Metal Wolf Chaos (2004)

Wow, what a game. Armored Core VI this certainly is not. However, It's pretty wild to see just how much in common From Software's modern era mech-action game design shares its DNA with this weird old relic, that despite being a parody of American political action thrillers, was never actually released in America until 2019! Taking control of the President of the United States of America, you embark on a mission to stop a military coup staged by the Vice President and liberate some of the most iconic cities of the good old U.S. of A. Ture toi the cult reputation this game has garnered over the years, hilarity quickly ensues. The dialog is utterly priceless and the game features the type of poorly-translated, trope-riddled, amateurly-performed voice acting work found in the likes of House of the Dead or Resident Evil 1. For all of these “faults”, however, a singularly charming experience is found within this odd nugget of a game. The mech combat, while somewhat crude and rudimentary, is actually quite fun once you get the hang of it. The loop of clearing missions, taking down massive bosses, acquiring new weapons and experimenting with builds as you do in the Armored Core games is just as satisfying here. Some missions can be a bit of a headache but the overall difficulty doesn't detract from the flow of the game or the momentum of the narrative. It's not long and by the time the final string of battles rolls around (which I don't want to spoil but suffice it to say they save some of the best locations for last) it's pretty impossible not to respect the absolute bat-shittery of it all. Whether you’re a Fromsoft historian, are into campy old Japanese games, or just want a good slice of red-blooded Americana filtered through a very um… unique perspective, this is an easy recommendation.