Reviewed: January 11, 2006
Reviewed by: Mark Smith
Publisher
Agetec
Developer
From Software
Released: December 6, 2005
Genre: Action
Players: 1-2
ESRB: Teen
7
8
7
7
7.7
Supported Features
Screenshots (Click Image for Gallery)
Does anybody else out there miss the old MechWarrior games from Activision? I still pop in my copy of MechWarrior 2 once a year if for nothing more than to watch that stunning opening movie directed my James Cameron. And yes, I have a worn out copy of Robot Jox lying around on VHS somewhere.
In the absence of Activision’s franchise Agetec has staked a foothold in the giant-fighting-robot genre with several installments on the PS2 and now Armored Core: Formula Front - Extreme Battle on the PSP. But how well do giant robots translate to a miniature console?
First, I should tell you right from the start that if you don’t like the AC franchise then you won’t be liking Extreme Battle. From Software hasn’t changed their core design of robot construction, modifications, and trial and error gameplay. But that is good news for fans of the PS2 games who can now take their fighting on the road.
Armored Core has always been a difficult game to grasp, especially for the casual gamer. There is a lot of mechanical and parts knowledge required to successfully play this game and unfortunately none of it is rooted in real-life. Unlike driving games where knowledge of real auto mechanics and upgrades can help you in the game, gamers will require hours and hours of practice and possibly even a strategy guide to get a handle on all of the components that go into making a successful Core.
Fortunately, the Test Battles allow you to quickly install a new component and head out to the battlefield to test it. Even though the game offers pretty good stats and descriptions for the various mods, you really need to see them in action to make an educated choice.
And how about those mods, each Core has numerous upgrade points and depending on the one you are equipping you have anywhere from 30-70+ parts to choose from. The possibilities are quite literally endless making this a fantastic opportunity for tech-heads and mod-lovers who enjoy tinkering behind the scenes.
Gameplay is broken down into three components. First you build your Core, then you tune it and program the AI, and then you fight. Fights are organized much like a sporting event, broken down into various challenges and stages that make up the League. This eliminates any need for a story since you are merely advancing through a tournament ladder of battles.
The actual battles are quite exciting despite their lumbering nature. Remember, these are multi-ton robots here and not spry warriors. You’ll stomp across battlefields and engage other robots much like a classic monster movie; only there is a lot more strategy going on here than merely mashing attack buttons.
Extreme Battle requires an intimate knowledge of the parts you have installed on your Core and how to use them. This means that your playing style has to adapt to your Core’s configuration. If you have designed a powerful melee Core then you need to get up close and personal. If you are fast and light then you’ll want to jump and fly and attack with ranged missiles and rockets.
As long as you are playing within the limitations of your design you will then have some room for reflexes where targeting, selective weapons attacks, and defensive positioning all come into play. For those who enjoy a real challenge, you might want to try the AI mode where you program your Core to fight on “auto-pilot”.
This is a very cool concept that seems to have not received as much attention as it should have. You basically program your AI during the tuning phase then send it into the battlefield and hope for the best. It would have been so much better and interactive to allow you to at least send posturing commands like aggressive or defensive, or even change up attacks modes like melee or ranged attacks.
Extreme Battle is a great looking game. The Core designs are incredible and with so many parts you can tweak their visual design to near limitless possibilities. As good as these units look in the menus and setup screens they get even better when you see them animated on the battlefield.
There are numerous locations and battle arenas, each with their own distinct visual flavor whether you are fighting in the desert, arctic tundra, mountains, or somewhere else. Gorgeous skies, detailed terrain and just enough architecture to hide when you need to, and it all glides by at silky smooth framerates.
Combat is intense with all sorts of flash effects like laser swords, rockets and missiles trailing smoke, an informative HUD, target locks, and plenty of other exciting visuals. What I found extremely cool was the replay system that allows you to watch the entire battle like a televised sporting event. The only thing this game was missing was play-by-play commentary.
Sound and music have pretty much been lifted right from the console version, which means it’s just as good (and plain) as always. These are the same robot noises we’ve been hearing for nearly half a decade. They worked then and they still work today but I think we are all ready for something new.
Music is pretty campy, you know, that traditional Japanese fighting robot music. Given the sports-like nature of the presentation it would have been interesting to see this game given an ESPN treatment with lots of brass and sporty music. Commentary would have sealed the deal.
There is a pretty substantial tournament ladder to make your way through in this latest Armored Core game. Expect a good 15-20 hours to finish it off, and with the extreme customization available in this game and near endless ways to play each battle, there is infinite replayability for as long as the game can maintain your interest.
Extreme Battle has no online support but you can go head to head with one other player with the wireless link provided they have their own copy. It certainly adds a bit to the length of the game but I wouldn’t try talking your friends into buying a copy just for multiplayer unless they really like the solo game.
Again, it all boils down to whether you are already an existing AC fan. If you love the series on the console then you will certainly want to check out Armored Core: Formula Front - Extreme Battle on the PSP. It sacrifices nothing and gives you all that great robot action in the palm of your hand.