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	Armored Core 2   Developer  From Software Game Type  3D Combat Distributor  Agetec Date Posted  May 00

This sequel to the popular Armored Core series will be reincarnated as PlayStation 2 title, on a new game system with redesigned superb graphics. The Armored Core series is a "combat machine simulator" in which the player customizes and assembles a unique machine to accomplish various missions. The key feature of this game is the creation and control of a unique machine by combining the various armaments designed by Masaharu Kawamori, renowned for his work in "Super Defense Fortress Macross." The player can create a custom machine from more than 10 billion patterns, including color customization, giving the player the access to freely control that machine. The missions in the game are comprised of 3-D action from a quarterback view, allowing the player to feel as if he is actually piloting his AC machine from within the cockpit. The stunning visual effects are true to the mech fighter anime genre. The advanced operation patterns of the enemy machines controlled by the computer (AI) are designed to simulate enemy movements as if they were actually under human control. By fully utilizing the functions of PlayStation 2, this product enhances the strengths of the AC series. Not only does it recreate a realistic dimension in gaming, it spares nothing in terms of action features, adding to the thrill of upgrading and exchanging parts that will improve the player's machine. Where it all begins…         For the Corporations, soldiers were nothing but expendable tools in the battlefields, and were held in low regard by society. However, the soldiers known as the "Ravens" were guaranteed freedom and independence. They were admired and respected by all other soldiers. For those who had fled the Earth's impoverish underground cities to become soldiers, membership as a "Raven" signified the ultimate status and admiration they could achieve. And so a new soldier aspires to become a member of the famed Ravens. The player is a soldier. By using the money collected through success in the missions assigned to him, the player improves his machine by purchasing parts and upgrading its functions. The ultimate goal is to attain the title of "Nine Breaker," which is the highest position in the ranking of soldiers. The story changes depending on which corporation the soldier aligns himself. The player also has different paths to choose from, in different situations depending on the mission and part that are purchased. The player can thus experience different scenarios every time he/ she finishes a story. The game also offers various modes such as the arena mode, where the player can enjoy one-on-one battle with CPU-controlled machines, a fighting mode with the communication cable, and the two-player split battle mode that divides the TV screen into two halves. Armored Core History         Following the end of the final war referred to as the "Great Destruction," mankind was forced to flee the earth's surface and move into underground cities. The concept of "nations" no longer existed, and the underground world controlled by corporations became the home and world for mankind. In fact, it was all that mankind had left. However, as a result of increasingly severe competition between the corporations, the uncontrollable subterranean world became a battlefield for wars between them. The Corporation Wars intensified, finally escalating to a full-scale war involving the entire subterranean world. This conflict, which later became known as the Deep Earth War, lasted for nearly 30 years. It resulted in the pollution of underground air due to damaged ventilation systems, along with shortages in food and natural resources. The subterranean world was at the brink of being uninhabitable when the Corporations decided to cooperate and join forces in order to relocate back to the surface of the planet, which was beginning to show signs of recovery from the Great Destruction. The relocation project overcame many severe difficulties, and over a course of approximately 10 years cities were formed on the surface and people slowly began returning to the surface. As the world stabilized somewhat, the monstrous conglomerate Zio Matrix, which had attained status as the planet's largest corporation, acquired plans that were in progress prior to the Great Destruction. Those documents described the exploration of the planet Mars and the use of unmanned robots with artificial intelligence technology to execute the "Mars Terra-Forming Plan." Zio Matrix immediately dispatched a large-scale research team to Mars, and discovered the possibility of terra-forming the planet Mars for people to inhabit. After the return of the Mars Research Team, a meeting was held between all the corporations, upon which the "Agreement on Common Usage of Martian Resources" was concluded. In this agreement, Zio Matrix made the other corporations agree to letting it have priority in developing various main industries on Mars in recognition of Zio Matrix's efforts to initiate the Mars Terra-Forming Plan. Many corporations set up operations on Mars, and Martian communities were created over the course of around 20 years, resulting in a mass migration to Mars involving 30 to 40 percent of Earth's population. As the Martian communities matured, the war that had taken place on Earth between the corporations was transported to the neighboring planet. The war on the new frontier became more ferocious than the Earth had ever seen. And it is in this environment that mankind began creating a history on this new home planet, Mars. Settings…         Raven In the world of AC2 the rank of Raven is an honor given outstanding soldiers, and therefore it's a sign of admiration for many soldiers. Ravens face greater risk, of course, but it is said that a life of wealth is guaranteed because the rewards are also much greater than that of a normal soldier. Soldiers that accomplish a set number of missions are chosen for membership in the Ravens by the organization that recruits soldiers. In addition, there are several rankings within the Ravens, and the soldier at the top of the Arena rankings will be given the title Nine Breaker, after a legendary, long-past Raven. Zio Matrix Company A monstrous general corporation that is at constant battle with Emeraude for the number-one position on Earth. Emeraude Company A general corporation that is in severe competition with Zio Matrix. Blitz Company A corporation that aims at technological advancement. It's a corporation that specializes in communications technologies and typically maintains a neutral position within the corporations.