History VideoGame / ArmoredCoreLastRaven

* NintendoHard: ''Last Raven'' is easily the most demanding game in the series. All of your opponents have [[TheComputerIsACheatingBastard a full suite of OP-INTENSIFY upgrades you have no way of getting yourself]]. Missions, though usually short, will have you face intense opposition...and a Raven, or two if you're unlucky. And unlike previous installments, there are no in-mission refills of your health or ammo at all.

->-RAVENS-\\

In a world where individual freedom is constrained by those in power, these fierce warriors answer only to themselves.

The eleventh game in Creator/FromSoftware ''VideoGame/ArmoredCore'' series, released in 2005 for the UsefulNotes/Playstation2.

[[VideoGame/ArmoredCoreNexus The release of the unmanned suicide weapons]] has devastated the world. The three major corporations, having lost everything, united as the supergroup Alliance. Not all will stand for corporate dominance, however, as Jack-O, a fiercely anti-corporate Raven from the defunct Raven's Ark, has summoned those loyal to him to join the rebel group Vertex. Following months of conflict, Vertex has announced it will launch its final attack in 24 hours.

An UpdatedRerelease titled ''Armored Core Last Raven Portable'' was released in 2011 for the UsefulNotes/PlayStationPortable. This version features extra parts, a revamped user interface based on that of ''VideoGame/ArmoredCoreFormulaFront'''s, and multiple new Arena opponents plucked from the ''Armored Core: Brave New World'' novel.

[[VideoGame/ArmoredCoreNexus The release of the unmanned suicide weapons]] has devastated the world. The three major corporations, having lost everything, united as the supergroup Alliance. Not all will stand for corporate dominance and Jack-O, a fiercely anti-corporate Raven from the defunct Raven's Ark, has summoned those loyal to him to join the rebel group Vertex. Following months of conflict, Vertex has announced it will launch its final attack in 24 hours.

''Last Raven'' was the first game one Creator/HidetakaMiyazaki worked on. He would go on to direct the series next ContinuityReboot ''VideoGame/ArmoredCore4'' which would prove to be its biggest shake-up yet.

* DoubleMeaningTitle: Besides the title's [[KillerFinale literal meaning]], ''Last Raven'' is thus far the last game in the series to date to feature an active Raven as the protagonist (''4'''s protagonist is a ''former'' Former, whereas the protagonists in ''V'' and ''VI'' would only be referred to as "Dark Raven" and "Raven" (respectively) as nicknames/callsigns, as opposed to the Raven profession from the older games).

* GrandFinale: The game serves as a [[TorchTheFranchiseAndRun fairly definitive closer]] to the 3rd generation of ''Armored Core'', and is also the last installment to follow the original formula. Both the 4th and 5th generation after it would make major changes to the core movement and building mechanics.

* NintendoHard: ''Last Raven'' is easily the most demanding game in the series. All of your opponents have [[TheComputerIsACheatingBastard a full suite of OP-INTENSIFY upgrades you have no way of getting yourself]]. Missions, though usually short, will have you face intense opposition… and a Raven, or two if you're unlucky. And unlike previous installments, there are no in-mission refills of your health or ammo at all.
* OldSaveBonus: Players can transfer their parts from ''Nexus'' or ''VideoGame/ArmoredCoreNineBreaker''. Since neither games were ported to the PSP, ''Portable'' instead allows transfer from either ''[[VideoGame/ArmoredCore3 3 Portable]]'' or ''[[VideoGame/ArmoredCoreSilentLine Silent Line Portable]]'', doing its best to match the early Gen 3 parts to their Gen 3.5 equivalents. This is also the only way to use the new parts introduced in the ''Portable'' versions.

* WakeUpCallBoss: One of the three starter missions, "Distribution Center Recon", pits you against the Vertex Raven Bolt. Bolt is a GlassCannon faster and meaner than anything you ever encountered in ''Nexus''. For new players, he's a warning the starter AC build won't be sufficient to go through the game and you'll have to think long and hard about your build. For veterans, he's a sign things will be the toughest they'ever been.
* WellIntentionedExtremist: Jack-O does underhanded things in his quest to search for a Dominant but that's [[spoiler: in the name of shutting down the Internercine and preventing the devastation at the end of ''Nexus'' from ever occurring again]]

An UpdatedRerelease titled ''Armored Core Last Raven Portable'' was released in 2011 for the UsefulNotes/PlayStationPortable. This version features extra parts, a revamped user interface based on that of ''VideoGame/ArmoredCoreFormulaFront'''s, the ability to store five Armored Core designs instead of three, and multiple new Arena opponents plucked from the ''Armored Core: Brave New World'' novel.

* SNKBoss: More or less every enemy AC, owing primarily to their access to OP-INTENSIFY which is mercilessly locked from the player in this game. This allows bosses to get a lot of mileage out of builds that would be far less impressive even at the hands of a skilled player. Zinaida at the end of her route is particularly infamous in this regard, running a build with a B05-GULL booster (fast, but very energy draining) combined with infamously clunky, hard-to-aim and energy consuming weapons like the [=YWH16HR-PYTHON=] rail gun and the [=WB16PU-LAMIA2=] pulse cannon. This setup would leave most players as clumsy, immobile boiling potatos, but thanks to her OP-INTENSIFY, Zinaida's usage of it turns her into an unstoppable LightningBruiser who is far and away one of the hardest bosses in the ''series''.

* GreyAndGrayMorality: Alliance is made up of the corporations, whom ''Armored Core'' players will know very well by now to be dishonest scumbags but they don't do anything particularly evil here beside defending their assets. Vertex would be by default the "good" faction by virtue of opposing them, but they're lead by a ruthless SocialDarwinist who has no compulsion about putting his allies to pasture. The independents are mostly made up of petty thieves and psychopaths. In short, nobody's a good guy [[spoiler: but the Pulverizers are by far the worst. ]]

Neutrality won't save one's skin as both sides have placed bounties not just on the other side's Raven, but every independent Ravens still operating. You are a wild card, a Raven caught in the crossfire, and your choices during these 24 hours will make history.

* StoryBranching: You can choose from three missions at the start of the game, and which missions you pick next and your in-mission choices (accepting mission requests and wheter you fight or avoid SkippableBosses). There are six possible endings.

* Easy Logistics: ''Armored Core'' usually averts this due to the realistic billing of ammo and repairs and the vague timespan between missions but ''Last Raven'''s ExtremelyShortTimespan invokes this. An average playthrough will have you play through a dozen of missions, yet parts are instantly shipped out and installed, broken parts are instantly repaired, payouts are immediate and factions are able to immediately draw attack plans and draft request for mercenaries.