Armored Core: For Answer

Armored Core: For Answer is a mech action game from studio FromSoftware, released on PlayStation 3 in 2008 as a direct sequel to Armored Core 4. The player assembles their own robot from dozens of parts - frames, weapons, generators, and accessories - and in its role carries out combat missions amid a conflict between powerful corporations fighting for dominance over a devastated Earth after a previous planetary catastrophe.

The game retains the fast, vertically oriented battles with an emphasis on managing energy and overheating, where the right balance of mobility, firepower, and defense determines success in both arena and story missions. Compared to the fourth entry, For Answer slightly slows the pace and places greater emphasis on tactics and positioning on large battlefields, while adding more extensive multiplayer modes and new mission types focused on destroying giant enemy constructs called Arms Forts, which resemble mobile fortresses in size and require the gradual destruction of individual parts.

Series fans will appreciate the depth of mech customization, the huge number of part combinations, and fine-tuning equipment for a particular playstyle, whether a light and fast mech or a heavily armored fortress. Newcomers, however, may initially be put off by the steep learning curve and technically demanding controls, which require mastering many simultaneous actions - flying, aiming, dodging, and managing weapon heat all at once, making the game more of an affair for patient players willing to invest time in mastering the control scheme.

Why play it: For the depth of building your own mech and fast, technically demanding battles.