The default controls are laid out a bit differently than most shooters and will take some time to feel completely comfortable to a lot of gamers. The face buttons will fire the left, right and shoulder weapons, while the triggers are used for boost. If you prefer your fire buttons on the left and right triggers, Armored Core 4 will allow you to fully remap the button configuration. Otherwise, the controls handle exactly how you might expect, but have some bland vibration feedback. Before you start a campaign, Armored Core 4 will quickly walk you through the settings to make sure everything from the controls to the audio levels are to your liking. One annoyance, and a pet peeve of mine, is the lack of an auto save feature. I’ll gladly sacrifice .01% of my hard drive for the peace of mind that auto save provides. Please just give me the option.
Armored Core 4 tries to reach a broader audience than its predecessors were able to reach. Though still an in-depth process, the build and tune screens have improved to make customization of your AC a little easier. Combat was made quicker and more enjoyable with the enhanced booster system, but the appeal is tainted for AC devotees and newcomers alike by a visual experience only Mr. Magoo could love. By shipping this game with a boring, restrictive campaign mode, even Armored Core series diehards will have to reconsider this game. Because half the fun is in building, painting and showing off your schematics, Armored Core 4 is for the fans of the AC franchise and/or Xbox Live, and no one else.
