Looking to start finally getting into the armored core series

Why would you not try them out in order? They're easily pirateable and nobody's holding a gun to your head and forcing you to finish one once you start it, so you can just try each one out.

>>383807316
Because I want to make sure i'm playing them how the developers planned it. Its pointless to play an old game if the newer ones just outright retcon it.

Which one is better 4 or 5?

>>383806502
Start with 1, but if it feels too dated for you then skip to AC2 on PS2. From there play them all in order but give 9 breaker a pass.

>>383807586
Are phantasma and arena important? or are they just spinoffs?

>>383807442
If a game is good then it's worth playing, there's nothing else to it. If you're in it for the plot you need to kys.

>>383807719
I've actually never played those two so I don't know. Don't think they're spin offs though.

>>383806502
It's good to play these games in order because most of them have a save import feature. It's not really necessary to use it until you get to Last Raven though.

The numbered eras of the games all have vaguely related stories and the occasional reappearing character, but the plots are usually self contained enough that you can start anywhere. After a new era of games starts, there's usually a universe reboot that disconnects it from the previous era. (AC1-2 are their own thing, AC3 is its own thing, AC4 and ACV are vaguely related but mostly their own settings, etc). That said, the story is hardly important in these games. It's pretty immersive and has a lot of attention to detail, but you're definitely not going to be playing AC for deep plot or deep characters.

>>383807719
They're sequels/expansions to AC1 that introduce a lot of staples of the series, such as the arena. Phantasma is short but amazing and really underrated, if you like AC1 then definitely play it because it's a massive improvement in most ways, though technically you can skip it. Master of Arena on the other hand is one of the best games in the entire franchise even today. It's more mandatory to play than even AC1 is. You won't be able to appreciate all the Nineball memes until you've gotten through MoA. Like I mentioned before you can do save imports through the three games if you play them in order, so no reason not to do all of them.

>>383807581
AC4 itself is better than ACV (V is generally one of the worst games in the series, especially since its online servers got taken down). Though 4's sequel For Answer is about equally as good as V's sequel, Verdict Day, which are both the best recent AC games.

>"""recent""" AC games
It still hurts.