Armored Core V

The novel integration of singleplayer and multiplayer is a brilliant feature in its own right, but it's yet to be seen how region-locking of the servers will factor into this automaton's staying power.

A brilliant game that is nonetheless difficult to recommend to everyone, then. But those with an eye for detail and a fair amount of patience will be rewarded with a deep, engaging and entirely idiosyncratic experience. Just don't go in expecting your hand to be held at any point.

If you've ever played and enjoyed an Armored Core game before, you have to buy V now. No questions asked. It's the best the series has ever seen and the online mode is balanced and deep, providing legs it desperately needs to contain a community. Even if you've never played an AC game before, now is the time to try. We're entering the golden age of mechs trying to blow each other up.

Even if you're aggravated early on, don't take this game at face value. From Software has developed some of this generation's most interesting games, and obtuse or not, Armored Core V is one of them.

A solid and intricate Armored Core with the best online offering yet, lacking only the visual sheen to make the energy and pace of its combat shine. It's still an acquired taste, but once you've whetted your appetite, it's hard to resist.

A niche game: complex and very demanding, it will award the player willing to patiently master each aspect. We would have liked a better technical production and a more involving story, though.

For you guys who love to collect gear and customize/create avatars, particularly mechas? Again, this is worth a look. Everyone else, you may want to give this a pass for now and wait to catch it at a discount.

The developers stayed true to 100% Mech customization, with over 500 parts that seem to offer infinite possibilities. Unfortunately, the singleplayer experience suffers from most work clearly having gone into the multiplayer aspects. With those, however, Armored Core V offers an extensive Mech MMO.

You need to be willing to work with the game long enough for that to happen, but Armored Core V isn't engaging enough for anyone but die-hard fans of giant robot customization to actually do so.

If you can't play online, Armored Core V is rather dry, but if you can, it's a detailed and substantial mech experience made loads better by the addition of other people.

Alas, I came to terms with the fact that if anyone wants to get the full enjoyment from this game, you have to be online at all times. There just isn't anything about the offline single player that makes you want to repeat doing the same old missions over and over again. The most enjoyable times are going to be during conquest mode taking out team territories and progressing through the story with friends at your side. You'll have bad times and good times all while enjoying the company of those that see you as a comrade in arms and a fellow gamer

A fun game and a unique blended experience for online-inclined players. It can feel a bit overwhelming with information feedback and customization menus, but with enough time and dedication to figuring things out, players will find a rewarding experience and solid mech combat.

Overall, Armored Core V is definitely a game worth checking out, especially if you have any love for mech themed video games. Again, it's remarkably more similar to Chromehounds than the last couple Armored Core games on consoles, but there's enough of an Armored Core element here that it won't completely turn away loyal fans of the series.

If you're unable to play online, it's very difficult to suggest Armored Core V due to its brutally tough campaign if played solo and dry storyline. As a multiplayer game though with an active and experienced team, you'll have one of the best mech simulations you can possibly think of. Fans of the aging Chromehounds finally have a new title to play online.

Armored Core V is certainly a deep game, but it's also one that is let down by an underwhelming solo experience and an overly demanding online mode.

If you are a fan of the Armored Core series, AC V is a must have. You'll love the customization, multiplayer mode, and gameplay. If not a fan of the AC titles, I suggest not being intimidated and learn by doing. What is not in the tutorial is not impossible to learn, but takes patience. Playing the game will be rough at first, but after getting into the swing of things, you'll most likely end up enjoying it. Don't let the difficulty stop you. Grab a friend or mercenary and enjoy!

Armored Core V's enjoyment comes from being able to play the game online. If you have no online capabilities on your system of choice, it's quite hard to recommend playing the game solo.

Armored Core V is really designed to be enjoyed one way, and only that way. If you have a dedicated group of friends to play with, then I highly recommend giving this game a whirl. The missions are varied, and teaming up to take over territories is truly a blast. However, if you intend to fly solo, there is no happy medium to the game's structure.

Small actions like switching menus can cause disproportionately long load times, and the game suffers frequent mission-killing bugs. Moody music, mixing in piano with synth, while the voice actors do their best with the script, trying their best to self-distinguish.

Ultimately we made a key realization that finally let us come to acceptance: AC5 is not a fantastic single-player game, but it can be a great multiplayer one.

Armored Core V is big, explosive and full of good ideas. Too bad the game is nearly incomprehensible. Thankfully the game's strong online component and roughly one hundred levels make up for some of the learning curve problems, but don't go into this game looking for an easy ride!

The process of building mechs then testing their mettle on the battlefield is Armored Core V's strongest element, but with another showing like this if there ever is a sixth Armored Core, the longtime mech franchise may be dishonorably discharged.

A game that does not live up to its potential. From its short campaign to its lack of customization options, it is clear that too much has been sacrificed for the game's online play.

There is no denying that fans of the series can and will appreciate the options available and will spend hours customizing and creating the ultimate robot. With a stronger story and more attention to detail as well as a simplified difficulty level this mech could have been the ultimate warrior.

I appreciate the interesting format AC V employs, and enjoyed the sense of camaraderie I had for my team. However, the story missions are too confusing and difficult, the order missions are too short and repetitive, and there is no in-between.

Armored Core V is not for brand new gamers. The single player is shameless because no one else can see your inexperience, but newbies will get eaten alive if they try to join a team of seasoned AC vets.

Combining very good components resulted in a disappointingly average game. It would stand a chance as a freemium, but what you get for a full price is a mediocre single player campaign and a potentially great online mode that might soon die away due to lack of interest. [June 2012, p.74]

Armored Core V has all the ingredients to be a truly awesome mech title, sadly From Software has cracked the eggs too early and cooked them at a high heat, and the result is merely an average game that will barely keep you occupied for an hour or two.

Armored Core V is an interesting game for mech lovers. They will find many things to do here and can spend several hours playing mission after mission or fighting it out on the competitive multiplayer mode. But its gameplay is unforgiving and the visuals are so ugly that this game is only for hardcore mech lovers.

The obtrusive HUD and messy atmospheric bits aren't bad enough to ruin this, but as with some of the questionable facets of this game, you can't help but wonder how much more fun it would be without them.

Armored Core V can field some fierce firefights, but the combat is encumbered by repetitious missions, simplistic objectives, and dull visual design.

Most story missions rely on hefty amounts of trial and error, but getting it right doesn't even feel satisfying: it's like playing cards against someone who cheers every time you win, but refuses to teach you how to play. Everything you do is tied back to the multiplayer - a mighty clan-based system that impresses, but adds even more complexity. Armored Core V's initial ease turns out to be a token gesture. This is hardcore.

As an old-school shooter, Earth Defense Force has much more fun to offer. [Issue#84, p.84]

No story whatsoever, crazy learning curve and no fun to be found whatsoever.

Armored Core V is what people have come to expect of mech-combat games: it's fun, pretty, and provides overall smooth gameplay; however it's nothing groundbreaking and is so impossibly confusing that only hardcore fans will truly enjoy it.