History YMMV / ArmoredCore

* SugarWiki/VisualEffectsOfAwesome: As far as this [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=09L_WZQr9Nc&feature=related trailer]] is concerned, the PolygonCeiling doesn't exist.

* {{Narm}}:
** Fragile's death scream in ''For Answer'' is full of this.
** In ''Armored Core 2'', the briefer for Emeraude [[TrrrillingRrrs rreally likes trrilling his R's for some rreason]]. It's [[WhatTheHellIsThatAccent harrd to tell what kind of accent he's trrying to prresent]] (though going by [[BilingualBonus the name of the company,]] prrobably Frrench), which also makes it harrd to take him serriously sometimes.

* WinBackTheCrowd: ''Verdict Day'' for the western fanbase as it has a better setup online, a merged US/EU server, better part selection, increased energy output across the board, Hardcore mode, [[spoiler: White Glint and combining V/VD and the 4/4A continuities together.]] Only time will tell if it holds up.

* GrowingTheBeard: The first game in the series solidifies all of the concepts going forwards, which is impressive as is, but it's pretty rough around the edges and lacking the Arena. ''Project Phantasma'' would add it and expand upon the mechanics with more of a focus on story, whereas ''Master of Arena'' was where it all came together for the best of the initial trilogy. ''Armored Core 2'', however, established so many new standards, mechanics and a higher degree of customization for the franchise going forwards that every single game up to ''Last Raven'' would use them and its engine thoroughly.

** The final level of the first game stands out simply because it has one incredibly long, ultra tedious and obnoxiously bad platforming section for seemingly no reason but to pad out its length.

* ScrappyMechanic: Overheating in ''Nexus''. [[OlderThanTheyThink While the mechanic was introduced in Armored Core 2]], it was totally irrelevant to the point that you could get by with the [[LethalJokeItem starter radiator]] for almost every mission, with the only drawback being a [[WeaksauceWeakness vulnerability to heat-based weapons]] which only a few Ravens even use. It's only in ''Nexus'' that it became a problem, as you not only need a high-quality radiator, but you also need parts with high cooling or low heat so your mech doesn't fry itself in action.

** When Losvaize makes a surprise appearance at the "Attack Urban Center" mission in the first game with her Valkyrie, there's a reason why the mission gives a timer to success by survival rather than trying to pick a fight with her. Defeating her is entirely optional -- and, on a first-time playthrough, likely not possible to pull off thanks to her absurdly overpowered missile spam barrage that can destroy you in seconds even with the tankiest AC builds. The only reward for winning against her is [[BraggingRightsReward getting the first place spot on the rankings board.]]

** When Losvaize makes a surprise appearance at the "Attack Urban Center" mission in the very first game, her Valkyrie is effectively a HopelessBossFight at the point you encounter them, as in a regular playthrough your AC parts will be rather mediocre and weapons like the [[InfinityMinusOneSword Kurasawa]] could kill her but require some luck that she doesn't just pull out her MacrossMissileMassacre that ''will almost assuredly destroy you no matter the build.'' There's a reason why the game lets you try to run out the timer to escape instead. Her fight is so notable that the ''Nexus'' Revolution disc remastered and expanded upon her mission, where she's arguably even ''more'' dangerous.

* MoralEventHorizon: In ''For Answer'', the Destruction Path ending is this for the player. In the first mission alone, you destroy the five airships that compose Cradle 03 and kill '''100 million people'''. Manage to beat [[NintendoHard the next mission]], and you go on to destroy all of the other Cradles to become the greatest monster that humanity has ever seen.

** Don't pick a fight with Valkyrie in the very first game if you aren't prepped and ready for her. She's fast and hits hard as is, but before the timer for simply surviving the mission runs out, it's almost inevitable that she will launch a MacrossMissileMassacre on you -- one that lasts several seconds, are insanely accurate and require taking cover ahead of time to even hope to survive, and hit so damn hard that she can destroy your AC in seconds no matter how good it is. The only option you will typically have is to hide and run to survive; actually defeating her is nigh-impossible at your point in the game.

** Don't pick a fight with Valkyrie in the very first game if you aren't prepped and ready for her. She's fast and hits hard as is, but before the timer for simply surviving the mission runs out, it's almost inevitable that she will launch a MacrossMissileMassacre on you -- one that lasts several seconds, are insanely accurate and require taking cover ahead of time to even hope to survive, and hit so damn hard that she can destroy your AC in seconds no matter how good it is. The worst part? She's a SkippableBoss if you don't take the mission, and the game doesn't even warn you about her appearing in this mission.

* EnsembleDarkhorse: May Greenfield, from Armored Core For Answer. As an entirely optional wingman, May has the bare minimum of characterization and a player can go through the entire game without even encountering her once. However, fans have apparently fallen in love with what little characterization she has, as a cheerful teenage girl who pilots a bright green MightyGlacier engine of destruction. With a smiley face logo.

** In ''[=AC4=]'' and ''For Answer'', Grenade Launchers come into this territory (doing huge damage and area damage, only slightly less useful against the faster enemies), and blades do wicked damage against arms forts.

* MoralEventHorizon: In For Answer, the Destruction Path ending is this for the player. In the first mission alone, you destroy the five airships that compose Cradle 03 and kill '''100 million people'''. Manage to beat [[NintendoHard the next mission]], and you go on to destroy all of the other Cradles to become the greatest monster that humanity has ever seen.
** If you needed any more implication that ''every last one'' of the Corporations in the ''4'' series are full of serpentine bastards, you'll get it after the last mission of Armored Core 4. Why? Their thanks for you taking down Rayleonard and saving their collective hides is [[YouHaveOutlivedYourUsefulness trying to kill you for it]], [[DoomedHometown after burning your colony to the ground]] [[EverybodysDeadDave and presumably killing pretty much everyone in it]]. Oh, [[FightingYourFriend and they blackmail your partner and one of your closest friends]] into it, because if he didn't, [[SadisticChoice they would've done the same to his colony.]] They even force him to use a FlawedPrototype instead of his own [=NEXT=] that will [[DeadlyUpgrade kill him painfully even if he succeeds.]] And on Hard Mode they send ''another'' LYNX [[MakeSureHesDead just to cheap-shot whoever survived your final confrontation.]] [[spoiler: It's no wonder [[TheDogBitesBack your character]] [[TakeUpMySword takes on White Glint's mantle]] [[DefectorFromDecadence and leads Line Ark in]] ''for Answer.'']]

** Fragile's death scream in For Answer is full of this.
** In Armored Core 2, the briefer for Emeraude [[TrrrillingRrrs rreally likes trrilling his R's for some rreason]]. It's [[WhatTheHellIsThatAccent harrd to tell what kind of accent he's trrying to prresent]] (though going by [[BilingualBonus the name of the company,]] prrobably Frrench), which also makes it harrd to take him serriously sometimes.

* SequelDifficultySpike: Rather infamously with Last Raven, where the game's method of demonstrating that everything's gone to shit is to give you two missions to choose from at the start. One's tough but manageable for a non-imported player save. The other immediately throws you against two other [=ACs=] in probably one of the hardest early game missions in the entire series, and an utter nightmare to fight with a starter [=AC=]. [[ThisIsGonnaSuck Welcome to the next end of the world.]]
* SuspiciouslySimilarSong: "12 Steps", the garage theme in ACV, has a more than passing resemblance to "Teardrop" by Music/MassiveAttack.

** Let's see... Stinger from Project Phantasma, The Frighteners from [=AC2=], the Massive MT and the {{Bonus Boss}}es from Another Age, Leviathan and Ofanim [=AC3=], Big White and IBIS from Silent Line, Agraya, Genobee and [[spoiler:Nine Ball]] from Nexus, Nine Ball from Ninebreaker, Nine Ball from ''any game he appears in'', Zinaida (On the Last Raven path) and the Pulverizers from Last Raven, take your freaking pick.

** Sherring in AC 4 isn't exactly a pushover, either.
** Zinaida from Last Raven IS the true final boss of the game, but she is one of the hardest fights in the franchise. She will really make you work for that final ending. And on PSP version of the game, due to an AI change, she is literally almost impossible to beat without using a specific AC build.

** [[spoiler: White Glint]] in Verdict Day. Missiles? Check. Fast and dodges a lot? Check. [[spoiler: Primal Armor field so you can't hit him? Check. Assault Armor and a massive explosion? Check. A 2nd phase that you take damage wherever you go and it starts to dodge even more?! Check.]] And if that wasn't enough a bonus version of it exist somewhere and it's anyone's guess how hard it is.

** Sol Dios Orbit in For Answer... unless you're playing on hard mode.

* WinBackTheCrowd: Verdict Day for the western fanbase as it has a better setup online, a merged US/EU server, better part selection, increased energy output across the board, Hardcore mode, [[spoiler: White Glint and combining V/VD and the 4/4A continuities together.]] Only time will tell if it holds up.
** Also applies to every expansion as it adds more to each engine, 4 to For Answer is a good example.

* CrackPairing: Shipping is rare in the fandom, but when it occurs it will invariably be this due to the [[FeaturelessProtagonist impersonal nature of the series]]. Usually between the (usually male) protagonist and [[MissionControl their (usually female) operator]] or an optional [[TheSmurfettePrinciple token female]] wingman that can be hired for one or two missions. ''[[FoeYay Last Raven]]'' [[FoeYay protagonist/Zinaida]] is also somewhat frequent, but the most popular by far is ''For Answer'' protagonist/[[EnsembleDarkhorse May Greenfield]].

* GrowingTheBeard: The first game in the series solidifies all of the concepts going forwards, which is impressive as is, but it's pretty rough around the edges and lacking the Arena. ''Project Phantasma'' would add it and expand upon the mechanics with more of a focus on story, whereas ''Master of Arena'' was where it all came together for the best of the initial trilogy. ''Armored Core 2'', however, established so many new standards, mechanics and a higher standard of customization for the franchise going forwards that every single game up to ''Last Raven'' would use them and its engine thoroughly.

* MoralEventHorizon: In For Answer, the Destruction Path ending is this for the player. In the first mission alone, you destroy the five airships that compose Cradle 03 and kill 100,000,000 people. Manage to beat [[NintendoHard the next mission]], and you go on to destroy all of the other Cradles to become the greatest monster that humanity has ever seen.

* MoralEventHorizon: In For Answer, the Destruction Path ending is this for the player.

** Occupation of Arteria Carpals. (It's ThatOneBoss x4 or 5)\\

* EarWorm: What some think of [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2KpKUIC2asI Evergreen Family]] theme music in ''V''.

** In Armored Core 2, the briefer for Emeraude [[VerbalTic rreally likes trrilling his R's for some rreason]]. It's [[WhatTheHellIsThatAccent harrd to tell what kind of accent he's trrying to prresent]] (though going by [[BilingualBonus the name of the company,]] prrobably Frrench), which also makes it harrd to take him serriously sometimes.

* ScrewedByTheNetwork: On the English front of AC V which has two different servers for the game being US and EU, this is bad because the series doesn't sell as well as it does in Japan and the player base is starting to drop due to the game being three patches behind the Japanese version of the game, having multiple [[GameBreaker game breaker's]] and having UnstableEquilibrium kick in.
* ShoutOut: Wynne D. Fanchon is almost certainly one to Literature/{{Xanth}}.

** If you needed any more implication that ''every last one'' of the Corporations in the ''4'' series are full of serpentine bastards, it will be gone after the last mission of Armored Core 4. Why? Their thanks for you taking down Rayleonard and saving their collective hides is [[YouHaveOutlivedYourUsefulness trying to kill you for it]], [[DoomedHometown after burning your colony to the ground]] [[EverybodysDeadDave and presumably killing pretty much everyone in it]]. Oh, [[FightingYourFriend and they blackmail your partner and one of your closest friends]] into it, because if he didn't, [[SadisticChoice they would've done the same to his colony.]] [[spoiler: It's no wonder [[TheDogBitesBack your character]] [[TakeUpMySword takes on White Glint's mantle]] [[DefectorFromDecadence and leads Line Ark in]] ''for Answer.'']]

** In Armored Core 2, the briefer for Emeraude [[VerbalTic rreally likes trrilling his R's for some rreason]]. It's [[WhatTheHellIsThatAccent harrd to tell what kind of accent he's trrying to prresent,]] which also makes it harrd to take him serriously sometimes.

** [[ThatOneBoss Nine-Ball]] [[AwesomeBosses/VideoGames probably]] [[WolverinePublicity counts too.]]

** For Answer White Glint.

* SpecialEffectFailure / SciFiWritersHaveNoSenseOfScale: Either your NEXT spontaneously turns into a Behemoth during ''For Answer's'' Cradle missions, or those 20 million people on board are very, very small indeed.
** It could be handwaved by having their living quarters inside the portions you are supposed to attack. But even then, I highly doubt that those areas are big enough to house 10 million people total.
** When you lose an online match in 5 you bail out of your AC and fly around with a jump pack which is fine, but you're so much bigger than the cars that sit idle on the maps. Even worse is that when you touch them they explode.
*** At least From knows this since they added some silly models for them like a ninja holding onto a raven ([[VideoGame/NinjaBlade Ken?]]) and a mini Nineball Seraph.

The YMMV for VideoGame/ArmoredCore.

* HilariousInHindsight: RD is a NervousWreck deep down, [[spoiler:backstabs his/her friends]], is frequently admonished by Creator/TaraStrong's character, and is regarded by some of the fans as a shallow person. [[WesternAnimation/MyLittlePonyFriendshipIsMagic Now, which franchise does this character belong to?]]

* MoralEventHorizon: For Answer, Ending C.

* OlderThanTheyThink: [[ActionGirl Your part-time partner and proto-operator]] in ''Project Phantasma'' is also called Sumika. However, given ''PP'' and ''4A'' take place it separate universes, it's not the same one.