Summary
FromSoftware is best known for its Soulslike games:Dark Souls,Bloodborne, andElden Ringall sit on the Mount Rushmore of action RPGs, helping to cement the studio as one of the most exciting companies in gaming. But before any of these smash-hit IP wasArmored Core, a mecha franchise that has little in common withthe dark fantasy that FromSoftwarewould eventually be defined by.Armored Core 6: Fires of Rubiconwoke the series out of its slumber last year, to triumphant results.
Armored Core 6: Fires of Rubicontakes players to the titular world of Rubicon 3, a distant planet rich in a fictional substance known as coral, which is fought over by a number of special interests. The game uses this sci-fi backdrop to facilitate a dark, quietly disturbing story that is about as obtuse and aloof as FromSoftware fans would come to expect from the studio. Beyond this narrative, the game is a massive departure from the likes ofDark Souls. But in other ways,Armored Core 6is FromSoftware coming back home.
Armored Core 6: Fires of Rubicon Will Hopefully Reignite the Armored Core Series
Armored Core 6 Is a Different Beast than Other FromSoftware Games
FromSoftware’s pedigree helpedArmored Core 6cross major sales milestones, quickly becoming the best-selling game in the series. It’s easy to see why this happened: FromSoftware has exploded in relevance over the course of the past decade, withElden Ringhelping to solidify its place in mainstream, AAA gaming, soArmored Core 6got more attention than any other game in the series.
But, much to the surprise of those unfamiliar with the franchise,Armored Core 6shares little to no DNA with theSoulsaction gamesthat won FromSoftware so much well-deserved popularity. For one thing, while the game can certainly be difficult, it has nothing resembling the specific, methodical challenge of something likeDark Souls. Rather,Armored Core 6’s gameplay is fast, frenetic, and often chaotic, with the player’s avatar being considerably far removed from the underpowered,Berserk-inspired ‘struggler’ archetype present in the Soulslike games;Armored Core 6’s protagonist, Raven, is swift, destructive, and generally more capable than many of the enemies they come across.
Moment-to-moment gameplay aside,Armored Core 6’s structure is hugely distinct from FromSoftware’sother recent games. Rather than assuming a quasi-or full-open-world format,Armored Core 6follows a strict level-based structure, with players departing on various missions instead of making their way through a seamless, interconnected sandbox. Between missions, players can get lost inAC6’s robust customization systems, tweaking their mech builds to perfection. The game makes it easy to obsess over the smallest details, with built-for-purpose gear setups being essential for success.
Armored Core 6 Sticking to Its Roots Is Admirable and Important
Armored Core 6standing out from other FromSoftware gamesis significant, mainly because of how shockingly similarAC6is to its predecessors. Certainly, the game is more modern than otherArmored Coreentries, with graphics, animations, and fluidity that surpasses what came before it, but its beating heart isArmored Core, and it doesn’t apologize for that.
It would have been easy, or perhaps even expected, for FromSoftware to appeal to its Soulslike fanbase by havingArmored Core 6adhere to those genre conventions. Indeed, there were many who thought thatArmored Core 6would be more like a sci-fi Soulslikethan a classic mech-based action game, as the former is a hot trend in the industry while the latter is often seen as a genre of the past. But reality wound up telling a different story, andArmored Core 6came into the world as a proper evolution of what came before it, not as a reimagining or ‘modern interpretation’ of the series' winning formula.
None of this is to say that a mecha Soulslike from FromSoftware wouldn’t work; it’s not hard to imagineanArmored Corespin-offthat sticks closer to modern Soulslike conventions, to great effect.
PerhapsArmored Core 6’s greatest achievement is that it introduced a new generation of gamers to the franchise, springboarding it back into the mainstream. This is evident in the fact thatFromSoftware is now planning on releasing moreArmored Coregames, sticking to the IP beyond this single revival.AC6may be considered something of a proof of concept, its success providing FromSoftware with the confidence to move the series forward.
In light of this, it will be interesting to see how the franchise develops with future entries. Again,Armored Core 6sticks remarkably close to its roots, being unapologetic with its traditional style of level structure, narrative delivery, and gameplay, while making just enough tweaks to help it feel fresh and competitive in the modern market. It maynever be as popular as the likes ofDark SoulsandElden Ring, but its core gameplay loop, customization, and progression model clearly still have appeal for contemporary audiences. How FromSoftware chooses to develop these elements in future entries will define the series' identity moving forward.
But whatever directionArmored Coretakes, it’s clear that FromSoftware is sticking to its guns, holding steadfast to the traditions that made the series so beloved in the pre-Soulsera. In some ways, this is on-brand for the developer, whose unflinching commitment to its creative vision is what defines its games, while making them somewhat contentious at the same time. It’s this confidence that makes FromSoftware so exciting, and ifArmored Corecan continue to grow as a serieswithout losing sight of this core, driving factor, then it could wind up reaching more players than ever in the coming years, morphing into something different entirely.
Armored Core 6: Fires of Rubicon
WHERE TO PLAY
Combining FromSoftware’s longstanding expertise in mech games with their signature action gameplay, ARMORED CORE VI FIRES OF RUBICON brings a brand-new action experience to the series.Dynamic, Omni-directional Battles Players will pilot their mech in fast-paced, omni-directional battles, taking advantage of massive stages and their mech’s mobility on land and in the air to ensure victory.Customized Parts for Individual Battle Styles Customize Armored Core parts to suit a large variety of playstyles. Selecting different parts not only changes the mech’s attacks, but also directly affects its movement and battle style, so each mission can be approached with a unique mech strategy.Thrilling Boss Battles Deploy a wide variety of offensive and defensive tactics at close and long range to take down powerful enemy bosses.
