Armored Core 6 review: FromSoftware expertly revives its mech franchise

My first couple of hours spent with Fires of Rubicon: Armored Core 6. — the first Armored Core game I’ve ever played — I struggled (and mostly failed) to draw parallels between FromSoftware’s new game and the ones that made it a household name. The rebooted Armored Core is not a sprawling adventure game à la Elden RingThe following are some examples of how to use BloodborneMy experience playing those games does not make me an expert mech-pilot.

Instead, Armored Core 6,FromSoftware’s re-imagining of the classic series is enhanced by a decade of studio development, combat expertise and level design skills, as well as fan expectations. Armored Core 6, This is an Armored Core that’s faster and more refined. It streamlines mecha franchises in clever ways.

Fires of RubiconSends your character C4-621 to Rubicon-3, a distant planet. This alien world is home to a substance known as Coral — Rubicon’s equivalent of Dune’s Melange or Avatar’s Unobtainium — which is so precious that extraterrestrial corporations fight endless wars to control it. Your role as 621 in this conflict will change depending on the factions involved. Walter, the man who is your handler takes orders from Rubicon’s competing factions and then sends you out to the field.

Then you steal the name Raven from another Rubicon soldier. Without a real name for you, your contractors derisively call you “hound,” “tourist,” “Rb23,” “Gun 13,” and “buddy,” affirming that you are but a hired gun in this great war machine. Although you are known by many names, there is no one side to your story. You are both fighting for and against Rubicon, its military forces, rebels and corps.

Armored Cores, also known as ACs, are the most personal thing that you can do on Rubicon. Over time, your oversized walking tanks will evolve as you add new components and customize them to suit your own play style. Fires of RubiconThis is a game that requires tinkering. It’s also a game of failure; as you face down and eventually lose to more powerful ACs and other mechanized terrors, you’ll need to retreat to the game’s garage to revise your strategies. You can test out different assemblies, including bipedal and quadrupedal machines, as well as dual machine guns and heavy ordnance.

The AC of 621 rains laser fire down on enemies in a screenshot from Armored Core 6: Fires of Rubicon — The extended flying capabilities of quadrupedal ACs gives them an advantage in the air.

The Players Elden RingThe following are some examples of how to use Dark SoulsYou may be surprised at how much you can learn. Armored Core 6,’s linear, mission-based structure: Handler Walter will send 621 on a variety of chores ranging from assassinations to geological surveys to ambushes on rival factions. Complete them, and you’ll return back to base for another batch of tasks. Mission briefings only tell you a fraction of what you’ll need to know. Thankfully, the game offers consistent checkpoints should you fail your mission, plus the chance to switch up your AC’s configuration if you die. Armored Core 6, isn’t as punishing or uncompromising as previous entries, but its challenge certainly matches that of FromSoft’s other games. After completing the missions, you can replay them and get S-rank.

What is the depth of your challenge? Armored Core 6, isn’t immediately apparent. FromSoft begins the game by allowing players to get used to slow combat, and a slower pace of movement against fewer enemy units. The complexity is only revealed when the player faces the building-sized helicopter that represents the game’s first boss. Armored Core 6,’s combat systems begin to reveal itself — you must quickly learn to juggle four mounted weapons, being mindful of the ammunitionThe following are some examples of how to get started: reload times of each, while also managing your energy consumption and dodging swarms of exploding missiles. Like FromSoftware’s Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice and BloodborneAggression and patience will be rewarded. However, like Elden RingThe figurative brick wall is very rare. Armored Core 6,If you are outclassed, there are other ways to enhance your AC and improve your skill.

A screenshot of 621’s AC in the Armored Core 6 garage — The garage is where you’ll spend tinkering with and customizing your Armored Core.

Balteus is a bullet hell boss. This early-game AC hurls dozens of rockets at you when it’s not firing a gatling gun and a wide-spread shotgun at you, or slashing at your AC with massive flaming swords, or filling the screen with plasma bursts. When I really should have done something else, like replaying missions and earning cash so I can buy AC parts or upgrade my ACs; I spend three hours on Balteus. After realizing that it might be beneficial to be the aggressor in this battle, I started rocket-boosting right into Balteus’ personal space, kicking it in the face, and stabbing it with a laser sword while shrugging off the occasional missile strike. It, and Fires of Rubicon’s other massive bosses, is just as rewarding as in any other FromSoft game.

Fires of RubiconMakes experimentation simple. It is incredibly easy to navigate the AC menus with this minimal, clean interface. AC parts can be sold. Save specific loadouts to use later. And respeccing your AC’s operating system is simple and cheap. FromSoft has ensured that you’re never trapped while going down a particular path. It’s the developer’s most generous game to date.

Mission design remains inventive through the entire story. While many jobs send you into the field with straightforward objectives — razing military structures or destroying a rival corporation’s AC, to name a couple — levels are frequently packed with surprises. As part of an unidentified force stalking you, you may be defending an arsenal from waves of enemy forces, working with a cleaning crew to callously wipe out insurrections, or blowing a laser grid as a large group. One mission is truly bad: it’s a stealth level which does not match the game play of the other missions. Fires of Rubicon. The attempt at ape Metal Gear SolidThis is a short article.

A battle in Armored Core 6’s virtual Arena — AC Pilots are able to test their skills in the Arena against other AC pilots.

Narrative of Fires of RubiconFromSoft’s communication is unusually transparent. It uses voice communications, which are faceless and only speak when necessary. But it’s a story well told of capitalism and colonialism run amok. The game is compatible with all Armored Core games.

The most captivating aspects of Armored Core 6,Its hard-fought battles are when 621 outdances the enemy in an exchange of lasers, missiles and bullets. It’s noisy, chaotic, and starkly beautiful, all this clanging metal, ricochets, and explosions. It’s unlike many of the FromSoftware games you may have played over the past decade, to its benefit. Fires of Rubicon: Armored Core 6.The word “is” is a phrase that means, “is not”. Elden Ring developer flexing an old, nearly forgotten muscle, but one that’s still strong as ever.

Fires of Rubicon: Armored Core 6. Released on Xbox One, Xbox 360, PlayStation 4, and PlayStation 5 on 25th August. Bandai Namco gave us a code to download the pre-release version of this game on PS5. Vox Media is affiliated with other companies. Vox Media earns commissions from affiliate products, although this doesn’t influence the editorial content. This is where you can find additional information about Polygon’s ethics policy here.