Reviewed: December 8, 2002
Reviewed by: Mark Smith

Publisher
Agetec

Developer
From Software

Released: September 13, 2002
Genre: Action
Players: 4
ESRB: Teen

7
8
8
7
7.7

Supported Features:

  • Analog Control
  • Dual Shock
  • Memory Card
  • Dolby Pro Logic II

    		•
    Agetec is probably best known for their Armored Core games that have been around for quite a long time. Originally spawned on the PSX, the series didn’t really find its mark until it debuted on the PS2 with Armored Core 2. Armored Core 3 is the latest installment to arrive for the next-gen PS2 system, and this version is definitely the best of them yet.

    Check out these features:

    • All-New Engine! - The series has never been easier to get into now that every element of gameplay has been redesigned to get into the action as quick as possible!
    • 50 All-New Solo Missions! - New "Wingman" Feature allows you to take an A.I. controlled partner on your solo missions!
    • All-New Weapons & Upgrades! - Every part, piece, weapon, everything from the radar equipment down to the legs has been completely reinvented!
    • All-New Graphics & Tighter Gameplay! - The series has never looked better - and the DUALSHOCK analog controller handles the AC's movements like never before!
    • All-New 4-Player Mode! - Now you and three of your friends can pit your custom-designed AC's against each other or in 2-on2 battles in the Versus Mode!
    • All-New Drop Feature! - Weapon pod empty? Jettison it from your AC to move faster! You can even pick up and use weapons dropped by other players in the Arena!
    It’s been two years since the last Armored Core game released right along with the PS2, but it's been 20 years since the Earth Government and the Corporations battled for supremacy. The majority of humanity lives beneath the surface of the planet, relatively safe from the continuing struggle. A new and mysterious entity has entered the picture. The Global Cortex is buying up all the available Ravens for intense missions that only their custom-built Armored Core Units can handle. Your missions are on a need-to-know basis and you don’t know very much, although more and more of the story is slowly revealed to you via email, as you finish each of the 50 missions.

    AC3 plays almost identically to the AC2, so if you are a veteran of that game you will slip right into the controls and be causing all sorts of mayhem and destruction in no time at all. The analog sticks are finally being used to control your mech but unfortunately it is not true analog. Using the stick is the same as the D-pad and offers two speeds; run and stop. The mechs in AC3 seem a bit more responsive than before, and while they still stomp around like Godzilla on Prozac, they do manage to offer faster turning that can be further improved with parts upgrades.

    My big complaint with control is that you cannot use the right stick for looking around. It took me many hours to finally get comfortable using the L2 and R2 buttons for looking up and down. Even now it’s not natural and I still have trouble targeting flying enemies. Fortunately, the designers seemed to have sense this and there aren’t a lot of missions that require me to shoot down aerial targets in mass quantities.

    AC3 is a mechanic’s dream. You can tinker and tweak just about any part of your mech with upgrades to your head, core, arms, legs, boosters, HUD color, emblems, paint schemes, you name it. The weight limitations of the earlier games have been relaxed so you can equip your mech with more equipment than you may be used to. You can spend almost as much time in the garage as you will in the game. I will admit that the parts menus are a bit cryptic. It would have been nice to have more detailed descriptions on what the parts actually did.

    Armored Core 3 (AC3) builds upon everything that made the previous game great and takes the franchise to new heights in visuals, control, customization, and gameplay. Several new additions have been integrated into the game such as the option to hire a wingman (or two) for each mission. The quality and skills of your wingmen are directly proportional to the amount you spend on them so don’t go cheap if the mission looks to be a tough one. Wingmen don’t come cheap so don’t throw money away on them in the easier early missions, but make sure to have one or two standing by for the later missions; you’re going to need them.

    To get the absolute most from this game you may want to check out the Prima strategy. It has detailed info on all the upgrades as well as excellent walkthroughs for all of the 50 missions. I found it an invaluable tool in getting through some of the tougher parts of the game and fully understanding the complicated garage section of AC3.

    The interface is the best to date with ring menus that give you access to the various parts of the game, missions, systems, parts, garage, email, etc. It’s very intuitive to navigate and you should never get lost.

    The visual quality hasn’t changed much since the last game. The opening movie will rock your world and the trip from Mars (AC2) to Earth (AC3) gave the designers great flexibility with level design. There are a lot more varied environments to play in now including several organic levels with snowy terrain, dense forests, misty swamps, and levels built around major constructions including one of my favorite levels that takes place on top of a large dam. The levels are much more vertical now giving you greater freedom and more of a three-dimensional feel.

    The game is still played from a chase-view but if you happen to have a save file from AC2 on your memory card and you load an AC3 save from that same card you can invoke a cheat to play AC3 from a first-person view. This is a great feature and since most people playing AC3 will probably have AC2 lying around, it is a feature that is easily accessible to many gamers.

    Of course the real highlight of this game is the mechs or the Cores. The models are just as good as they were in AC2 only this time we have better textures and realistic lighting that give each Core a weathered and authentic look to them. By PS2 standards, AC3 is starting to show its age, but within the context of the Armored Core franchise this is easily the best looking game in the series.

    The sound in AC3 is thunderous with weapons fire and explosions rocking your sound system combined with the metallic thumping of mechs as they thunder through towering cities or various battle scarred terrain. This is the first game ever on the PS2 to use the Dolby Pro Logic II sound system that GameCube owners pretty much expect. While this doesn’t mean much for the 99% of us who don’t have Dolby II receivers, you still get an excellent standard Dolby mix with great separation and 3D effects. If you are one of the 1% with the new DPL2 surround standard you are in for an audible treat.

    The music is pretty standard stuff, lots of percussion with military overtones. It hasn’t changed hardly at all from the last game. The voice acting is minimal, mainly confined to mission briefing and status reports, but it is all good stuff and quite convincing.

    AC3 boasts 50 missions that will keep you busy for 20-30 hours. The mission tree and the garage is overwhelming in complexity and options and if you have the desire to see this game through to conclusion you are going to enjoy every last second you spend with it.

    The multiplayer support is also a nice feature that allows for split-screen play for two or four players; the latter requires a system link cable. Warriors with mech-loving friends will find these modes offer a great added value to the single player experience.

    From Software has created another excellent installment in the Armored Core saga and even though Armored Core 3 offers only minor improvement in a few aspects of gameplay, there is still room for more substantial leaps, mainly in the issues of control and perhaps a new updated graphics engine.

    Regardless, fans of the AC series will undoubtedly flock to this new release and they won’t be disappointed. It’s a great mech game; one of the best for your PS2, and continues the legacy of the Armored Core series in fine tradition.