so those crap graphic effects can be removed if you would be so kind of post the location of those codes or the codes them selves I would be most grateful🙇‍♂

my favourite part was the salty xbox live hate mail Zinaida sends you after that first MT mission

One thing I find amusing from a historical retrospective: The final Pulveriser (especially the Hidden one!) is essentially the prototype of how a NEXT behaves in AC 4. Huge, massively armored, enormously powerful weapons, very good anti-missile defenses, continual flight, rapid dodge capability. Even Green Particle 'missiles' along with a mysterious shield system that looks an awful lot like Primal Armor in retrospect. So in Last Raven, you take down a NEXT with a Normal. That by itself would be an amusing side note. But wait, there's more! Armored Core 5 Verdict Day essentially asks "Now can you do that again, against an _actual_ NEXT this time, using a jumped up MT?" It's a fascinating display of retroactive one-upmanship that way.

The Final Pulverizer is basically a NEXT.

The thing that always sticks with me from this game is always the first menu theme, The Game. It has this calm before exploding into percussion. It's chaotic, and as someone who started with the 4th gen and their more choir based OSTs it hit different

This opening is so fucking good. You see the raw power of an AC. The almost mythical speed and stance when it's up against regular forces

Ah yes, Bolt, I remembered I panicked the first time I played this and saw him the moment I opened that gate. I loved this game but the only annoying thing in this game is that everyone can move while using back mount except you.

Fun Fact: The Unanimously agreed ending that is considered close to canon is the one where everyone dies except for you, making you truly, and utterly, the Last Raven, the *Dominant*

I do agree that LR was a great way to end PS2 era and on a high note at that. I like to think of Nexus and LR as a "duology" of sorts. Mostly due to the fact the plot continues almost immediately after Nexus ending and whole game is just one heck of a day for everyone involved. Last day in most cases.

One misunderstanding: Regardless of your playthrough Jack-O's objective is always to stop the Internecine. He would never toss his pride aside for the power of the Pulverizer. Evangel, on the other hand, is always power hungry so when you fight him in Circ City you essentially stop him from reaching the Internecine and boarding a Pulverizer like in the other ending. Be thankful you've never fought Final Zinaida in the PSP version of Last Raven lmao Also Armored Core has always had Mech-Sim like elements Anyway, great work dealing with the BS Last Raven had in store for you lol

For a AC fan who disliked it at first I must say that that LR is the closest to what we are ever going to get to a true realistic mech game. What sets this entry apart from SL and AC3 is how down to earth it feels and the sense of urgency is present. I like SL for how easy the game is, this one truly tests you and challenges your perception on your skills. No other AC game will ever top this one.

I think I was the one talking about how Zinaida is possibly Agraya, and apparently the name 'Genobee' is a mistranslation of 'Zinovie' which would be matching for Zinaida. You weren't lying when you said the final Zinaida boss fight is [all mortal diseases] because not only does she have Human+ and all optional-parts equipped, she also has the most cheap upgrade on her AC which is INFINITE ENERGY SUPPLY plus she uses the lightest generator on top of that. I think the Zinaida mission is the most [all mortal diseases] than the Final Pulverizer fight just because of how broken Zinaida is.

My favorite of the ps2 AC games :D the "secret mission" towards the end unlocks the head part CR-H06SR2 (from the cover art) when you S rank the mission (i believe it is freebie S rank if you complete it) pulverizers are weak to missiles since they lack anti-missile defenses

One thing that kinda annoys me is how you never run into BJ ( the AC in the box-art and intro), despite his unique headpiece and essentially one of a kind hand railgun, he's relegated into just a VR arena opponent and not as someone you occasionally run into during the story with only Zinaida being the only other hand railgun user. Even more annoying is that his headpiece can only be gained after doing the secret final mission.

THE ARMORED CORE THE ARMORED CORE IS REAL

This game is absolutely fucking BRUTAL and I think it might be one of the hardest games ever, most definitely the hardest FROM game. They were just SADISTIC designing this one with the constant multiple AC fights, Pulverizer bosses etc. You HAVE to import your save or you're fucked. I hope AC4/4A is easier...

something about this game just keeps pulling me back to it the way that none of the other AC games can even hope to do.

noting that Final Zinaida is stupid dangerous for a few reasons: 1- Human plus: tho this is the least of your problems. 2- All her tunable parts are tuned beyond spec(this means that unlike the player that gets only 10 point per part to assign, she has every stat maxed out) 3-as said her weapons dont add weight to her unit. 4-her missiles act as hi act ones(better tracking and resistance to decoys) 5- she has an INFINTE CAPACITATOR, this means not only can she push your sht in with her pulse gun with inpunity she can stay airborne the whole fight if the AI wills it+ overheating her is not a factor. to make all of the above more annoying her AI is set in a way where her priority is getting above the player, this is a fight where speed is must and slower units dont stand a chance of getting soild locks on her.(400kph minimum is needed to out boost her) this is not evne counting that LR got released for the PSP where her AI also has its agression jacked up to 11 making the fight Harder.

This video convinved me to acquire a very legal rom of ACLR from a reputable source bc this looks gnarly as hell. I never really knew anything about the AC games besides 3 so I just assumed it was the peak of gaming.

I remember back then I didn't have any access to a walk-through or how to play it properly. It took so long to get the final final boss and beating it. What great memories wish it could be remastered

I was looking forward to this video. Even though i have yet to play LR, definitely motivates me to play it.

I think it's really neat how From guides progression in Last Raven, even if it isn't subtle at all Vertex is the faction that most story-focused players are going to gravitate towards on their first playthrough, and it's the only one that doesn't try to filter you with some of the hardest missions in the game right off the bat. But being a good corpo-fearing boy and doing everything daddy Jack-O wants puts you on a path that leaves you with mostly questions and not many answers- the bigger mysteries and even the core premise of the game are only lightly touched on and not really explored at all, and all you really get in terms of plot is Vertex's weird internal purges which you're also mostly in the dark about, making you naturally want to get good enough to do the other routes to figure out what the fuck is going on Of course, if there is a failing of that route, it's that there's never any followup where you get to have your brain put in a cool death machine or anything and actually fulfill the apparent intended purpose of the struggle for dominance, all you actually do is break the big 3D printer which happens in the other routes regardless

This was my Armored Core. 3 and Silent Line may be the favourites, but the branching story paths and different mission objectives on the same location, Jack backstabbing others, the mysterious pulverizers, everything under 24 hours! God I love this game, but god dang is is it hard as hell. Thank you for this review. It pretty much voices out why I love this game so much!

This was my first AC game, hardest one in the series imo. OP-I Zinaida is cracked

19:19 * Nine starts playing * *PTSD OP-INTENSIFIES* One thing with the Pulverizers is that that they canonically get stronger everytime they lose or beat a Raven. Jack "thinning the herd" is preventing the Pulverizers from grinding down the weaker Ravens (or getting killed by them and figuring out what doesn't work) for free Exp. By the end of the game, the only Raven left is the one who has basically proven they can basically annihilate anything thrown at them... and there aren't anymore Ravens to throw against them.

Those missions that put strain on ammo are a pretty big incentive to try hangar cores. It's a shame that the best hangar weapons are all hidden parts but there's some nice stuff out there.

Zinaida just looking for a good dom but can’t admit it to herself. RIP.

Last Raven's countdown to doom and the ever-diminishing group of Ravens really establish the feel of the story. I managed to play it so thoroughly that I saw all the endings you covered - except I remembered it where Zanaida had become the final super-hard pulverizer. I'm trying to clear it again in Last Raven Portable on PS Vita and god damn the tiny buttons & lack of L2/R2 triggers... I wonder if my brother still has the PSTV he bought back in the day?

19:18 the armor core experience

I actually purchased this game right before covid at a game store to round off my armored core ps1 ps2 collection but have 0 time to play anymore. Thanks for covering the game in detail

From was experimenting with limb damage mechanics quite a bit around this era, shadow tower abyss had limb based equipment damage as well and it could be quite brutal at times.

Nice review. For me this is the best Armored Core in terms of challenge and reward. Just getting that feather emblem after being pounded left and right made me feel like a survivor.

thank you for covering this game. it was one of my favorite games I played back then.

the fight with zinaid goes like. The Raven: SO, uh.. Zinaida, now that everything's over, wanna go out or something? these past 24 hours have been quite th- Zinaida: ..you trying to hit on me on something? Raven: wha? no, Ed and Sheila, my Operator and Informant are coming too Zinaida: so you're trying to take me on a double date? Raven: hah? Zinaida: grr.. not even "HE" had the courage of asking me that! Raven extremely confused: what???? Zinaida: you'll never be as good as Genobee-Sama! REEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE- Raven: i literally just want a moment of peace.... *sigh* jokes aside, i think an AC Comedy animation or manga, back in the day, would've gone along the way to make it a bit more popular. and you know, considering how "serious" everyone on this series try to take themselves as. i think the outcome would be worth a watch and bit of a giggle.

Thank you for getting me invested in this series

I remember doing well in the other routes of the game until I tumbled into Zinaida route. The game throws everything including the kitchen sink at you there. Pulverizers, multiple enemy AC missions, stun locks/overheat galore, H+/OPI ACs shredding your AP like it's nothing etc. Fun times lol

THE ARMORED CORE IS REAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAALLL

The piano part had me dying in laughter

Nice Last Raven Video! For my opinions on the endings, "Super" Zinaida was the biggest challange while the "Super" Pulverizer fight were not as difficult as her. The "Super" Zinaida fight was straight-up "Get Gud." She's very fast and very hard to keep track of as she's constantly flying everywhere, Her NIX fills your screen with lead so it's very difficult to see her if you're not paying attention (Similar to Arena #1 Daemon), And her back pulse cannon LAMIA2 melts you to death if you're not moving quick (According to Wiki, it fires faster than its normal firerate which is BS). Out of my retries on Last Raven ending fights, Super Zinaida takes the cake. (I heard that the PSP version of this fight is even much more difficult because of the controls. YIKES.) For the secret ending, I felt like it was more of a reward for replaying the game over and over again. I feel that the Super Pulverizer was not as difficult as the Zinaida fight, mainly due to how the Super Pulverizer stays still more often. It was easier to keep track of as it didn't constantly zoom out of your screen like Zinaida, and its attack patterns can be learnt once you figured them all out. I can ramble on how I felt towards Last Raven, but Last Raven as one of the best games I've replayed multiple times back in 2007. Thanks for making these videos! I haven't commented it but I did check out your other Armored Core videos and they're awesome too, It's really rare to find someone covering Armored Core nowadays. I look forward to your next For Answer video!

I did not expect to see Jon Lajoie today.

It's funny that you say Last Raven has so many similarities with the soul's series since while Miyazaki was not the director, he was in fact a planner for the game and got involved with various aspects of it. It's cool to see Miyazaki's contributions so clearly even early on in his career.

I’ve played Armored Core since I’ve been able to walk, it’s weird tho cause when I was a kid, the controls didn’t seem so bizarre. But coming back later to complete the whole series in my 20’s…my god these games are hard as fuck

Right on great video and welcome back this is always been one of my favorite game series I physically own them all

The memes hits just right, also this is one of my favorite games of all time Sir, you are a dominant

Yea you definitely got my sub. Watched all your AC videos to this point and you basically gave me a nostalgia rush from my early teen years. Keep up the amazing work!

Im glad you gave Last Raven a try again. Its definitely my favourite

you ready boi

Just stumbled upon your Videos and i gotta say, im hyped for the next one with a New AC Part just announced xD theyre really nice to catch up with the Overall Story and remember things i forgott since last playing AC :D

ah yes want of my Favorite AC series Last Raven , damn this game it's not just hard and also interesting Lore & hard enemies to fight , and of course those pulverizers are so annoying included Leviathan too

i wonder how many pulverizer you need to destroy a player piloting a gen 4 armored core

"If you use micro missile you have micro peen." Hey no need to body shame me like that. PP jokes aside good work as always.

Last Raven was my first AC game, funny enough. Younger me never stood a chance.

In my time talking to other fans of the AC games, it seems most players fall into 2 camps. The one's who's favorite game is Last Raven, or those who's favorite game is For Answer. For me it's 2, because of all the memories I have playing 2 against my friends.

Fucking Rim Fire shred me the first time I play this game.

This is a great review of the game, and so are all your previous ones. I think this is the hardest armored core game by far. I always have used bipedal legs and to get S rank on the hardest missions against the pulverizes (and Zinaida) I opted to use a super overweight tank with the laser cannon that takes both back slots, and on both hands I had the highest damaging laser rifles. After so much trial and error I became a newtype barely dodging the major attacks with the tank (and dropping weapons as soon as I launch my initial load and use some secondary internal weapons? Its been so long I don't remember well) but is a you say, its all comes down to skill and lot of luck on those hard missions. Edit: I still feel the arena is a bit lack luster and seeing my opponents with human-plus features while I not being able to access it at some point is kinda disappointing. Overall a very memorable game for me.

can we just appreciate the fact they made tuning free in this game and how that goes along with the plot at least

Hidetaka Miyazaki first footing on FromSoftware. He's one of designers on this game.

19: 36 Not going to lie that's the moment when I lost my shit that was hilarious and yes yes that is exactly the feeling I got I just would like to see I think you've done really good like honestly don't try to be too hard on yourself you did great explaining things I can't really talk in my videos that I've tried to make I'm too damn shy but you did a great job I commend you in your valiant efforts to even push through to the very very last mission covering all the points and necessary story elements you did good I wish you would cover nine breaker but I know why you didn't play it it's really not exactly for everybody it's more of a training simulator literally there's some interesting lore but not much and yeah you're right the story in this game really really was interesting I heavily looked into it that's how I ended up learning what I do now about the different games connections to the past you've done good Raven you've earned a rest

I like to think that evangel really betrayed alliance tactical (since in the other routes he seems to be willing to follow Jack), but when vertex starts loosing he tries to make a deal back, and the whole spying thing is just a made up lie to save his face.

This was by FAR my favorite game in the ps2 era. It felt like the culmination of all the lessons from previous games. Balance was perfect, it had all the parts needed to build whatever playstyle you wanted, and the story felt like the endgame (figuratively and literally) of the plot. Even the previous game Nine breaker felt like a training simulation to prepare you for this. And of course the branching paths was fun too, since I played the everloving shit out of this game as a kid.

I love the balanced use of memes in analytical/retrospective video essays like this

Thank you for taking the time to make this, and especially for taking the incredible amount of time to play through all the missions before making this review. Something to note, each different playthrough is a different timeline, and changes the goals and motives of each of the other main characters in each playthrough too. So in one, Evangel is seeking the power of the internecine, in another he’s trying to prove he’s the dominant by destroying the internecine. In another, you end up being the Dominant that takes out the internecine, in another Zinaida is the dominant. And in other playthroughs, the timelines have nothing to do with Dominants and are just a corporate war basically between Alliance and Vertex. Some timelines the internecine is never even discorvered, in one Jack seeks the power of the internecine to defeat Alliance, in others he’s trying to find the Dominant to destroy the Internecine. Also, like for Evangel, some timelines he doesn’t even defect from Alliance, and in the ones he does, there’s one where he didn’t actually betray alliance and was the spy for them, in others Alliance has a different spy and Evangel defected to either prove himself as dominant, or he left to gain the power of the pulverizers in a dif timeline. Lastly, in some timelines you never even meet or interact with some of the main characters, like one you never see or meet Jack, in another you never see Zinaida, and another you never see or hear of pulverizers whatsoever. Not even any msgs about them attacking, like in that timeline the internecine was never discovered. And also that’s why, in some playthroughs Zinaida is all about being a Raven who doesn’t pick sides, and in others she does pick a side. (In the timelines that she picks a side, she will never send you a msg about picking a side). Lastly, each pulverizer has a big weakness, the very final ones is weakness to flamethrowers lol. I know it sounds crazy, but it works. I guess they forgot to give it a Radiator lmao

my fav ac game👍

I'm 8 minutes in and I already love the review XD. Love your ac reviews bro keep it up

I hope they bring back that level of information that they had in last raven into the new game

Kicked this game's ass in my initial time owning it, and then when I got it again like five years later, it handed me my ass on a golden platter.

Really great video and good edits. Subscribed.

I would recommmend playing armored core 4 first. It will help you appreciate the changes the did in for answer. Now I got to wait for the for answer video.

Superb editing, this is how we rope the other nerds into AC

I love this game!! Thanks for reviewing it. Though sad to say i never finished it without a game shark. i still have nightmares about that rim fire fight 🥺🥺

really like these ac reviews, i can tell your a real fan. Looking forward to your take on AC4A as it is one of my favorite games of all time. I would like to see some kind of re release/remaster of these ps2 titles. The controls were so uncomfortable for me i couldnt play them.

Looking forward to your video on For Answer, I never got the chance to play it.

3:19 you just described the entirety of the early brown and bloom ps3 / 360 era, and more modern obsession with chromatic aberration.

This game was the most difficult shit I played, last battle I literally choose Light saber and went Kamikaze, winning by a little margin. Just completed it once, and never EVER again.

The amount of great story telling and interesting characters in this game makes it my favorite AC game

My favorite AC game ❤️ I really liked the video. Your work is appreciated. Also, large missile gang!

I think you could start from AC 4 and then 4A.What I'm really curious about is ACV and Verdict day. Those two were soooooooo hard for me that I went offline for a few weeks. And the story was very intriguing and, in my opinion, very well written.

The more you explain this game, particularly how complex the story branches are, the more it sounds absolutely incredible.

Enjoyed the review series, whatta nostalgia trip lol

Man watching you go thru this is taking me back. I hate ALOT of the same sentiments about the missions.

the "slightly more dangerous" quad leg pulverizer made me rage for 2 hours lol

I was planning to be subscribed only until your Last Raven video, but since you liked and recommended the game you have earned a long time one. Shame it's not your favorite AC, but it's understandable that not everyone can have great taste.

Bro i just got a childhood flashback of coming out of that reactor mission and a pulverizer waiting for me after that slog.

Last Raven is the best Armored Core game, period. For anyone who was a fan of the original series, it's the tops. The bee's knees.

Another great video!

Looking forward to the next video in the series.

Miyazaki worked on Last Raven, so the obscure presentation of information could have been something he had a hand in who knows.

Looking forward to seeing how you cover For Answer, seeing as how I couldn't ever get it to emulate properly. Hope the vacation is easy on ya though!

I shall add this one to my list of ”AC games I have missed between AC2 and ACFA…”

Waiting for the next armored core series overview =D

commenting here from the 8:12 admission of 12 playthroughs, looking forward to playing 3, sl and lr on ppsspp.

Mad props for actually beating some of the bosses with that AC setup, but you legit gimped yourself by focusing on arm weapons with quad legs. Bunny hopping with quad legs, while using back weapons, is super hard but is the only way you're going to get value using them over bipeds. Also, the super-pulverizer's "invisible laser" attack appears to just be a DPS check. If you bring a rocket or grenade canon (anything with high damage, really) it will interrupt the attack, minimizing damage. I actually found him easier than the normal version, since the normal version's "disco ball laser" is much harder to dodge than anything the super throws at you.

Watched all of these because I never even really heard of armoured core until the game awards, pretty excited for 6 now

I learned how to play a bass guitar because of this game.

Armored core silent line was my first game last raven was next then 4 and 4A i will never be able to fully express how defeated but pleased i was to see the wake back booster (also called Pegasus) part in the shop of armored core last raven cause i never got a chance to use it in silent line due to my game being bugged... i am torn between the 2 styles of game last raven was peak building but 4 and 4a were easily peak controls and game play im looking forward to those videos ps for AC 4 you can beat the whole thing with a pair of missile launchers of choice the 051ANAM shoulder flares and duel SAKUNAMI grenade launchers build somthing that can hold them but still fly fairly well and you got yourself something that can even make AC-130 jealous (seriously 1 shot is 17k damage if it hits you can kill some ac in just 2 hits and aoe is massive)

finally got around to playing this game - as a postcursor to Nexus, no less. Hope you're doing well big guy

Seeing you talking about how the last pulverizer isnt meant to be beat and take 100% skills. I can 😄 and say i beated it once when i was massively into the game and without using hanger weapon since i somehow locked that feature since i change the button setting to have my camera in my d pad while my boost + right hand weapon with ob and shoulder equip on the other button. Glad that my effort actually pays off since i was really into the game back then. And now after seeing this vid i am gonna go a give it retry on pc. thanks for the vid.

!!FIRES OF RUBICON!!

Love Last Raven. Great atmosphere of almost-destruction-of-world, multiple story paths (and "what if?" viewpoints), cool built-in encyclopedia, good enough enemy AI that counter your tactics, badass soundtrack, tons of great mecha designs to play around, fierce fights and memorable opponents! Some of final fights made me feel like its dante vs virgil from dmc3 lol

Lol that Zinaida part was hilarious 😂