Armored Core: Last Raven - Endings

Endings

Armored Core: Last Raven features multiple distinct endings based on the path which the player chose to follow through the game. There are six distinct endings in total.

• Evangel ending: Evangel's defection to Vertex is revealed to be a deception and part of a plot to undermine Vertex from within. At the end of the 24 hour cycle Vertex is crushed by Alliance and Jack-O killed beneath Circ City. This is also called the "Jack-O" ending by gamers, because the final mission involves the destruction of Jack-O directly by the player. Though Jack-O is upgraded with better parts and tactics, he is severely damaged and only wishes to be destroyed by the Player, for unknown reasons. It is speculated that his AC was beyond repair to the point where he could not make it out of the facility, and wanted his name remembered.

• Alliance ending: Alliance defeats Vertex, however by the end of the 24 hours both Jack-O and Evangel are dead. Jack is killed by Evangel, piloting Pulverizer unit and Evangel himself is then killed by the Raven. This is also called the "Pulverizer ending #1" by gamers because the player fights against a "super" pulverizer, a pulverizer that is more powerful than its normal form, without actually upgrading its design.

• Pulverizer ending: The Alliance-Vertex war ends in a stalemate as the Pulverizers unleashed by Jack decimate both sides. Both Jack-O and Zinaida are killed trying to shut down the Internecine, effectively leaving the main character literally the last surviving Raven in the world. This is also called the "Pulverizer ending #2" by gamers, because it ends with the destruction of every Pulverizer in the game, excluding the secret ending one. This is the ending generally held to be canonical by Armored Core players, as is the secret ending which chronologically takes place after.

• Jack-O ending: Vertex defeats Alliance and Jack-O's new order begins. The Internecine beneath Circ City is destroyed and Zinaida is killed in a one-on-one battle with the Raven. This is also called the "Zinaida Ending" by gamers, because the final mission involves the defeat of Zinaida by the player, and is also considered to be the hardest mission in the game. This path can also be reached by taking battle against every AC possibly as the player progresses through the missions, including 2-on-1 battles with ACs, making it possibly the hardest path through the game as well.

• Vertex ending: Alliance's special weapon Leviathan is destroyed but Jack-O has once again gone missing. Evangel sneaks into Circ City in order to destroy the Internecine and is defeated by the Raven. This is also called the "Evangel ending" by gamers, because the player defeats Evangel during the mission, who is also upgraded and more powerful than his normal form.

• Leviathan ending: Alliance is completely crushed by Vertex and Evangel is killed earlier in the game. Three Alliance Leviathans are destroyed by the Raven and Vertex emerges as the undisputed victor of the war. The Third Leviathan is considered to be a "super" Leviathan, because it is more advanced and more powerful than the previous two.

• Secret ending: This ending opens up after every mission in the game is cleared. Chronologically it takes place after the Pulverizer ending. One last Pulverizer emerges from the Internecine after its destruction and a mission request from an unknown client is sent to the "Last Raven" (as every other Raven has been confirmed KIA by this point) seeking its destruction. This is a second of the "Super" pulverizers, because its design is exactly like the Airborne Pulverizer, but with alternate (or inverted) colors. It is also the first Pulverizer to feature an "Anti-missile" system, similar to Core Anti-Missile System (Core AMS) featured in most core parts in the game. Before this Pulverizer, all previous versions had a weakness to any and all missiles, because they had no defense other than manual dodging. the colors remind seasoned players of the game as it being Nine Ball.

The crux of this games plot, ends with the player becoming the "Last Raven", but this revelation is not one of " I am the strongest" but its implications, falling in line with the rest of the Armored Core series canon endings, are in themselves asking a question of the player. What does it mean to be the strongest? I'm standing at the top, alone. Was it worth it? Is this all life is worth? What have I really done?