I can’t believe it’s been 10 years of Armored Core games. We all have crushed, shot and blown up many robots in past Armored Core games. Armored Core: Last Raven Portable speaks for itself as the same robot action with different levels, missions and upgrades throughout the game. There really hasn’t been much change in Armored Core for the most part, even though it’s a great game. Fans will get better upgrades in this game, but it is still the same old setup and items. I didn’t think this was the best battle robot game this year, but it was a nice game to play if you are up for a robotic challenge.
Armored Core: Last Raven Portable is a medium-range first-person shooter game of robot-making and shooting madness. Players that are at an average level or better will be able to play this title. There’s no tutorial to get you going to learn what the buttons are for before starting the game. There is just a one- or two-paragraph explanation of most of the different elements in the menu system. You can take your robot and test it in the testing area, where players can try their new upgrades against bots in an arena. The arena is one way you can try learning the buttons, but with that said, it’s not going to help you much. You can also do an online research, which would be absolutely mandatory for new players to get info for the game.
There are some great elements in the game that gives you lots of choices for your robot. One element that is cool is that you get to choose the color of your own robot parts, such as arms, legs, torso and head. You can also move your weapons around in different positions on your robot and change the types of gear you want. Upgrading is simple: Just get the points from your missions, and go to your garage to advance your weaponry. The object of the game is to beat your opponents in the mission to win points for special upgrades.
Some parts of Armored Core: Last Raven Portable weren’t easy to figure out. There were a few of the buttons that were not configured correctly in the game. Like, if you press the X button once, the robot doesn’t jump, so you have to push it twice. There are also problems with the axis sensitivity being slow while trying to move or to turn around. During the battles, if you don’t turn around fast enough, you will get blown up by your opponent. Something I did like was the staff right and left. This was one of the biggest helps in the entire game. While being shot at by your opponent, you can zigzag with the staff right and left to avoid getting hit.
Armored Core: Last Raven Portable has true quality graphics. The robots are of great mechanical look, and each piece you add to your robotic guy makes him look better than the last. I liked the rockets from the CR-E96RMG because they have better graphic explosions, which look cool in the game. I also liked the flame swipe that looks like a light saber that looks awesome, too. The background music has a futuristic techno sound to it that fits the outlook of the game and gets your blood pumping for more robot-to-robot shooting. The sound effects for the guns and rockets were accurate for this game. I also thought this has a great booster effect for the sound when boosting.
Overall, Armored Core: Last Raven Portable is very appealing and interesting to play for the majority of the game. You get to change the color and gear you want to equip your robot with. The interaction in the game consisted of some missions and versus challenges also for some great gameplay. One great element that I liked was being able to upgrade your parts and weapons to your robot. For instance, you can make your robot much lighter and tougher and have stronger fire power and better abilities to make the most ultimate destructive android on the planet.
Armored Core: Last Raven Portable is for players that are average and above. It is hard to figure out the controls and your objectives. If you are new to Armored Core, you might have to look up additional information. I liked the interaction and elements that made this game enjoyable. It was fun to play, but it wouldn’t be something I would play over and over again after beating the game. If you like robot fighting or are a fan of Armored Core, this is the game for you. It is available on PlayStation Network. Enjoy this robotic insanity on your PSP.
Tommy started playing with the Atari 2600 when he was about 8 years old. Two years after that, his father bought him a brand new Nintendo, and since, Tommy has been addicted to games. Tommy is a full-time student at Full Sail University working toward a bachelor's degree in video game design. He's more into gameplay than story, but he does think that story creates flow in a game and makes the game more interesting. Tommy doesn't like games that have too much story, though. He likes games that have three-fourths gameplay to one-fourth story. To him, gameplay makes the game fun and interesting. Tommy also believes if you are a designer, you have to have that gift to let yourself see all sides of the spectrum of the industry. Games have choices that make the game interesting to the player and those choices need to be logical not irrational. With making games, everything is essential to the creation of the game as a whole. A movie without sound is like a game without gameplay. Everything is accentual to the game as a whole — that is how games create the fun within them.
