Armored Core V
Armored Core V is a 3D mecha-based video game for PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360. It is the 14th installment and 5th main installment of From Software's Armored Core series. Armored Core V is a return to the more traditional style of gameplay found in the original series of games. It is not a sequel to Armored Core 4 and Armored Core: For Answer, rather it is a standalone title.
Gameplay
Whereas previous games in the series focused on quick-reflex combat, Armored Core V relies heavily on tactical gameplay. Similar to the first games in the series, Armored Core V requires players to use level geography to their advantage. New to the series are Ultimate Weapons, which deal enormous damage; however, these weapons need to be recharged between uses, limiting the player to only one use per mission or match.
The online mode features five-on-five team-based battles, with each side battling over specific objectives across the map. One member of each team is designated as the Operator and must oversee the entire battle and issue orders to their team.
Plot
Introduction
The game begins with the player's Armored Core (AC) pilot, a silent protagonist, who receives orders from his commander, Fran, to escape the city which is under siege by the corporation's army. A tutorial is given to show the basic controls on how to pilot the AC as the player escapes the city. The player manages to escapes the city by reaching the extraction point, and is carried away by Rosary and her cargo helicopter as they evade the conflict. However, during their escape they are interrupted by an unidentified AC who shoots down Rosary's Cargo helicopter, forcing the Player to engage in a battle with the unidentified AC. Whether the player manages to finish the mission or not, the player's AC is destroyed in battle. The scene ends with either Fran or Rosary in her cargo helicopter carrying the player's AC to somewhere safe.
(The confusing storyline shows some hints that Fran is inside Rosary's Cargo helicopter while Rosary is piloting the cargo helicopter)
Background
The game is set in a futuristic post-apocalyptic war in which the Resistance is engaged in an all out war against the so-called "FATHER" and his Corporation. Gameplay and story are featured differently from all the other games in the Armored Core series. Each mission in the story contains voice-over narration that depicts the history involving the events in Armored Core V and how the player character and his group approaches every situation. The in-game environments of the story missions are based in war torn cities, harbors, deserted ancient facilities, and post-apocalyptic wasteland. After the player has completed the introduction of the game, the game begins with order missions, and sub missions; some of these sub missions are required to be completed in order to continue the process of the game's main story. The story is divided into 10 story-based missions depending on the player's choice on which to play first when each story mode is unlocked. As the story may confuse players, they can play order and sub missions to better understand their pilot's and comrade's personal boundaries towards hostile enemies, or friendly units. The Player's AC pilot is a silent protagonist featuring no reaction, but his ambitions can be judged. Armored Core V is not a sequel to previous Armored Core series games, but the game features a linear storyline, similar to the earlier games in the series. Players are free to play the missions in any order they like, although this will not change the story�s ending.
Story
STORY 00
The story begins with the player character working for the Corporation to fight the Resistance forces which are wreaking havoc on the city. Meanwhile, the commander who leads the operation, known as "Chief", disappears during the operation. The Player is ordered by his operator Carol Dorry to aid the Corporation forces by destroying the Resistance's helicopters, which are carrying Resistance forces during Chief's absence. After wiping out half of the Resistance helicopters, the player is interrupted by the resistance leader, Jack Batty, who challenges the player in his AC. this prevents the player from continuing on with the mission, which results in both pilots becoming engaged in a firefight. The firefight is ended by the Player leaving Jack's AC in a critical condition, forcing Jack to retreat while the player continues Carol's order. The player accomplishes the mission but is interrupted by Chief, who appears suddenly after his extended absence, and then sends the player on a suicide mission to eliminate the last remaining Resistance, despite Carol's concerns over the player's AC being severely damaged. The player then engages in another firefight against the remaining Resistance members, and successfully breaches into the leader's lair, where the player is confronted by Jack. Jack compliments the player as a skilled AC pilot, and then ends the conversation by unleashing his Ultimate Weapon to finish off the player. Jack proves unable to kill the Player, and is killed when Chief appears in his own AC, destroying Jack with CE (Chemical Energy) missiles. Chief leaves the scene and says that he is "fascinated" by the Player's skill, leaving the player staring at the deformed AC which formerly contained Jack. The story ends with a sad radio transmission coming from Jack's AC which appears to be his daughter Fran crying for her father to retreat.
STORY 01
The player changes sides to join the Resistance for unknown reasons, but they can be hinted towards by the narrator during this story mission. The player's commander, Fran, orders the player to destroy the Corporation forces, adding that the new Resistance leader, Leon, wants the player to use stealth to avoid alerting the Corporation's scanner drones. After the player successfully eliminates the forces, he is ordered by Leon to destroy a Corporation transport train that is evacuating from the area. The player is, however, interrupted by Chief's City Police leader in an AC, who has been hired to act as a back up to defend the train from the player. The player succeeds in killing the City Police leader, but whether the player was able to destroy the train or not will lead to an different ending scene for the mission.
STORY 02
The mission begins as the player is ordered to advance into the City to eliminate hostile forces. Leon orders the player to eliminate the transport train that was spotted in Story 01. After successfully obliterating the hostiles, the player eventually destroys the train. Later, a scene is shown where Chief watches the progress of the player from the other side of the city, as he becomes fascinated by the Player's AC piloting skills in a conversation with Carol. The player is then ordered to escape the city, but is surprise attacked by unknown projectiles which are fired from the train's carriages. The player manages to escape alive.
STORY 03
After years of resisting FATHER, the Resistance finally come out of the buried city where they are based, and begin their next attack against FATHER (Narrator's speech). Rosary, however, wants to scavenge for some materials that can be sold for a large sum of money, which can be found in an ancient city that all pilots and personnel have been told to avoid. The team consists of Fran, Rosary and RD who were sent to scavenge for scrap. The player is surprise attacked by more projectiles from Story 02 which are described as an invasive species. Rosary also keeps her mouth shut when asked by Fran about the "invasive species". As the player advances to another part of the city, he is attacked by a huge Ancient Machine shaped like a giant spider. Rosary then assumes control from Fran in order to provide the player with tactics to destroy the machine. The story ends with the machine being destroyed by the Player, showing Fran how a skilled pilot can do the "impossible".
STORY 04
The player is once again deployed to attack the city under FATHER's control by infiltrating it through the Marine Sector. The player is soon confronted by two prototypes described as "Scavengers". The player receives tips from Rosary and successfully destroy the prototypes as he advances into the city. Once inside the Executive Center, the Player is intercepted by another City Police AC. The player manages to destroy the AC and move to the escape route leading out of the back of the city. The player is attacked by 3 large cargo helicopters as he tries to leave, but he manages to escape.
STORY 05
During the escape in Story 04, RD advances into the escape route in an AC transport vehicle while having a conversation with the player about why he fights. RD is interrupted when his transport is ambushed by the City Police. RD is apparently killed in the process as player is given the order to counterattack and escape from the tunnel. Upon doing so, the player is intercepted by a squad of City Police entrenched in an oil refinery. While fighting his way through groups of City Police forces, the player is confronted by the Police Captain in a sniper-based AC. Just before the player kills the Police Captain, the battle is swiftly ended by Chief, who kills the Captain with a single shot from a Giga Cannon (a type of Ultimate Weapon). The player is ordered by Fran to defeat the Chief. After dodging the shots from the Chief's cannon, the player approaches the Chief, and kills him by charging his AC with a kick. Carol now names the player an enemy of the Corporation.
STORY 06
The city is now besieged by the Resistance, which manage to knock out the main power to the city, forcing the City Police forces to rally around secondary power plants. The player is directed to destroy the remaining power facilities while Leon attacks Father's tower directly. After taking out 3 of the 4 facilities, and entering a tunnel leading to the 4th, the Resistance is contacted by the Carol. After being questioned by Fran, Carol states the only mission for the Corporation is to destroy the player. The Corporation then reinforces the last City Police forces remaining at the last power plant with a Mech similar to the one that attacked the player in Story 04. After destroying the Mech, the Player advances upon the courtyard outside of Father's tower, holding off City Police forces long enough for Leon to capture FATHER. After defeating several waves of enemies and a mercenary Migrant AC, Leon reports that they have captured FATHER and begin making their way out of the tower. Before they can escape, the Corporation launches a volley of missiles similar to the ones in Story 02 and destroys the tower, killing everyone inside, including FATHER and Leon.
STORY 07
After the launched of the devastating volley of missiles, the player is ordered by Fran to escape the city and advance to the extraction point. With Leon, the leader of the Resistance killed in Story 06, the player is forced to advance into the city with no Resistance back up. The player reaches the tunnel for safety from the conflict, hopefully to reach another side of the tunnel, but is stopped by a surprise appearance from RD in a new AC. RD reveals that he now works for the Corporation and engages in a firefight with the player under the tunnel with his newly equipped AC. However RD is no match against the player as he leaves the battle to avoid being killed. The player continues Fran's order and is able to reach the site where Chief murdered Jack Batty in Story 00. The player manages to destroy the Chief's AC which causes an explosion, leaving Chief's last words on how perfect the player's AC piloting is.
STORY 08
This story is a sequel to story 07 as the Player advances under the tunnel to safety as ordered by Fran. The player is about to reach the city but is confronted by RD for a second time. RD is defeated by the player's AC and manages to escape a second time. After reaching the city, the player is again forced to eliminate the remaining Corporation forces, including the transport train which appears when player eliminates all hostiles. Fran and Rosary come to rescue the player on a cargo helicopter, which reveals that the introduction was just a tutorial to teach the player how to pilot their AC. The player manages to escape with Rosary, but is shot down by RD which keys together with the introduction of the storyline. This time however, RD confronts the player for a third time and is killed by the player as his AC explodes. The story reveals that both Chief and Carol are still alive, while Carol acts as a support for RD. The scene ends with Carol pitying humanity's fate and ignorance with the ongoing war, believing that humanity will soon be wiped out.
STORY 09 (FINAL MISSION)
It is later revealed after the events between the Resistance and the Corporation that the Resistance was later all wiped out, leaving the player to decide on his fate and whether to live or to die (Narrator's speech). The story opens with a scene showing Chief inside a WMD AC Prototype called Exusia, which is described as an evolved form of AC which devastated FATHER's city into a post apocalyptic deserted area. Chief also destroyed all the resistance, including all the Corporation forces in the city as well, leaving no trace of life within the city. The player than confronts Chief who engages the player in a boss fight as chief attacks you in Exusia. The player then successfully defeats Chief and Exusia, leaving a stunned Carol as the only survivor besides the player. Carol then begins to question the player on how he was able to conquer the impossible (Chief piloting Exusia), leaving Carol to begin to realize that there is still hope left for humanity.
