You missed one of the best parts of the game. If you fall below -50k, you get your memory wiped, a new identity, and some sweet cybernetic implants that give a piloting bonus. Can be done up to seven times per save file, if you take it to the max the game changes significantly.
I didn't know about the human plus enhancements when I started playing, went through the whole game. Then my older brother used it like a cheat in versus mode, flying with grenade launchers when I had to sit in place, plus all the other performance upgrades, so bogus. He finally told me after irate accusations of cheating, or I copied his game file or something.
@@farmcat_23 Not in AC3, trust me. Went into debt and got a game over several times. Human+ is replaced by OP-INTENSIFY optional part, which unlocks when you beat the story. Then have to go back through the story missions with the OP-INTENSIFY equipped and perform specific obscure actions to unlock OP-INTENSIFY benefits.
No one mentions the fact that you can manually change the controls in the settings and make the bumpers be left/right and the dpad be for movement. It makes the game so much better if you're more used to modern games
I'm gonna have to do a soul search on whether or not I wanna talk about graphics in these videos. This game looks really good though visually. Thanks for watching!
This was a fantastic video and I look forward to more AC video reviews when you get to them. I am honestly amazed you managed to track down an old localizer and got some answers from him, this does explain some things like Boyle's weird "I see you're" death line
As a HUGE fan of the Armored Core series and FromSoftware in general, I love your review style. The slight deadpan delivery and funny edits kept me entertained. Easy sub! Can't wait to see what other reviews come next.
Really good in depth review, as a long time fan of these series. This was actually the first game in the series I played, holds a special place in my heart. Appreciate how you managed to find someone from Agetec and get some info about the localization. I never would've imagined it was like that with the voice acting, it explains a lot.
Also, I'm really glad that you reached out to the localizer (nice "I flew to Japan" joke). I always wondered how these obscure localizer even operated.
For sure, I just feel like there's so much we don't know about what goes into these games as the consumer, so getting breadcrumbs like this when we can is really nice
One of the best parts of AC was that you could bring your save between games of the same generation. So your save in Armored Core 2 is usable in Armored Core 2: Another Age. Some parts were unique to their game but would successfully import into newer titles. Usually how it went is the first game of a series would have some incredibly unbalanced secret parts and sometimes flat out cheats that if you held onto would work in future games. My Raven in Master of Arena had all the parts from every PS1 AC game and was infected with a set of cheats that were only gotten by purposely going into massive debt multiple times in the first game. Good times.
Yes! Also, if you haven’t played the portable ports of 3rd gen, I HIGHLY recommend it. They added in button remapping, added new parts into 3rd gen, from 1st and 2nd gen, and even some all new parts. Also, they changed it so you can port your save from Silent Line into Last Raven, which is a cool change.
It's cool that you reached out to Agetech. Playing through it right now gives me a deeper appreciation for the product and the effort Agetech went through to bring us this game.
I've found that most armored core players will rebind dpad left and right to strafing and switch L1 and R2 to left and right turning respectively. If you didn't already know, AC Nexus is the first game to add dual analog support.
I use left stick/dpad for movement, face buttons for looking, R2 for jump, L2 for weapon swap, R1 and L1 for primary and left-hand weapons respectively, L3 for overboost and R3 for shoulders. Once twin-stick becomes available (or im an emulating scumbag :))) ) the face buttons get filled, X for OB, Square for shoulders, Circle for inside-shoulders; and in AC4 onward, Triangle for left weapon swap, Circle for right weapon swap, L2 for quickboost.
I am a wierd duck in that I keep my buttons the default and do pretty good. The only exception is Last Raven because at least one or two buttons make NO SENSE whatsoever to me. Namely based on shooting (both arms on the same SIDE doesn't feel right)
I played default controls back in the day but emulated I do a specific config of right stick aim and using r1,r2,l1,l2 for actions so I can keep my thumbs on the sticks.
@@nomenclature7662 yep! You can change the controller config for what buttons it presses on an emulator. Do make use of the ingame key assigns too so you can still use the face buttons normally in menus etc. but you can set controls to do a different input, in this case say you swap shoulder button looking to the XY∆O (so you can use the shoulder buttons for attacks, jumping, boost or whatever else) then in the emulator have the right stick directions work with the mapped directions for looking (and left stick to dpad for movement).
Excellent review free of pretentious bias! I'm one of the folks who absolutely love this series. The tinkering is addicting, and yeah I use the x and tri to look up and down much easier imo. This game is tough and the learning curve is brutal, but once you master it I think it's some of the most mechanically intricate 3rd person gameplay one can experience. It's all about the surfing/skiing technique! A Top 5 PS2 game for me.
You'll have a slightly better time with AC3. The controls are tuned just enough that controlling feels right. I still had hard time controlling faster ACs though
Try out the remakes of third gen, the portable ports. They added in custom button mapping, added in parts (some from 1st and 2nd gens, and some all new parts), new arena fights, and also let you port your save from Silent Line into Last Raven. Man, playing 3rd gen with both joysticks, and also the triggers to shoot, feels really good
@@hemangchauhan2864 Yeah, I know right? I didn’t even hear about them and all the extra stuff they added til early this year. And they run and look great, even emulated on my potato laptop that came out in 2007 lol (Also, they put in custom button mapping, so getting to play through 3rd gen using both joysticks and custom controls felt amazing) Nope, no cut content, only extra additional content, more new hidden parts, and they brought back fan favorites from past gens. (In Last Raven, you can make the box art ACs, like Leos Kleins Zio Matrix setup from AC2, you can remake Wonder Raid (which is the gray AC on the front of AC2:AA) and a few other famous ACs from 1st and 2nd gens. (They even brought back the 2nd gen MKII-Karasawa, while still keeping 3rd gen versions too) Edit: I also have a friend who plays them on the Psp itself, and says they run and look great. Only thing was, the psp control setup was awkward, but they also aren’t very accustomed to the psp itself, they bought a Vita just for the portable ports.
I'm surprised you didn't mention having to kill yourself multiple times and then getting treated to a secret cutscene where they turn you into a super soldier and it buffs all of your stats and gives you cheat tactic controls, like when you become cybernetically bonded to your core you can bypass the weight restrictions and energy restrictions
He probably never got to that point. I know i never did. Felt like taking the easy way out. I wanted to make a dominate AC for all situations, but thats not how these games work.
@@marklarizzle agreed. It would be different if it gave players an unfair advantage against enemy ACs, but considering most of them use it, it’s not an unfair advantage.
Armored Core 2 is released in 2000 in the same year where the PlayStation 2 is released. 2020 is the 20th Anniversary of this game. Armored Core 2 for PlayStation 2 is the best before Armored Core 2 Another Age. 2000/2020 - Armored Core 2
Just got into the “Armored Core” series. I was initially intimidated by hearing about the “pre-analog stick” controls, but the old-school controls work REALLY well with this game and come naturally. Remember, these Mech’s are big lumbering units. But by customizing your Mech, you make it faster, more easily maneuverable, etc. So don’t be out off by the controls!!! While I enjoyed “AC 2”, I recommend “AC 3” to newcomers. Tons of QoL improvements and it will let you learn the series’ staples well enough to easily play the pre-“AC 3” games plus those that come after, like “AC3: Nexus”, “Last Raven”, etc.
Lol the customization isnt hard. Weight and energy is just the 2 main factor, if you use them you gain armor and firepower respectively but if u use less of the limit available you move more (turn, jump, walk) if u have less weight and go faster if you invest your energy pool to speed booster, head types also is just a ratio beetwen sensor and armor. Done Maybe im oversimplifying cos im doing engineering but it is what it is, which is same as combat vehicle design triangle (Armor, Movement, Firepower(guns sensor))
For sure, I'm sure if I had more time to study it, it probably would've clicked easier, I have a feeling that with each AC game I play, it'll get easier on that front
Great review, especially liked the interview you had with someone from the localization team! (as a 10yo kid I had no problem with the voices, and really enjoyed the story)
I looked that your subs after 10min in. Yo, this is actually worth watching. Like straightforward, clear, dense of information. 5 out of 5. Nice job bro, where are your subscribers????
I sunk hundreds of hours into this game as a preteen. I absolutely loved it. And yes, obtaining the title of nine breaker was a huge task... I had pretty much unlimited money but had to COMPLETELY change my playstyle and build to get through the last 10 opponents in the arena. I went from a super heavily armored mech with as many guns, missiles, lasers, whatever, as I could, as a trade off I was a literal tank with absurd amounts of armor but very, very slow and not very mobile. I had to do a 180 when I got higher up the ladder in tournament mode. I went from a tracked/quadrapedal mech to a more traditional bipedal set up that was about pure speed and maneuverability with just a plasma sword and machine gun as weapons.
Go negative 50,000 you get human plus upgrades plus it restarts you at the beginning with everything you own. You'll have to do it multiple times to get all human plus upgrades.
My childhood memories. *I just tracked down a replacement copy, I stupidly lent out my original and never got it back. PS I've always found it easiest to complete the entire Arena before starting any missions.
The tinkering would not be that bad if you weren't forced to switch between menus to compare stat parts in the garage and in the shop. Your only indicator is the up arrow and down arrow. So better have a piece of paper.
Seeing as people are STILL talking about this game, I think that 2 and 2AA were the best games of the 'classic era' (before 4 and 4A). 2 was the second game I've ever 100%'ed, and this game holds a special place in my heart and the voice acting was hilarious. 9/10, would play again. 2AA was so brutally hard compared to 2 that the final 3 missions made me quit mid-match multiple times, due to their unfair difficulty. When I move out, you bet I'm taking those two games with me.
I've never had to handle my controller the way you do, and I've never had any problems controlling my ac. Tank controls are the only way to play this kind of game properly, and once you get used to them, you'll never look back
Good review! I still play the game to this day, currently emulating AC2 on hardmode. The controls are very much dated, however by remapping the controls to have the dpad and shape buttons be the movement controls and making the R/L buttons control weapons and boosting, and then remap your emu-control sticks to match the dpad/buttons it becomes way less stressful on the hands (but no control of sensitivity still makes it a chore). Also, going broke and into huge debt has a built-in countermeasure - if you go below 50k the game will have a cutscene and reset you to the start of the game - you get to keep all of your parts and you get a bonus "Human Plus" upgrade as well (you can do this 8 times for each upgrade, including being able to use cannons without kneeling).
I do not understand how people suck so much at tank controls.Not everything needs dual sticks Every single old Fromsoft reviewer gets filtered by the controls, what are you, 7 years old?
Also, hey now, don't diss corporate Dracula 🤣 Funnily enough I used to live a few blocks from their tiny office near Cupertino. It blew my child mind to see their logo in real life.
This is why emulation is superior. I don't care about authenticity. I care about having the best experience. I don't want a good game to be trapped behind stupid hardware limitations. I have the game mapped to the keyboard to use the full range of my fingers. This is why I don't like gamepads or playing on console in general. Limiting the full use of my hand to uncomfortable d-pad, sticks or face buttons with triggers always got my hand sweating and hurting. On keyboard I mapped moving/strafing to WASD, space is shoot, shift is dash/jump, directional keys are for looking up/down, left/right, ctrl is slash and end is weapon swtich. For eclusively the menus I mapped the numpad keys with 8,2,4,5 for moving up/down, left/right, enter is X, 0 is O, and ▲ is 5, shoulder buttons are 7,9. Armored Core 2 is still challenging, but having a better control layout where you don't feel like you're struggling with the controls and cramping it claw style makes a huge difference.
I really want to see the four player maps. Because with PS2, they had a link cable of some sort and you could do 4 player arena. And with 4P I do believe iirc, that there are unique maps not present in 2P arena.
I grew up with armored core 2 another age for years but, and I have the original press release PS2 launch demo of armored core 2, those two combine made a mix where when I got older I couldn't remember exactly which one, because the intros were different when I finally got my own copy of two I used to spend nights at circuit City playing the demo of armored core 2 in the customer service while my mom was getting orders shipped in cuz she is a reseller. And other kids can be behind me like *duuuude that is so sick* as I kept creating different cores. I also have the 2001 jam pack the _space station_ jam pack with the 100% game completion file on it
I found the controls easy as piss. L1 and R1 + X to strafe constantly with the double tapping of boost. Then stick forward and boost to go forward ( + r1/l1 to go sideways if needed).
Truly unique game series. I played almost all of them. ACV online was a great way to get absolutely wrecked and humbled. Too bad there is nothing like it out right now.
Getting used to the controls take a bit of practice but i got decent after 2 or 3 tests, they sure arent as natural a some later entries in the series but it's still playable
Fromsoftware was already using this control scheme for a long time, so no suprise that they used in AC 2. Although not having an option to change that was kinda shitty on their part.
Fun note on the controls. PSP remakes worked shockingly well. I rocket only'd them all. Not to show off, just saying it works. Also to show off. F*"k Uktimate Zinaida, that sucked.
You put the Onus of the localization on agetech being a small company but if they were a large company would from soft have even put in the money to go with said larger company?
Hard to say, if I ever remade this video that would be one of the statements I remove. Pointing fingers like that with very very limited information doesn't add much to the narrative and just creates more questions. It's hard to say how much fromsoft would be willing to put into a bigger localization firm. They had the opportunity to do three launch titles, which is huge, but I'm not sure how much they were actually interested in the American audience initially.
The best experience I can recommend for the earlier generations of AC games, is using Mouse and Keyboard on PCSX. Yes I know some people will consider it a cardinal sin to use KBM on emulators, but believe me when I say; Armored Core cannot be fully appreciated without it.
I recently played Pikmin with keyboard + mouse and it was so fun. Maybe not good for the challenge (made the games much easier to play) but it played great.
@@DonnyKirkMusic When it comes to old games like that, I think part of the challenge in itself doesn't lye in the actual difficulty of the game itself, but the limited control scheme and hardware available at the time. I personally believe games like Armored Core were way too far ahead of its time, As it seems we aren't getting an AC6 (let alone a port to PC) PCSX is the best we're gonna get. However, I'm trying to work on a game heavily inspired by AC for PC :^)
@@veinjelly4630 Definitely, I think that generation (ps2, xbox, gc) had a lot of dev teams that really wanted to hook players with the "next big thing" but there were hurdles and issues with graphical capability and controls. When it came time to refine those games, some companies came back around to the IP to do a new one (like with Armored Core 4/FA and V/VD) and sometimes they succeed, but I feel like some games got left in that generation which needed refinement but could've been "the next big thing" later-on. Hard to explain but yeah, its more of a hindsight thing with games aging rather than a typical thing where people say "this movie aged badly because it has actors in it that are now known sex offenders" or things like that lmao. But typically I don't like to admit when a game has aged, but controls are one thing that always get me.
You talk about the variety of parts and the stats they affect and everything else...and you mention learning it all as if it's a lot, or somehow difficult. You don't need to memorize pieces of anything...you just need to grasp the rules of interaction. Not really all that hard. Rote memorization is really just a bad way to do everything.
I disagree with your customization “analysis paralysis.” points. Most missions, as a young kid nonetheless, I didn’t need to completely change the makeup of my AC, I stuck with what looked and felt the smoothest/coolest, slowly changing parts in a gradual linear fashion as more parts became available to me throughout the game, only adjusting for certain “landmark” missions. I didn’t greatly experiment with all the different parts until I’ve completed the game and could re-run missions and the arena, which was a lot of fun. Even the controls only become painstaking if you force yourself to play a “viable way,.” Nothing in this game overloaded me as a kid, I got used to the controls relatively easily without having to mold my hand to hold numerous buttons at once and there are still AC parts I’ve never equipped. Granted- playing the way I did wasn't the most efficient and I did lose on some missions, but it was very fun I love the effort that went into this video. Armored core 2 is one of those “best game you never played” titles and to see such a solid take on an obscure game is refreshing.
in australia i played this game on the ps2 and the analog controls were actually implemented and working properly. I definitely don't think this game is designed to be played with the dpad
Must have fixed it when it got there. But as someone who has played every AC game... yeah, it's meant to be played with a D-pad... but a stick helps as well.
![Armored Core 2 • Retrospective • [The History of From Software]](/img/1.gif)
You missed one of the best parts of the game. If you fall below -50k, you get your memory wiped, a new identity, and some sweet cybernetic implants that give a piloting bonus. Can be done up to seven times per save file, if you take it to the max the game changes significantly.
This applies for all of the other ps1 and ps2 armored core games too. It was called "human PLUS".
Also, three missions in you can buy an energy weapon. Cheap damage output- get there.
I didn't know about the human plus enhancements when I started playing, went through the whole game. Then my older brother used it like a cheat in versus mode, flying with grenade launchers when I had to sit in place, plus all the other performance upgrades, so bogus. He finally told me after irate accusations of cheating, or I copied his game file or something.
@@ajharbeck2075 your brother is absolutely EVIL and also a fucking genius
@@farmcat_23 Not in AC3, trust me. Went into debt and got a game over several times. Human+ is replaced by OP-INTENSIFY optional part, which unlocks when you beat the story. Then have to go back through the story missions with the OP-INTENSIFY equipped and perform specific obscure actions to unlock OP-INTENSIFY benefits.
No one mentions the fact that you can manually change the controls in the settings and make the bumpers be left/right and the dpad be for movement. It makes the game so much better if you're more used to modern games
This is incredibly high effort, my man. Like, dayum.
Those demands by Sony explains A LOT about how a lot of those early games turned out the way they did.
I'm gonna have to do a soul search on whether or not I wanna talk about graphics in these videos. This game looks really good though visually.
Thanks for watching!
New subscriber, I think the graphics speak for themselves. Good review!
@@mark_midmark I was actually about to say exactly the same thing so I'm glad I clicked view reply
This was a fantastic video and I look forward to more AC video reviews when you get to them.
I am honestly amazed you managed to track down an old localizer and got some answers from him, this does explain some things like Boyle's weird "I see you're" death line
As a HUGE fan of the Armored Core series and FromSoftware in general, I love your review style. The slight deadpan delivery and funny edits kept me entertained. Easy sub! Can't wait to see what other reviews come next.
What's the best to start on Ps2? Is the psp one any good?
So am I man so am I
@@soruart1786 well I would try armored core 3 for a beginner it's very forgiving but armor core 2 is pretty fun the PSP games are all right
Really good in depth review, as a long time fan of these series. This was actually the first game in the series I played, holds a special place in my heart. Appreciate how you managed to find someone from Agetec and get some info about the localization. I never would've imagined it was like that with the voice acting, it explains a lot.
Also, I'm really glad that you reached out to the localizer (nice "I flew to Japan" joke).
I always wondered how these obscure localizer even operated.
For sure, I just feel like there's so much we don't know about what goes into these games as the consumer, so getting breadcrumbs like this when we can is really nice
One of the best parts of AC was that you could bring your save between games of the same generation. So your save in Armored Core 2 is usable in Armored Core 2: Another Age. Some parts were unique to their game but would successfully import into newer titles. Usually how it went is the first game of a series would have some incredibly unbalanced secret parts and sometimes flat out cheats that if you held onto would work in future games. My Raven in Master of Arena had all the parts from every PS1 AC game and was infected with a set of cheats that were only gotten by purposely going into massive debt multiple times in the first game. Good times.
Yes!
Also, if you haven’t played the portable ports of 3rd gen, I HIGHLY recommend it.
They added in button remapping, added new parts into 3rd gen, from 1st and 2nd gen, and even some all new parts.
Also, they changed it so you can port your save from Silent Line into Last Raven, which is a cool change.
It's cool that you reached out to Agetech. Playing through it right now gives me a deeper appreciation for the product and the effort Agetech went through to bring us this game.
I've found that most armored core players will rebind dpad left and right to strafing and switch L1 and R2 to left and right turning respectively. If you didn't already know, AC Nexus is the first game to add dual analog support.
I use left stick/dpad for movement, face buttons for looking, R2 for jump, L2 for weapon swap, R1 and L1 for primary and left-hand weapons respectively, L3 for overboost and R3 for shoulders. Once twin-stick becomes available (or im an emulating scumbag :))) ) the face buttons get filled, X for OB, Square for shoulders, Circle for inside-shoulders; and in AC4 onward, Triangle for left weapon swap, Circle for right weapon swap, L2 for quickboost.
I am a wierd duck in that I keep my buttons the default and do pretty good.
The only exception is Last Raven because at least one or two buttons make NO SENSE whatsoever to me. Namely based on shooting (both arms on the same SIDE doesn't feel right)
I played default controls back in the day but emulated I do a specific config of right stick aim and using r1,r2,l1,l2 for actions so I can keep my thumbs on the sticks.
@@pirateFinn so do u mean you use emulator settings to change the bindings?
Asking cause I have this and an emulator rdy to go
@@nomenclature7662 yep! You can change the controller config for what buttons it presses on an emulator. Do make use of the ingame key assigns too so you can still use the face buttons normally in menus etc. but you can set controls to do a different input, in this case say you swap shoulder button looking to the XY∆O (so you can use the shoulder buttons for attacks, jumping, boost or whatever else) then in the emulator have the right stick directions work with the mapped directions for looking (and left stick to dpad for movement).
Also also, that Agetec bit explains the ACs powered by hamster wheels and muscle power in Master of Arena
Thank you for this review the armored core community doesn't get enough love unlike the souls series.
Yeah, it kinda feels bad that Armored Core kinda gets hung high and dry.
Excellent review free of pretentious bias! I'm one of the folks who absolutely love this series. The tinkering is addicting, and yeah I use the x and tri to look up and down much easier imo.
This game is tough and the learning curve is brutal, but once you master it I think it's some of the most mechanically intricate 3rd person gameplay one can experience. It's all about the surfing/skiing technique! A Top 5 PS2 game for me.
The controls are difficult af, but once it clicks, oh god it glorious. Really feels like Im piloting a something regular people can't
You'll have a slightly better time with AC3.
The controls are tuned just enough that controlling feels right.
I still had hard time controlling faster ACs though
I disagree. The controls may be slightly more honed but the plot and UI don’t hold a candle to AC2
@Carlo Mig Armored core 2
Try out the remakes of third gen, the portable ports.
They added in custom button mapping, added in parts (some from 1st and 2nd gens, and some all new parts), new arena fights, and also let you port your save from Silent Line into Last Raven.
Man, playing 3rd gen with both joysticks, and also the triggers to shoot, feels really good
@@abyssphantom6786 First time I'm seeing someone talk about the PSP games.
How is the performance? Is anything cut beside obvious graphical downgrade?
@@hemangchauhan2864 Yeah, I know right? I didn’t even hear about them and all the extra stuff they added til early this year.
And they run and look great, even emulated on my potato laptop that came out in 2007 lol
(Also, they put in custom button mapping, so getting to play through 3rd gen using both joysticks and custom controls felt amazing)
Nope, no cut content, only extra additional content, more new hidden parts, and they brought back fan favorites from past gens.
(In Last Raven, you can make the box art ACs, like Leos Kleins Zio Matrix setup from AC2, you can remake Wonder Raid (which is the gray AC on the front of AC2:AA) and a few other famous ACs from 1st and 2nd gens.
(They even brought back the 2nd gen MKII-Karasawa, while still keeping 3rd gen versions too)
Edit: I also have a friend who plays them on the Psp itself, and says they run and look great.
Only thing was, the psp control setup was awkward, but they also aren’t very accustomed to the psp itself, they bought a Vita just for the portable ports.
Going into debt in a game, that is depressing. Also crazy that you were able to get an interview, nice
I'm surprised you didn't mention having to kill yourself multiple times and then getting treated to a secret cutscene where they turn you into a super soldier and it buffs all of your stats and gives you cheat tactic controls, like when you become cybernetically bonded to your core you can bypass the weight restrictions and energy restrictions
He probably never got to that point. I know i never did. Felt like taking the easy way out. I wanted to make a dominate AC for all situations, but thats not how these games work.
I figured the Ai got to overload and they definitely got to extend weapons while moving so it was only fair.
@@marklarizzle agreed. It would be different if it gave players an unfair advantage against enemy ACs, but considering most of them use it, it’s not an unfair advantage.
the overweight thing only works if you 100% the game though
Armored Core 2 is released in 2000 in the same year where the PlayStation 2 is released. 2020 is the 20th Anniversary of this game. Armored Core 2 for PlayStation 2 is the best before Armored Core 2 Another Age. 2000/2020 - Armored Core 2
Based second generation ACs
@@francesco3772 I know. This game was my favorite PS2 game since I was three years old.
The thumbnail was truly ahead of it's time
That control scheme is insane. Props for soldiering on to get the review done.
Just got into the “Armored Core” series. I was initially intimidated by hearing about the “pre-analog stick” controls, but the old-school controls work REALLY well with this game and come naturally. Remember, these Mech’s are big lumbering units. But by customizing your Mech, you make it faster, more easily maneuverable, etc. So don’t be out off by the controls!!! While I enjoyed “AC 2”, I recommend “AC 3” to newcomers. Tons of QoL improvements and it will let you learn the series’ staples well enough to easily play the pre-“AC 3” games plus those that come after, like “AC3: Nexus”, “Last Raven”, etc.
Lol the customization isnt hard. Weight and energy is just the 2 main factor, if you use them you gain armor and firepower respectively but if u use less of the limit available you move more (turn, jump, walk) if u have less weight and go faster if you invest your energy pool to speed booster, head types also is just a ratio beetwen sensor and armor. Done
Maybe im oversimplifying cos im doing engineering but it is what it is, which is same as combat vehicle design triangle (Armor, Movement, Firepower(guns sensor))
For sure, I'm sure if I had more time to study it, it probably would've clicked easier, I have a feeling that with each AC game I play, it'll get easier on that front
Great review, especially liked the interview you had with someone from the localization team! (as a 10yo kid I had no problem with the voices, and really enjoyed the story)
Honestly when I was a kid I just cheesed the top 5 rankings with missles
Great info on Agetec, loved that part. Keep it up!
I looked that your subs after 10min in. Yo, this is actually worth watching. Like straightforward, clear, dense of information. 5 out of 5. Nice job bro, where are your subscribers????
Cheers, maybe someday :)
@@WREPS2GOG nah, i bought this game cause of your review. I get it in 2 days
One of the most underrated ps2 games next to onimusha, genji, castlevania and more.
I’m trying to build up my ps2 collection. Been enjoying your videos. Just want to say keep up the great work 👍
thanks :)
I NEED MORE DAMN IT THIS IS BEAUTIFUL
I sunk hundreds of hours into this game as a preteen. I absolutely loved it. And yes, obtaining the title of nine breaker was a huge task... I had pretty much unlimited money but had to COMPLETELY change my playstyle and build to get through the last 10 opponents in the arena.
I went from a super heavily armored mech with as many guns, missiles, lasers, whatever, as I could, as a trade off I was a literal tank with absurd amounts of armor but very, very slow and not very mobile.
I had to do a 180 when I got higher up the ladder in tournament mode. I went from a tracked/quadrapedal mech to a more traditional bipedal set up that was about pure speed and maneuverability with just a plasma sword and machine gun as weapons.
Glad to see Armored Core getting attention and a more in depth look at how it was localized. I look forward to your other PS2 reviews!
Wow you got an interview kind of with one of the makers of the game. Very cool
4:30- See also indeciscion paralysis. Great video, and looking forward to watching the series. Subbed. 2y late to the party.
ARMORED CORE 6 GOT ANNOUNCED, WOOHOO
Hey dude, thanks for this review.
Love the concept for this channel! Subscribed and following for more
in the options menu in all armored core games you can change the button mapping of the controls…. it’s in every AC game…
Loved this review. Subbed.
PS: Ironically you can't SELL anything if you are IN DEBT!
But you can have the option to BUY things...
WHY I don't know!
Go negative 50,000 you get human plus upgrades plus it restarts you at the beginning with everything you own. You'll have to do it multiple times to get all human plus upgrades.
Thanks to Jeremy and Agetec for all their hard work bringing Armored Core to us in the West, also ARMORED CORE 6 HYPE!!!!!!!!!!!!! :D
My childhood memories.
*I just tracked down a replacement copy, I stupidly lent out my original and never got it back.
PS I've always found it easiest to complete the entire Arena before starting any missions.
This was a great review video for a game that defined my childhood.
The multiplayer of that game is the next-most thing to a 3D version of the Metal Warriors multiplayer
The tinkering would not be that bad if you weren't forced to switch between menus to compare stat parts in the garage and in the shop. Your only indicator is the up arrow and down arrow. So better have a piece of paper.
I agree, it was one of my main frustrations, I probably should've mentioned that
I'm convinced no one in the world can beat me at this game 🤣
This a great video, I really enjoyed watching it!
That intro was so hype
Seeing as people are STILL talking about this game, I think that 2 and 2AA were the best games of the 'classic era' (before 4 and 4A). 2 was the second game I've ever 100%'ed, and this game holds a special place in my heart and the voice acting was hilarious. 9/10, would play again. 2AA was so brutally hard compared to 2 that the final 3 missions made me quit mid-match multiple times, due to their unfair difficulty. When I move out, you bet I'm taking those two games with me.
Ok no. I’m the controls are fantastic for this type of mech action. It’s really good. It’s just sad people can’t learn them
I've never had to handle my controller the way you do, and I've never had any problems controlling my ac. Tank controls are the only way to play this kind of game properly, and once you get used to them, you'll never look back
Good review! I still play the game to this day, currently emulating AC2 on hardmode. The controls are very much dated, however by remapping the controls to have the dpad and shape buttons be the movement controls and making the R/L buttons control weapons and boosting, and then remap your emu-control sticks to match the dpad/buttons it becomes way less stressful on the hands (but no control of sensitivity still makes it a chore).
Also, going broke and into huge debt has a built-in countermeasure - if you go below 50k the game will have a cutscene and reset you to the start of the game - you get to keep all of your parts and you get a bonus "Human Plus" upgrade as well (you can do this 8 times for each upgrade, including being able to use cannons without kneeling).
this is so good bro omg
I do not understand how people suck so much at tank controls.Not everything needs dual sticks
Every single old Fromsoft reviewer gets filtered by the controls, what are you, 7 years old?
Man I watched a video on ps2 launch titles and this one seemed up my alley. Then I figure I pull a review, came across your page and now im hooked lol
Very good review, I find it ironic that you've done better investigative journalism than most actual paid journalists lmao. Subscribed.
I love these games, all the way up to Silent Line. Nice detailed review, but your reading sounds like Kevin Costner from Dances with Wolves.
That's hilarious, you got a chuckle outta me haha
Also, hey now, don't diss corporate Dracula 🤣
Funnily enough I used to live a few blocks from their tiny office near Cupertino. It blew my child mind to see their logo in real life.
This is why emulation is superior. I don't care about authenticity. I care about having the best experience. I don't want a good game to be trapped behind stupid hardware limitations.
I have the game mapped to the keyboard to use the full range of my fingers. This is why I don't like gamepads or playing on console in general.
Limiting the full use of my hand to uncomfortable d-pad, sticks or face buttons with triggers always got my hand sweating and hurting.
On keyboard I mapped moving/strafing to WASD, space is shoot, shift is dash/jump, directional keys are for looking up/down, left/right, ctrl is slash and end is weapon swtich.
For eclusively the menus I mapped the numpad keys with 8,2,4,5 for moving up/down, left/right, enter is X, 0 is O, and ▲ is 5, shoulder buttons are 7,9.
Armored Core 2 is still challenging, but having a better control layout where you don't feel like you're struggling with the controls and cramping it claw style makes a huge difference.
This rocked. You got a new sub.
oh man i remember this as a kid game was hard idk if it was the controls or anything
Can u review Armored core last raven
For sure, but it's gonna be a while, LR released in 2005 and I'm still working on the launch titles back in 2000
@@WREPS2GOG Ah yes... Last Raven... my personal hell... the dark souls of armored core games...
When you have a flash black and realize why claw came naturally CORE MEMORY UNLOCKED RAVEN
I really want to see the four player maps. Because with PS2, they had a link cable of some sort and you could do 4 player arena. And with 4P I do believe iirc, that there are unique maps not present in 2P arena.
Forgot how much was cut for the slim model, glad I chose to get the superior fat one!
I grew up with armored core 2 another age for years but, and I have the original press release PS2 launch demo of armored core 2, those two combine made a mix where when I got older I couldn't remember exactly which one, because the intros were different when I finally got my own copy of two
I used to spend nights at circuit City playing the demo of armored core 2 in the customer service while my mom was getting orders shipped in cuz she is a reseller.
And other kids can be behind me like *duuuude that is so sick* as I kept creating different cores.
I also have the 2001 jam pack the _space station_ jam pack with the 100% game completion file on it
I found the controls easy as piss. L1 and R1 + X to strafe constantly with the double tapping of boost. Then stick forward and boost to go forward ( + r1/l1 to go sideways if needed).
Armored Core is so dang cool. What a gem.
Truly unique game series. I played almost all of them. ACV online was a great way to get absolutely wrecked and humbled. Too bad there is nothing like it out right now.
@6:27….I am that type of person, sir. I am that type of person
I love the Zaku design! Lol
Getting used to the controls take a bit of practice but i got decent after 2 or 3 tests, they sure arent as natural a some later entries in the series but it's still playable
Can you transfer things INTO it?
I'd LOVE to just throw in, IDK the Decepticon logo? :D
I cant wait for you guys to play Project Eden!!! :D
That game looks dope
Yo, you want to throw down in Armored Core, any of them, HMU. I'll get it to work somehow.
How in gods balls do they come up with a control scheme like that? Omega Boost on PSONE had dual analog controls. Like WTF FS?
Fromsoftware was already using this control scheme for a long time, so no suprise that they used in AC 2. Although not having an option to change that was kinda shitty on their part.
Long time ac fan. Good try dude. Last raven is going to rock.
I love these fkng videos
Fun note on the controls. PSP remakes worked shockingly well. I rocket only'd them all. Not to show off, just saying it works. Also to show off. F*"k Uktimate Zinaida, that sucked.
Dude i belive in you! You can do it!
*NEVER GIVE UP*
this is great good work man insta sub
Good channel, be consistent, it explode on views eventually
I appreciate this! :)
Cool. Next time try Armored Core 3 and Silent Line. Don't forget last raven lol
You put the Onus of the localization on agetech being a small company but if they were a large company would from soft have even put in the money to go with said larger company?
Hard to say, if I ever remade this video that would be one of the statements I remove. Pointing fingers like that with very very limited information doesn't add much to the narrative and just creates more questions.
It's hard to say how much fromsoft would be willing to put into a bigger localization firm. They had the opportunity to do three launch titles, which is huge, but I'm not sure how much they were actually interested in the American audience initially.
Someone never discovered Human Plus.
¿¿Hey You have armored core 3 video?? cant find it
Not yet, sorry
I miss the old school vehicular combat games that dealt with inter-corporate warfare.
Lol yeah, I went from today's games to my old ps2 games and armored core melted my brain. I fell back in love with armored core after that lol
Goated video
The best experience I can recommend for the earlier generations of AC games, is using Mouse and Keyboard on PCSX. Yes I know some people will consider it a cardinal sin to use KBM on emulators, but believe me when I say; Armored Core cannot be fully appreciated without it.
I recently played Pikmin with keyboard + mouse and it was so fun. Maybe not good for the challenge (made the games much easier to play) but it played great.
@@DonnyKirkMusic When it comes to old games like that, I think part of the challenge in itself doesn't lye in the actual difficulty of the game itself, but the limited control scheme and hardware available at the time.
I personally believe games like Armored Core were way too far ahead of its time, As it seems we aren't getting an AC6 (let alone a port to PC) PCSX is the best we're gonna get. However, I'm trying to work on a game heavily inspired by AC for PC :^)
@@veinjelly4630 Definitely, I think that generation (ps2, xbox, gc) had a lot of dev teams that really wanted to hook players with the "next big thing" but there were hurdles and issues with graphical capability and controls. When it came time to refine those games, some companies came back around to the IP to do a new one (like with Armored Core 4/FA and V/VD) and sometimes they succeed, but I feel like some games got left in that generation which needed refinement but could've been "the next big thing" later-on. Hard to explain but yeah, its more of a hindsight thing with games aging rather than a typical thing where people say "this movie aged badly because it has actors in it that are now known sex offenders" or things like that lmao. But typically I don't like to admit when a game has aged, but controls are one thing that always get me.
You talk about the variety of parts and the stats they affect and everything else...and you mention learning it all as if it's a lot, or somehow difficult. You don't need to memorize pieces of anything...you just need to grasp the rules of interaction. Not really all that hard. Rote memorization is really just a bad way to do everything.
I disagree with your customization “analysis paralysis.” points. Most missions, as a young kid nonetheless, I didn’t need to completely change the makeup of my AC, I stuck with what looked and felt the smoothest/coolest, slowly changing parts in a gradual linear fashion as more parts became available to me throughout the game, only adjusting for certain “landmark” missions. I didn’t greatly experiment with all the different parts until I’ve completed the game and could re-run missions and the arena, which was a lot of fun. Even the controls only become painstaking if you force yourself to play a “viable way,.” Nothing in this game overloaded me as a kid, I got used to the controls relatively easily without having to mold my hand to hold numerous buttons at once and there are still AC parts I’ve never equipped. Granted- playing the way I did wasn't the most efficient and I did lose on some missions, but it was very fun
I love the effort that went into this video. Armored core 2 is one of those “best game you never played” titles and to see such a solid take on an obscure game is refreshing.
the bear guy was cute.
Finna have to make another video
in australia i played this game on the ps2 and the analog controls were actually implemented and working properly. I definitely don't think this game is designed to be played with the dpad
Must have fixed it when it got there. But as someone who has played every AC game... yeah, it's meant to be played with a D-pad... but a stick helps as well.
A menu simulator? Welcome to From Software.
I miss Armored Core...
I like this game ,I played it when I was ,6 and didn't understand English, I'm German, so I never noticed the strange Voices😆