<s>
Armored	B-Application
Core	I-Application
4	I-Application
is	O
a	O
2006	O
vehicular	O
combat	O
game	O
developed	O
by	O
FromSoftware	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
It	O
is	O
the	O
12th	O
installment	O
and	O
4th	O
main	O
installment	O
in	O
the	O
mecha-based	O
Armored	B-Application
Core	I-Application
series	O
,	O
the	O
game	O
serves	O
as	O
a	O
reboot	B-Device
for	O
the	O
franchise	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
It	O
was	O
released	O
for	O
the	O
PlayStation	B-Operating_System
3	I-Operating_System
and	O
Xbox	B-Operating_System
360	I-Operating_System
in	O
Japan	O
in	O
2006	O
and	O
worldwide	O
the	O
following	O
year	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Armored	B-Application
Core	I-Application
4	I-Application
is	O
set	O
in	O
the	O
future	O
where	O
a	O
war	O
has	O
made	O
the	O
nations	O
of	O
Earth	O
devastated	O
and	O
these	O
respective	O
governments	O
have	O
been	O
replaced	O
by	O
corporations	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Conflicts	O
soon	O
begin	O
to	O
break	O
out	O
between	O
the	O
corporations	O
,	O
that	O
use	O
massive	O
combat	O
robots	B-Device
,	O
Armored	B-Application
Cores	I-Application
,	O
to	O
fight	O
each	O
other	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
player	O
is	O
a	O
Lynx	O
,	O
a	O
name	O
given	O
to	O
pilots	O
of	O
highly	O
advanced	O
NEXT	O
Armored	B-Application
Cores	I-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
Armored	B-Application
Core	I-Application
4	I-Application
streamlines	O
many	O
of	O
the	O
features	O
of	O
previous	O
entries	O
while	O
retaining	O
these	O
highly	O
complex	O
customization	O
system	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
In	O
addition	O
to	O
system	B-Device
link	I-Device
and	O
split-screen	O
multiplayer	O
,	O
players	O
can	O
engage	O
in	O
online	O
battles	O
with	O
up	O
to	O
seven	O
other	O
players	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Armored	B-Application
Core	I-Application
4	I-Application
is	O
also	O
notable	O
for	O
being	O
the	O
directorial	O
debut	O
of	O
Hidetaka	O
Miyazaki	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Like	O
previous	O
entries	O
in	O
the	O
franchise	O
,	O
in	O
Armored	B-Application
Core	I-Application
4	I-Application
players	O
pilot	O
mech	O
units	O
called	O
Armored	B-Application
Cores	I-Application
and	O
take	O
on	O
missions	O
in	O
return	O
for	O
credits	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
When	O
starting	O
a	O
new	O
game	O
,	O
players	O
choose	O
from	O
one	O
of	O
several	O
Armored	B-Application
Cores	I-Application
with	O
differing	O
difficulty	O
ratings	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
While	O
system	B-Device
link	I-Device
and	O
split-screen	O
options	O
return	O
,	O
Armored	B-Application
Core	I-Application
4	I-Application
is	O
the	O
first	O
entry	O
outside	O
of	O
Japan	O
to	O
have	O
online	O
multiplayer	O
,	O
since	O
the	O
mode	O
's	O
sole	O
implementation	O
in	O
the	O
Japanese	O
version	O
of	O
Armored	B-Application
Core	I-Application
2	I-Application
:	I-Application
Another	I-Application
Age	I-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
Players	O
on	O
the	O
PlayStation	B-Device
Network	I-Device
or	O
Xbox	B-Application
Live	I-Application
can	O
play	O
with	O
up	O
to	O
7	O
additional	O
players	O
in	O
various	O
deathmatch	O
modes	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
On	O
the	B-Operating_System
Xbox	I-Operating_System
360	I-Operating_System
,	O
Armored	B-Application
Core	I-Application
4	I-Application
introduced	O
achievements	O
to	O
the	O
franchise	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
player	O
character	O
and	O
main	O
character	O
is	O
a	O
freelancer	O
from	O
the	O
civilian	O
colony	O
of	O
Anatolia	O
that	O
is	O
soon	O
chosen	O
to	O
pilot	O
a	O
NEXT	O
which	O
is	O
a	O
highly	O
advanced	O
Armored	B-Application
Core	I-Application
unit	O
,	O
and	O
is	O
assigned	O
Fiona	O
Jarnefeldt	O
as	O
his	O
operator	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
With	O
this	O
new	O
fame	O
,	O
the	O
player	O
is	O
hired	O
to	O
fight	O
in	O
minor	O
skirmishes	O
between	O
corporations	O
,	O
which	O
escalates	O
until	O
they	O
are	O
hired	O
by	O
Global	O
Armaments	O
to	O
destroy	O
a	O
series	O
of	O
prototypes	B-Application
developed	O
by	O
a	O
seceding	O
company	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
After	O
the	O
war	O
,	O
Joshua	O
is	O
blackmailed	O
into	O
piloting	O
a	O
prototype	B-Application
NEXT	O
and	O
is	O
sent	O
to	O
destroy	O
Anatolia	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Armored	B-Application
Core	I-Application
4	I-Application
was	O
initially	O
released	O
in	O
Japan	O
for	O
the	O
Sony	B-Operating_System
PlayStation	I-Operating_System
3	I-Operating_System
on	O
December	O
21	O
,	O
2006	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
FromSoftware	O
partnered	O
with	O
Sega	O
and	O
released	O
a	O
North	O
American	O
version	O
for	O
the	O
PlayStation	B-Operating_System
3	I-Operating_System
and	O
Xbox	B-Operating_System
360	I-Operating_System
on	O
March	O
20	O
,	O
2007	O
,	O
followed	O
by	O
a	O
Japanese	O
release	O
on	O
the	B-Operating_System
Xbox	I-Operating_System
360	I-Operating_System
few	O
days	O
later	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
In	O
Europe	O
,	O
FromSoftware	O
partnered	O
with	O
505	O
Games	O
and	O
released	O
the	O
game	O
for	O
the	O
PlayStation	B-Operating_System
3	I-Operating_System
and	O
Xbox	B-Operating_System
360	I-Operating_System
on	O
June	O
22	O
,	O
2007	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Armored	B-Application
Core	I-Application
4	I-Application
received	O
"	O
mixed	O
or	O
average	O
"	O
reviews	O
on	O
both	O
platforms	O
according	O
to	O
the	O
review	B-Application
aggregator	I-Application
website	O
Metacritic	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
In	O
Japan	O
,	O
Famitsu	O
gave	O
the	O
PlayStation	B-Operating_System
3	I-Operating_System
version	O
a	O
score	O
of	O
31	O
out	O
of	O
40	O
,	O
while	O
Famitsu	O
Xbox	B-Operating_System
360	I-Operating_System
gave	O
the	B-Operating_System
Xbox	I-Operating_System
360	I-Operating_System
version	O
a	O
score	O
of	O
32	O
out	O
of	O
40	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Reviewers	O
found	O
that	O
Armored	B-Application
Core	I-Application
4	I-Application
's	O
graphical	O
update	O
was	O
a	O
welcome	O
addition	O
following	O
its	O
increasingly	O
outdated	O
visuals	O
over	O
the	O
last	O
several	O
titles	O
,	O
but	O
noted	O
that	O
there	O
were	O
still	O
issues	O
with	O
the	O
visual	O
presentation	O
of	O
the	O
game	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Gamespot	O
's	O
Tom	O
Magrino	O
wrote	O
that	O
after	O
years	O
of	O
"	O
pining	O
for	O
a	O
graphical	O
update	O
"	O
that	O
the	O
"	O
update	O
has	O
now	O
arrived	O
"	O
,	O
though	O
he	O
had	O
reservations	O
about	O
the	O
blandness	O
of	O
certain	O
environments	O
and	O
clipping	B-Algorithm
issues	O
with	O
mechs	O
on	O
hilly	O
terrain	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Bryan	O
Vore	O
of	O
Game	O
Informer	O
opened	O
his	O
review	O
by	O
stating	O
the	O
"	O
biggest	O
surprises	O
"	O
found	O
in	O
Armored	B-Application
Core	I-Application
4	I-Application
is	O
the	O
multiplatform	B-Operating_System
status	O
of	O
the	O
title	O
and	O
the	O
"	O
next-gen	O
graphical	O
makeover	O
"	O
.	O
</s>
