|
Armored Core: Last Raven, is the latest in the infamous
Armored Core series, a mech battling series that was once at the
pinnacle of the videogames industry. Developed by OVA, Armored
Core: Last Raven hits the PlayStation2 in the UK courtesy of 505
GameStreet. In total, there have been twenty Armored Core
games, having started life with Armored Core
on the PlayStation, it was graphically one of the best titles
to ever be released on SONY’s first system, but with technology
having caught-up on us, we see that everything is so much better
from the graphics to the movement of the Raven, rightly so. Many of
the twenty Armored Core releases have not seen UK shelves,
and were made for mobile phones, albeit in a rather different format
to Armored Core: Last Raven.
The game gives us the potential to live the life of a Raven;
a member of a mercenary organization, hired by
corporations to do various missions. In the wake of now defunct
Nevis’s failed attempt to control recovered ancient weapons
technology, the world is left in tatters - with the FMV
demonstrating that this looks a lot like the remaining world in the
likes of Apple Seed and other famous Manga films. Looking to
consolidate power the corporations, Crest, Mirage and Kisaragi have
merged into one super-corporation known as “The Alliance”. Fed-up
with corporate rule and opposition, a Raven known as Jack-O, an
important but minor character from Armored Core: Nexus,
forms an organization of Ravens known as “Vertex” from the ashes of
the fallen Raven Ark. After rallying a sizeable force of fellow
Raven’s to his cause, Jack-O declares that he will launch an all-out
war on The Alliance in twenty-four hours. Leading the opposing
force, a Raven named Evangel has rallied just as many Ravens to the
alliance and is preparing to fight Jack-O head-on. Making the
matters more complicated, many Ravens have turned into independent
Warlords, setting out on there own after the collapse of the Raven’s
Ark, and with seventy-two Level’s for complete ro-bo warfare, this
game certainly isn’t a fly-by-night wonder.
If you remember Gundam Wing or
Transformers the similarities between Armored Core and
these television shows is quite apparent. Within this game there are
different Missions to choose from and, depending on which one you
choose, you will be offered a varying set of Missions each Level,
which in-turn will give you a different ending plus the choice of
fighting for or against the “Dark Side” of the Ravens. Each
individual Level requires your Armed mechanical robot to change
certain parts to progress; buying lighter parts so you can fly
longer, or better guns which will have less ammo but will be
lighter, or big canons that are situated on the back of your metal
giant. Also, included in this title is a feature that
 will instantly
please fans of the series: you can upload you giant robot warrior
from Armored Core: Nine Breaker and Armored Core: Nexus,
and proceed to play as your ultimate warlord from the past two
games. There is also a Versus Mode in which you can fight other
warriors of mass destruction to become number one in the line of bot-bashing
excitement. On occasion, however, the game is liable to crashes.
Whilst reading an E-mail, the game will often remain frozen on the
screen.
Armored Core: Last Raven
presents to us the best visual and aural treatment a
robot-annihilation game has benefitted from that they have ever
decided suitable for UK release, with realistic movement,
pitch-clear sounds of all the components of these metal killers and
such a huge variety of parts to buy for your warlord it’s simply
crazy. We’ve got futuristic guns that sound awesome and when you
upgrade your weapons, and some of the larger guns look brilliant
when you fire. The in-game music really gets the adrenalin pumping,
it’s heavy and fast music that gets you biting your lip with
excitement.
Armored Core: Last Raven is one
for all those that like blowing-up anything and everything that
moves. The best Armored Core game to be released on the
PlayStation2 so far, with so much to do on it you will find it hard
to become bored. Make, test and use you very own unique Robot
Warlord Of Mass Destruction to fight for or against the Dark Ravens,
but remember one thing; you only have twenty-four hours before
dooms-day, and it’s all up to you.
Review Score Chart Coming Soon |
