Armored Core: Nexus

Written by Chris Reiter  on August 03, 2004

Final Glimpse: Birds of a feather flock together. Birds of steel brutalize, murderize, and pulverize the other.

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A long, long, long...long, long, long...long, long, loooooong time ago, the Armored Core franchise became a reality. Actually, it wasn't that many eons ago -- though it doesn't hurt to exaggerate every once in a while. Armored Core, as many gamers know by now, is Agetec's longest running mech-based series. Not only that, but Armored Core is THE longest running mech-based series ever. From 1997, up until the years that followed, there was an Armored Core waiting to be played over the course of the PlayStation and PlayStation 2's days. An underground fan base was formulated, as Agetec and the series' developer From Software made history with the game's sequels and fine-tuned expansions that have all led up to one thing: Armored Core's final chapter. Later this month PlayStation 2 owners, prepare to say hello to a very good good-bye.

Humans have sought life from outside their huddled shelters. No longer restricted by corruption, it's not long before corruption comes to doom the land whether people want to be affected by its wicked grasp again or not. Once the Organization of Controlling Corporations (OCC) is crippled as society had regained its former strength though, the company's goal to reconstruct the people then fails. But behind the curtain lurks the Narvis company, whose realization for power behind the Earth's resource materials, and their plan to gain a hold of its control, will lead to tyranny and all-out feudal mayhem... And you know just what that means. Raven -- all flight passages for murder death kills are go.

Going out with a bang is what Agetec has planned for its final standing on top of Armored Core ground. In order to fabricate the biggest and best in what any Armored Core nut has seen thus far, they're not thinking of just giving us the one game. They want to give us two. Pairing two different disks in one game package, Agetec is compiling the history of Armored Core along for the ride. One disk titled Evolution will contain the Nexus game on it, while on the second Revolution disk will feature the first three Armored Core games (Armored Core, Armored Core: Project Phantasma, and Armored Core: Master of Arena). But don't call yourself the voluminator yet! Revolution won't be packaging the same old games. Included will be revitalized graphic upgrades and obtainable secrets; such as music, concept art, and FMV footage reformatted.

New to Nexus, on the other side the coin, there'll lie fresh highlights as usual. Up and over 400 different parts now, players will find many distinct weapons and body pieces to add to and shift around their ultimate robotic masterpieces with the game's deep customization system, more so than ever before. Online is one foray that may have not been implemented in an American version of Armored Core yet...and maybe it never will. But for the first time, Nexus will go the distance with four-player multiplay over LAN, along with its usual i.Link hookup. And in a possibly bigger never-before, Nexus will use an "active mission" mechanic, allowing players to decide between multiple paths along the road to righteousness or reproving. How this cause and effect method will exist throughout missions aren't fully in the open just yet, but it does sound juicy.

In the way of constituting a more beautiful array of visuals, it's as of yet unknown how far Armored Core: Nexus' Revolution disk will utilize this instruction. Can you imagine playing one of the original three PlayStation-based Armored Core titles with PlayStation 2-quality graphics, though? That's not exact wording taken from out of Agetec's mouth, but that may very well be the ideas the company has intended. For Nexus' Evolution disk, or just in general the Nexus game, expect its environments to lay down a larger assortment of destructible devices for its hulking and detailed robots to rip them apart.