Giant mechs, customization and lots of explosions seem to have a decent amount of crossover with video games, which explains why the Armored Core series has gone on for so long. I remember my days as a new Playstation owner, where I lost hours trudging my way through the difficult missions of the originals, each with a different robot of my design. Admittedly, as the years went on and the series rested on the laurels of its early success, it was harder and harder to stay interested. Armored Core: Verdict Day is looking to change that, with a renewed focus on making the online and single player experiences more unique. With such promises, it was hard not to get that old urge to jump back into the cockpit and see what this old favorite could bring to the table.
New and old fans of the series will be instantly familiar with the premise of the game. With over 90 missions spread out across story and hidden objectives, players will have to use funds collected through completing objectives to buy parts to customize their mechs with. Missions promise to be varied enough to the point where a machine that blew through one mission would completely bomb in the next. This level of customization and challenge has been a mainstay of the series, and few were expecting these areas to change. Running around and blowing up enemies felt like it always has, with a relatively fast mech making short work of its foes thanks to its various machine guns and missiles.
But if you wanted to hear about the same old stuff, there are plenty of versions of Armored Core that you could have found these details out from. What’s really exciting about Verdict Day is the new Operator Mode. Rather than being forced to go it alone when friends aren’t around, playing as an operator lets gamers meticulously customize the strategies of their AI squad mates. By mixing up to four AI or human controlled squad mates, commanders will be able to manipulate the AI to react to any situation using the 48 on field commands. The strategies offered are so robust, it was said that one of the developers was able to win multiplayer matches with nothing but his computer controlled partners following his orders. Operator mode is available for both single player and online modes, giving us a brand new way to continue the fight for giant robot supremacy.
On the subject of online, Verdict Day will force us to literally go to war. Every week, a new war will start, matching players within various groups. Each group will be constantly fighting until the end of the week, where the one with the most territory rules the world. It’s like risk, but with board pieces that are taller than buildings. Matchmaking is said to have been improved, assuring us that it will be much faster than the most recent games. Once you throw in all of the new features listed above, 150 unique weapons and 60 parts to customize with, it looks like fans of Armored Core will have their hands full once the game is released.
From the small bits I played of Armored Core: Verdict Day, the action sections don’t seem to deviate too far from what the series has come to offer. If you’re a fan of the system, this is great news, but it doesn’t seem like it will pull in many fans. What WILL bring new gamers in however, is the Commander Mode, which seems like it will have enough detail to bring out the OCD in all of us. Giving the orders might be a nice change of pace from carrying them out, so strategy, action and mech fans will have plenty to look forward to.
Verdict Day will release on the PS3 and Xbox 360 on September 24th alongside a collector’s edition, complete with the soundtrack, art book and kick ass mech statue announced for Japan, exclusively at the Club Namco store.
