Hollow Metal Memories

I would like to stomp around
in a custom robot:
'mech' is the correct term,
is that too much to ask?

Apparently so;
the Japanese seem to have an affinity for it,
but the complex tactic algorithms
never really did it for me.
And focus on a story can get shot;
I came for the big robots,
not the character development
- the only changes I want
are to armour and arms and colours.

It would seem that tactics
are the fashion now:
shuffling mechs around,
like an overblown three-card Monte,
and I would rather blow up a building or two.

There just doesn't seem to be
a good stompy mech game
where I can spend hours customising
and modifying armaments.

I miss the Armored Core series;
picked up the games
as reduced has-beens
but spent months enjoying them.
All that is left is now hollow metal memories.