FromSoftware

Before the genius of Hidetaka Miyazaki and the colossal power of the Souls series was ever found, there was one game that held up the FromSoftware brand. This series would span across three console generations, and disappear until recently. This series would be known as Armored Core, a rival to the Gundam series. Playstation was ready to make a multi-game franchise that would go on to establish one of the most enigmatic genres of all time. But to understand the greatness of this game and the core (pun intended) thesis of FromSoft as a whole, we must look at the combat and art style to see whether or not this game is truly worth a playthrough.

The combat is based in the third person, with full movement both in the air and on the ground. The biggest allure of the game is its customizable mechs that are based in these parts:

Core, left and right-handed weapon, head, legs, body, module, left and right shoulder weapons. These are all available through the in-game store via the economy system. The qualifications for earning and losing money are based on your ammo use, time within missions, and the number of deaths. Now, unlike real life, once you are close to debt due to your unstable gambling habits, there is none of your child’s “college fund” to lean on. Which means, each mission must be thoroughly thought out and executed, to be successful. This customizability was never really touched upon before. However, even with the very aged controls, it’s fun to play while even establishing certain easter eggs that aren’t seen until the Soulsborne series.

The art style is great, diversifying every piece of equipment while not feeling like a full Gundam rip-off. One of these reasons is due to the help of Shoji Kawamori, a person known for his work on a lot of technological anime throughout the 80s and 90s, with their biggest being Ghost in the Shell. The biggest problem I have is that the colors are kind of muted, I’m not sure if it’s due to PS1 or other technological limits, but I digress.

Overall, this game was a great experience and in my top ten of PS1 games. I think this game really allows player expression while giving the classic FromSoft edge. It also gives way to the classic idea of Maslow’s law, which we are not so far off from.