Armored Core: For Answer has 42 missions. Like Armored Core 4, each mission has a Hard Mode version with differences such as additional enemies and other combat conditions.
Chapter 1[]
More than ten years have passed since the National Dismantlement War. A League of Corporations has taken control of the world. To escape the pollution that poisons the surface of the planet, they have built massive floating platforms called Cradles. Only there, 7000 meters above the ground, is the air clean and safe. Already, half of mankind lives in the skies. The planet's surface has become a battlefield, where armies fight to control the resource plants that feed the Cradles. As the war came to a close, giant humanoid weapons called Armored Core NEXTs enabled the League to firmly establish their rule of the planet. Their pilots are called Lynx. Fearing the power and independence of these NEXTs, the League left them behind on the surface. The Lynx now work as mercenaries for an organization called Collared. While the League armies derive their power from massive Arms Forts, the once-mighty NEXTs are consigned to the poisoned Earth, serving as foot soldiers in the never-ending Economic War.
— Chapter opening cutscene
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| Icon | Mission | Client | Area | Objective | Reward |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| "Attack on Line Ark" | The League | Line Ark | Defeat All Enemies | 200,000c | |
| "Attack on Naval Port of Mimir" | GA | Naval Port of Mimir | Eliminate all Enemies | 300,000c | |
| "Ambush Sphere Invasion Force" | BFF | Sphere | Defeat All Enemies | 400,000c | |
| "Attack on Richland" | GA | Richland Agricultural Plant | Defeat All Enemies | 500,000c | |
| "Defeat AF Giga Base" | Interior Union | Northwest Sea | Defeat Enemy AF | 400,000c | |
| "Support the Red Beret Assault" | Interior Union | Red Valley | Defend Interior Transport Unit | 300,000c | |
| "Defeat Wonderful Body" | Interior Union | Old Peace City | Defeat Enemy NEXT | 500,000c | |
| "Attack on B7" | Omer Science Technology | Deep Mining Facility B7 | Defeat All Enemies | 300,000c | |
| "Clear Former Chinese Shanghai" | Omer Science Technology | Former Chinese Shanghai | Defeat All Enemies | 500,000c | |
| "Take Back Cradle 21" | The League | Cradle 21 | Defeat All Enemies | 400,000c | |
| "Defeat AF Cabracan" | GA | Former Colony Sing | Defeat Enemy AF | 700,000c | |
| "Defeat The Spirit of Motherwill" | Omer Science Technology | Old Peace City | Defeat Enemy AF | 700,000c |
Chapter 2[]
| Icon | Mission | Client | Area | Objective | Reward |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| "Rescue GA Transport" | GA | Loro Desert | Defend Transport + Defeat Enemy | 600,000c | |
| "Attack on PA-N51" | GA | PA-N51 | Eliminate all Enemies | 300,000c | |
| "Defeat AF Stigro" | GA | Former Chinese Shanghai | Defeat Enemy AF | 700,000c | |
| "Eliminate Procyon" | TORUS | Gear Tunnel | Defeat Procyon | 400,000c | |
| "Escape from Naval Port of Mimir" | Interior Union | Naval Port of Mimir | Defend Flagship Titan | 400,000c | |
| "Defeat Unknown NEXT + No Count" | Interior Union | Kitasaki Junction | Defeat Enemy NEXT | 600,000c | |
| "Defeat Unknown NEXT" | Algebra | Richland Agricultural Plant | Defeat Enemy NEXT | 600,000c | |
| "Defeat AF Great Wall" | Algebra | Lowland Desert | Defeat Enemy AF | 800,000c | |
| "Defend Megalis" (2nd playthrough onwards) | Line Ark | Power Recycling Plant Megalis | Defend Megalis, Defeat Enemies | 400,000c | |
| "Defeat White Glint" | The League | Line Ark | Defeat Enemy NEXT | 800,000c | |
| "Defend Line Ark" (2nd playthrough onwards) | Line Ark | Line Ark | Defeat Enemy NEXT | 500,000c |
Chapter 3[]
| Icon | Mission | Client | Area | Objective | Reward |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| "Defeat Red Rum & Starka" | GA | PA-N51 | Defeat Enemy NEXT | 600,000c | |
| "Defeat Unidentified AF" | GA | Old Peace City | Defeat Enemy AF | 700,000c | |
| "Defeat the 8th Fleet" | Interior Union | Northwest Sea | Defeat All Enemies | Commission | |
| "Destroy B7" | TORUS | Deep Mining Facility B7 | Destroy Kojima Energy Plant | 400,000c | |
| "Defeat Silent Avalanche" | Omer Science Technology | Kojima Energy Facility: Sphere | Defeat Silent Avalanche | 500,000c | |
| "Destroy Megalis" | Omer Science Technology | Cyclical Power Plant Megalis | Destroy Megalis | 400,000c | |
| "Destroy Arteria Ulna" (2nd playthrough onwards) | ORCA | Arteria Ulna | Destroy Arteria Ulna | 500,000c | |
| "Defend Arteria Carpals" | Rosenthal | Arteria Carpals | Defeat Enemy NEXT | 500,000c | |
| "Attack on Arteria Carpals" (2nd playthrough onwards) | ORCA | Arteria Carpals | Defeat Enemy NEXT | 500,000c |
Chapter 4[]
| Icon | Mission | Client | Area | Objective | Reward |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| "Defend Cradle 03" | The League | Cradle 03 | Defend Cradle + Defeat Enemies | 600,000c | |
| "Defeat ORCA's Special AF Unit" | The League | Old Clark Area | Defeat Enemy AF | 700,000c | |
| "Attack Anti-Satellite Cannons" | The League | Anti-Satellite Cannon Ehrenberg | Destroy Ehrenberg + All Enemies | 700,000c | |
| "Defeat the Main ORCA Forces" | The League | Big Box | Defeat Enemy NEXT | 700,000c | |
| "Defend Arteria Cranium" | Wynne D Fanchon | Arteria Cranium | Defeat Enemy NEXT | 300,000c | |
| "Defend Anti-Satellite Cannons" | ORCA | Anti-Satellite Cannon Ehrenberg | Defend Ehrenberg + Defeat Enemy | 600,000c | |
| "Destroy Cradle 03" | Old King | Cradle 03 | Destroy Cradle 03 | 1,000,000c | |
| "Defeat AF Answerer" | ORCA | Old Peace City | Defeat Enemy AF | 900,000c | |
| "Attack on Arteria Cranium" | ORCA | Arteria Cranium | Defeat Enemy NEXT | 700,000c | |
| "Occupation of Arteria Carpals" | Interior Union | Arteria Carpals | Details Unknown | 1,000,000c |
Endings[]
The game has three storyline branches, each resulting in a different ending. As per the Xbox 360 achievement names, these branches are identified as Ending 1, Ending 2, and Ending 3. Reaching these endings on Xbox 360 will unlock their corresponding eponymous achievements.
This is the second Armored Core game with multiple endings, the first instance being Armored Core: Last Raven.
Ending 1[]
The player will be locked into this ending during the 1st playthrough. Ending 1 is permanently set at the end of Chapter 3 when the player chooses to take "Defend Arteria Carpals", which is unlocked regardless of prior mission choices. Here, the player supports the League of Ruling Companies against the anti-establishment group ORCA during Chapter 4. Following "Defend Arteria Carpals", there will be three missions to choose from, although all of these are in support of the League and all lead to the same ending: "Defend Cradle 03", "Defeat ORCA's Special AF Unit", and "Attack Anti-Satellite Cannons". Taking any one of these missions and completing them will unlock "Defeat the Main ORCA Forces". Completing that mission leads to the final level, "Defend Arteria Cranium".
Ending 2[]
The Ending 2 path involves the player supporting ORCA over the League during their war. This path starts with "Attack on Arteria Carpals" which will be an option along with "Defend Arteria Carpals" as the last mission of Chapter 3 from your 2nd playthrough onwards. Afterwards, there will be two missions available: "Destroy Cradle 03" and "Defend Anti-Satellite Cannons"; the former will lead to the Ending 3 path whereas the latter continues the Ending 2 path. Completing "Defend Anti-Satellite Cannons" will take the player to "Defeat AF Answerer" followed by the final mission, "Attack on Arteria Cranium".
Ending 3[]
In Ending 3, the player allies with the terrorist Old King rather than the League or ORCA. It is the shortest path, consisting of only two missions. It starts when the player takes "Destroy Cradle 03" instead of "Defend Anti-Satellite Cannons" while pursuing Ending 2, and ends immediately afterwards with "Occupation of Arteria Carpals".