Armored Core 2 for PlayStation 2

The original Armored Core was an exceptional and highly underrated mech shooter for the original PlayStation. It wasn?t exactly cutting edge when it came to graphics, but in terms of sheer depth and playability, there was no game like it that came close. Here we are three years after the original and again, From Software has given us an exceptional mech shooter that places an emphasis on gameplay and depth over flashy graphics and high production values. When PlayStation2 launched in the US, it was accompanied by a little game called Armored Core 2, and other than Dead or Alive 2, Tekken Tag, and NHL 2001, this was the only US launch title worth anything more than a weekend rental. Sure, this game is extremely complex and will frustrate the novice among us, but those of us with enough patience to stick with a title will find almost nothing to complain about: just a well-rounded, deep title worth many hours of enjoyment.

As was the case with the original Armored Core, AC2 isn?t necessarily a revolution graphically. It?s a nice looking game, to be sure, but given what the PS2 is really capable of, it is rather disappointing to see a title seem so?unpolished. The CGI cut scenes dispersed throughout the game are very nice, amazingly close in quality to any CGI that Squaresoft can come up with. In-game, however, problems do begin to arise. For instance, if the screen is loaded with things going on, like explosions and multiple character movements, the game will hit the occasional moment of slowdown. This doesn?t detract too much from the overall game, but it is noticeable. Also, anti-aliasing doesn?t seem to have been utilized as well as it should have been. Still, AC2 is a launch title, so the lack of anti-aliasing is easily forgiven. On the plus side, though, the lighting effects are very nice and the mechs sport a great deal of detail. Overall, AC2 looks very nice, although it doesn?t come anywhere near tapping into the PS2?s full graphic potential.

The graphical shortcomings serve as a blessing in disguise, however, and anyone that sits down to play AC2 will learn this almost immediately. With the possible exception of Zone of Enders, AC2 is the easiest-playing mech game on the market today. The controls, while they take some getting used to, are in fact really effective. The controls are pretty responsive, the button layouts actually make sense, and overall the game controls very well. The only complaint regarding AC2?s control is its lack of analog support. It?s assumed these days that developers understand that analog control is all but standard, and the absence of this feature in AC2 is almost inexcusable. The D-pad is simply too hard on the thumbs, especially in intense action games such as AC2, and the analog sticks provide a certain level of comfort that makes the game much more enjoyable. The only reason I let the absence of analog control slide is the fact that the rest of the control scheme is so fluid and intuitive.

Those familiar with the Armored Core series are well aware of the amount of depth that goes into each AC title. This is also the case with AC2; while Gungriffon Blaze (another PS2 mech combat game) tends to focus more on the gritty, action-oriented side of mech combat, AC2 focuses more on the management and simulation aspects of that type of game. Yes, there?s plenty of action to be found in AC2, as you?ll find yourself blasting the living daylights out of a wide variety of mechs and other machinery, but there?s just as much an emphasis, if not more, on the more thought-provoking aspects of mech combat. Players can customize their mech to their liking, and the possibilities in doing this are virtually endless. You want a pink mech that runs on treads rather than jet-powered legs? You can do it in AC2. You want a flat, square head as opposed to a round, sleek model? You can do that too. Virtually every aspect of your mech is customizable in this game, and don?t be surprised if you spend most of your time with this game adjusting every setting you possibly can. Adjusting your mech?s features also plays an important part in the game?s play, as your adjustments can affect your mech?s performance. You need to monitor your enhancements to make sure that you are improving your mech, not making it worse. If you make the mech worse, you?re likely to have a hard time finding success in this game.

Aside from the management and customization features, AC2 boasts a great deal of gameplay features. There are over 25 missions to complete in this game, there?s a tournament-style bracket that you can advance through during the course of the game by facing other mechs in one-on-one combat (a la Sega?s Virtual On), and there?s even a two-player deathmatch mode to take part in. So while AC2?s main strengths may lie in its customization abilities, there?s also a great deal of fun to be had on the actual battlefield. The controls make playing the game a breeze, and the missions, while challenging, never reach the point of utterly frustrating. The missions do lack personality and there?s no real storyline to them (other than the ?Earth was destroyed; let?s settle on Mars? prologue), but they do offer a good number of gameplay hours. You?ll spend a good many hours customizing your mech, but you?ll be spending a lot of time out in the field actually playing the game too.

For everything it does right, AC2 also has a few flaws. As mentioned earlier, slowdown does occur, and the lack of analog control is disappointing. Other than these, the remaining flaws are minor at best and will only irk the most irritable among us. Still, they are worth mentioning. Your mech, as powerful and fast as it may be, takes forever to turn around. Turns generally take three or four seconds to manifest, and you?ll inevitably get shot up pretty good as you turn to face your enemy. And lastly, when compared to the original AC and other games in the mech combat sub-genre, AC2 really doesn?t have anything new to offer; everything AC2 does has been done before at some point. The lack of innovation is noticeable, but the game is so solid and enjoyable that the derivative nature of this title is forgiven.

The only way I would not recommend Armored Core 2 is if you are easily turned off by complex, thought-provoking titles or if you just hate mech games in general. AC2 may not break any new ground graphically (or in terms of gameplay, for that matter), but it certainly a quality title, and one of the PS2?s best games today. Playability and depth are often integral in a game?s success, and Armored Core 2 has these two things in spades. Not only is this one of today?s deepest titles, but it?s also one of the most fun; you?ll have a blast playing AC2; I guarantee it.