By KRISTOPHER STOUGH
The beginning of Bandai’s Armored Core V has a cinematic trailer that gets the player into the game right away. This game is a third person shooter were you control a giant robot (Mech) that has a human pilot.
After the trailer, the gamer gets dropped right into the battle fighting, other mechs, helicopters and tanks. The beginning of the game offers a tutorial which is nice for new players to the Armored Core franchise.
When the tutorial is over, the player has the option to create a team or join an existing team. Teams are used to help a gamer achieve points to unlock new items for the mechs. The player has the opportunity to complete missions by ones self or on a squad,but the more players on a team the faster one can unlock new items.
Not only does a team help with unlocking items, but a team is used to complete missions or battle online against other teams to control areas in a short term pvp match.
In Armored Core V, it was nice to know that the player has eyes on the field. In a team battle of five versus five, the battlefield has eight players on the ground fighting and the remaining two players play the operator telling and marking were enemies are located. This is Team mode and it is a key mode if the gamer gets the hang of the operator position.
This operator position is a change of pace from the regular shooter games. In multiplayer shooters usually the player rush into battle with a main gun and a secondary gun going into a shooting mayhem with no strategy behind it. In Armored Core V, the team can go through a shooting Mayhem or have an organized assault in a team battle.
Mechs get an assortment of weapons to choose from to equip into five weapon slots. The player has to be mindful of the weapons equipped to the mech, because if the gamer go over the amount the mech can hold the mech will not be able to operate.
Not only do the mechs get weapons, but the player can customize what color, pattern, and type of head, arms, and bodies the mech will have.
While combat is uniquely well done, the story line is weak filled with confusing dialogue causing the gamer to question if the mech the players are controlling is talking. The story is not a strong suit in this game, but its online feature online saved Armored Core V from exploding.
Platforms: Xbox 360, PS3
Armored Core V 3 out of 5 Average Game, wait for it to become cheaper
Players: 1 player (8 player Online)
Release Date: March 20, 2012
Cost: $60