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Armored Core is a mecha-based video game series for the Playstation and Playstation 2.
Each game's story revolves around a group of AC-piloting mercenaries known as the Ravens, who take on any mission regardless of who requests it or the circumstances involved.
In the presumably distant future, the vast majority of Earth's population is wiped out by a cataclysmic war known as the Great Destruction. The harsh conditions that result force the few remaining survivors to live underground for fifty years, during which corporations come to power. The two largest corporations, Chrome and Murakumo Millennium, constantly battle each other for supremacy, causing significant strife among the populace. However, the competition provides endless opportunities for the Ravens, mercenaries who exist independently of the corporations.
Sixty-seven years after the events of the first game, the largest corporation on Earth, Zio Matrix, acquires plans for a research project on Mars, dating back before the Great Destruction. Using these plans, Zio sends a research team to Mars to begin the Terraforming Project, which causes the Martian surface and atmosphere to approximate that of Earth. Other corporations quickly learn of the project and quickly follow Zio, bringing with them the competitive environment that existed on Earth.
The player controls a giant robot called an armored core, or AC for short. The game is primarily a third-person shooter.
The key feature of all Armored Core games is that the player can build and customise their robots themselves. Robot parts can be be bought from or sold to the Shop. As the game progresses, the player can earn credits which can be used to buy new parts.
The game starts with the player engaging in a test to become part of the "Raven's Nest". It simply involves destroying two Muscle Tracers, or MTs, before being destroyed oneself. Upon passing this test, the player receives mission requests from corporations and other groups. Missions generally pay higher as difficulty increases. Depending on which missions are chosen, the story progresses differently. The player can also read mail from various senders, and observe the rankings, which are based on mission success rates.
Similar to the first game, the player must destroy several MTs to be initiated into a Raven organization called Nerves Concord. Afterward, the player can take on missions from different groups. There is a new option, the Arena, which allows Ravens to compete against each other in battle. Arena victories win the player credits, and in some cases, powerful AC parts.
The structure of an AC is standardised and modular, consisting of a number of parts which are fitted together in the AC Garage. Radiators, inside parts, extension parts, and hovering legs are found only in Armored Core 2 and subsequent games.
An AC must have all of these parts in order to function, or it will be declared incomplete.
Contains visual sensors. May also contain radar and computing equipment. Some heads are better armored than others, but at the cost of lacking extra sensor equipment.
The 'armored core' from which the robot and the game series take their name. The human pilot sits inside the core, which is the 'torso' of the robot.
Cores come in different weights to suit different styles of robot; the lighter ones are less well protected but more suitable for more mobile ACs. Similarly, there are highly defensive heavyweight cores.
Cores contain a number of slots into which Optional Parts can be placed to improve its operation. Also, some cores have built-in anti-missile systems.
Since Armored Core Nexus there have been three types of core:
There are two types of arms; normal arms capable of holding weapons, and weapon arms that are weapons.
Normal arms have various differing attributes; the most important are the weight and defensive qualities, which are usually related - heavier arms are better armored. Other attributes are recoil control, which keeps the arm steady whilst firing, and reaction speed, which determines how quickly the robot can swing a laserblade.
Weapon arms sometimes possess two different firing modes, and are more powerful than ordinary weapons because they can be fired from two arms at once. However, they are greatly lacking in defense compared to normal arms. Weapon arms can be useful in keeping the weight of an AC down, as they are lighter than having separate arms and weapons.
The legs support the AC on the ground and determine how it moves, and are usually the part by which an AC is classified. There are several different kinds of legs:
The FCS or Fire Control System is the targeting computer, and controls weapon targeting and missile lock-ons. There are several different kinds, varies on serveal attribute such as lock-on speed, maximum lock-on range, maximun lock-on number, or shape and size of lock-on area, suitable for different styles of weapon.
Boosters enable an AC to move quickly, and to fly. They come in different strengths and efficiencies. Tracked and Hover ACs have inbuilt boosters.
Supplies power to the AC. Power is an important consideration in the Armored Core games - the generator can only generate energy at a certain rate, and if the robot uses energy at a faster rate, the charge held by the generator is depleted. The most energy-intensive activities are boosting and using energy weapons.
ACs can get very hot, and when overheated they become damaged. Radiators attempt to release this heat, with varying efficiency.
These parts can be left off if the player desires; however, an AC will have difficulty progressing far into the game without a weapon of some kind.
An internal compartment from which a variety of devices can be released, including bombs, mines, decoys and radar-jammers.
Extensions come in pairs and are mounted on the sides of the shoulders. They are miscellaneous, usually non-offensive devices, and can be anything from extra boosters to stealth devices. A common extension is an anti-missile system. In AC3 several emergency energy units were sold - these were usually 3 uses, and would quickly refil the energy of an AC in about 5 seconds. In AC Nexus, additional booster and relation missile also become available.
There are two points on the back where weapons or devices may be mounted. These include:
Some weapons and devices take up both Back Unit slots.
Projectile weapons must be fired over the shoulder, so there is usually a delay in activating the weapon for it to unfold or align itself. Bipedal and Hovering ACs have insufficient stability to use a projectile weapon whilst standing or moving, so it is more common to see missile and rocket launchers on these robots.
This is the right arm weapon, and for most ACs it is their primary offense. There are a large number of different weapons, including rifles, machine guns, handguns, bazookas, shotguns, grenade rifles, laser guns and various energy weapons.
In AC3 parrying blades are available - these are short-range blades used to counter a laserblade strike and deal heavy damage.
The most powerful weapons in the games are the Karasawa series, AC1 has the Karasawa, the Karasawa Mk. II in AC2, and AC3 saw the MGW Karasawa.
The left arm is traditionally used for melee weapons, typically the laserblade, which is a short-range blade of energy which can cause great damage to an opponent.
One can also equip hand-held energy shields which can absorb damage from weapons and laserblades. Since Armoured Core 3 there have been a few ranged weapons designed for the left arm, such as howitzers.
These are parts which can be plugged into slots in the core to enhance the AC's performance. They have a variety of effects, such as increasing damage resistance to certain weapons, or increasing the generator capacity.
Different cores have different numbers of "slots" for optional parts, and generally more powerful optional parts cost more slots, while those only applied to certain situations are less slot-costly.
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