Whenever you have a long-lasting series, there are bound to be entries that just don't measure up when compared with their predecessors and successors. It's inevitable: after so many substantial games, there are moments of weakness in just about every franchise. Sometimes we even get repeat performances. Once again, we seem to be at that point, thanks to Armored Core 3 Portable— the weakest member of the Armored Core family since Armored Core: Nine Breaker was released for the PS2.
Armored Core 3 Portable, available via the PlayStation Store for a mere $14.99, started out as the much better Armored Core 3 back in 2003. When it first came out, the game featured the same strong mechanics and fun gameplay that we had come to expect from the series. However, from the moment you start playing, everything about the game feels like a bait and switch. The intro movie is great, showcasing some epic, fast-paced mech combat, but as soon as the adventure actually begins, the action is instead plodding and clunky. Even at its best, this title is an unimpressive port of a game that deserved a lot better.
| Title | Armored Core 3 Portable |
|---|---|
| Developer | From Software |
| Publisher | From Software |
| Price | $14.99 (PSN Store) |
| Platform | PSP |
The intro movie is a false tease in more ways than one: aside from promising excitement that never really seems delivered, it also makes players expect much better graphics than they end up encountering. The visuals feature simple textures and limited draw distances. Meanwhile, the environments start looking the same after a while... drab, muddy cities; huge, dull warehouses; bland, featureless, outdoor levels; they all seem boring and lifeless and don't do anything to increase the play experience.
Unfortunately, the graphics are only part of the game's underwhelming experience. There is no tutorial for new players, which means that you'll be thrown into the first few missions with absolutely no information on how to play; as a result, you'll have to figure out the control scheme on the fly.
This probably wouldn't be so irritating if the controls worked better with the PSP: you use the thumbstick to move forward and backward, but you also use it to look left and right. Meanwhile, you have to use the console's shoulder buttons to strafe right and left, and the vertical camera controls are managed with the triangle and circle buttons. Technically, the system works, but it's also awkward in the extreme, especially when you try to fire your weapons or jump, and instead find the camera shifting its angle.
The other major problem with the controls in Armored Core 3 Portable is that it doesn't have any way to execute a quick turnaround. This is ridiculous, especially since there are several levels where enemies will end up spawning behind you and dealing a ton of damage before you have the opportunity to turn around and lay into them.
The game does manage to get some things right: mech customization is still just as entertaining as it's always been in the Armored Core games. However, it takes a while to really get into this, as money is required to make upgrades, and a significant amount of your payment from missions goes to restocking ammo and making repairs to your mech. Also, the story is just as interesting as it was when the game was first released, but it's hard to get into if you're not willing to take some time to read the in-game e-mails that are sent to you by the various NPCs that you start encountering.
Needless to say, this is not something that you'll want to buy unless you're the hardest of hardcore Armored Core fans. How did this happen? Armored Core 3 was a pretty strong game when it came out in 2003, one that I remember enjoying when I played it on the PS2. More importantly, it's baffling to see something like this delivered by From Software so soon after the masterpiece that was Demon's Souls. With Armored Core 3 Portable just about everything is inelegant, and it seems like this could have been a much better fit if someone had spent some time filling in the quality gaps with extra content and better graphics.
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