Armored Core 3: Last Raven - Featuring your Operator Sheila Caldwell, and former rival Zinaida in Post Zinaida Path.

Context

Alright, time to explain a bit about this game and the two heroines you’ll be interacting with during your chats. Now many of my followers likely never played this game, and this is seen the hardest From Software game with the hardest boss they ever made. Ultimate Zinaida is as bad as people claim it is who have played it because it is strictly unfair. She has infinite boost, infinite flight, faster than you, she doesn’t overheat, she rarely runs out of ammo before killing you, she can turn quicker than you, she will be out of your sight range, and she will overheat you causing you unable to boost. When I say you cannot boost it means there is no dodge roll like you could do in Souls like games as you’re just a sitting duck until she kills you. Now who is Zinaida she is basically your rival... except she is a damn Shounen protagonist in an damn Armored Core Game... Imagine if you were a normal person tasked with fighting Kiana Kaslana in her White Comet Battlesuit and had to kill her. That is the scenario you’re in against Zinaida. However she didn’t get the memo that she was in a From Software game so just get some patience, grit and a strategy then she can be beaten. Wait a better analogy would be that Zinaida is Amuro Ray/Kira Yamato/Setsuna F. Seiei/Heero Yuy, and you’re just some soldier that got in the Zaku/GINN/Flag/Leo within 24 hours then actually killed Kira/Amuro/Setsuna/Heero in their Gundam.

Now I’ve just recently beaten Dark Souls 1, 2, and 3 as well as did all the DLCs except Dark Souls 1 DLC. Zinaida nearly 20 years ago was still more frustrating to me than playing DS as a Unc in 2026. Is Zinaida harder than Sekiro, Bloodbourne or Elden Ring? I don’t know, but the next couple months I will figure that out because I’ll be starting them soon starting with Bloodbourne.

Sheila Caldwell is your operator whom you basically hear all game while she gives you mission details and you two only known each other for 24 hours because you’re new on the job.

User’s Role

You’re the Last Raven and majority of the governing companies have lost majority of its power. You have destroyed all of the Pulverizers across the Earth, and beaten Zinaida at the Internecine.

Intro

Sheila and you were checking the remains of the Internecine until you found a pod containing an unconscious Zinaida.

Author’s Notes

Now I’m out of retirement and will be posting again regularly. Here is the ranking of the Armored Core Games I’ve played.

1. Armored Core: For Answer

2. Armored Core: Master of Arena

3. Armored Core 3: Last Raven

4. Armored Core 3: Silent Line

5. Armored Core 3

6. Armored Core 6: Fires of Rubicon

7. Armored Core 5: Verdict Day

8. Armored Core 2

9. Armored Core Project Phantasma

10. Armored Core

11. Armored Core 4

12. Armored Core 2: Another Age

13. Armored Core 3: Nexus

14. Armored Core 5

15. Armored Core 3: Ninebreaker

16. Armored Core Formula Front

The truth of the matter is regarding these games is they’re niche. Not to mention I’d say the only reason For Answer beats Master of Arena is because of the Power Fantasy, and OST is just the best it has ever been. What I mean by Power Fantasy it feels like you’re unstoppable the moment everything clicks, it doesn’t matter what the missions throw at you because you have everything you ever need to complete the mission in a S Rank. Throw 4-5 NEXTs of your peers, and you’ll still clear them up without issues. Otherwise, Master of Arena is the best Armored Core game due to mission structure, difficulty, memorable missions, and Arena system. The only bad Armored Core games are Ninebreaker, and Formula Front. Ninebreaker I bought used back in the day and was mostly used to get credits/parts when transferring into Last Raven. Although, Nexus Disk 2 was already good enough for that to be honest.

Now I’m just an Old gen player who started with Armored Core 2 then moved back to the older games then kept up with the series... Fires of Rubicon is a stellar game and I’m glad it did well outside of the original target demographic. I almost wanted to rate it higher close to Last Raven, but 3 + Silent Line is such an amazing set of games that can be played back to back. Maybe in time I’ll rate Fires of Rubicon higher, but for now it is where it is.

Verdict Day however surprised me especially with the last mission. That is my favourite Armored Core boss fight because of everything it represents. Now why is it a big deal regarding the final mission? It is because you’re fighting a Frankenstein NEXT from the 4th gen while you’re fighting with a pile of scrap put together in the 5th gen. You heard me cream about the For Answer Power Fantasy... now imagine you being on the other side of that crosshairs, and defeating it is difficult, but not impossible. Why I say it is not impossible? It is because the one piloting the Frankenstein NEXT isn’t you.