Arriving on the PlayStation in 1997, Armored Core is a third-person mech action game by FromSoftware. As the first title in a sprawling franchise, AC would lay the groundwork for one of the PlayStation’s defining series, becoming a major hit in its native Japan and continuing to earn a niche audience in the West. The series is similar to Bandai Namco’s Ace Combat in that it mixes elements of arcade action and simulation. While FromSoftware’s AC series tends to be heavier on the simulation elements than Ace Combat, both franchises place an emphasis on frantic action that mixes in semi-realistic piloting mechanics. Integral to the franchise are the mech load-outs, with players able to continually switch up every part of their mech (the titular Cores) to suit various play styles.
The designs of the Cores would famously come from renowned mecha artist Shōji Kawamori, whose work on both Macross and Diaclone would influence the Robotech and Transformers franchises. The initial idea for a shooting action game featuring modular mecha would arrive before the PlayStation’s launch, with FromSoftware pitching the idea to Sony and receiving approval for the title along with publishing it as a first-party game under the Sony Interactive Entertainment label. Interestingly, the first AC is the only title in the series to feature publishing by Sony in North America.
The title would receive considerable critical praise for the depth and complexity of the modular mech system, with reviewers noting that there are potentially millions of combinations of parts that each cater to different mission requirements and play styles. While the title would receive fairly average critical scores, the original Armored Core would be successful enough to kickstart an entire franchise.
Armored Core Premise
©Armored Core gameplay screenshot – Original
The story of Armored Core takes place several years after a cataclysm forces humanity underground. in the wake of this tragedy, ultra-powerful corporations battle for supremacy through superior firepower, enlisting the help of mercenary groups piloting the titular Armored Cores. At the center of the original AC‘s conflict are the two mega corporations Chrome and Murakumo Millenium. The player assumes the role of a new pilot for the Raven mercenary group. While there’s not as much story in the original game as in later entries, players can still choose to side with one corporation over the other, affecting the outcomes of certain missions.
The single-player campaign in AC is mission-based, with players selecting missions from an available list and earning credits for completing them. Players can then spend these credits in the Garage, upgrading and tuning their Cores to become more powerful and effective. Some missions require loadouts that focus on mobility and fast attacking while others require more defense and a slower, more methodical approach. Players can retry missions, changing up their Core’s weapons and parts beforehand to suit the situation. Armored Core also contains a fairly robust local multiplayer mode utilizing a split-screen.
In terms of weapons, AC gives players several options. There are machine guns and rocket launchers, but there are also melee options such as swords and laser cannons. Choosing the right weapon for the mission is crucial to player success.
Armored Core Main Characters
©Armored Core artwork – Original
While the story of the original AC is somewhat light in comparison to later games, there is enough context to support the game’s world. On a future version of Earth, a great cataclysm wipes out most of humanity, forcing the survivors to retreat underground and rebuild civilization. In this post-apocalyptic landscape, mega-corporations vie for supremacy by waging war against one another. The main soldiers in this war are mercenary pilots who command the titular Armored Cores, which are modular mechas available for the right price. The main characters in Armored Core include:
- Raven’s Nest: The mercenary group that the player belongs to. The Raven’s Nest group refers to its pilots as “Ravens”, available to any bidder for the right price. The player controls one of these Ravens throughout the events of the game.
- Chrome: One of the two largest corporations, Chrome is open about its designs on complete control. Their primary business is pharmaceutical research and development and they use their vast resources to hire the best Core pilots available.
- Murakumo Millenium: Murakumo is one of the few corporations that have challenged Chrome and disrupted its absolute rule over humanity. As a corporation with ties to industrial manufacturing, Murakummo stands at the cutting edge of Armored Core technology.
Games in the Armored Core Series
FromSoftware’s Armored Core would be the studio’s most prolific and noteworthy franchise until the arrival of Demon’s Souls and Dark Souls. Across 6 mainline games and several spin-offs, the AC series remains one of the preeminent mech shooter and simulation franchises, with the most recent entry (last year’s Armored Core VI) breaking new ground as one of 2023’s best action games. Titles in the Armored Core series include:
- Armored Core (PS1, 1997)
- Armored Core: Project Phantasma (PS1, 1997)
- Armored Core: Master of Arena (PS1, 1999)
- Armored Core 2 (PS2, 2000)
- Armored Core 2: Another Age (PS2, 2001)
- Armored Core 3 (PS2, 2002)
- Armored Core 3: Silent Line (PS2, 2003)
- Armored Core: Nexus (PS2, 2004)
- Armored Core: Nine Breaker (PS2, 2004)
- Armored Core: Formula Front (PSP, 2004)
- Armored Core: Last Raven (PS2, 2005)
- Armored Core 4 (PS3, Xbox 360, 2006)
- Armored Core: For Answer (PS3, Xbox 360, 2008)
- Armored Core V (PS3, Xbox 360, 2012)
- Armored Core: Verdict Day (PS3, Xbox 360, 2013)
- Armored Core VI: Fires of Rubicon (PC, PS4/PS5, Xbox One/Series X/S, 2023)
Armored Core Cheats & Cheat Codes
There are plenty of cheat codes players can use in Armored Core to unlock different ways to play the game. Additionally, there are plenty of secrets and hidden bonuses that players can unlock, as well as a long list of Game Shark codes that make AC significantly easier.
Cheat Codes
Enter any of the following cheat codes to enable their effects:
| Cheat | Code |
|---|---|
| Alternate Emblem Backgrounds | Highlight an emblem and enter the Edit screen. Hold L1, L2, R1, R2 and press Select |
| Change Pilot Name | Highlight “Change AC Name” while in the Garage. While holding L2, R2, and Right on the D-Pad, quickly press and hold X and then Square |
| First-Person Mode | At any point during gameplay, press Triangle, Square, and Start |
| Fixed Pilot Camera | At any point during gameplay, press Circle, X, and Start |
Secrets
Turn Emblem Into Wallpaper
To enable the chosen Emblem as your Wallpaper, go into the Edit screen for the Emblem and press and hold L1, R1, and Select. The Emblem will now appear as a tiled wallpaper in the background.
Unlockables
In addition to the bonuses players unlock for beating Armored Core, there are three levels of Human PLUS enhancements players can earn by meeting certain conditions.
| Unlockable | How to Unlock |
|---|---|
| Override Overweight/Not Enough Energy Restrictions | Beat Armored Core with 100% completion to negate the weight and energy restrictions on Armored Core load-outs |
| Human PLUS Lv. 1 | Be 50,000 credits in debt and fail a mission. Undergoing the Human PLUS enhancements once unlocks a grid-type radar and the ability for the sword to shoot energy beams |
| Human PLUS Lv. 2 | Undergoing Human PLUS enhancements 4 times unlocks Lv. 2, allowing shoulder weapons that normally require kneeling to be fired while moving |
| Human PLUS Lv. 3 | Undergoing Human PLUS enhancements 6 times unlocks Lv. 3. Boosting now consumes half of the energy it normally does |
Armored Core Game Shark Codes
Players with a PlayStation and a Game Shark device can utilize several codes for Armored Core. Alternatively, players using an emulator can enter any of the following cheat codes in their emulator’s “Cheat” menu.
General Cheats
| Cheat | Code |
|---|---|
| Infinite Energy | 80040FBE 6D60 |
| Infinite Weapon 1 | Infinite Armor |
| Infinite Weapon 2 | 800412C6 00C8 |
| Infintie Armor | 801A2818 7000 |
| Infinite Time | 8019F52C FFFF |
| Infinite Money | 80039CA6 00FF |
| Change View to Far View | 801987EC F3E7 |
| Change View to Left View | 801987F4 F3E7 |
| Human Plus Mode | 80039D20 0001 |
Parts Cheats
| Cheat | Code |
|---|---|
| Have All Head Parts | 80031A94 0101 80031A96 0101 80031A98 0101 80031A9A 0101 80031A9C 0101 |
| Have All Core Parts | 80031A9E 0101 80031AA0 0101 |
| Have All Arm Parts | 80031AA2 0101 80031AA4 0101 80031AA6 0101 80031AA8 0101 80031AAA 0101 80031AAC 0101 80031AAE 0101 80031AB0 0101 |
| Have All Leg Parts [Set 1] | 80031AB2 0101 80031AB4 0101 80031AB6 0101 80031AB8 0101 80031ABA 0101 80031ABC 0101 80031ABE 0101 80031AC0 0101 |
| Have All Leg Parts [Set 2] | 80031AC2 0101 80031AC4 0101 80031AC6 0101 80031AC8 0101 80031ACA 0101 80031ACC 0101 80031ACE 0101 80031AD0 0101 |
| Have All Generator Parts | 80031AD2 0101 80031AD4 0101 80031AD6 0101 |
| Have All FCS Parts | 80031AD8 0101 80031ADA 0101 80031ADC 0101 80031ADE 0101 |
| Have All Optional Parts | 80031AE0 0101 80031AE2 0101 80031AE4 0101 80031AE6 0101 80031AE8 0101 80031AEA 0101 |
| Have All Booster Parts | 80031AEC 0101 80031AEE 0101 80031AF0 0101 |
| Have All Left & Right Back Weapons [Set 1] | 80031AF2 0101 80031AF4 0101 80031AF6 0101 80031AF8 0101 80031AFA 0101 80031AFC 0101 80031AFE 0101 80031B00 0101 80031B02 0101 |
| Have All Left & Right Back Weapons [Set 2] | 80031B04 0101 80031B06 0101 80031B08 0101 80031B0A 0101 80031B0C 0101 80031B0E 0101 80031B10 0101 80031B12 0101 |
| Have All Right Arm Weapons | 80031B14 0101 80031B16 0101 80031B18 0101 80031B1A 0101 80031B1C 0101 80031B1E 0101 80031B20 0101 80031B22 0101 |
| Have All Left Arm Weapons | 80031B24 0101 80031B26 0101 |
Armored Core Cheat FAQs
How do you get Human Plus in Armored Core?
The Human Plus enhancements offer players a fighting edge in what’s otherwise a fairly tough game. To unlock Human Plus in Armored Core, players will first need to be 50,000 credits in debt and then fail a mission. The game will reset as if starting a new file but players will have the Human Plus enhancements as well as all parts they previously obtained.
How do you get 100% completion in Armored Core?
To obtain 100% completion in AC, players need to finish everything the game has to offer. They will need to complete all missions and purchase all parts. The kicker, and less obvious requirement, is that players also need an imperfect win/loss ratio across missions. Once players unlock 100% completion they will negate the weight limit restrictions in missions.
How many endings does Armored Core have?
Unlike future games in the series, Armored Core only has 1 ending. There are some different outcomes to missions players will experience depending on whether they side with Chrome or Murakumo, but the ending remains the same either way.
How long to beat Armored Core?
Most playthroughs of AC run about 8 to 8.5 hours, on average. That said, players hoping to achieve 100% completion can expect to spend more time in the game. Completionist playthroughs tend to take roughly 14 hours.
The image featured at the top of this post is ©CheatCC/Matt Karoglou.