Armored Core 4

Armored Core 4
PAL cover art
Developer(s)	FromSoftware
Publisher(s)
Director(s)	Hidetaka Miyazaki
Producer(s)	Toshifumi Nabeshima
Composer(s)	Kota Hoshino
Series	Armored Core
Platforms	PlayStation 3 Xbox 360
Release date(s)	PlayStation 3: Xbox 360:
Genre(s)	Vehicular combat
Mode(s)	Single player, multiplayer

Armored Core 4 (アーマード・コア Āmādo Koa Fō) is a vehicular combat mecha-based video game, published by Sega for the PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 consoles. It is the 12th installment of FromSoftware's Armored Core series and a reboot of the series after Armored Core 3. The game is set in the future where a great war has left the nations of Earth devastated and their respective governments taken over by corporations. The game features a system for personalized customization of the player's mech and an online mode where players can battle each other over Xbox Live or the PlayStation Network.

Plot

The game is set in a dystopia on Earth, where corporations have conquered the world's governing bodies amidst increasing civil unrest and dwindling resources, and established a new world order named the Pax Economica, forcing citizens to live in oppressively-ruled colonies. Eventually the member corporations of the Pax Economica begin warring with one another.

The player character is a freelancer pilot from the civilian colony of Anatolia who takes jobs from different companies, and eventually seeks the colony of Line Ark, where corporate bodies are not able to rule.

Reception

Reception
Aggregate scores Aggregator Score GameRankings PS3: 68% (Based on 38 Reviews) 360: 66% (Based on 38 Reviews) Metacritic PS3: 65/100 (Based on 36 Reviews) 360: 65/100 (Based on 31 Reviews) Review scores Publication Score 1UP.com 4/10 Eurogamer 8/10 Game Informer 6.5/10 Second Opinion: 6/10 GameSpot 7.7/10 GamesRadar 6/10 GameTrailers 7.3/10 IGN 5.9/10 OXM 6.5/10 TeamXbox 6.2/10

Armored Core 4 received generally mixed reviews.

Tom Magrino of GameSpot praised its faster gameplay and commented that mech customization felt streamlined compared to previous entries, while still offering a considerable amount of depth for those who decided to dig deeper. Magrino also generally praised the new graphics, although he had reservations about the blandness of certain environments and clipping issues with mechs on hilly terrain. GameSpot concluded that the various changes and improvements made Armored Core 4 more accessible to new players while still being an excellent game for returning players to the series.

Bryan Vore of Game Informer opened his review by stating the "biggest surprises" found in Armored Core 4 are the multiplatform status of the title and the "next-gen graphical makeover". However, he felt that mech customization was still as inaccessible as it had been previously ("do we really need to worry about four separate booster classes?"), and that the online gameplay was disappointing. Robert Workman of GameDaily felt that the faster pace of gameplay in missions was disappointing, commenting that battles that took "thirty to forty-five minutes in a previous Armored Core" now takes "just five to ten minutes". He also considered the multiplayer to be disappointing, with the maps being "too simple in design". His overall feeling was that it was "too user-friendly" and would be a turn-off to longtime fans.

References

• XPLAY G4 TV Video Game Network website

External links

• Official website (Japanese)