Armored Core: Master of Arena
The final chapter of the original Armored Core trilogy.
Armored Core: Master of Arena, a 1999 third-person shooter from FromSoftware for the PlayStation, finishes the original trilogy as a direct follow-up to Project Phantasma. It was never sold in Europe.
Quick Facts
- Developer
- FromSoftware
- Publisher
- FromSoftware (JP); Agetec (NA)
- Producer
- Toshifumi Nabeshima
- Artist
- Shōji Kawamori
- Writer
- Eiji Matsumoto
- Programmer
- Atsushi Yanase
- Hiroyuki Arai
- Masaaki Sakamoto
- Composer
- Kota Hoshino
- Tsukasa Saitoh
- Keiichiro Segawa
- Series
- Armored Core
Facts from the source article.
Gameplay
Master of Arena retains most of the core Armored Core gameplay with few changes from Project Phantasma. The Arena mode, introduced in Project Phantasma, returns and is now a required part of the story rather than optional. Weapons and items from both preceding games appear alongside equipment exclusive to Master of Arena. The import feature continues, allowing players to bring their character from Project Phantasma or the original Armored Core via a memory card save file. Players may create a new character but will be locked out of certain earlier weapons and items. The game contains 19 missions and 10 arenas covering over a hundred opponents. Arena mode is split into two versions: several matches are built into the story on the first disc, while the second disc, titled EX Arena, contains most Arena gameplay separate from the story. A Ranker MK mode on EX Arena lets players customize opponents in special matches. Split-screen multiplayer and link mode using the PlayStation Link Cable return; unlike earlier games, the two discs included in Master of Arena allow system linking without requiring two separate copies.
Plot
The story of Master of Arena runs concurrent with the original Armored Core. A massive battle in Isaac City between two corporations causes numerous civilian casualties. The player character is a survivor of this battle who lost their entire family. Swearing revenge, the player joins the Raven's Nest to fight to the top and kill Hustler One, pilot of the famed Nine-Ball mech that was at the center of the battle. The player meets Lana Nielsen, an operator who becomes their manager, and Elan Cubis, an influential figure at Progtech who becomes their sponsor to investigate the Raven's Nest. After several missions, Progtech facilities come under attack, and high-ranking pilots are found stealing secret materials. A major attack on Progtech headquarters reveals Elan is targeted, and attackers follow him to a laboratory in Isaac City. Hustler One leads the attackers and confronts the player; after his Nine-Ball mech is damaged, he retreats. The player seemingly defeats Hustler One in the Arena. A message from Lana leads the player to an abandoned factory, where it is revealed that she and Hustler One are components of a master AI controlling numerous Nine-Ball mechs, which created both corporations and the Raven's Nest to rebuild humanity. The player narrowly defeats the powerful Nine-Ball mech and ends the AI.
Release
Master of Arena was first released in Japan for the PlayStation on February 4, 1999. FromSoftware partnered with Agetec for a North American release on March 22, 2000. A European version was never released. As part of Sony's PSone Classics banner, it was re-released in Japan for the PlayStation 3 and later the PlayStation Vita on November 28, 2007, but not in other territories. On March 18, 2025, the game was released on the PlayStation Store for PlayStation 4 and PlayStation 5, included with a PS Plus Premium subscription.
Reception
The game received average reviews according to GameRankings. Famitsu gave it a score of 29 out of 40. The expansion of the Arena concept was well received; GameRevolution's Shawn Sanders noted the feature was nicely integrated into the whole game. AllGame's Joe Ottoson praised the Arena fights for more intense action against other AC pilots at one's own level. Game Informer's Erik Reppen called the Arenas plentiful and great. The Ranker MK feature was praised by several reviewers; Sanders called it the greatest addition to the game of all time, and Reppen wrote that designing custom opponents for parts and AI aggressiveness added to the single-player experience. Criticism targeted the underdeveloped story, aging visuals, difficult control scheme, and a bug in local multiplayer. Game Informer's Andy McNamara said the story could not keep his interest. GamePro's The Freshman noted the controls remained unchanged from the original game, which came out before the DualShock controller, and that Master of Arena did not take advantage of more comprehensive controls; he said more precise looking would have helped considerably. GameSpot's Joe Fielder wrote that the identical graphical quality was unfortunate as they looked more dated over time. The Freshman echoed the lack of visual improvement, saying a little work on presentation would have been nice. GameRevolution's Sanders reported a bug in split-screen mode that caused Player 1 to have no working radar, calling it inept. Many reviewers criticized the lack of evolution; Game Informer's Andrew Reiner wrote that playing the other two versions meant essentially playing a piece of this one. NextGen's Greg Orlando, while commenting on the aging concept, still found enough worth playing, saying the master of mechs loses a little shine but continues to stomp a goodly amount of buttocks.
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