Armored Core: Project Phantasma - Gameplay

Gameplay

Project Phantasma continued from where Armored Core left off. Players could either start a new game or convert their previous save data from Armored Core. Converting data allowed a player to carry over a number of parts that would otherwise be unavailable to a player who starts a new game like the powerful "Moonlight" laser blade. Project Phantasma was the first AC game to introduce the concept of an Arena; the player was given the opportunity to face off against over 50 opponents of varying difficulty. The Arena was an optional feature, but if a player competed in the Arena they could earn extra credits and unlock new parts for their AC.

One notable aspect regarding the parts (particularly weapons) in the original Armored Core and its two PS1 expansions is that they are by far the most powerful in the series. For example, the original KARASAWA fired faster than most AST Rifles and Pulse Rifles in later games. The FINGER had 3000 ammo, and the Large Missile came in two styles, one that flew like a regular missile (discontinued after Master of Arena), and the traditional slow (though roughly twice as fast as later versions such as those in Last Raven) version. The slow version had ten missiles as opposed to the current four, and was the longest range missile of the first generation.