Software:Armored Core: Verdict Day

Short description: 2013 video game

Armored Core: Verdict Day
Developer(s)	FromSoftware
Publisher(s)	Namco Bandai Games JP: FromSoftware
Director(s)	Naoyuki Takahashi
Producer(s)	Toshifumi Nabeshima
Programmer(s)	Kyoichi Murata
Composer(s)	Kota Hoshino Yuka Kitamura
Series	Armored Core
Platform(s)	PlayStation 3, Xbox 360
Release	NA: September 24, 2013 JP/AU: September 26, 2013 EU: September 27, 2013
Genre(s)	Vehicular combat
Mode(s)	Single-player, multiplayer

Armored Core: Verdict Day is a mech action game developed by FromSoftware and was published worldwide in September 2013 by Namco Bandai Games for PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360. It is the 15th installment in the Armored Core series and a direct sequel to Armored Core V.

Gameplay

The storyline is set in a future world wherein three factions are fighting over natural resources. In online multiplayer mode, which is the main focus of the game, players select a faction and battle players from the others, either in teams or by forming their own team of artificial intelligence-driven mechs called UNACs. These UNACs can be customized with different weapons and skills, and the behavior of AI mechs can be customized as well with their battle tactics and battlefield behavior being fine-tuned through the use of different chips. These chips allow the UNACs' engagement range, weapon usage, speed, line of sight, and other aspects to be modified according to the players' desires. If a player is in the operator seat, no actual players need be on the battlefield; UNACs can be simultaneously deployed, up to taking all 4 player slots as long as a human player acts as operator, and can then dictate objectives and spot specific enemies for each UNAC. The persistent world is reset when one faction dominates the others or when the season ends.

The online servers for Armored Core: Verdict Day were shut down on March 31, 2024.

Plot

Verdict Day is set 100 years after the events of Armored Core V. The contamination that shrouded much of Earth has begun to subside, exposing the seven Towers: 20-kilometer tall structures containing ancient, highly advanced technology. Disputes over control of the Towers have escalated into the Verdict War, which is principally fought between the "Three Forces": Venide, an autocratic quasi-feudal state that wants to use the Towers to build a world based on the principle of "might is right"; Sirius Corporation, a federation of resource-rich settlements that intends to administer the Towers for the prosperity of all people; and Evergreen Family, a semi-theocratic organization that arose from the refugees who Frances Batty Curtis led out of The City a century ago, and which now seeks to restore the Earth's natural environment. A fourth major power is The Foundation, a research group which claims neutrality in the Verdict War and supplies the Three Forces with advanced weapons, including UNACs (Unmanned Armored Cores). Also of note, an enigmatic four-man Armored Core team called Reaper Squad sometimes intervenes in battles between the factions, attacking all combatants indiscriminately.

The player is an AC pilot known only as the Lone Mercenary, who is supported by transport pilot "Fatman" and operator Magnolia "Maggy" Curtis, a retired ace mercenary and descendant of Frances. The Lone Mercenary initially works contracts for the Three Forces in the Verdict War, some of which involve hunting other mercenaries, whom the Three Factions despise for refusing to pledge loyalty to them. The status quo is interrupted when The Foundation activates a hidden control mechanism in the UNACs, turning them against the Three Forces and seizing all of the Towers. The Lone Mercenary is given missions to counter The Foundation and becomes a target of Reaper Squad, who are discovered to be cybernetically-enhanced pilots in league with The Foundation. Maggy, who retired after being injured by Reaper Squad two years earlier yet never lost her passion for battle, eventually abandons the Lone Mercenary and Fatman when Reaper Squad offers her the means to pilot an AC again. The other members of Reaper Squad subsequently reveal that their purpose is to eliminate exceptional AC pilots, such as the Lone Mercenary and Maggy, to prevent the rise of another "Dark Raven", the legendary AC pilot who defeated the AC named Exusia a century ago. During an assault on one of The Foundation's last strongholds, the Lone Mercenary confronts Maggy, who insists on fighting to the death even when her AC suffers crippling damage.

Following Maggy's defeat, The Foundation's nameless leader challenges the Lone Mercenary to a duel with Reaper Squad's commander and last surviving member, "J", who is armed with the N-WGIX/v, an ancient AC model retrieved from a Tower. The Lone Mercenary destroys J, but it is a hollow victory. The Foundation's leader explains he harbors a boundless hatred of humanity and desires its extinction, gloating that the Towers contain automated factories that have been set to produce hostile UNACs indefinitely. As a result, the Three Forces will continue to be mired in the Verdict War long after the Foundation leader's demise, preventing any of them from restoring order to the world and giving humanity hope for the future. Fatman defiantly retorts that he and the Lone Mercenary will keep fighting as long as they are able.

Reception

Reception
Review scores Publication Score PS3 Xbox 360 Eurogamer 8/10 N/A Famitsu 34/40 34/40 GameSpot N/A 6/10 GamesRadar+ N/A GamesTM 6/10 N/A IGN 7.6/10 N/A OPM (AU) 6/10 N/A OPM (UK) 6/10 N/A OXM (US) N/A 7.5/10 The Digital Fix 6/10 N/A Metro 6/10 N/A Aggregate score Metacritic 66/100 65/100

Verdict Day received "mixed or average reviews" on both platforms according to the review aggregation website Metacritic. Critics pointed the difficulty for newcomers to understand the game and weak story. Most critics agreed that the game would be successful with those who are already into the series but would suffer to add new players to its fanbase. In a more positive light, IGN, although acknowledging the weak graphics and confusing menus of the PS3 version, remarked: "A special kind of magic here that most games would never even attempt".

In Japan, Famitsu gave it a score of two nines and two eights for a total of 34 out of 40. One editor wrote: "The game's pretty difficult and you have to use a ton of buttons, which makes the hurdles seem pretty high at first. But the more you plug away at it, the more you can really feel how much better you're getting at it, which is nice". Another wrote: "The game's focused primarily on online play and that may scare off some players right there. There is a tutorial, but beyond that, you're pretty much thrown into the wilderness. This makes the missions pretty tough from the start, but the mercenaries and UNAC auto-AI system provide beginners with a fair amount of backup, which is key. It's the kind of game that rewards repeated trial and error as you play, and so if you like that, here it is".

See also

• Software:Armored Core: Formula Front
• BASIC STUDIO Powerful Game Koubou, a 2001 PS2 game creation title by Artdink featuring a sample game based on their title Carnage Heart
• Breeder, a 1986 Famicom algorithm-based simulation combat game by SoftPro
• ChipWits
• COMSIGHT, a 1987 PC88, X1, and X68000 algorithm-based simulation combat game by Technosoft
• MindRover
• Omega (video game)
• Pandora Project: The Logic Master, a 1996 PS1 algorithm-based simulation combat game by Team Bughouse very similar to Carnage Heart
• Robot Odyssey
• Robot X Robot, a 1999 PS1 algorithm-based simulation combat game by Nemesys
• RoboSport
• Logic simulation

References

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External links

• Official website
• MobyGames is a commercial database website that catalogs information on video games and the people and companies behind them via crowdsourcing. This includes over 300,000 games for hundreds of platforms. Founded in 1999, ownership of the site has changed hands several times. It has been owned by Atari SA since 2022.

Features

Edits and submissions to the site (including screenshots, box art, developer information, game summaries, and more) go through a verification process of fact-checking by volunteer "approvers". This lengthy approval process after submission can range from minutes to days or months. The most commonly used sources are the video game's website, packaging, and credit screens. There is a published standard for game information and copy-editing. A ranking system allows users to earn points for contributing accurate information.

Registered users can rate and review games. Users can create private or public "have" and "want" lists, which can generate a list of games available for trade with other registered users. The site contains an integrated forum. Each listed game can have its own sub-forum.

History

Logo used until March 2014

MobyGames was founded on March 1, 1999, by Jim Leonard and Brian Hirt, and joined by David Berk 18 months later, the three of which had been friends since high school. Leonard had the idea of sharing information about computer games with a larger audience. The database began with information about games for IBM PC compatibles, relying on the founders' personal collections. Eventually, the site was opened up to allow general users to contribute information. In a 2003 interview, Berk emphasized MobyGames' dedication to taking video games more seriously than broader society and to preserving games for their important cultural influence.

In mid-2010, MobyGames was purchased by GameFly for an undisclosed amount. This was announced to the community post factum , and the site's interface was given an unpopular redesign. A few major contributors left, refusing to do volunteer work for a commercial website.{{Citation needed|date=June 2025} On December 18, 2013, MobyGames was acquired by Jeremiah Freyholtz, owner of Blue Flame Labs (a San Francisco-based game and web development company) and VGBoxArt (a site for fan-made video game box art). Blue Flame Labs reverted MobyGames' interface to its pre-overhaul look and feel, and for the next eight years, the site was run by Freyholtz and Independent Games Festival organizer Simon Carless.

On November 24, 2021, Atari SA announced a potential deal with Blue Flame Labs to purchase MobyGames for $1.5 million. The purchase was completed on 8 March 2022, with Freyholtz remaining as general manager. Over the next year, the financial boost given by Atari led to a rework of the site being built from scratch with a new backend codebase, as well as updates improving the mobile and desktop user interface. This was accomplished by investing in full-time development of the site instead of its previously part-time development.

In 2024, MobyGames began offering a paid "Pro" membership option for the site to generate additional revenue. Previously, the site had generated income exclusively through banner ads and (from March 2014 onward) a small number of patrons via the Patreon website.

See also

• IGDB – game database used by Twitch for its search and discovery functions