When two meticulously tweaked mechs meet in combat, the results can be explosively fun. The battle for position might see one bouncing between buildings five stories in the air, while the other jets along the ground to acquire line of sight.

Well-matched fights are hectic fun; Designing a garage full of battle-ready mechs is absorbing

Disappointing lack of mission variety; Too many simplistic sorties; Bland artistic design; Limited multiplayer options

These competitive contests can offer some tough combat, however, and putting your finely tuned AC to the test and winning is undeniably gratifying. Unfortunately, the bulk of Armored Core V is not as entertaining.

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+ The online components provide some interesting variety and make up the bulk of the game's value; +/- Plethora of customization options to suit the needs of any combat situation; but figuring out the best loadout for a given situation boils down to a matter of trial and error

+/- Plethora of customization options to suit the needs of any combat situation; but figuring out the best loadout for a given situation boils down to a matter of trial and error

More multiplayer mech goodness than you'll know what to do with...literally

Armored Core V is a good looking mech game with tons of action, a robust online mode and so much customization that you can spend more time creating than actually fighting. It's full of good ideas that you don't normally see in a console game like this, as well as a diverse set of missions to...

It's a dark and gritty future. Governments have fallen and you work for - and answer to - corporations now. You're a mercenary Armored Core pilot scratching out a living in the crumbling ruins of civilization, whether it be in devastated cities, abandoned factories or inhospitable wastelands, and...

When you boot up Armored Core V you'll be asked to create or join a team. These are essential to the game's multiplayer, and unless you've got a group of friends already ready to go you're better off joining another, already active team.

When I owned a PlayStation 2 many years ago I really enjoyed playing Armoured Core 4 and was ecstatic when I found out that Armoured Core V was hitting the shelves. I was even happier when I was asked to review it and grabbed the opportunity with both hands.

Don't get me wrong, the game is fun and a filled online match is second to none. With some better decisions this game could have been special, instead it's forgettable and will likely be abandoned. Sitting in lobbies is not the definition of a good time.

With fifteen years of experience under its belt, you'd think that it would be a safe bet to assume that Armored Core knows what it's doing when it comes to mech based combat. It's certainly a niche genre, but it's one that has gained plenty of fans down through the years thanks to a number of...