mech kitted out with a wide variety of rifles, missiles, radar units, explosives, and other destructive devices. Three dueling factions, the Zio Corporation, the LCC, and the Emeraude Corporation are vying for total control of the Mars Development Project. However, each of these groups lacks the resources to topple the others. Thus, across 30 missions, many of which are optional, each will hire you to do its dirty work. As for who wins, that's up to you.

Armored Core 2 isn't just about single-player combat missions, though. On the contrary, the Armored Core series has always been about an equal blend of mech customization, arena fighting, and mission-based combat. This PlayStation 2 rendition is no different. After you've completed the first training mission, a quick romp through a rebel subway, you're dished out to a mode select menu. From here, you can take part in one of 30 single-player missions, compete against 50 CPU opponents in the versus arena, or purchase and equip 14 different categories of armaments in the garage and shop areas. There's also a handy system for the saving and loading of character and emblem data. Your goals are simple: complete the missions, attain first place in the arena, and design one or more mechs that either meet or exceed the game's designation of "great." Doing so will take a great deal of time and effort, meticulously upgrading your mech and testing it in battle.

If you had to pick two words to describe Armored Core 2, "time" and "effort" would certainly be those words. With a gameplay engine and control system that are one part Mechwarrior and one part Virtual On Oratorio Tangram, Armored Core 2 may not be a burden, but it's no cakewalk either. You begin with a modest mech, with the lowest-level rifle, plasma sword, missile battery, and armor compliment. As you complete each mission or best an opponent in the arena, you earn credits toward the purchase of new parts. There are 15 part categories to attend to: head, core (torso), arms, legs, generator, FCS targeting, booster, back weapon left, back weapon right, arm weapon left, arm weapon right, radiator cooling system, inside options, extension systems, and optional parts. Each of these categories initially yields five to 15 upgrades, with more that are unlocked as you complete missions or uncover secrets. Sound painful? It is, at first. You'll spend a good six to eight hours initially, watching your hit points deplete, dying, restarting, and learning how to control every detail of your initially sluggish mech. However, as you complete missions, upgrade your components, and get used to the weight and energy requirements of all the different mech parts, the game's true beauty shines through - your mech begins to kick butt and so do you. While the control system - which rules out the use of analog controls in favor of digital-pad movement and button-controlled strafing - leaves much to be desired, the combination of exposure over time and mech upgrading really pulls you into the game. About the only crime Armored Core 2 is guilty of is being too realistic to the task. The game has a slick, arcade-like veneer, but weapons response and movement are stiff and unresponsive. Yes, they are realistic (or, as realistic as you can get when it comes to gigantic armed robots), but they're jarring to those who are new to the series or used to more inviting, competitive offerings. Frankly though, with a thick sci-fi plot and customization options to the gills, Armored Core 2 delivers its own brand of quality gameplay in spite of its painful controls.

Should you get bored with all of the tweaking and trial-and-error gameplay of Armored Core 2's single-player experience, you and a friend can also duke it out in the game's human versus mode - either through a one-on-one Virtual On Oratorio Tangram-style split screen or via Sony's i-Link link-up cable. Regardless of how you play, your friend can upload his or her creations to your game via a memory card, enabling you both to go toe-to-toe across eight maps with your own unique armored creations. The action is just as furious as the main game's arena mode, with zero slowdown, texture loss, or clipping issues.

Despite what you may gain from Armored Core 2's gameplay experience, the game's visual presentation is the best to date of any PlayStation 2 title. The action is conveyed in a third-person outside-the-mech view, similar to Virtual On Oratorio Tangram, with onscreen indicators displaying weapon choice, ammunition level, energy consumption, and hit points. Despite the sheer number of interchangeable, user-definable parts, Armored Core 2's mech models all ambulate, react, and handle as if every possible modification has been accounted for. Whether you create a four-legged walking tank with long-range missiles or a speedy chicken walker with pinpoint blasters, each of your creations will look just as if it were meant to exist based upon your own unique specifications. From the largest shoulder socket to the smallest metal flap, the number of moving objects attached to each mech is astonishing. Backing this up are a wide array of highly diverse backgrounds, 60fps animation, and the best use of particle effects in any mech title since Sega's Virtual On Oratorio Tangram on the Dreamcast. The only flaw one can readily find with Armored Core 2's graphical splendor is a lack of texture variety in flat terrain - a highly nitpicky issue that you really have to be concentrating on to notice. If you're a fan of great-looking mech games or have wanted an Armored Core title that lived up to your own imaginative expectations, Armored Core 2 is for you.

If gorgeous visuals weren't enough, Armored Core 2 is also the first PlayStation 2 title that backs up its graphical offerings with equally succulent audio. Background music is majestic and diverse, never repeating or getting on your nerves. If you enjoyed the drastic nature of Armored Core Project Phantasma's soundtrack, then Armored Core 2's musical score is going to set your senses on fire. It's not John Williams, but it certainly puts Gungriffon Blaze, Virtual On Oratorio Tangram, and every other recent mech title to shame. Surprisingly enough, Armored Core 2's in-game sound effects are just as detailed and varied as the musical score supporting them. Every weapon, with emphases on the word "every," has its own distinct sound effect for firing and collision. With 16 stock handheld weapons and a number of hidden armaments, such attention to detail is admirable. Top things off with a variety of personable premission speech snippets from the same vocal talents who brought Seaman and Liquid Snake to life, and Armored Core 2 gives your sound system the workout it's been waiting for.

Thanks to a few errant gameplay quirks, Armored Core 2 doesn't quite reach console mech perfection. However, thanks to a slick presentation, diverse gameplay, and overwhelming customization options, the game certainly comes close. If you've been looking for a vehicle to show off your PlayStation 2 or to wipe the rehashed taste of Project Phantasma and Master of Arena out of your mouth, Armored Core 2 is definitely a good start. Still, it's a shame that Armored Core 2's steep learning curve and stiff control mechanics are such an integral part of its gameplay, as there is a subset of the population that actually prefers the looser, more forgiving control systems that Gungriffon Blaze and Virtual On Oratorio Tangram offer. It's a true situation of apples to oranges, though, with orange lovers smiling all the way home.--Frank Provo--Copyright © 2000 GameSpot Inc. All rights reserved. Reproduction in whole or in part in any form or medium without express written permission of GameSpot is prohibited.

Product Description

This is the game Armored Core 2 for the Playstation 2. This game may not come with the original case and instructions. We stand by our products and offer a 60 day guarantee. If a game does not work within 60 days from the time you receive it we will gladly exchange it for you.

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

22 of 24 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Great for true Mech fans, a bit buggy for others, November 22, 2000

By 

Lisa Shea "medieval swordfighting enthusiast" - See all my reviews
(HALL OF FAME REVIEWER)    (VINE VOICE)    (TOP 50 REVIEWER)   

This review is from: Armored Core 2 (Video Game)

When we got a Playstation 2, the first PS2 game we put into it was Armored Core 2, by Agetec. This game style is definitely one we enjoy a great deal. Unfortunately, it appears they rushed this game out the door a bit too quickly.

The game design is really neat. Like most mech games, you start out slowly, getting money to customize your mech as you go. There are 50 'ranked' robots for you to fight your way through, as well as 35 missions to undertake to earn fame and fortune. There are hundreds of parts to choose from to customize your bot.

You can also go head-to-head by linking your PS2 to a friend's with the cable. Unfortunately the PS2 doesn't currently support modem play, so someone has to carry the unit to someone else's house to do this.

The plots are interesting - with three factions trying to get control of Mars, the missions you choose help influence the fate of these companies. The customization is almost overwhelming. You can custom-design your own logo with their built in paint program, buy parts for a huge variety of systems on your mech, and then test it out in various arenas against various foes.

Why the disappointment, then? The learning curve on this is VERY steep - the screens and layout could have been done much more intuitively. The game also runs extremely slowly. Sounds lock up, visuals will stick on the screen, etc. If you've spent hours and hours (if not weeks and weeks) working on designing the perfect mech, the last thing you want is for system failures to cause you to lose missions and die in battles.

A true mech fan might overlook these problems and enjoy the game, but those out to test the true power of their PS2 might want to look at other options.

27 of 31 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Armored Core 2 is definitely a Blast, November 9, 2000

By A Customer

This review is from: Armored Core 2 (Video Game)

This game is simply amazing! It has everything a Mech battle lover could want. There are plenty of missions (about 35) and plenty of opponents in the Arena (49). Customization of your Mech is almost limitless (assuming you have earned the credits in battle) and the game isn't dumbed down to a silly shoot 'em up. Every aspect of your Mech comes into play during battle, and you are usually at a material disadvantage so you'll have to plan your attacks instead of just shooting wildly and wasting ammo (ammo costs credits and it will come out of your reward when you complete a mission). The diversity of the missions force you to equip your Mech for each particular mission or opponent, none of that "one super mech beats all" stuff here. A missile-heavy AC is useless on a mission where missile lock-ons won't function properly. The graphics are absolutely stunning! Each AC is incredibly detailed and moves beautifully. The controls take a little getting used to, but once you've mastered it, you'll do some amazing things in battle that'll have you watching the arena replays over and over. I won't even get into the Vs. mode, where you and a friend load up your custom ACs and see who's the baddest on the block. Simply put, a must have!

12 of 13 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Lots of fun, but be prepared to earn it, February 18, 2001

By 

zlionsfan (Indiana, USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Armored Core 2 (Video Game)

I bought this game because I was looking for a non-sports title for my PS2 and wanted something with a little more combat than SSX (excellent game - see reviews). I'm glad I read reviews of it before I bought it! Armored Core 2 is a very good game, but it does have its flaws, and there is a learning curve involved. Some people may not want to take the time to get past the initial phase of the game.

The premise is simple - you're on Mars and own a mech, a remote-controlled, armed robot. Mars is controlled by several corporations, each with their own agenda, and they're looking for hired help to help them get what they want. That means you. You provide help by way of accepting missions. From time to time, corporations will contact your advisor with opportunities. You can review the mission, see how much it pays (sometimes you get an advance), and choose to accept or decline. Upon completion of the mission, you'll get whatever portion of the reward you're owed, as well as any bonuses you may have earned, but you have to pay to repair any damage to your mech and you have to pay for ammunition that you've used.

You can also earn credits (money) and parts by beating other mechs in head-to-head combat in the Arena. The Arena is a ladder-based challenge system - as you beat each opponent, you move up one rung and receive a correspondingly larger bonus. You don't have to pay for damage or ammunition in the Arena.

Here's where the work comes in. At first, you've got a very basic mech. Especially if you're not familiar with mech combat, as I wasn't, you'll get beat in the Arena or fail to complete missions. The expense of failing a mission is usually enough to set you back too far to continue, so you'll want to restart the mission. Easy enough? Think again.

The game doesn't lend itself well to this kind of progress (intentionally so, I think). If you want to redo a mission, you have to load a saved game (save after EVERY mission!), accept the mission, and start over again. It's not a quick process. Then again, it can still be done. In Arena mode, you can simply choose to fight the battle again, and can do so over and over until you win, although the losses are kept in your record.

As you progress through the missions, you get more offers, your ranking improves (you have a completion percentage based on how far you've gone), and you learn more about Mars, the corporations, and other things that are happening. Eventually, you'll have a well-armed mech and will be more able to do what you want. Corporations will also make more parts available to you, especially if you've been working for them, so don't think you're limited to the weapons, legs, and other parts you see when you start.

After each mission and Arena battle, you can take your credits and spend them in the Shop. Here's where Agetec makes up for the missions - you sell parts back for 100% of the purchase price, so you can experiment to your heart's content (well, maybe your wallet's) when you upgrade your mech. However, you can't get everything you want. Your mech has an energy limit and weight limits for the legs and the core, and you can't spend more money than you have. If you're too heavy or can't afford required parts, you can't go into battle.

The control scheme is typical for mech games, which means if you were expecting to use the analog sticks for movement, you'll be disappointed. In their defense, this system is more realistic. After all, if your mech has legs, it's not going to be able to spin around very easily! It takes a bit of getting used to (and you need to know that the L3 and R3 buttons are the analog sticks - push in to use), but once you've got the controls down, you'll be ready for battle. You can even use a USB mouse to design your emblem (the logo for your mech), and if you've got skills, you can design a really cool emblem.

The gameplay itself is good, although if there are many missiles on the screen, you'll definitely see some slowdown. Aside from that, it's nice once you've become accustomed to the controls, and there's something satisfying about taking out a plane or a chopper with one well-aimed missile. It's not all brute force, though. You'd love to be able to lay waste to a facility, but when you finish the mission and get your bill for the ammo, you'll wish you were a little more conservative.

You can play head-to-head against a friend, either in split-screen mode if you've got one PS2, or if you have two PS2s, two TVs, you each have the game, and you have one i.Link cable, you can play on your own systems.

There are many different types of mechs you can build, and the missions that you accept, in theory, steer your progress through the game (I've not played more than one game, so I can't verify that). I think the replay value of the game is pretty good, if you're a mech player, and I'm looking forward to going back and replaying some missions.

I've had a lot of fun with this game, but I've also had to be patient with it. If you've got the time, and if you like mech combat, this is a good game for you. If you're considering this for a younger person, or if you're new to the mech arena, you may want to look for something else.