Anytime a publisher/developer tries something new with a popular game brand, fans should worry. On one hand, changes could attract new players. For the same reason, those changes might alienate long-time fans. With Armored Core 4, From Software ditched some of the slow-paced strategic game play that its mech-based series is known for in favor of a more approachable arcade style.

In the game, players find themselves jetting around the globe, fighting off the remains of an evil conglomerate on a desolate planet. Enemy robots and vehicles inhabit a number of locales, from a torn-apart U.S. city to the outskirts of icy Antarctica. The player cleans house throughout each level, blasting enemies to bits while completing side objectives. The story lacks a solid foundation, but it manages to hold everything in place.