Armored Core 4: For Answer Catch-All

Well an online Co-op mode has pretty much dashed my hopes of getting this game for my PS3 and adding another title to the library. Looks like the trusty old 360 is getting a new disc to chew on. So who else is an AC junkie and looking forward to this coming out next week?

I love the customization and I love giant robots but the controls have always tied my hands into knots. Fans tell me it's SUPPOSED to be that way, that giant robots SHOULDN'T be easy to control, but screw that, the robots handled wonderfully in Frame Gride on the Dreamcast. So as much as I want it (or rather as much as I want what I want it to be), not gonna fall for it this time.

What was the last AC game you've played?

No matter the amount of times I'm let down, I'm always a sucker for more mecha games. Armored Core is where it's at and despite the ridiculous name and the meh cover, I'm really looking forward to this. The gigantic bosses could be really something.

(For the record, the best mecha game ever is Heavy Gear II on the PC. Why oh why we never got a part three. Shogo's pretty high up there, as well.)

Devmani wrote:

What was the last AC game you've played?

Armored Core 4.

LobsterMobster wrote:
Devmani wrote:

What was the last AC game you've played?

Armored Core 4. :D

Really you had control issues in AC:4? I thought it was at it's best with that game.

I got really fed up with some of the design choices in AC4, not so much by the mechanics. Unneeded glare effects that made dealing with the auto-lock on even more cumbersome. After trying the defend the bridge mission a million times, I cashed in my chips and bought Earth Defense Force 2017.

Consequently, I'm going to rent this, but that's prolly it. I wish this was ZOE 3.

All this talk of giant battle beasts makes me miss the old times, those innocent night spent playing Chromehounds with Goodjers late (usually very late) into the night...

The only thing I really despise about AC4 is the interface. It's always been cumbersome before, but never actually confusing to figure out what you were doing.

AC4 managed to make it both. I actually stopped playing a short time into it. The mech customization stuff was actually annoying me because of the crappy menu system. My favorite part of the game was mostly ruined by their crap interface design.

But I'm a whore. I'll probably buy For Answer in the hope that it returns to their more classic interface, get pissed off, and let it sit on my shelf unfinished, just like AC4.

Would you liek to see my Armored Corezormons?

Devmani wrote:
LobsterMobster wrote:
Devmani wrote:

What was the last AC game you've played?

Armored Core 4. :D

Really you had control issues in AC:4? I thought it was at it's best with that game.

It was the best. It still sucked.

Wow, they've done a poor job marketing this one -- I'm a pretty big fan of giant robots destroying things (and have played many of the previous AC games, including 4) yet I had no idea this was coming. Well, too late now -- it's going to have to wait, as my fall is all booked up.

I've been keeping tabs on this game since it was announced in JPN. I think it was about 2 months ago that Ubi said they would publish it for this fall.

firesloth wrote:

All this talk of giant battle beasts makes me miss the old times, those innocent night spent playing Chromehounds with Goodjers late (usually very late) into the night...

I had a lot of fun with Chromehounds

Yeah, honestly I'd much rather see From Software spend their time making a sequel to Chromehounds than another AC game. AC is fun, but Chromehounds was bad ass.

I like Exteel's controls on the PC better, but that shouldn't be surprising because mouse/keyboard is superior.

Still, my neverending thirst for hot, robot action has kept me buying AC games. I wish they'd do some for the PC.

zeroKFE wrote:

Yeah, honestly I'd much rather see From Software spend their time making a sequel to Chromehounds than another AC game. AC is fun, but Chromehounds was bad ass.

Yeah, but Chromehounds also had a LOT of problems. From isn't very good at fixing problems. Armored Core has changed surprisingly little since the original Playstation game.

Did anyone actually pick this one up?

The only AC game I played was Nexus on the PS2. I really wanted to like it, but I just couldn't get into it. I even bought a guide for it so I could read up on all the available parts, but no go. I couldn't do well in the "dodge missile" mission no matter no matter what I did, even with the walkthrough (which gave the helpful advice of "just dodge the missiles."), and the stupid "destroy the crate" mission after it kept tripping me up because the camera didn't let me see who was killing me.

I finally realized that the game was more of a mech sim than I wanted. I just wanted to customize a giant robot and blow crap up, and while I got to build my robot I never felt powerful while driving it. I traded it in.

Are there any mech games that feature mech customization but have a more arcade feel in the actual missions? I played Iron Soldier on the Jaguar, and enjoyed it a lot.

doubtingthomas wrote:

I just wanted to customize a giant robot and blow crap up, and while I got to build my robot I never felt powerful while driving it.

Are there any mech games that feature mech customization but have a more arcade feel in the actual missions? I played Iron Soldier on the Jaguar, and enjoyed it a lot.

During the Dreamcast days, From released a game called Frame Gride. It was Japanese-only (and even then very rare). I actually imported an original but I believe if you look hard enough you can find a rom on the interwebs. Because, y'know... the rom might be translated. So it'd go good with your legitimately purchased copy!

I don't know what the hell a Gride is. Is it Grid? Grade? Glide? ...Glade? Anyway, you build your giant robot by picking different armor parts, a melee weapon, a gun, and a back weapon. They look futuristic but have a medieval/steampunk kind of feel and the guns have a magic theme. Like you have your traditional swarm missiles but the missiles look like faeries and stuff. You can also summon little robots ("Squires") to help you fight. Each stage is a one on one fight versus another robot and when you win you get a selection of jewels you can fuse into new parts and squires.

Unlike Armored Core, the controls are extremely smooth and easy. There's no weapon toggling, it's easy to aim, and everything behaves like you'd expect.

It's kind of like From stumbled across a great game and decided it was too good and they couldn't possibly localize it or continue the franchise.

>>Insert obligatory "I miss Mechwarrior" comment here.<<

I did end up ordering this, but it appears all my praise for Amazon and their shipping times has finally bitten me as they delayed the shipping of the game and now I won't have it until next week.

Fun coincidence: the only other order in the history of my time using Amazon to experience a delay on it's release date was Armored Core 4. I was able to cancel that order before it shipped though and then just buy it locally same day.

*edit*

It returns to the old menu system! I played for hours last night. Ranked 1st in the arena stuff and went through a significant portion of the singleplayer campaign. I played a few missions co-op with a friend, though that's not necessarily as fun as it could be because the levels tend to be on the short side. Levels that take maybe 5 minutes singleplayer can be done in as little as 45 seconds with 2 people, even if just because of the sheer amount of damage you can throw out.