<s>
is	O
a	O
1997	O
third-person	O
shooter	O
mech	O
video	O
game	O
developed	O
by	O
FromSoftware	O
and	O
published	O
by	O
Sony	O
Computer	O
Entertainment	O
for	O
the	O
PlayStation	B-Device
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
game	O
is	O
the	O
first	O
entry	O
in	O
the	O
Armored	B-Application
Core	I-Application
series	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
A	O
digital	O
port	O
was	O
released	O
in	O
2007	O
in	O
Japan	O
and	O
2015	O
in	O
North	O
America	O
on	O
the	O
PlayStation	B-Device
Network	I-Device
as	O
a	O
part	O
of	O
the	O
PSone	B-Application
Classics	I-Application
line	O
of	O
games	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
story	O
introduces	O
many	O
elements	O
that	O
are	O
commonly	O
found	O
in	O
later	O
games	O
in	O
the	O
series	O
,	O
such	O
as	O
corporatocracies	O
and	O
mech	O
robots	O
known	O
as	O
"	O
Armored	B-Application
Cores	I-Application
"	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
game	O
takes	O
place	O
in	O
a	O
future	O
Earth	O
that	O
has	O
been	O
wiped	O
out	O
by	O
a	O
cataclysm	O
and	O
forced	O
humanity	O
underground	O
,	O
a	O
theme	O
which	O
would	O
continue	O
until	O
Armored	B-Application
Core	I-Application
4	I-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
Gameplay	O
involves	O
controlling	O
Armored	B-Application
Cores	I-Application
in	O
combat	O
scenarios	O
against	O
other	O
Cores	O
and	O
vehicles	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
game	O
has	O
a	O
two-player	O
versus	O
mode	O
using	O
a	O
split	O
screen	O
or	O
the	O
PlayStation	B-Device
Link	I-Device
Cable	I-Device
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
player	O
is	O
a	O
Raven	O
and	O
pilots	O
an	O
Armored	B-Application
Core	I-Application
,	O
powerful	O
mecha	O
robots	O
that	O
fight	O
for	O
the	O
highest	O
bidder	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Kawamori	O
was	O
approached	O
before	O
the	O
PlayStation	B-Device
's	O
launch	O
and	O
during	O
this	O
time	O
,	O
the	O
concept	O
of	O
a	O
player-designed	O
modular	O
mecha	O
was	O
one	O
of	O
the	O
game	O
's	O
only	O
set	O
ideas	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Kawamori	O
thought	O
that	O
too	O
much	O
player	O
freedom	O
would	O
hinder	O
the	O
team	O
's	O
ability	O
to	O
form	O
a	O
unique	O
visual	O
identity	O
for	O
the	O
game	O
,	O
so	O
he	O
proposed	O
the	O
concept	O
of	O
"	O
armored	B-Application
cores	I-Application
,	O
"	O
a	O
system	O
in	O
which	O
the	O
modularity	O
revolved	O
around	O
changes	O
around	O
a	O
core	O
block	O
containing	O
the	O
cockpit	O
,	O
engine	O
,	O
and	O
joint	O
connectors	O
for	O
the	O
limbs	O
and	O
so	O
on	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Armored	B-Application
Core	I-Application
was	O
initially	O
released	O
in	O
Japan	O
for	O
the	O
Sony	B-Device
PlayStation	I-Device
on	O
July	O
10	O
,	O
1997	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
As	O
a	O
part	O
of	O
Sony	O
's	O
PSone	B-Application
Classics	I-Application
banner	O
,	O
Armored	B-Application
Core	I-Application
was	O
re-released	O
in	O
Japan	O
for	O
the	O
PlayStation	B-Operating_System
3	I-Operating_System
(	O
and	O
later	O
the	O
PlayStation	B-Device
Vita	I-Device
)	O
on	O
July	O
26	O
,	O
2007	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
In	O
North	O
America	O
,	O
the	O
game	O
was	O
re-released	O
on	O
March	O
24	O
,	O
2015	O
for	O
the	O
PlayStation	B-Operating_System
3	I-Operating_System
,	O
PlayStation	B-Operating_System
Portable	I-Operating_System
,	O
and	O
PlayStation	B-Device
Vita	I-Device
.	O
</s>
<s>
Armored	B-Application
Core	I-Application
became	O
a	O
title	O
for	O
the	O
Japanese	O
release	O
of	O
the	O
PlayStation	B-Device
Classic	I-Device
on	O
December	O
3	O
,	O
2018	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
game	O
has	O
not	O
been	O
released	O
on	O
PlayStation	B-Device
Classic	I-Device
consoles	O
in	O
other	O
regions	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Reviewers	O
praised	O
the	O
gameplay	O
of	O
Armored	B-Application
Core	I-Application
,	O
highlighting	O
the	O
depth	O
of	O
customization	O
options	O
afforded	O
to	O
the	O
player	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Armored	B-Application
Cores	I-Application
story	O
was	O
criticized	O
as	O
unoriginal	O
and	O
underdeveloped	O
,	O
while	O
some	O
reviewers	O
also	O
commented	O
on	O
the	O
length	O
of	O
the	O
campaign	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
However	O
,	O
most	O
critics	O
felt	O
that	O
the	O
inclusion	O
of	O
a	O
story	O
campaign	O
with	O
sophisticated	O
missions	O
put	O
Armored	B-Application
Core	I-Application
a	O
cut	O
above	O
its	O
contemporary	O
Virtual	B-Application
On	I-Application
:	I-Application
Cyber	I-Application
Troopers	I-Application
,	O
which	O
contains	O
only	O
small-scale	O
mech	O
vs.	O
mech	O
fights	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
game	O
held	O
a	O
75%	O
on	O
the	O
review	B-Application
aggregation	I-Application
website	O
GameRankings	O
at	O
the	O
time	O
of	O
its	O
2019	O
closure	O
,	O
based	O
on	O
eight	O
reviews	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Armored	B-Application
Core	I-Application
is	O
the	O
first	O
entry	O
in	O
a	O
mech	O
game	O
series	O
of	B-Application
the	I-Application
same	I-Application
name	I-Application
,	O
and	O
spawned	O
many	O
sequels	O
,	O
including	O
Armored	B-Application
Core	I-Application
:	I-Application
Project	I-Application
Phantasma	I-Application
and	O
Armored	B-Application
Core	I-Application
:	I-Application
Master	I-Application
of	I-Application
Arena	I-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
making	O
of	O
Armored	B-Application
Core	I-Application
solidified	O
FromSoftware	O
's	O
development	O
skills	O
,	O
and	O
in	O
July	O
1999	O
,	O
they	O
released	O
the	O
multiplayer	O
action	O
game	O
Frame	B-Application
Gride	I-Application
for	O
the	O
Sega	B-Operating_System
Dreamcast	I-Operating_System
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
company	O
's	O
focus	O
would	O
shift	O
from	O
RPGs	O
to	O
mech	O
games	O
due	O
in	O
part	O
to	O
the	O
success	O
of	O
the	O
Armored	B-Application
Core	I-Application
series	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
In	O
2002	O
,	O
FromSoftware	O
released	O
the	O
mech	O
action	O
game	O
Murakumo	B-Application
:	I-Application
Renegade	I-Application
Mech	I-Application
Pursuit	I-Application
for	O
the	O
Xbox	B-Protocol
.	O
</s>
<s>
In	O
2004	O
,	O
they	O
released	O
another	O
Xbox	B-Protocol
title	O
,	O
Metal	B-Application
Wolf	I-Application
Chaos	I-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
In	O
2005	O
,	O
FromSoftware	O
would	O
start	O
to	O
produce	O
a	O
series	O
of	O
licensed	O
games	O
based	O
on	O
the	O
various	O
anime	O
properties	O
under	O
the	O
banner	O
Another	B-Application
Century	I-Application
's	I-Application
Episode	I-Application
.	O
</s>
