Armored Core 2

Armored Core 2 is a full-fledged second installment in a series of shooters with tactical elements, as well as a sequel to Armored Core: Master of Arena from 1999. It was developed by Japanese studio FromSoftware, who oversee the franchise.

Plot

Armored Core 2 is set 67 years after the events of the first installment. Its story takes place on Mars. An elite mercenary group, The Frighteners, have staged a coup, overthrown the government and taken over the entire planet along some powerful terraforming technology. Our job is to put an end to them and save the people of Mars before it is too late.

Mechanics

Armored Core 2 makes use of the third-person perspective (TPP). The player must pilot one of the titular mechs, Armored Cores, and take on jobs to receive monetary rewards. The missions take place on vast, open maps and it is up to us how we'll go through them. We'll be hindered by numerous opponents, which we can dispatch with our extensive weapon roster.

Just like the previous installments, the game offers a wide range of possibilities in terms of modifying our machine's appearance and equipment. This lets us adapt them to our individual preferences and our current needs. When changing components we must pay attention to their weight and energy cost.

Game modes

Armored Core 2 supports singleplayer and online multiplayer (split-screen and local network). In addition to its story campaign it offers an Arena mode, in which players battle to reach the top of the leaderboard.

Technical aspects

Armored Core 2 is the first game in the series created with the PlayStation 2 in mind. The visuals are thus much better than in the previous installments.