Armored Core: Last Raven Preview

The Armored Core series has had a nice run on PlayStation 2. From games that were all about action to others that involved a bit of strategy, Armored Core is one of the top mech shooters this generation.

They say all good things come to an end, and when Armored Core: Last Raven hits the streets, it'll be the last time From Software releases a new AC for the console. Sad news for certain, but this November Sony will clear the stormy skies, dry our tears, and give developers a shiny new platform to develop for: PlayStation 3.

But enough fantasizing. Armored Core: Last Raven is just one month away from release and it looks hotter than ever.

Set a mere six months after the events of the last adventure, Armored Core: Nexus, Last Raven follows two deadly mech groups: the Alliance and the Vertex. Both are fighting for world domination it seems – the victor is said to be the one with the best Raven pilots. You play as a Raven, piloting awesome mechs that can dish out more destruction than a bored Jack Russell while the family's on vacation.

From the moment the demo started it was clear that this was going to be closer to an arcade-action game, as opposed to Armored Core Formula Front: Extreme Battle for PSP, which was mostly about pre-battle strategic planning. Gameplay is fast and filled with carnage. Melee weapons are available, but it's the ranged weapons – guns, missiles, heat-seekers, etc. – that keep players on their toes. 

Hundreds of individual parts are at your disposal. A handful were included from the start, but most had to be purchased. Choose from different arm and leg attachments, head styles, body structures, weapons, extensions, armor, and several others that will affect your mech. The effects could be as small as a slight stat increase, or as severe as an attack advantage in battle.

Among the body changes are different types of legs. Gone are the days of Gundam where all you had to choose from were the two same robotic legs as everyone else. In Last Raven you can choose those and hover to get around quicker, or you can select stronger, different attachments that make your mech look like a tank with a body on top. There are quite a few of these, each differing in appearance and in the strength, speed, mobility, etc., that they give to the mech.

As with Armored Core's PSP outing, Last Raven has a tweak system that lets you apply up to 10 points of enhancement. This portion of the preview build was in Japanese, so I can't confirm exactly which parts are able to be enhanced. If it's the same lineup as the PSP version, you'll be able to increase your mech's cooling ability. You'll also be able to increase its defensive shell, defensive energy, and lighten the load of the heavier, slower-moving mechs.

New to Last Raven is the ability to pilot mechs after a part of its body has been demolished. Lose a leg? Pick yourself up off the ground and get back into battle. Is that arm not functioning like it used to? Well, suck it up and fight like a ma ... uh ... mech! Heads can also be lost -- I guess that means the pilot must be secured safely in the chest of the mech.

This will greatly expand on both the difficulty and longevity of battles. By being able to continue battle after being severely damaged, players (and AI opponents) have further opportunity to be victorious.

A full story mode is being planned where every mission has an immediate impact on the game's outcome. Just how deeply players can interact with the script has yet to be revealed. Here's hoping for major consequences to the main characters whenever you screw up, including death. The pilot you control can't die or else the game would be over, but if they make us care about other characters and take them away, it'll be a huge catalyst that would send the replay value through the roof. (Most hardcore gamers would play it until the character they love survive, AKA the "good ending.")

It may be the final Armored Core for PlayStation 2, but there's no reason to start shedding tears. Last Raven's action-oriented, highly promising gameplay could set the stage for the series' next-gen debut. Its equipment options are sure to excite anyone who loves to tweak/and or customize – to say that this game has a lot of options would be a massive understatement. The graphics are looking sharp, too. Expect big, colorful explosions, dozens of abolished towns, and many gamers struggling to survive.

Look for Last Raven to hit store shelves on April 25th.