Vote for the next review series here: strawpoll.com/1MnwONOvMn7

I love that the VOB is basically that old cold war concept of a nuclear-reactor-powered nuclear cruise missile. It's a ridiculous slab of metal that just dumps horrific radiation all over the place and then it's disposable once used, and the _only thing it's for_ is making you go places fast. It's so hilariously, almost cartoonishly wasteful.

You'll probably see this in other comments, but hard mode on missions isn't just a simple increase enemy stats. What changes in hard missions are the scenarios within, for example in a mission that requires you use a VOB to close thr distance might have the VOB malfunction and forces you to purge it well before your anywhere near closer to the objective or different enemy layouts that make the mission different.

Likewise, AC6 gets its 3 paths/endings idea primarily from this game. I HIGHLY recommend playing the 3rd ending (destruction) in preparation for AC Verdict Day

As a mecha genre fan, I must say White Glint from for answer is one of the best mecha design in all media. It's elegant and powerful, featuring interesting transformation while boosting. A timeless AC designed by Macross creator Shoji Kawamori himself.

That increased speed of 4A further exacerbated the online PvP situation. With laggy netcode, you'd often see opponents warping around inconsistently, and tracking opponents became a literal nightmare. The game literally could not keep up with player movements, and sometimes you'd just die or you'd crush your opponent without any resistance. While the increased part diversity was beloved... the number of things actually good at hitting another player was not nearly as expansive. Also, keep playing through for the other endings, 4A's other paths might surprise you.

Nice video. I remember not liking AC4 when it released and didn't expect much of this but I was pleasantly surprised by how much I enjoyed it. I was blown away when I found out you could chain quick boots and blades and finished the whole game just using two blades. This game is so cool and I'm glad you enjoyed it. I would also highly recommend doing the 3rd ending. The most fun and challenging mission in the game in my opinion, and possibly related to the lore in subsequent games. As far as the mission briefings, they made a call back to this style in AC6. I think there was a lot FromSoft did right stylistically in 4A that they repeated in 6.

Does 1 playthrough. Me waiting for Chole to discover how hard mode changes the story and for the final FINAL boss fight on the final playthrough changes his opinions further.

Another mistake from 4 fixed: Weapon arms are a thing, which is an overall DPS boost for some builds. Assault Armor is immensely useful, it's just a bit slow. I use it to kill groups of small targets to save ammo in my main weapon. I tend to build with the Linstant generator (the one with the least energy and the most kojima regeneration) for the best AA cycle time. It combines pretty well with the Rigel overboost thruster (which has the best OB and like 2nd best AA of all AA boosters).

It’s fun hearing about all these new additions knowing how many of them become a new standard for the series

You unlock another smaller arena set on NG++. And you'll like the final bosses on ng+ and ng++ a LOT better, I promise.

For Answer is one AC game I really want to play, unfortunately the lack of backwards compatibility and my PC not being powerful enough to emulate it prevents me from doing so

For Answer definitely makes it hard to go back to 4. It’s the pinnacle of the NEXT ACs. I will say that the other 2 endings are a bit more satisfying to complete, and also hard mode versions of missions can sometimes tell some interesting story bits. Especially the final mission on the ORCA path. It’s not my favorite AC game cuz I prefer the bit of slower movement the other games have in comparison but it’s a fun one!

The second lowest arena opponent is that hard because she's an Original from the National Dismantlement War. Yep. An Original, dropped down to second lowest. Really gets to show just how much NEXT technology and LYNX skills have developed between 4 and 4A. And another fact, White Glint is you from 4. The frame is also designed by the same in-universe architect as Joshua's White Glint, Abu Marshe, .

4 Answers is one of the games in series that rewards S ranking every mission, just like Last raven. And yes, doing so brings up a punishing final mission.

For Answer is my favorite old AC game. It was a little too fast in my opinion, but the vertical movement and huge vareity of weapons is incredible. I loved dual wielding guns instead of having subpar weapons or a laser blade and the cannon function is excellent. My only real problem was trying to hit Fragile. Hate that guy. Btw, excellent video. I agree with basically everything you say here and this game is a huge step up from AC4.

The game had a hard mode from what I remember, at least some missions for sure, I think it’s a mission called defend arteria carpals that has you take on the top 5 ac at once. One of the most difficult mission in the franchise. Super fun

Even now playing AC6 and greatly enjoying it, I miss ACFA speeds and the HUGE maps of nothingness allowing you to permaflight freely. nice video again man, how are you beating these games so quickly >_>

You should've really played it three times on hard difficulty, the missions change and the real last mission on hard mode is the hardest mission in any AC ever

AC4A is the apex of AC games for me. The speed, power and coolness factor of your AC; the awesome arms forts; the music; the build variety; I loved it.

4 Answer is definitely one of the peaks of the whole Armored Core series. It takes all the new things 4 tried, and makes them just that much better. And its got more than double the parts of 4, so potential build variety is incredible. I spend most of my time in this game replaying missions with all kinds of different builds, just because I can. And, of course, Arms Forts are one of the coolest enemies in any of the AC games. I love how 4A tells its story. By forcing you to take the League ending first, it intentionally hides certain information from you. So when you finish the first time, it seems like you did a good thing. But then, when you get the Orca ending, it gives you more context, and you might realize that it wasn't quite as good as you originally though. Or, you can follow Old King, and just ruin everything for everyone. Because why not? Is there really anything left that's worth saving? Plus, there's a reason that final mission is so infamous among anyone that's played it. If you want a crazy final fight, this is it. I love 4A's hard mode, too. Instead of just doing something basic like increasing the HP or damage of enemies, they actually completely change how the mission works. They throw new and different enemies at you, or add some extra hazard to increase the challenge. So you basically get two missions for the price of one. Basically, my one complaint with this game, is that the environments are kind of boring. It fits with the lore that basically everything is just empty desert. But that's not the most exciting thing to play missions in. This is the one thing I think AC4 did better than 4A. 4 had several interesting and varied environments to explore, while 4A pretty much always has you flying over empty desert or ocean. I really wish there were more maps like Line Ark. That place is super cool, but only used in like three missions, two of which are just boss fights.

4A was my first AC game and it was a blast, from that point, I fell in love with the franchise and played each AC games released after that. My dream is to see the customization (mostly from mech parts) from 4A and multiplayer aspect from V/VD being put in AC6 in the future. It'd be heaven for me.

Fun things the game does that the video didn't go over: ORCA has it's own arena in NG+, it isn't as long as the standard arena but it is still nice to see. While you can carry over your old save data, it doesn't bring the parts over. That being said once you beat NG+ the game just gives you all the parts left in the shop for free. There still are some that you unlock from missions but getting 90% of the parts after NG+ and are told to go nuts helps with replayability. You can switch patch versions in the options menu. You can do this in 4 as well and later AC4 patches get close to 4A's speed but the game can't connect to the servers to download the files (at least on PS3) but if you grab a save file online you can get it that way. One of the patches is a joke patch that gives everyone infinite energy which makes a fast game even faster. Hard mode isn't just inflating the numbers to make things harder. Enemy layouts change and are new ones are added as well as other complications. On top of that some of the hard mode missions have part unlocks behind them as well as giving you more tuning points to further customize your NEXT. On top of that S ranking missions gives you tuning points as well. It made getting PvP ready back in the day a pain if you wanted to get everything the old fashion way since S ranking some of those missions is no joke. The game has a co-op mode. You can't play through every mission but having the option the team up with a friend and fight together is always a welcome feature.

thinking back on 4A after playing AC6 i feel 4A gave you more control over weapons and customizing of the AC allowing you to have a real connection with your AC in game

While it largely improved AC4's design, it also showed a massive issue with the design that they went with. Outside of NEXTs, nothing can really challenge a NEXT to any real degree. The Arms Forts are a good idea, but the only one with a good design (mostly) was the Spirit of Motherwill. Mostly, because it can be cheesed. I never cheesed it, because it was so really fun to fight it honestly and they did enough to sell the idea of it being a mobile base. Everything else was incredibly gimmicky, or just easy. There is a reason characters are incredibly dismissive about taking down Arms Forts in game. That, I think, was part of the reason they slowed down the series after fA. AC6 also has this issue where it is pretty much bosses and ACs after you get any skill, but they at least play with some lesser enemies being a threat.

damn, the last mission with Thermidor and the guy with the MOONLIGHT absolutely destroyed me multiple times, I only did it cause I got the blade AC stuck in a corner, and wailed on him with grenade splash damage. Other than that, the Big Box mission is flat out evil imo, either I didnt have enough EN to play around with energy weapons or I was falling short on actual movement around the arena, but i hate the AC with the miniguns, only won through dual blades

Man I was waiting for you to slam into the other endings and Hard Mode difficulties here lmao. AC4A was my first game and the one I played before 6. It’s stuck with me ever since high school when I played it. I hope it made its mark on you too. Also surprised you didn’t shout out the music here. It’s *divine,* I can name some of the tracks by instinct.

The final boss isn’t 2 ACs, it’s 4 of the absolute most difficult master pilots. Finish your playthroughs and you’ll see why it took an AC expert like me way too many tries to beat it.

Never got to play AC4A, no ps3, after finishing ac6, this is the one i want to try

oof. oh man you really shoulda given it some more time. you pretty much only played half of the game! there's an entire extra arena with ORCA that you unlock in the ORCA path, that has way tougher Lynx's and opportunity to get get moonlight, a more impressive final ending, and perhaps one of the best additions: hard mode. hard mode versions of missions are essentially remixed missions with entirely new scenarios and added events and dialogue. another thing to bring up with 4A is that this is the game with THE MOST skill ceiling for movement. there's a plethora of advanced movement techniques in this game that far surpass the bunnyhopping of the old gen games. quickboost chaining, second staging, quickturning, etc. if you want to REALLY play 4A, THAT'S the shit you gotta master. i also wish you had gone over the story a bit more. especially in talking about white glint since that's probably the most iconic mecha in all of AC history at this point--probably even more than nineball. but aw well.

This is still, in my personal opinion, the best AC game by far. I absolutely adored both the store and the characters. I loved the concept of AC designs that come pre designed by companies with particular play styles in mind, which helps by giving you a starting point for your design. The gameplay was top-notch, and the missions were great. A lot of the designs in this one are ones that I try to build in other games. This game was heavily influential to the franchise, particularly AC6. In fact AC4A and ACLR are probably the biggest influences. I love this game and I still play it to this day. My favorite Lynx to work with was Roadie and the most icon Next to this day is White Glint. Fun fact, White Glint is implied to be your character from the first game. Youll get lore Arms Forts in AC6.

Been a Armored Core fan from the early demo days of the 90's. AC4A was amazing back then, and from the looks of it in 2023 still is today. So many memories this video brings back.

What regulation were you playing on? Your EN recharge rate is very high, that might expalin the ring outs in the arena. A.I had more energy than they were supposed to have when the fights were designed.

Great review Chole ACFA is a beast of a game and I hope you are on your 3rd playthrough because it has the hardest mission in an AC that I have played so far

Gen4 as a whole was such a huge step in a new direction that I see it as more of an experiment rather than the natural evolution of the series. But I still rate AC4FA up there as an A+ tier AC game. It only misses being S tier, for me, because it doesn't have the simulation elements I enjoy from the classic titles. You will see they put the brakes on the mech speed in AC5, which I also consider to be an experimental entry; and AC6 is the entry level AC game for onboarding new players into series. I hope by the time we get to AC7 we will get something as responsive as AC6, as intense and well-balanced as 4FA, but with a grand return of all the simulation elements of the classic titles, even heat.

This mission system comes back in AC 6, and there are 3 endings as well.

ACVI spoilers : 8:19 *looks at the Strider and the Ice Worm.*

So, I have problems and I've binged this entire playlist in one sitting after being on my own Armored Core kick. And, something that sticks out to me: Despite 13 games (so far) played, with varying quality and appealing to certain tastes, it's noticeable that the one critique that never comes up is the franchise itself becoming repetitive despite there really being nothing but minor changes to gameplay from Armored Core 1 basically all the way until Last Raven, where Armored Core 4 and the NEXT's basically rewrite the way the mecha work. Even Master of Arena to Armored Core 2 is, despite being a big jump, just a refinement of the gameplay that came before. It's impressive, I think, the many ways that, over the years, these games find new ways to iterate on the same general gameplay loop to avoid getting stale, even if not every one hits. Project Phantasma adds the Arena, Master of Arena is built around it, Nine Breaker is nothing but Arena. Then there's Another Age with its 100+ missions, Armored Core 3 with its more measured approach, Last Raven with its six endings and branching plotlines, For Answer with a proper NG+ cycle that's honestly not far removed from what From does now with Souls games or something like what the NieR franchise does, the complete left-field nature of Formula Front, etc. Then when the well finally seems to be about dry, Armored Core 4 and For Answer throw out the old ACs entirely to introduce the NEXTs and create their own distinct gameplay loop. There's a distinct willingness with Armored Core to never quite make the same game twice which I think is a big part of what made it such an impactful cult series. And, with their approach to Souls-like games being similar, it's interesting to see that same DNA extending decades back in how they approached Armored Core. I think it's just neat.

Chole, I think that a Games series you maybe would enjoy playing is the Way of the Samurai series. The games normally have a real quick playthrough, but there are multiple endings and events that can change depending on your actions. Like a Dead Rising, but WotS is older. And the combat is fun, there's different styles of fighting, multiple swords, cosmetics/skins/accessories that you unlock playing. Take a look at the game if you have the opportunity

Unfortunately I can't go back to AC:fA. I'd been S-Ranking everything, but never got the final mission of the third ending on Hard. To provide a spoiler-free description (or as close as I can), I had a case of the extra Hard Mode bit glitching out and getting stuck on the terrain somehow. So I had to deal with that bit last. And got that specific line of dialog as the screen was fading to black after completing the mission. The moment that happened, I put my controller down and haven't touched the game since. Because that was the perfect way to end that game, and going back to it would ruin that. Thankfully, I have ACVI now, which feels almost as good to play (even though I have my issues with it), and they seem to have taken some inspiration from the AC:fA method of storytelling. But I will say no more, as I don't think Chole has gotten to that yet (apart from the fact that the combination of a certain AC and pilot name from the third ending is my favorite reference in a Fromsoft game yet).

My favorite in the series. Nothing beats the feeling of being an absolute mechanical god on the battlefield that 4A gives.

one thing i would want to say about this one and armored core 4, is that the hardmodes are worth tackling, they not only make certain enemies have better ai and a bit more damage, but story also changes and adjusts, where some missions you tackle will just have some like wonderful body being more competent, other missions add in extra enemies, infact some will have you ambushed by extra NEXTS at times Also i do feel the second and third endings do add quite a bit to the experience as a whole with some of the missions, with second having some big enemies you won't have experienced that i would argue are must haves. It is sadly hard to move back to 4 from 4A but the hardmodes of both games do add a good amount of spice to their difficulties, though i am not sure if you were aware of their existence, Marche Au supplice from 4 is one particular hardmode i loved

I remember playing this game a year or two ago and having a blast. I had so much fun taking on missions with a high mobility dual laser blade build. So imagine my disappointment when AC6 came out and right off the bat I couldn't re-make my mech because you can't dual wield melee weapons.

OMG PLEASE DO ACE COMBAT FR FR IT'S ANOTHER BANDAI NAMCO GAMES IT HAS AMAZING FIGHT You can use simplified control to minimize motion sickness (though everybody would suggest pro control) BANGER SOUNDTRACK (I'd say more than Armored Core) LIKEABLE CAST OF CHARACTERS RUSTY IS IN IT TOO (Buddy)

I wish you did cover hard mode as that adds whole new objectives to the missions - that, and the true final mission is a chef’s kiss

great video. I'm doing AC franchise research/study right now. These videos help.

We need to hear your thoughts on the third ending mission...

I appreciate that 5 and 6 both brought back fights to evoke the feeling of Arms Fort battles, even if 6 didn't do quite as well. The huge mining machine feels less like Spirit of Motherwill and more like Great Wall...

I’ve seen streams of the behemoth boss fights. It is something I hope they bring back.

FINALLY! I've been waiting months for this video! Ever since your very first one I could wait to see your thoughts on FA!

6:00 hiring arena enemy's is also in ac3

It had been my favorite addition to the franchise that I've actually played until AC6 arrived. A lot of lessons learned by a now much more substantial studio absolutely improved on the overall design and feel of the game. We did have the whole issue of balance being way off at release, but they're tweaking it back to a better state.

White Glint has to be my favourite AC design

I hope AC 6 have some kind DLC or something like what happen to route we choose

Wait, you don’t have anything to say about your second or third playthroughs?

Thing is, if you've not done at least 1 run on Hard, your missing some of the game. There's a lot of value to the changes to narrative built into hard, and because it doesn't tweak numbers, all the challenge is from actual substantive change to missions. Still, I'm glad that you got to see the full weight of AC 4/FA's narrative. For Answer is very much the 'Okay, it's the new generation but with polish.' a lot of folks like myself have come to expect.

The old king ending was the most brutal ending.....millions dead by your hand which in a crazy way sets the stage for 5 and 5: verdict day.

I think they named it “For Answer” cuz all the questions left unanswered after 4 😂

OK I may not remember much about this game other than the fact that it's basically a better version of 4 but there is one thing I will always remember about this game and that is how God damn cool that opening is. Seriously I've never played this game and even I know how iconic the opening is and the same goes for the white glint AC. That is one of the coolest AC's I've ever seen in the entire series which is why it sucks that years later it gets a model kit and the model kit is a**. Really hope we get some armored core 6 a c's in model kit form done by bandai because this series deserves it. Regardless, Gen 4 was a a fun mecha filled ride and great job in talking about 4 and For Answer!

You made this after AC6 came out? Because I see this was 7 Months ago and AC6 came out in august of last year

I hope I get to play this and 4 some day

4:42 i was using it constantly, just because it’s so cool

When you review the AC6 do please finish the 3 endings first.

I really hope ac6 gets something similar to 4A expansion.

I never played previous armored core games besides the new ac6. And old games like for answer look much faster and way more high octane.

Is verdict day to armored core 5 as for answer is to 4?

Well I expect nothing but a sound thrashing of ACV once you get to that one. Consorts will return in Verdict day but not in the same form. Think of them like Formula Front meets Consorts. It's sad that this will be the last good Arena the series is getting. 5th gen's Arena are a mixed bag while 6 has a very easy arena thanks to its mechanics.

Was that a stinger cosplay?

Being able to buy weapons from your assembly is the best

does anyone know how he emulated the game

Wanna count with OldKing? I know I didn't But a paycheck is a paycheck.

for me this is still Armored core meets Omega boost sure White glinth is cool but to me still not as challenging as a old Armored core do.

My man... give it one last playthrough, it goes into terrorism. It's very, very interesting. You are in for a hell of a treat

It's crazy how well they build up from the numbered entries into the sequels. "Life is good, but it can be better!" AC5 will be much the same. That entire generation is noticeably slower and less "powerful", being sort of a transition game between Armored Core and their then-upcoming Souls series. And just like AC4, AC5 is kinda 'meh'. But also just like ACFA, ACVD is much better. That all makes me very hopeful for a sequel or expansion to AC6 one day.

only good thing about for answer is the extra parts

"While I doubt we'll get boss battles on this scale again in the series" Hehehe

Armored Core 4 Answer was an improvement in story, basically taking from Last Raven in a Corporation vs Raven war. Its different from other expansions in that you cannot import your data. I didn't quite like the actual gameplay because by the time of For Answer its all about mobility, never stopping, quick-boosting to dodge and there are so many battles against bosses, either Arms Forts or NEXTs that things were like the Nineball battles from the original Armored Core 1, every few missions.

now that i have listened to the full ost of both 4 and FA...i gotta say for answer has a lot of flop songs that dont fit the nature of the game while 4 has almost no flop songs and they all fit the seriousness of these games

I literally never took a partner with me, not once. I loved this game, so much. The hours i sunk into this one specifically was insane.

I brought both. One at clearance price the other as soon as it came out. I let you guess the order

I honestly thought AC4 was just meh but For Answer is one of my favourite games in the series along with the entire 1st gen, AC3 and AC6.

just wait till you get to Verdict day and AC 6

Did you catch that White Glint is YOU from AC4? Joshua (the final boss and original pilot of white glint) died and then you took up his name/legacy (before he went over the edge). Also did you use the old ACforA mission tree? I made that back in the day and I know a lot of people used it. (Small bagging) :)

ACFA has one downside in my opinion, and it's a minor one. I just think it's a shame they droped the Kojima tech being used by normal units, those big tanks and the tunel weapons have their PA removed in ACFA.

All time Best Mecha Game, dont @ me

Some of the best music in the series in my opinion. Also, you probably should have waited to be a "Lapdog" before posting this. Hehe. Have fun on your 3rd playthrough.

Unpopular opinion: AC4A is not only the best AC game, but one of the best games ever made

just wait for the last mission lmao

I hope you went back and actually beat the entire arena. Those guys weren't easy for young me. I never ring out'd a single one. I built a mech specifically to counter each of those encounters. as your supposed to. I unlocked almost every customization piece. You seemed proud to say you beat it. but you didn't really. Only having 9 or 10 hours playtime for this game and making a review is... interesting. I find it strange how people will play an entire franchise at a surface level and feel as though their opinion has more merit since they skimmed each title. Wheres as someone like me played this specific title near obsessively. But would people listen to me If i gave my review of this game singing its praises citing my high playtime? I Havent played this game in some thing like 12 years. But I have hundreds of hours playtime probably thousands. Keep playing.

Note: You CAN get the second ending on your first run, but you have to pick "Rescue GA Trasport", as well as "Defend Megalis." I dont remember if Old King's offer is possible though, and for the best. A first run have no chance to best ending 3 with the parts available.

God the environments in this game look so bad… I keep waiting for them to load up the rest of the details but there are none. That’s it. It’s like the developers forgot that the AC’s need something to fly around in and added “something” at the very last second…

Don’t forget hard mode

Alright you haven't played the hard modes to get S ranks nor reached arteria carpals, your ending thoughts are justified

YES

Good good

Play Occupation of Arteria Carpalis on hard mode. I still remember that mission after 10 years of not playing the game lol.

AC4A is still my favorite AC game. 6 comes very close though (very very close) . If we get a second entry for AC6 it's going to be absolutely nuts.

Oh wait until you do the second and 3rd ending. It even gets better in hard mode. Also.. Assault Armor disables the camera if the person who gets hit by the Assault armor as well for a small period of them the pvp in for answer is top tier as well. There is a lot more depth to for answer's game play. The pvp is going to blow your mind.

You didn't put much emphasis on it but I think 4A has the most interesting lore in the series but you have to do all 3 ending to get it as well as some of the best just consistently great music. But most importantly it has the best girl in the franchise - May Greenfield.

ACFA is my first AC game with very little experience with 3rd gen (last raven mainly) ACFA is my all time favorite just for what it is: a fast paced mecha shooter with beautiful designs, banger soundtracks that still get covers even now, and just deeper systems in customization and combat. It's not the best which is true, the regulations that were eventually introduced shook things up but gave you variety on how to play the game. PVE wise, it's not as strong IMO but the bosses are fun based on my experience on only two playthroughs Grinding is a bit tedious due since you had to S-Rank missions twice (Normal and Hard Mode) just to get specific weapons and if you wanted to get all tuning points other than the ones from arena Tuning system was actually a good idea but it wasn't perfect due to the grind. But I kind of prefer it over AC6 Tuning PVP wise, I feel ACFA is the strongest at it due to how modern it is. It's a lot more skill based but there will be a few builds t that seem cheap (i.e missile boats, lightweight quad snipers, etc) Netcode in is it jank, on relation to pvp. Like playing dual gatlings only cause one gatling to just function but the other one won't even though to you it looks like you're firing both. And apparently dual blades can sometimes cause problems for others if they're not playing melee as well. Overall, to me, ACFA is perfect despite its flaws. I would have preferred if in the future that Fromsoft made a return to 4th gen in form and look, albeit adjusted enough that it's easy to get into, hard to master. Like having speed be viable but at least requires skilled. What we have in current 6th gen isn't the best but it's okay