FromSoftware may be best-known for its notoriously hard Dark Souls series, but Armored Core remains its longest-running franchise. The Armored Core franchise began with the PlayStation One in 1997 and took a ten-year break before releasing its most recent instalment in 2023. The series contains 16 installments, including two spin-offs. Its best-received titles remain the original Armored Core and the PlayStation 2 releases of Armored Core 2 and Armored Core 2: Another Age. Unfortunately, fans and newcomers who want to dig into the main Armored Core series will have a tough time getting access to many of them.
A few are available digitally, but most of the Armored Core entries require hunting down a physical disc, and the aftermarket prices vary. The good news is that PlayStation 3 game discs are region-free for the most part, although any DLC remains tied to the game's original region. For those who opt to go the digital route, players will also need to remember Sony's recent change for purchasing digital goods off the PlayStation Store for the PlayStation 3 and PlayStation Vita, since those systems' storefronts no longer accept PayPal or credit cards.
Updated on October 11, 2023, by Ajay Aravind: With numerous installments released across a dozen different platforms, Armored Core has been consistently popular since the first game was released in 1997. With Armored Core VI: Fires of Rubicon releasing on August 25, 2023, this FromSoftware series has once again become part of popular discourse. As such, we've updated this feature with some more information.
Armored Core VI Not Your Speed? Try This Underrated Mech Game On The Switch
Armored Core is one of the best mech-action games, but its design and difficulty may turn off new fans. Fortunately, there is a great alternative.How To Play Armored Core / Project Phantasma / Master of Arena
The original Armored Core released on the PlayStation One in 1997 to general critical acclaim. Players panned the post-apocalyptic story of a future Earth where humans lived underground as generic, which largely continued throughout the series. Still, the ability to shop for parts and customize the Armored Core mechs made this shooter stand out from others in the same genre.
Project Phantasma is the second game in the series and a direct sequel to the first. It released in 1998, followed by the third and final game in the original trilogy, Master of Arena, in 2000. Project Phantasma introduced an Arena mode, which was then expanded upon in Master of Arena. Project Phantasma and Master of Arena were never released in Europe.
Armored Core is currently available digitally as a PSone Classic for PlayStation 3, PlayStation Portable and PlayStation Vita and costs $5.99. It was also released as a title on the PlayStation Classic in Japan. Unfortunately, Project Phantasma and Master of Arena are only available as physical copies for the PlayStation One, so players will need to get lucky in a thrift store or save money to buy used copies, whose prices might well be relatively high.
How To Play Armored Core 2 / Another Age
Armored Core 2 is the fourth game in the Armored Core series. It released in 2000 and brought the series to the PlayStation 2. Armored Core 2 featured the same mission-style campaign as the original trilogy and the Arena mode established in Master of Arena. The most notable changes came with the gameplay, as the mechs not only moved slower but had to account for the potential of weapons to overheat during combat, as well.
Armored Core 2: Another Age is the fifth game in the series and a direct sequel to Armored Core 2. It came just one year later in 2001, also for the PlayStation 2. Its most significant change was removing the Arena mode, although missions with a similar style remained in the game, allowing for a more expansive campaign.
Neither Armored Core 2 nor its sequel, Another Age, are available to play digitally. Those interested in either game can obtain physical copies of both secondhand for a reasonably inexpensive price. However, interested buyers will need to do a bit of sifting through the available options.
Why FromSoftware Characters Are So Endearing
From Demon's Souls to Armored Core VI, FromSoftware has a huge roster of NPCs who are all strangely compelling.How To Play Armored Core 3 / Silent Line / Nexus / Last Raven
The Armored Core series got a reboot with Armored Core 3, which was released for the PlayStation 2 in 2002 and then for the PlayStation Portable in 2009. This game introduced the four-player multiplayer concept to the series. Silent Line followed in 2003, and it later received a port for the PlayStation Portable.
One of the biggest gameplay changes introduced in Silent Line was the ability to destroy weapons during combat. This feature was removed in the following title, Nexus. The final title in the Armored Core 3 series is Last Raven, released in 2005. It introduced NPC human characters that players could interact with, multiple story endings, and the possibility for all external parts of an Armored Core to be destroyed during combat.
Armored Core 3, Silent Line, and Last Raven are available digitally for the PlayStation Portable and PlayStation Vita, each of which costs $9.99. Physical copies of all four PlayStation 2 titles can also be found secondhand. Armored Core 3 is the least expensive of the bunch on average, while the other three in the series tend to range higher in price.
How To Play Armored Core 4 / For Answer
Armored Core 4 brought the series to the multi-platform stage, releasing on both the PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 in 2007. It featured online multiplayer, a wholly reworked gameplay control scheme, and long-desired graphical updates. Despite these changes, Armored Core 4 received rather middling reviews.
For Answer was released in 2008 on both PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360, and it is a direct sequel to Armored Core 4. Like Last Raven from the previous series, For Answer featured multiple endings depending on which missions players chose in the game. Armored Cores got enhanced customization options, and new Boost elements were introduced for combat.
Armored Core 4 is not available digitally on PlayStation 3 or Xbox 360. Physical copies of both can be purchased secondhand, but unfortunately, the game is one of many that missed the cut for Xbox One and Series X|S backward compatibility. The same is true with For Answer, although its used physical copies currently sell for higher prices.
Everything You Need to Know Before Playing Your First Armored Core Game
Armored Core is arguably the king of mech action games, but it can be daunting for new players, and there are key things those gamers should know.How To Play Armored Core 5 / Verdict Day
Armored Core 5 rebooted the series once more following its release on PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 in 2012. This game brought about the most significant changes to the series. Players entered missions in a squad instead of solo, combat introduced three damage types, and a new scan mode allowed players to search for nearby enemy units.
The only expansion for the Armored Core 5 series, Verdict Day brought FromSoftware's franchise total to 15 installments. Verdict Day was released on PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 in 2013. In a departure for the series, Verdict Day focuses primarily on its online multiplayer, building off the foundation established in previous entries.
Armored Core 5 is not available digitally. However, secondhand copies of the physical games are readily obtainable at low prices. As with the other Armored Core titles, neither this game nor Verdict Day are backward compatible with Xbox One or Series X|S. Verdict Day is still available digitally for both the PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360, where it costs $19.99.
How Armored Core VI Is (& Isn't) Just Like Dark Souls
FromSoftware released a new entry in their Armored Core series that adopts a surprising amount from Dark Souls while remaining true to itself.Armored Core VI: Fires Of Rubicon
FromSoftware went straight from Elden Ring to Armored Core VI: Fires of Rubicon, breathing a whole new life into the beloved franchise. Taking place on a planet called Rubicon, the Raven must eventually decide to choose between two sides. Their decision is significant, because the options lead to drastically different outcomes. While the bulk of Armored Core VI's gameplay employs the same mechanisms as its forerunners, its considerably easier to manipulate and modify the mechs in this game. Further, each mech comes with a potential set of weapons, allowing for an arsenal array that comes in handy during combat. Armored Core VI doesn't have the debt system used by its predecessors, allowing players to keep their valuable earnings safe even if their missions aren't successful.
Fires of Rubicon is playable on numerous platforms, including Windows, PlayStation 4, Xbox One, Playstation 5, and the Xbox Series X/S. The latest Armored Core installment received praise for reshaping the franchise without losing the elements that made it unique. Armored Core VI ended up becoming one of the bestselling games on both PlayStation 4 and PlayStation 5.
Armored Core VI: Fires of Rubicon can be bought as four editions: Standard, Deluxe, Collector's, and Premium. Deluxe is exclusively limited to digital purchases, whereas the Collector's and Premium editions don't have digital versions. The Standard and Deluxe editions range between $59.99 and $69.99 on all platforms. Although the Collector's and Premium editions are significantly costlier, they include art books, digital soundtracks, figurines, and other items.