in many ways Armored Core VI Fires of Rubicon is a reintroduction of a series, more than a restart of it. In the 11 years since Armored Core Vdeveloper FromSoftware has evolved from a niche offering into one of the hotspots of gaming culture, and its latest game feels like an attempt to proudly carry its newer fans to one of the series that started its journey. So if you’re already a fan of From’s high-impact mech-fighting games, much of what it has to offer will look familiar – albeit much, much shinier than before.
The focus is still on guiding your customized war machine through enemy arenas, dominating a mix of smaller robotic enemies, bosses, and equally equipped mechs, and collecting the funds and materials you need to acquire new weapons, limbs, and more . and internals to become more efficient over time.
But the first thing that strikes me when looking at the gameplay isn’t the fancy industrial mech being launched from a high-speed elevator – it’s so hard to miss – it’s the world around it. The real change, for me at least, is a sense of scale. There may not be a truly open world in the sense of Elder RingBut AC6 there is no lack of wonder in this game.
The mission I see is for the player to attempt to infiltrate the base of an enemy faction called RaD that has taken over a huge industrial facility called Grid 086. It’s a marvel to view a huge factory stretching over dozens of floors with no invisibility wall seemingly to keep you from exploring. It doesn’t seem to be an isolated case – a montage of other levels shows me burnt deserts, ice caves and entire cities. The focus here seems to be turning stand-alone levels into really huge spaces to enact mechanical justice within.
This should also have a domino effect on gameplay – while the Armored Core missions have historically been more geared towards getting you from objective to objective, there is an element of choice here. Grid 086 does not have a single entrance; Instead, you have a choice of how to proceed. You could go to the main gate and take on the swarming robot guards, but you could just as easily use your thrusters to reach a much higher hidden entrance. These are the examples we are given, but I’m sure there are other ways to access them that can be found.
This additional choice expands the level of the strategy as a whole. At the heart of Armored Core has always been building a mech to fit your needs – nimble, melee-focused pursuers, running artillery batteries, rocket-launched monsters, and more. This ability to approach levels in your own way only deepens the choices and lets your particular brand of mech shine.
But customization works both ways. Often rooted in the relentless quest for perfection, Where From’s Souls games challenge you to build a character and then better utilize their specific strengths as the game progresses. Armored Core VI asks for a little more flexibility. We see a stronger enemy doing light work for the player running our demo, taking out their shorter-ranged sword-gun combo with a variety of fast melee attacks. Instead of simply reloading the checkpoint and getting back into the fray, our demoist instead goes to the assembly menu and assembles an entirely new machine. Among other things, they swap legs to allow for a more efficient sprint attack and replace a shoulder-mounted rocket launcher with a full-fledged cannon designed to stagger enemies more efficiently.
On their way back into battle, they cripple the once-victorious enemy by preventing their movement as much as possible, and dodging dangerous close-range attacks with dashes when they can’t immobilize them. It is a small piece of design philosophy that is made tangible – in Armored Core VI
I am very confident about what awaits us Armored Core VI Fires of Rubicon – As a fan of the series, it already feels like a good mix of Armored Core basics that I’ve been missing and new ideas to flesh them out for modern machines.
Armored Core VI Fires of Rubicon Coming to Xbox Series X|S and Xbox One on August 25th.
ARMORED CORE™ VI FIRES OF RUBICON™ – Deluxe Edition
Bandai Namco Entertainment America Inc.
$69.99
Pre-order now to get the following bonus content: MELANDER C3 G13 “TENDERFOOT” Special Customization • MELANDER C3 Parts Set (Early Unlock)* • Emblem (Early Unlock)* • Exclusive AC Decal * Early Unlock: The Parts Set and Emblem can also be obtained by progressing the game. The Deluxe Edition includes: • Full game • Exclusive digital artbook and original soundtrack. Allows players to view concept art and listen to in-game music. ARMORED CORE VI FIRES OF RUBICON combines FromSoftware’s longstanding mech gaming expertise with their signature action gameplay, bringing a brand new action experience to the series. Dynamic omnidirectional battles Players control their mech in fast-paced omnidirectional battles, using massive levels and their mech’s mobility on land and in the air to ensure victory. Tailored Parts for Individual Combat Styles Customize Armored Core parts to suit a variety of playstyles. Choosing different parts not only changes the mech’s attacks, but also directly affects its movement and combat style, allowing each mission to be approached with a unique mech strategy. Exciting Boss Battles Use a variety of offensive and defensive tactics at close quarters and at long range to take down powerful enemy bosses.
ARMORED CORE™ VI FIRE BY RUBICON™
Bandai Namco Entertainment America Inc.
$59.99
Pre-order now to get the following bonus content: MELANDER C3 G13 “TENDERFOOT” Special Customization • MELANDER C3 Parts Set (Early Unlock)* • Emblem (Early Unlock)* • Exclusive AC Decal * Early Unlock: The Parts Set and Emblem can also be obtained by progressing the game. ARMORED CORE VI FIRES OF RUBICON combines FromSoftware’s longstanding mech gaming expertise with their signature action gameplay, bringing a brand new action experience to the series. Dynamic omnidirectional battles Players control their mech in fast-paced omnidirectional battles, using massive levels and their mech’s mobility on land and in the air to ensure victory. Tailored Parts for Individual Combat Styles Customize Armored Core parts to suit a variety of playstyles. Choosing different parts not only changes the mech’s attacks, but also directly affects its movement and combat style, allowing each mission to be approached with a unique mech strategy. Exciting Boss Battles Use a variety of offensive and defensive tactics at close quarters and at long range to take down powerful enemy bosses.
