Armored Core 1- My very first mech experience

I was only vaguely familiar with the mech subgenre of games and while I maintain that they look really cool, I just never had the chance to play them. Until now, that is, and being the glutton for punishment that I am, I decided to start all the way from the beginning with software's very own cult classic-armored core 1. These are my thoughts.

The controls/game feel

AC1 operates on tank controls, meaning you press up and down on the dead to move forwards and backwards and left or right on the dead to move your lock box. You also use left and right triggers to look up and down respectively. Left and right numbers are used to strafe, as was the style at the time.

The face buttons perform various actions, such as square to shoot, triangle to switch weapons, circle to use your melee attack and most importantly x to boost.

  As you might've guessed, the controls were the initial hurdle, preventing me from enjoying the game. Of course, it wasn't uncommon to see this type of control scheme for games of that era, because it is now largely obsolete. I spent a lot of time in the practice mode getting used to them.

Although I'm happy to report that once you do get used to them, it feels pretty good to play with all things considered. Your mech feels weighty and your attacks all the more impactful. You get a nice sense of feedback each time an enemy gets hit.and the same goes for you. The sense of sudden speed and the range of movement you get while boosting also feel incredible. Your own skill is the limit here.

Gameplay/level design 

Throughout the game, you'll be taking on various missions, and to give the game credit, there's a decent amount of variety here in both available approaches and the levels themselves. Open-ended levels were my favorite as they truly gave a chance for your newly built mech to shine. You could use the terrain to your advantage, try to be nimble while avoiding enemy fire or unleash a barrage of firepower on any enemy coming your way while tanking the damage. Of course, on the opposite end of the spectrum, the more linear, corridor-based levels didn't provide me with nearly as much enjoyment as they restrict your mech's moving capabilities and are sometimes confusing mazes tacked on secondary obtuse objectives.

Customization 

Arguably the best point of this game. After each successful mission passes, you get your pay via credits. Some which are docked from you in the form of ammo and repair costs. Managing your finances is an important gameplay mechanic here, as no matter your skill as a pilot, you'll need to start investing in your mech eventually. The shop is where you'll spend a large portion of time. This is where you can buy various parts for your mech — heads, arms, legs, generators etc. It's all surprisingly robust. You're not penalized for selling your previous parts, as it doesn't decrease in value once you bought them. Meaning you can start experimenting with your build pretty early on. It can be pretty overwhelming initially, but don't be afraid to experiment to find a play style that suits you.

Narrative

There's very little in the way of actual narrative here, as is the case with most Fromsoft titles. In short, you play a mercenary—a raven taking on various missions for mainly two shady corporations which are at war with each other. Most of the plot and background info are relayed through email messages you get regularly. To be honest, the plot didn't do much for me personally, even though there were a couple of surprises, such as you having to fight your fellow ravens at key points. You can choose to ignore it at your own leisure and focus on what truly matters. Mech building and customization.

In conclusion, I was definitely surprised by this one. All the fundamentals are solid, it just needs some more polish and I could see the sequels having some great potential.