alrighty, if you have never played an armored core game before, i guess this is as good of a time to start as any!
lets start out easy...you play as a raven, or a pilot of a 'core' or whats commonly referred to as a mech...you go around doing various missions, gaining money and recognition so that you can compete in the arena and win extra parts and make it to the top of the totem pole
the graphics are pretty darn good, a nice boost over AC2 and AC2:AA. everything is pretty sharp, and the draw distance is a bit improved...and less fog..which is a good thing! the sound is practically the same as previous AC games, which isnt a bad thing, and the control is a bit tighter than previous games...but still takes a while to get use to.
now the best part of this game is still gaining money to beef up your core. you can make it a slow mammoth machine with lots of armor and weapons, or a fast mech that can do circles around others but cant carry as many weapons...ive made both, and both are fun to play as (although i enjoy speed and flying rather than armored and slow) the multiplayer game is pretty fun too, but not much has been improved from previous games.
my complaints...well the sound is still the same, the controls are still difficult to get a grip of, and there are still graphical errors...also, you cant import your previous mechs, which really sucks
i recommend this game to all mech fans, if you havent played AC2, then you might as well start with this game, since its practically the same thing, but updated