Armored Core

by Sony Computer Entertainment

Product Details

• Shipping: Currently, item can be shipped only within the U.S. and to APO/FPO addresses. For APO/FPO shipments, please check with the manufacturer regarding warranty and support issues.
• ASIN: B00002SVWB
• Media: Video Game
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (7 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #19,383 in Video Games (See Top 100 in Video Games)
• Discontinued by manufacturer: Yes

Product Description

GameSpot Review

The perfect halfway mark between Sega's too simple Virtual On and Activision's too complex MechWarrior 2, Armored Core is a mech game that carries over arcade-style action while still retaining the ability to configure a vehicle that is at once your weapon and ride. Quite simply, it's worth getting and worth getting excited over.

You take on the role of a mercenary pilot of a large robot who can be hired out for missions varying from straight-out assaults and guarding convoys to bug extermination and classic one-on-one mech duels. These all take place within or above a number of terrains, such as underground installations, desert bases, downtown cityscapes, helicarriers up in the clouds, and space stations up even higher still. Nearly all are knee-deep in fun, and they culminate in a super hard final stage in which the developers at From Software really used their game designing skills for evil: You must pilot your mech to the top of a skyscraper-high complex via 3D floating cubes armed with guns mounted on both top and bottom - and that's just the tip of the iceberg.

Almost as charming as the gameplay are the upgradable options for the mech, which you'll be able to afford after successfully completing a few operations with the rig you start out with. These options include different functioning heads, cores (or chest units, thus the game's name), arms, legs, arm weapons, back weapons, radar, boosters, generators, chipsets, and more, all of which must be balanced out with armor class, weight, energy drain, and several other functions. A test stage is available to test out your mech after it has been assembled in the garage, to make sure that you're happy with the new setup. If you're not, the shop buys back used parts at full price. Different patterns and a custom palette are also available to paint your wagon with, allowing for everything from camo to plaid to your own personal shades of neon.

The game's basic controls are very intuitive, and even the advanced techniques are easy to grasp relatively quickly. As in Super Mario 64, you don't need to know every move early on, but the game gives you the chance to get them all down by the time they're absolutely necessary. Its graphics and soundtracks are fitting and workable.

All in all, Armored Core is a good, solid title that will eat up many hours of playtime for most gamers. Hopefully Armored Core Phantasma, From Software's Japanese release add-on to the game, will make its way out to the States in time for when they're through. --Joe Fielder
--Copyright ©1999 GameSpot Inc. All rights reserved. Reproduction in whole or in part in any form or medium without express written permission of GameSpot is prohibited. GameSpot and the GameSpot logo are trademarks of GameSpot Inc.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

10 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars I like it, I realy realy like it!, October 19, 2001

By 

john morrick (Fort Worth, TX United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Armored Core (Video Game)

Alright to put this down right flat out frank I can describe every detail, perk, and flaw (don't get me wong there are'nt a lot of flaws), but now I don't have the time. This game is awesome, the gameplay is incredible, music "oooh-aah" you won't be dissapionted. The graphics are playstation normal, a little edgy at times (but hey who cares it's all metal anyway)but not blocky. And the replay value "oooh-aah again" there are four count 'em four diffrent ways to go through the game, however only two endings. It as over 300,000 diffrent combinations of parts, I won't ask you to count those though. The replay value has left me with three diffrent files it's so good. It takes alot for me to give a game five stars(it takes a four star or more for me to right a review). But I had to give this super-sweet a full five out of five.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars One of the best video games produced for Playstation, March 20, 2005

By 

Marc Dalesandro (Dartmouth, Nova Scotia Canada) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

= Fun:5.0 out of 5 stars 

This review is from: Armored Core (Video Game)

"Armored Core" is one of the best Playstation games out there, with enough action, missions, mech construction, and general mayhem generation to satisfy any gamer.

In these days of bloated Playstation 2 and XBox games, it's certainly refreshing to pop this one in the ol' PS1 and do some good old-fashioned butt kicking.

Sometimes, an older game can give you all the thrills of the newest mega-blockbuster. "Armored Core" is a game that will never stop being fun. Five stars!

P.S. The sequels (those for the PS1 and PS2) are also excellent.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The Original!, December 26, 2002

By 

Anthony D "knightomwd" (Brooklyn, NY USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Armored Core (Video Game)

This is the game that started it all. If you can take the graphics out of consideration ( the graphics were stunning for that time period don't forget) the gameplay is fun and still holds up, even after I've played Armored core2 and Armored Core:Another Age on the PS2!