Armored Core games can seem a little daunting at first, even if you have experience with FromSoftware’s other titles. There are many systems and stats at play, and they can all appear to be confusing when you begin a playthrough of any game in the series. Fortunately, you can make things a bit easier for yourself by learning a few key tips.
If you are looking for the best ways to get into the Armored Core series, there is a separate guide for that here. This guide is to help give new players some general gameplay tips for the overall series. There’s some knowledge that can carry across most games in the series, especially with the first three generations of games. However, don’t expect all of these tips to carry over to Armored Core VI: Fires of Rubicon, as that game still hasn’t been released as of writing.
Remap the Controls
Until Armored Core: Nexus introduced a modern control scheme, the previous games in the series use a default control scheme that can feel incredibly awkward to use. Fortunately, there’s a way to address this. Even in the first Armored Core game, the player can remap every button. Simply go into the options menu and you will be able to rebind your controls.
While this won’t be as relevant for later games in the series, it can help make the earlier games a lot more enjoyable. Although, be aware, as games prior to Nexus will not let you map the right analog stick to any controls. However, if you map the camera controls to the face buttons, it will produce a similar effect. What’s most important is that you use a control scheme that feels intuitive for you.
Buy a Better Generator
Efficient energy management is vital in Armored Core games. Energy allows the player to maneuver their AC to its full extent, and it’s essential that you can use your movement options as much as possible. This makes the generator arguably one of the most important aspects of any build. With this in mind, the earlier you buy a powerful generator, the better.
This way, you’ll be able to move around a lot more, meaning you’ll be a harder target to hit. Taking less damage means that you will keep repair costs down, which leaves you with more money to spend on new parts. A powerful generator also makes for easier use of energy weapons.
Save Money by Using Energy Weapons
Tired of seeing your ammo costs add up at the end of each mission? Well, what if there was a type of weapon with free ammo? Energy weapons may be for you, as they cost a total of zero to use. However, don’t go using them quite yet, as there is a catch. As their name implies, energy weapons require energy to use. This can significantly affect your ability to maneuver or your damage output.
This can result in your AC taking more damage than usual. It could even make you fail a mission. If you’re having a difficult time when you equip energy weapons, it may be wise to switch to weapons with normal ammo.
Don’t Neglect Optional Parts
It may be tempting to dismiss optional parts at first. After all, “optional” doesn’t sound all that necessary. However, equipping the right option part can sometimes win you a battle you would otherwise lose. These optional parts can do things such as reduce the damage you take, increase the damage output of energy weapons, and more.
Fight Another Armored Core in the Arena
The Arena allows players to take on opponents without the concern of losing money. You have nothing to lose and everything to gain by participating in Arena battles. Most Armored Core games contain an Arena mode, but there are exceptions. Money and sometimes even AC parts can be earned by winning Arena fights.
You won’t be rewarded with much early, but you will want all the money you can get your hands on. As you climb to the top spot of the arena, you can start making big money. If you lose a fight, it’s no big deal. You can simply try again or go back to doing missions.
Choose Your Legs Wisely
Legs are one of the most important aspects of any build. They determine much of how your AC will play. Light legs will move faster but will support much less weight on top of them. As you probably can guess, heavy legs allow for heavier loads but will have a significant impact on your ability to maneuver. However, it doesn’t end there.
Legs also determine how your AC moves on the battlefield. In addition to the standard bipedal legs are also reverse-joint legs, tank legs, quad legs, and hover legs. Feel free to experiment with what suits you best. However, keep in mind that some legs suit certain missions better than others.
Maintain Energy While Moving
For the first three generations of Armored Core games, if you are using standard bipedal or reverse-joint legs, “bunny hopping” is something you will need to learn. To do this, you will need to activate your boosters twice in a row, lifting your AC off the ground. As you fall back down, activate your boosters the moment before you land. If you do this while moving in any direction, you will be able to maintain your momentum.
This will be very helpful for maintaining energy. Bunny hopping is an efficient and effective way of moving around. The earlier you learn how to do it, the quicker you will become a better pilot. You will be able to more effectively position yourself around opponents and evade incoming projectiles.
Have Fun
Armored Core can be a difficult series to get into at first. However, once the basics are mastered, these games can become a lot more manageable and enjoyable to play. You will eventually gain a better understanding of what certain stats represent, which will allow you to understand the limitations and potential of your build.
Armored Core VI is on its way soon, so you may as well prepare yourself a bit. For more Armored Core coverage, be sure to keep your eyes on Final Weapon.
