Armored Core 4

Are giant robots you can sit in actually the future of warfare? Will we tramp around in big mechanical things with legs? Do they even need legs if they can fly? Does a person really need to be sitting in it to make it work? From Software thinks so. Thus we have Armored Core 4, the eleventh instalment in the Armored Core series (confusing, we know). The world of this alternate near-future is not a pretty one. Following a devastating war, brought about by the Earth's over-population, the Corporations have taken over.

This, as you might suspect, is not a good thing. The world's underclass must declare its uncompromising loyalty to a Corporation in exchange for food and shelter, a state of affairs that leaves them as little more than slaves. Fortunately, there's one group with both the will and the means to oppose them: The Ravens. Enter you, the gamer. Armored Core 4 plays out a little differently to other games of the 'giant robot' genre. Instead of plodding about the battlefield blasting the snot out of everything in long, drawn out battles, the emphasis is on clean, fast gameplay. Players are rewarded with points for quick, clean rounds.

And you know what points mean, kids! Points can be used to customise your mech, and the Mech you fly will be crucial to your performance. You'll need just the right upgrades to complete those tricky, hard to beat levels. The game also supports online play. Up to eight players can compete in death matches and team death matches. You'll also get the opportunity to trade parts with those you meet online. See, mechanised war isn't just about killing things - it's a social activity too!