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The most underated game on the 360

4 Rating: 4, Useful: 0 / 0
Date: March 10, 2008
Author: Amazon User

Most professional game reviewers have three trends in their criticism of this game.

1. Missions are too short

Although some missions can be played in less time then it takes to load the mission, this is generally not the case. In past armored core games they had missions that would take long amounts of time to complete. This went against one of the main focuses of this game which was trial and error. Now instead of realizing half way through a 30 min. mission that you can not complete it cause you have run out of ammo, you won't have to commit 30 min. to trying the mission over again. This makes the game more approachable.

2. Bad story and Control scheme

Although the Controls are hard to master, its hard to imagine a different control setup if there were real Armored Cores scouring the planet. As for the story, it is pretty bad, but for mech games its not too bad.

3. Custimizing the Armored Cores is too complicated

For your first hour playing the game, yes it is too complicated. It won't be so baffling though that you'll give up.

4. Someone else told me that the game is too hard

TOO HARD? Not at all. I got through it with only restarting four missions over again.

Overall

The game play is amazing, the story is bad, the missions are A little too short, and the online component is fairly robust. Right now there is a lack of fast paced action games. Armored core 4 fills that gap even if it is just for the purpose of having fun and of corse blowing things up.

Good, if you're renting it.

3 Rating: 3, Useful: 0 / 0
Date: January 29, 2008
Author: Amazon User

I had the chance to try out this title a couple of weeks ago. The last mech games I played were on the SNES--I can't even remember their names now, but they were good fun and I was looking for more of the same here. That is, unless you count Lost Planet as a mech game--which it is, but only to a degree. Most of the game takes place on foot. In Armored Core 4, all the action takes place in a six-story mech armed with weapons the size of tanks. Good times!

One thing I really liked about this game was the mobility of the mechs. They always felt cumbersome and unresponsive in every other mech game I've played, but not here. The jets you can use to "ski" along on the ground or fly through the air let you dodge incoming fire or skirt around a building to flank an enemy--and it looks cool as heck.

The action is intense--it's rare to have a moment where you're not being shot at in the missions. You must stay on the move, or you'll get hit with a volley that'll knock off half your AP (armor).

That said, I also found this game to be incredibly frustrating, play-wise.

For instance, you can click in a thumbstick to lock on a target...but rarely, if ever, do you lock onto the CORRECT target. You can have your crosshairs resting on an enemy, click to lock him in...and the game will lock on to a target a thousand feet behind you on the other side of a hill. It seems as if using that button locks you on to a completely random target in the level. Sometimes I would lock on, and not even be able to find the locked target. I would just proceed for the rest of the level without having the ability to use lock (since I couldn't figure out how, or even if, I could unlock the targets.)

The weapons feel underpowered. They aren't--they're devastating--but to fire a thirty-foot-long cannon and hear "PIP" as the sound effect and see a little yellow dot fly slowly toward the enemy--just doesn't do it justice. You can jet forward at almost the same pace as your rounds fly downrange. The refire rates are quite slow. The missiles are just streaks of gray smoke that may or may not hit the target (depending on the ones you're using--some do the trick nicely, others act like the Drunken Missile gun from Rise of the Triad). Sometimes your missiles will just fly into the ground. Reminds me of the old Vietnam-era Sparrow AAM that would just randomly decide whether or not it would stay locked on target.

And the controls--the controls were the worst aspect of the game, hands-down. They were completely counterintuitive, placing the jet controls on the triggers and the weapons on the A and X buttons by default. This led to me continually using my jets in combat and wondering why my enemies weren't exploding. I did reconfigure the controls by switching my weapons to the triggers and the jets to the buttons...but when I did that, I found that I couldn't use the jets and shoot at the same time. It required me to contort my right hand in an unnatural way trying to punch three buttons at the same time while holding down another. No matter which configuration I tried, I was always struck by how hard it was to press the right buttons in the right order. Seems like a weird thing for a videogamer of twenty years to say--and it is. I can pick up 99% of games in no time. This game I just couldn't get the hang of. The controls were too awkward.

Finally--and this is my last negative, I swear--the levels were very unbalanced. You will play one level and beat it without taking a hit...and then the very next level will be so frustratingly hard that you'll want to throw down your controller. And so on and so forth. The levels in this game either present no challenge whatsoever, or are nearly impossible to complete. Luckily, you can skip over most of the impossible ones (but not all of them, which is why this game was returned unfinished.)

Now, let's end on another high note.

There's a great deal of mech customization options in this game. Not only can you replace any part of your mech, from chassis to legs to arms to radar to missiles and backup weapons, but you can also repaint your mech to suit your tastes. You can even add your own custom insignia to your mech's shoulder, or use a pre-made one. Mine was dark red with black trim--Blood Angel colors. Gotta love that scheme.

If I could have mastered the controls and gotten past the imbalances, this game might have stayed in the console longer. As it is, it was quite good for a few hours of fast-paced shoot-em-up, but little more than that.

This game is definitely worth a rental--and if you can find it for 20 bucks or less, it's worth buying. I wouldn't pay new-game prices for a copy, though.

Needs a plot

2 Rating: 2, Useful: 0 / 1
Date: May 24, 2007
Author: Amazon User

The graphics on this game are decent, but not great. It is apparent that some effort went into designing the buildings, bridges, etc. The real weakness of the game is the lack of a plot. Yes, there is an excellent game intro. Once you start the game you get a nice, if threadbare, plot. Then you start the play the missions, and you get mission briefings that do little to advance the plot. I expected something, anything, to move the story along.

Rent it for an hour of fun, but do not waste the money to buy it.

Armored Core 4 is the mech gamer's dream come true

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 0 / 0
Date: May 15, 2007
Author: Amazon User

Armored Core 4 the last addition to the Armored Core Series and what a game it is, what a game. Awesome job by Sega. It's out on the XBOX360 and PS3. This game and these consoles were a match made in gaming heaven. The graphics and the sound are what is gonna do it for you complimented with awesome gameplay. You just cannot go wrong with AC4.

Stop and imagine this for a while. You work for a corporation and with you mechanical warrior of doom and destruction you fight against other corporations. You can run, fly glide and the arsenal you have at your disposal. If you like blowing things up you're just gonna love this. Missiles, lasers, machine guns and even swords. Have you ever heard of a big mech being super agile? Well they are in this game and then some. Armored Core 4 delivers to the mech gaming world where all others have failed. Think of this is your last hope, if this does not satisfy you nothing will and I have every confident that this one will. Yes....... It is that good of a game. Don't miss out on this guys Armored Core 4 is ready for you. The question is....... Are you ready for Armored Core????

AC4 the mechs are back

4 Rating: 4, Useful: 0 / 0
Date: May 02, 2007
Author: Amazon User

Sega & SOFTWARE team up to bring us the latest addition to the Armored Core series with Armored Core 4. With this latest addition we are introduced back into the world of mechs. This Armored Core game stands out among the others as with a simpler mech building process, which i am very happy about because this is one of my favorite aspects of the game, you get to design your mech with parts , weapons, colors & emblems before heading out to battle other mechs in the field both online & offline.
The only downfall I see to this game is it is still keeping with the short missions, so for those who do not have online capabilities it leaves them to a repeation of gameplay. The graphics with this Amored Core game are more crisp, giving the enviroment a more sleek appeal. If you enjoy a good Mech or battle game then Armored Core 4 is a definite game you should pick up.

The best so far

4 Rating: 4, Useful: 0 / 0
Date: May 01, 2007
Author: Amazon User

Since playing the first armored core when it came out on the PS2 I knew that I was hooked. The idea of creating your very own cusomizeable city crushing mech astounded me. Since then my taste in games have changed but i still love armored core maybe even more since the previous installment. Armored Core 4 is by far the best Armored Core game i have played so far. The graphics have been drastically upraded and simplifying the controls has made the gameplay feel smooth, and integrates the player more into the game.

While I did think the story mode and part selection have been downgraded online mode makes up for all of this. 1 on 1, 2v2, 4v4, and free for all for up to 8 makes online well worth ur money. Take your custom piece of machinery online and wrecking other mechs is a joy that cannot be expressed. This game will keep you coming back for more, spending endless hours customizing your mech tuning, and swapping parts.

Overall i give this game a 4 out of 5. I love the game and recommend it for everyone not just hardcore fans

AC4 360 vs All...

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 0 / 1
Date: May 01, 2007
Author: Amazon User

Well, when it came time to decide between 360 and PS3...I was shaken...

For years upon years I reached and grasped every hour possible to continue playing until I passed out, only to wake up, unpause, and start whoopin' a again...with the lovely joysticks of the sony generation...

But for years now, I've converted into a microsoft gamer, and at first it put me to shame that I didn't own a ps3 when I saw this game was coming, until one day I walk in Gamestop and my friend Patrick (aka Karius Maxwell to all else) says, hey TJ, check that out, and in my own amazement I end up turning around, and rushing to grab what seemed to be a blessing, AC4 for the 360, reserve now! Oh...and I did, believe me I DID!... With that, I began my research, and the game actually fitted the profile for the Xbox perfectly, so perfectly I sat aside my days of playstation gaming for it, I honed my skills with reflexive combat for hours in preparation, and the more and more I thought about it, the controller itself was made for this game! People complain they are too complex, it's called effort...simple effort idiots...

I mastered it almost immediately as I always have and enjoy every boosting second of combat to my hearts content, pushed further into the hard mode, and conquered all... And when I finally played it for the Playstation 3 I was...somewhat jumbled, I didn't feel at home on the system anymore... I practically went through withdrawels and literally ran back to the power button of sweet home (aka the 360)...

Point being, it pwnd on the 360, and I wouldn't have it any other way...

I'm at home with this game...

Solid next-gen Mech Game

4 Rating: 4, Useful: 0 / 0
Date: April 17, 2007
Author: Amazon User

I've played the previous installments of AC on each of the preceeding systems and have remained a fan. When there was an overly long delay I began to lose hope that they would continue the series onto the 360 (or any other future platform...) Seeing Chromehounds I immediately snatched it up, same developers, awesome game ... well not quite ... but that's a different review. The point is this. If you like games where you're zipping around and in the air firing off all manner of current and future weaponry Armored Core is a game you'll thoroughly enjoy. It does not disappoint!

Its better than i thought

4 Rating: 4, Useful: 0 / 0
Date: April 16, 2007
Author: Amazon User

When i first heard about the new control system i was a bit put off, as a fan of the first AC games for PS and PS2 i was a bit down, but the fact that you can customize the controls enough to set them back to the original Armored Core setup worked wonders for me
I'm just on the first few missions so i cant say much as yet but i do like what i see thus far.

The most exciting Armored Core game of all time!

4 Rating: 4, Useful: 1 / 1
Date: April 15, 2007
Author: Amazon User

This is probably one of the most exciting to play Armored Core game in the series. Not only does the opening just get your blood boiling with anticipation, but once you got the controls down, and you were really able to get your hands on the action yourself, it gets very exciting! No more having to boost/strafe/jump like on the past armored core games, quick boosting changes all of that and makes the game a lot quicker. For a From Software title, the graphics are quite amazing, the explosions are better, your mech looks awesome all of the time, and despite what other reviews say, the environment looks great! (especially when compared to older Armored Core titles) However, I still wish you could see your mechs reflection in the buildings windows, but at least you can shoot them and actually watch the glass break.

The customization on this game is just as good or even better than the previous titles. Lots of weapons, but not as many body parts, kind of leaves the game feeling a little small, but then again, there are no useless parts, like which are found in previous AC games. But more parts could always be added, I love having a larger variety to choose from, and to make my mech look the best it can.

Some missions are ridiculously short, while some are moderate. I really appreciate the extremely long adventurous missions found in Armored Core: Silent Line. The missions could be improved, and there could be a lot more of them. Then again, I just wanted to get through with the game so I could finish up my mech and go battle it online.

Multiplayer is great, finally true online Armored Core. It's quite fun, but at the same time, there could be a lot more stages. And a lot of people like to build their heavyweight Surius cannon AC's and be able to blast down most ACs in two shots, or use the Kojima weapons to 1 shot an apponent who is busy trying to take care of someone else. I guess they are there for that reason though, so you can't complain.

Armored Core 4 is a great next gen game, however more could still be added, especially from previous Armored Core games. Custom cockpits, and maybe night vision, or a replay for multiplayer or the simulator (and the replay save system that was on Last Raven.) AC4 is a great start for next gen armored core, and the sequel will probably be much more promising and satisfy everyones hunger for what they want.

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