Armored Core 3. Teekie's Review

[TeeKup]

Holy Shit. When I first saw the Armored Core 3 trailer I in awe. The moment I got in game, I was in shock.

The game has the dryest and slowest plot I have seen to date. There is no basic story line. You just do missions and small tid bits of information are given afterwards.The only thing the game really has going for it is its customization extent of the AC's.

You're able to choose from a wide variety of arms, legs, core's(torso) Back weapon units, hand held weapons, arm cannons, shoulder mounted devices, internal optional parts, radiators, generators, FCS's and heads. Not to mention you can custom color just about every part of your AC. Giving you your own personal and custom identity, even though your character in the campaign is just called "Raven." Thats what you are a Raven class Mercenary.

Another con about the game is the controls. You need to press R2 to look up and L2 to look down (you have a wide view area but its still nececcary). Strafing uses L1 and R1 while you move forward and turn using the D-pad. It was hard to get used to. Combat isn't to pretty either. My longest battle so far in Arena mode has lasted a total of 1 minute 32 seconds. Very short in my opinion.

The game is slow, lacking in graphics and lacking in a proper plot; however it is somewhat fun.

I gave Armored Core 3 a 5/10. Of course thats my personal opinion, the officials at gamespot gave it a 7.5:
http://www.gamespot.com/ps2/action/armoredcore3/review.html?mode=gsreview

Videos can be viewed here:
http://www.gamespot.com/ps2/action/armoredcore3/media.html?tag=tabs;videos

[Agamemnon]

They made more than one Armored Core? Jesus, the last time I've even heard of the name was back in 1997.

[ExAm]

They made more than one Armored Core? Jesus, the last time I've even heard of the name was back in 1997.Out of the loop much? You're off by about 18 games. 13 if you don't count the Japanese only releases.

Armored Core games


PlayStation
Armored Core (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Armored_Core_%28video_game%29)
Armored Core: Project Phantasma (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Armored_Core:_Project_Phantasma)
Armored Core: Master of Arena (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Armored_Core:_Master_of_Arena)PlayStation 2
Armored Core 2 (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Armored_Core_2)
Armored Core 2: Another Age (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Armored_Core_2:_Another_Age)
Armored Core 3 (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Armored_Core_3)
Silent Line: Armored Core (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Silent_Line:_Armored_Core)
Armored Core: Nexus (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Armored_Core:_Nexus)
Armored Core: Nine Breaker (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Armored_Core:_Nine_Breaker)
Armored Core: Last Raven (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Armored_Core:_Last_Raven)PlayStation 3
Armored Core 4 (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Armored_Core_4) Xbox 360
Armored Core 4 (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Armored_Core_4)PlayStation Portable
Armored Core: Formula Front (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Armored_Core:_Formula_Front)
Armored Core: Formula Front Extreme Battle
Armored Core: Formula Front International (Japan only)Mobile Phone
Armored Core: Mobile Mission (Japan only)
Armored Core: Mobile 2 (Japan only)
Armored Core: Mobile Online (Japan only)
Armored Core: Mobile 3 (Japan only...

:awesome:

Christ, Teek, you're reviewing AC3? That's almost five years old!

[TeeKup]

Jesus Christ, I think they milked this franchise to the point to where it's just annoying.

[Cortexian]

Game looks lame imo.

[ExAm]

I've heard AC4 is good. The demo is slightly disappointing, but it appears to be better than the others in gameplay and control scheme alike. The difficulty looks like it's going to be annoyingly hard again, though.

[klange]

AC3 was a PS2 game and you're complaining about graphics?
If the controls had been better it would have been great - if you ask me they bombed AC4 - The graphics, controls, and customization were great - but they were all useless next to the piss-poor campaign. The missions took longer to load than they did to complete. And don't get me started about the multiplayer. AC3 used to be a great multiplayer game - and you could only play it locally. AC4 added online play but the quality degraded.
AC3's sequels weren't all that good either. (SL, Nexus, LB, LR, none were all that good)
As for plot - it may have been confusing as all hell, but it was there if you bothered to pay attention - and even I was able to.
AC2 and it's sequel were also pretty good, but I only ever played the demo...

If they remade everything in AC3 with AC4's controls and graphics (I'm saying all parts and levels from AC3), and added to that online multiplayer using the same setup as AC3's local multiplayer, it would make for one ass-kicking game.

PSP games sucked too, did they ever add the ability to actually pilot the damn things?

[Con]

Teekie, you should have a weekly game review! There's a nice ring about "Teekie's Reviews."

[ExAm]

Teekie, you should have a weekly game review! There's a nice ring about "Teekie's Reviews of Old-News Games."FTFY

[TeeKup]

It doesn't matter if they're old, some games I review are good.

[Warsaw]

Ew, mechs...

Doesn't look too enticing to me.

[TeeKup]

I'm normally a person who loves to take wave upon wave of enemies will unimaginably powerful weapons.

My current layout has me with:
Head - CHD-Skyeye, Crest
Core - MCL-22/Orca Mirage
Arms - CAM-11-SOL Crest
Legs - MLM-MX/066 Mirage

Booster - MBT-OX/002 Mirage
FCS - VREX-ND-2 Crest
Generator - KGP-ZSV Kisaragi
Radiator - RG1-KDAQ Kisaragi
Backunit R - CWC-CNG-300 Chaingun Crest
Backunit L - MRL-RE/111 Radar Mirage
Arm Weapon R - CWG-MH-500 Machine Gun Crest
Arm Weapon L - KWG-HZL50 Howitzer Kisaragi

I think my layout serves me well and fits my style. My radiator and generator give me a low red zone when boosting and allow for my boost to last very long. Not as manuverable as a hover unit, I think I do well. In the arena, I just got into the C class, for some reason I can't challenge anyone else. I suppose this is due to me needing to continue the campaign. My colors are (in respective order to the squares in Pain Scheme Mode) White, Blue, Green, Black, and Red. I've named my AC Crossfire.

[ExAm]

Ew, mechs...:gtfo:

[TeeKup]

I don't know why you hate them, I think they're bloody awesome.

[Warsaw]

I'm a realism freak, sorry.

Giant robots resembling armored people are fail in my book, and then walkers aren't very favorable either unless they are living synthetics, like in Half-Life 2.

Zoids are also fail, before anyone brings up vehicles that resemble armored animals other than people.

[TeeKup]

I just got Last Raven. Expect a review in a couple of days.

[jngrow]

OMFG. I loved Armored Core 1 or 2, I don't remember. But then I got Armored Core:Nexus and was uber juiced, to find that it was unplayable. Terrible controls, impossible difficulty, just omg lame.