Armored Core Nexus served as a celebration of the franchise's history on PS2, and the soundtrack reflects that retrospective spirit with its massive 33-track list that includes both original compositions and reworked versions of classic AC themes.
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The remixed legacy tracks in the back half -- "Whiz Drop nutty," "Insurance Money ver.sil," "Shape Memory Alloys 2," and "Firework circuit" -- take beloved pieces from earlier games and twist them into new forms, making this album feel like both a greatest hits and a fresh statement.
The original compositions more than hold their own alongside the remixes. "Chronocrash" and "Lightning Volcano" are absolute barnstormers of industrial-electronic intensity, while "Prankish Jelly" and "Brandnew Armored Core Runs About" showcase the series' endearingly eccentric approach to track naming.
"Electro Arm With Emotion" is exactly what it sounds like -- mechanized fury with a surprising undercurrent of feeling -- and "Galaxy Heavy Blow" delivers one of the most satisfying builds in any AC soundtrack. "Like a Buffalo" charges forward with relentless momentum that makes it perfect combat music.
The quieter moments deserve recognition too. "Wall Flower," "Red Butterfly," and "My Boat" bring atmospheric depth that balances out the heavier tracks, and "End Roll" provides a fitting send-off before the remix section kicks in.
"Flood of a Life" and "Autobahn" occupy a middle ground of melodic electronic composition that rewards headphone listening. As the last mainline AC game before the series jumped to PS3, Nexus's soundtrack feels like a love letter to everything the franchise's music had been, while hinting at where it would go next.