History VideoGame / ArmoredCore1

** Subverted in the case of the Escapee. With his dying words, he tries to warn you of the truth of Human Plus. Showing that he wasn't deranged, but merely had broken from the Raven's Nest AI's control. With you being sent in to eliminate him before he could do significant damage to the AI's plans.
* DiscOneNuke: The WG-1-KARASAWA can be obtained early-on during the "Destroy Fuel Depot" mission, this energy rifle boasts high damage (which can be further increased with optional parts) capable of destroying most enemies in one or two shots, along with an ammo cost of zero, making it a great crutch for beginners. However the small locking area and low ammo count might discourage it's use on later missions.

* EarlyInstallmentWeirdness: [[{{Downplayed}} Not as much as you might expect]]. Despite being the first entry in a now long running franchise, the game's atmosphere and gameplay firmly establish the foundation that the rest of the series would generally only expand on in increments. The most significant point of difference is the lack of an Arena (although some futures entries wouldn't have one either), as well as the poor weapon balancing and unusually unforgiving debt system.

* MasterComputer: [[spoiler: At the very end, it's revealed that behind the Raven's Nest is a computer core, implied to have been left as some sort of security net to keep society and the corporation's war stagnant and prevent an event like the Great Destructing from happening again. Its destruction brings about the end of the "Age of Rebirth", though as ''Armored Core 2'' shows, humanity carried on fine regardless.]]
* MercyMode: If the player incurs too much credit debt (50K), a cutscene shows the player character selling their body to science and undergoing experimental "Human Plus" surgery and restarting the game with your debts cleared, your existing inventory and a new ability. The process can be undertaken multiple times, giving increasingly useful augmentations like having a built-in radar, doubled energy, being able to fire energy waves from laser swords, and getting the ability to fire heavy shoulder-mounted weapons from bipedal legs without kneeing.
* MirrorMatch: Every enemy AC fought in the game uses parts that are also available to the player. Meaning that the player can create and pilot a mech with the exact same build as them, even against them.

* RewardingVandalism: Some missions reward with extra cash you for going out of your way to destroy non-critical enemies and infrastructure. In particular, "Attack Urban Center" gives you extra $$$ for every monorail, cars, guard mechs and even signposts destroyed.
** Even some hidden items (often among the most powerful in the game) are hidden behind non-critical or even friendly targets

* StoryBranching: Depending on whether the player pick the mission "Secret Factory Recon" or "Guard Factory Entrance", the player will be locked into two story branches in support of Chrome or Murakumo for the mid to late game. [[spoiler:The story eventually converges in the final act as both companies end up annihilated regardless, though the circumstances leading up to it are different.]]

A third-person action MechaGame released by Creator/FromSoftware in 1997 for the original UsefulNotes/PlayStation, and the first installment in the [[VideoGame/ArmoredCore eponymous series]].

The game is followed by the [[MissionPackSequel sequel slash expansion packs]] ''VideoGame/ArmoredCoreProjectPhantasma'' and ''VideoGame/ArmoredCoreMasterOfArena'' on the same console and ''VideoGame/ArmoredCore2'' on the UsefulNotes/Playstation2. As part of a MilestoneCelebration, original ConceptArt, music, and remade missions are included on the bonus "Revolution" disc for ''VideoGame/ArmoredCoreNexus''. The game would prove to be a remarkably solid template for the rest of the series, with none of the sequels until 2007's ''VideoGame/ArmoredCore4'' making many fundamental changes to the core gameplay and game structure.

* ItsAWonderfulFailure: Failing the final mission "Destroy floating mines" results in a FMV cutscene showing records of your existence [[{{Unperson}} being deleted from the Raven's Nest database]].

* NonStandardGameOver: Failing any mission after the fall of Chrome and Murakumo will treat the player to a special game over sequence in which their personal records are deleted [[KilledOffForReal after confirming their termination,]] rather than sending them back to the Raven's Nest interface.

* NonStandardGameOver: Failing any mission after the fall of Chrome and Murakumo will treat the player to a special game over sequence in which their personal records are deleted [[HaveANiceDeath after confirming their termination,]] rather than sending them back to the Raven's Nest interface.

* EarlyInstallmentWeirdness: [[{{Downplayed}} Not as much as you might expect]]. Despite being the first entry in a now long running franchise, the game's plot and gameplay firmly establish the foundation that the rest of the series would generally only expand on in increments. The most significant point of difference is the lack of an Arena (although some futures entries wouldn't have one either), as well as the poor weapon balancing and unusually unforgiving debt system.

[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/armored_core_front.jpg]]
[[caption-width-right:350:''From this moment on, you are a Raven.'']]

* HarmlessEnemy: The mission "Worker Robot Removal" tasks you with destroying tiny, barely-mobile robots who can't harm you in any way. The challenge is dealing with them without having a stray round hit one the active generators around the place and incurring a monster bill.

* MercyMode: If the player incurs too much (50k) debt, a cutscene shows the player character selling their body to science and undergoing experimental "Human Plus" surgery and restarting the game with your debts cleared, your existing inventory and a new ability. The process can be undertaken multiple times, giving increasingly useful cheats like having a built-in radar, doubled energy, being able to fire energy waves from laser blades, getting the ability to fire shoulder-mounted weapons from bipedal legs without kneeing, and so on.

* SkippableBoss: There's nothing actually forcing the player to destroy [[spoiler:either Nine Balls]] in the final mission before destroying the core, though getting past it in the narrow corridor can be difficult.

* ShootTheTelevision: In the ending for the Murakumo Path, a disgruntled man throws a pipe at a TV after watching a new reports describing emerging competition between Murakumo and the up-and-coming Verge coporation, having realized that Chrome's uprising has been for nothing.
* StoryBranching: Depending on wheter the player pick the mission "Secret Factory Recon" or "Guard Factory Entrance", the player will be locked into two story branches in support of Chrome or Murakumo for the mid to late game. [[spoiler:The story eventually converges in the final act as both companies end up annihilated regardless, though the circumstances leading up to it are different.]]

The game is followed by the [[MissionPackSequel sequel slash expansion packs]] ''VideoGame/ArmoredCoreProjectPhantasma'' and ''VideoGame/ArmoredCoreMasterOfArena'' on the same console and ''VideoGame/ArmoredCore2'' on the UsefulNotes/Playstation2. As part of a MilestoneCelebration, original ConceptArt, music, and remade missions are included on the bonus "Revolution" disc for ''VideoGame/ArmoredCoreNexus''. The game would prove to be a remarkably solid template for the rest of the series, with none of the sequels until 2007's ''VideoGame/ArmoredCore4'' doing many fundamental changes to the core gameplay and game structure.

* GreatOffscreenWar: The nature of the Great Destruction and who fought it is not elaborated upon in-game, though some missions involve assists in the securing of pre-war military assets. External materials go into further detail; escalating economical crises, environmental destruction and food shortages led to global riots, which leading nations tried to resolve in one swift blow using the KillSat "Justice"; predictably, not only did this fail to quell the unrest, it further destroyed the environment, leading to rising sea levels and years-long tropical fires which made the surface world borderline inhabitable. With the concept of "countries" itself now all but demolished, what remained of humanity retreated underground to relative safety.

* RedHerring: The final mission is officially named "Destroy floating mines". The mines are easily the ''least'' important part of the mission.

* GreatOffscreenWar: The nature of the Great Destruction and who fought it is not elaborated upon. Some missions involve assists in the securing of pre-war military assets.

* StoryBranching: Depending on wheter the player pick the mission "Secret Factory Recon" or "Guard Factory Entrance", the player will be locked into two story branches in support of Chrome or Murakumo for the mid to late game.

* DiscOneFinalBoss: During the "Attack Urban Center" mission, the player will encounter the rank #2 Raven [[{{ActionGirl}} Valkyrie]] at the last minute, her AC is extremely powerful and can easily destroy a new player's AC. While she can be defeated in this mission, it might be easier to hide and evade her during the last minute to avoid the extra ammo and repair costs or outright failing the mission.

* SkippableBoss: There's nothing actually forcing the player to destroy [[spoiler:eithe] Nine Balls]] in the final mission before destroying the core, though getting past it in the narrow corridor can be difficult.

The game is followed by the [[MissionPackSequel sequel slash expansion packs]] ''VideoGame/ArmoredCoreProjectPhantasma'' and ''VideoGame/ArmoredCoreMasterOfArena'' on the same console and ''VideoGame/ArmoredCore2'' on the UsefulNotes/Playstation2. As part of a MilestoneCelebration, original concept art, music and remade missions are included on the bonus "Revolution" disc for ''VideoGame/ArmoredCoreNexus''. The game would prove to be a remarkably solid template for the rest of the series, with none of the sequels until 2007's ''VideoGame/ArmoredCore4'' doing much fundamental changes to the core gameplay and game structure.

A third-person action MechaGame released by Creator/FromSoftware in 1997 for the orginal UsefulNotes/PlayStation, and the first installment in the [[VideoGame/ArmoredCore eponymous series]].

* HarmlessEnemy: The mission "Worker Robot Removal" tasks you with destroying tiny, barely-mobile robots who can't harm you in any way. The challenge is dealing them without driving a stray around in the active generators around the place and incurring a monster bill.