| Augmented Reaction Suit | |
|---|---|
 The ARS in action | |
| Creator: | Professor Francois Candide |
| Users: | Sam Gideon |
| Publisher: | DARPA |
| Appears in: | Vanquish |
The Augmented Reaction Suit, or the ARS, is a futuristic battle suit designed and created by Professor Francois Candide and funded by DARPA out of the ambition to create an infantry unit that easily exceeds the mobility, firepower, and situational awareness capabilities of existing main battle tanks. Its other function is to make the user an experimental supersoldier on the battlefield, capable of performing any role up to and including full-on combat. The battle suit is primarily crafted from a carbon nanite-based textile, an advanced material famous for its steel-like toughness, its nearly imperceptible weight, and its regenerative properties.
In order to test its capabilities, DARPA sends Sam himself to conduct field testing in the midst of the battle with the Order of the Russian Star by assisting the American forces assaulting the station.[1]
Functions and Capabilities[]
Basic Functions[]
The ARS provides regular infantry units with extremely high defensive capabilities while providing and maintaining superior mobility, essentially transforming them into a supersoldier. Using the system's powered support function, the user is able to gain access to deadly and efficient weapons that were previously unavailable for use by infantry. The ARS system constantly monitors the user's myopotential and synaptic responses. As a result, the system is able to accurately calculate the munition's point of impact, and is also able to reduce muzzle rise via recoil compensators and separate actuators, thus improving the user's accuracy when aiming a weapon. The user of the suit is also able to help the wounded on the battlefield through using some manner of defibrillator on them if they are downed.
The ARS proves to be very efficient in combat.
The actuators fitted into the suit greatly enhance the user's physical strength and speed. This ability was boosted in Act 3-7 when the limiters on the suit were removed and Sam was able to lift a near-100 ton metal covering. He is also able to run at incredible speeds that allowed him to super sprint onto a flying dropship in Act 2-3. The suit also transmits a powerful electromagnetic charge from it's core, allowing the user's close-combat attacks to break any charged armor and even prototype energy shields an enemy might use.The suit is also able to replicate enemy field weapons for use, through the use of the experimental BLADE weapons combination system. [1]
The user is also able to execute emergency evasive maneuvers to avoid enemy attacks, through the use of magnetoplasmadynamic thrusters equipped into the suit. Though the effectiveness of this maneuver is limited, it can prove useful in near-death situations when the armor's defenses are about to be broken.
The system is also able to automatically support a wide variety of body positions needed to take advantage of any present cover, high or low. The user is also able to vault over low pieces of cover. Although powerful, the ARS system is still in a prototype stage and is not perfect, as it is still prone to overheating, and is also unable to withstand repeated attacks from enemies; however, any competent operator would know how to effectively take advantage of the suit's capabilities.
AR Mode[]
This is the mode built into the battle suit where it increases the reactions of the user ten-fold, essentially creating a form of 'bullet time' and allowing them to dispatch most enemies quickly and effectively in combat and escape near-death situations. It also appears that the suit limiters are removed to allow the user to move around faster as it is clear that time is not actually slowing down, but instead, the user is just speeding up. Using this mode, unfortunately, causes the suit to build up heat and it can overheat if AR mode is used for too long.
BLADE System[]
The Battlefield Logic ADaptable Electronic weapons System can adapt to the changing conditions of the battlefield by altering its physical configuration to meet a user's needs. New configurations can be loaded into the memory while on the battlefield by scanning any given weapon[1]. By acquiring an Upgrade item, or by scanning the same weapon as the one on hand while carrying full ammo, the user of the suit is able to increase the level of the weapon by one stage, increasing its ammo capacity and damage output, among other statistics[1].
The BLADE system has 11 forms:
- Assault Rifle
- Heavy Machine Gun
- Shotgun
- Disk Launcher
- Sniper Rifle
- Rocket Launcher
- Lock-On Laser
- LFE Gun
- Boost Machine Gun
- Anti-Armor Pistol
- Laser Cannon
Trivia[]
- The ARS' design was originally inspired by the anime Casshern, according to director Shinji Mikami.
- There were various scrapped ideas concerning the ARS, including having a robotic dog act as a support unit capable of protecting Sam and fusing with the ARS, as well as a female android designed largely to do the same thing.
- The suit's reactor located on the back powers the Laser Cannon.
- When Sam's enter first person view during a cutscene and the interior of the ARS' visor is displayed, some words can be seen just below the map on the lower left of the scree. They read as following: "Victory is intimidating other players. (b) Using language, selecting user, clan or team names or creating any other contnent that maybe racially". This is most likely a modified excerpt of the PS3 Online user agreement.
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