Armored Core
Encyclopedia
Armored Core is a mecha
-based video game series developed by From Software
for the PlayStation Portable
, PlayStation
, PlayStation 2
, PlayStation 3
, Xbox 360
and Mobile Phone
platforms. Armored Core games are Mecha Simulation/third-person shooter
s, in which the player pilots a large mecha called an Armored Core, or AC for short. Armored Core for Answer is the thirteenth and latest title in the series; it was released in Japan on March 19, 2008.
, completing missions assigned by various in-game corporations and individuals. The player character uses their mecha to perform duties such as destroying enemy units/facilities or protecting a designated element from attack by opposing forces.
The game places a heavy emphasis on customization; the structure of the mecha the player uses in combat is standardized and modular, consisting of a number of interchangeable parts. The player composes their mecha from parts they obtain by finding them in missions, fulfilling certain requirements, or by buying them from an in-game shop. Money is earned by finishing missions; typically each mission has a set reward for its completion from which deductions are made based on damage taken, amount of ammunition used, and completion time. Certain missions also offer bonuses for completing optional objectives.
Certain games in the series offer additional part categories but the following are shared between all games:
PlayStation 2
PlayStation 3/Xbox 360
PlayStation Portable
Mobile Phone
Anime
Manga
Armored Core: Tower City Blade is a manga
by Fujimi Shobo
based on the game. It was serialized in Dragon Age Pure
between March 14 and April 14, 2007.
In production
Mecha
A mech , is a science fiction term for a large walking bipedal tank or robot, including ones on treads and animal shapes.-Characteristics:...
-based video game series developed by From Software
From Software
is a Japanese video game company founded in November 1986 known primarily for being the developers of the Armored Core, Demon's Souls, King's Field, Otogi and Tenchu series.-Games:...
for the PlayStation Portable
PlayStation Portable
The is a handheld game console manufactured and marketed by Sony Corporation Development of the console was announced during E3 2003, and it was unveiled on , 2004, at a Sony press conference before E3 2004...
, PlayStation
PlayStation
The is a 32-bit fifth-generation video game console first released by Sony Computer Entertainment in Japan on December 3, .The PlayStation was the first of the PlayStation series of consoles and handheld game devices. The PlayStation 2 was the console's successor in 2000...
, PlayStation 2
PlayStation 2
The PlayStation 2 is a sixth-generation video game console manufactured by Sony as part of the PlayStation series. Its development was announced in March 1999 and it was first released on March 4, 2000, in Japan...
, PlayStation 3
PlayStation 3
The is the third home video game console produced by Sony Computer Entertainment and the successor to the PlayStation 2 as part of the PlayStation series. The PlayStation 3 competes with Microsoft's Xbox 360 and Nintendo's Wii as part of the seventh generation of video game consoles...
, Xbox 360
Xbox 360
The Xbox 360 is the second video game console produced by Microsoft and the successor to the Xbox. The Xbox 360 competes with Sony's PlayStation 3 and Nintendo's Wii as part of the seventh generation of video game consoles...
and Mobile Phone
Mobile phone
A mobile phone is a device which can make and receive telephone calls over a radio link whilst moving around a wide geographic area. It does so by connecting to a cellular network provided by a mobile network operator...
platforms. Armored Core games are Mecha Simulation/third-person shooter
Third-person shooter
Third-person shooter is a genre of 3D action games in which the player character is visible on-screen, and the gameplay consists primarily of shooting.-Definition:...
s, in which the player pilots a large mecha called an Armored Core, or AC for short. Armored Core for Answer is the thirteenth and latest title in the series; it was released in Japan on March 19, 2008.
Common elements
Story elements vary widely throughout the series but gameplay is generally focused on the player character, acting as a mercenaryMercenary
A mercenary, is a person who takes part in an armed conflict based on the promise of material compensation rather than having a direct interest in, or a legal obligation to, the conflict itself. A non-conscript professional member of a regular army is not considered to be a mercenary although he...
, completing missions assigned by various in-game corporations and individuals. The player character uses their mecha to perform duties such as destroying enemy units/facilities or protecting a designated element from attack by opposing forces.
The game places a heavy emphasis on customization; the structure of the mecha the player uses in combat is standardized and modular, consisting of a number of interchangeable parts. The player composes their mecha from parts they obtain by finding them in missions, fulfilling certain requirements, or by buying them from an in-game shop. Money is earned by finishing missions; typically each mission has a set reward for its completion from which deductions are made based on damage taken, amount of ammunition used, and completion time. Certain missions also offer bonuses for completing optional objectives.
Certain games in the series offer additional part categories but the following are shared between all games:
- Head (different heads feature different cameras that work in conjunction with the FCS)
- Arms (used to hold various weapons, though full weapon-types exist as well)
- Legs (four types exist: Quad legs, reverse-joint bipedal legs, tank types, and standard bipedal types)
- Core (the mecha's 'torso' where the cockpit is situated)
- Generator (the unit's power supply)
- Boosters (increases mecha speed and enables flight when engaged)
- FCS (Fire Control System; controls weapon targeting)
- Arm and back weapons/units
- Arm shields/swords
Armored Core games
PlayStation- Armored Core
- Armored Core: Project PhantasmaArmored Core: Project PhantasmaArmored Core: Project Phantasma is a 1997 video game for the Sony PlayStation. It is part of the Armored Core series. The storyline follows the original Armored Core.-Storyline:A Raven operating out of Isaac City receives an unusual request...
- Armored Core: Master of ArenaArmored Core: Master of ArenaArmored Core: Master of Arena is a PlayStation video game. It is part of the Armored Core series. Master of Arena is the last Armored Core game to appear on the original PlayStation.-Storyline:...
PlayStation 2
- Armored Core 2Armored Core 2Armored Core 2 is a Mecha video game in the Armored Core series, and a launch title for the PlayStation 2 in North America.Armored Core 2 represents the first major graphical overhaul for the series; while the three PlayStation-era games used the same engine with few changes between entries,...
- Armored Core 2: Another AgeArmored Core 2: Another AgeArmored Core 2: Another Age is a mecha video game in the Armored Core series.Another Age is the last entry in the series to be set in the universe of the original Armored Core.-Storyline:...
- Armored Core 3Armored Core 3Armored Core 3 is a mecha video game in the Armored Core series.-Storyline:Set in a post-apocalyptic future, Armored Core 3 depicts a world where mankind has begun to live underneath the Earth's surface after a catastrophic global nuclear war broke out on the surface. The human beings who survived...
- Silent Line: Armored CoreSilent Line: Armored CoreSilent Line: Armored Core is a mecha video game in the Armored Core series.-Summary:Following the destruction of the machine-run society of Layered at the hands of a Raven, mankind has slowly begun the process of returning to the surface and repopulating the face of the globe...
- Armored Core: NexusArmored Core: NexusArmored Core: Nexus is a mecha video game in the Armored Core series. It is the sequel to Silent Line: Armored Core.-Storyline:Years have passed since the incident at the Silent Line, and with it the collaborative effort began by the Corporations in response to it is long gone. The battle between...
- Armored Core: Nine BreakerArmored Core: Nine BreakerArmored Core: Nine Breaker is a mecha video game in the Armored Core series.-Storyline:During a rare lull in the usually incessant infighting between corporate giants, the world is experiencing its first taste of relative peace in many years...
- Armored Core: Last RavenArmored Core: Last RavenArmored Core: Last Raven is a mecha video game in the Armored Core series, and the last entry in the series for PlayStation 2.It is the last game to follow the storyline started in Armored Core 3, and the direct sequel to Armored Core: Nexus....
PlayStation 3/Xbox 360
- Armored Core 4Armored Core 4Armored Core 4 is a mech combat game, published by Sega for the Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 consoles. It is the 12th installment of From Software's Armored Core series and a second reboot after Armored Core 3...
- Armored Core: For AnswerArmored Core: for AnswerArmored Core: For Answer is a 2008 3D mecha-based video game for the PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 developed by From Software and published by From Software in Japan and Ubisoft internationally. It is the 13th installment of From Software's Armored Core series. Armored Core: For Answer is the sequel...
- Armored Core V (in development)
PlayStation Portable
- Armored Core: Formula FrontArmored Core: Formula FrontArmored Core: Formula Front is a mecha video game in the Armored Core series.-Storyline:As the newly hired architect for a team that has just made it into Formula Front's Bottom League, the player has been tasked with assembling and preparing the team's ACs for battle against those fielded by other...
- Armored Core 3Armored Core 3Armored Core 3 is a mecha video game in the Armored Core series.-Storyline:Set in a post-apocalyptic future, Armored Core 3 depicts a world where mankind has begun to live underneath the Earth's surface after a catastrophic global nuclear war broke out on the surface. The human beings who survived...
- Silent Line: Armored CoreSilent Line: Armored CoreSilent Line: Armored Core is a mecha video game in the Armored Core series.-Summary:Following the destruction of the machine-run society of Layered at the hands of a Raven, mankind has slowly begun the process of returning to the surface and repopulating the face of the globe...
- Armored Core: Last RavenArmored Core: Last RavenArmored Core: Last Raven is a mecha video game in the Armored Core series, and the last entry in the series for PlayStation 2.It is the last game to follow the storyline started in Armored Core 3, and the direct sequel to Armored Core: Nexus....
Mobile Phone
- Armored Core: Mobile Mission
- Armored Core: Mobile 2
- Armored Core: Mobile Online
- Armored Core: Mobile 3
- Armored Core: Mobile 4
Anime
- Armored Core: Fort Tower Song
Manga
Armored Core: Tower City Blade is a manga
Manga
Manga is the Japanese word for "comics" and consists of comics and print cartoons . In the West, the term "manga" has been appropriated to refer specifically to comics created in Japan, or by Japanese authors, in the Japanese language and conforming to the style developed in Japan in the late 19th...
by Fujimi Shobo
Fujimi Shobo
is a Japanese publishing company that specializes in the publication of light novels, manga, role-playing games and collectible card games. The company started in 1991 as a subsidiary of Kadokawa Shoten.-Magazines published:Light novel magazines...
based on the game. It was serialized in Dragon Age Pure
Dragon Age Pure
was a Japanese shōnen manga magazine published by Fujimi Shobo. It was first released on January 30, 2006 and was initially sold quarterly. Starting with the sale of the fourth volume on April 20, 2007, the magazine was sold bimonthly until its final issue, the fifteenth volume released on February...
between March 14 and April 14, 2007.
In production
- Armored Core V