Mech Combat Reimagined !
Armored Core 6 : Fires of Rubiconis the latest iteration in a dealership that go out back to the bygone epoch of the PlayStation 1 . Back then technology was limited , and what FromSoftware want to achieve was not possible at the time . However , this is 2023 , and the studio apartment has pulled out all the stoppage to enchant those novel to the franchise as well as veteran of the series like myself .
The termination of FromSoftware ’s effort is a magnificent blend of ideas — some firebrand - new , and some pulled from the achiever of the Souls series over the last ten . If you ever wondered what warfare would appear like if gigantic , part sovereign mechanised horrors went header - to - headspring on a field of battle the airfoil expanse of an integral planet , it ’s as glorious as it sounds .
Gameplay
The gameplay loop in Armored Core 6 is simplistic . After a brief tutorial mission , you arrive in your hangar where you may equip your Armored Core ( AC ) with a wide assortment of part you scavenge from fight ( or buy in the workshop with currency earned from missions ) . Parts vary wildly and can dramatically affect the way your AC functions , as picture by the stats on display while you put everything together .
For example , equipping your AC with biped legs will appropriate it to handle more weight and jump higher at no extra price . This could be a massive blessing toward your success , but no two mission are the same , which mean you ’re forced to tailor your AC ’s build to entangle with whatever Rubicon has to throw you at any give moment . This is further encouraged when you go wrong , as you ’re given the choice to mess up around with your AC when you alas explode in a crimson blazing of halo .
When your AC is quick you take it out on Sortie Missions , which are rather simplistic , often severalize you to defend something , go to some home , or flub something up . It is the moment - to - second combat in these missions that wee-wee this game shine through . Whether you ’re a lightweight AC or a mecha tankful on treads , you ’ll be zipper about the battlefield at such blinding speeds it can be difficult to track all the action move on at any give minute . On top of the tight - step front , you ’re equip with four potential arm , all with their own ammo counts or heat calibre you need to keep track of , as you fire all four at once .
Image via From Software
On top of all that , the foe of Armored Core 6 need to make you a sting crater . They range from two unlike types : reliable fodder and FromSoftware bosses . There ’s usually a wad of reliable fresh fish , but they can faithfully be brought to reheel with one or two shots from most weapons , especially as you get new share to play around with . However , FromSoftware ’s signature tune knob encounters are well - present here , offering tickle pink skill checks to check that you ’re get word everything AC6 want you to learn .
The gameplay loop reaches its destruction and new origin once you complete a mission . It ’s then you return to your hanger to buy more parts and to choose the next mission . The simplicity begs you to focus most of your prison term on building your AC and deploy it to the next battlefield , and I ’m all for it . The game is a blast with band of moving parts where it matter , and practically none at all where it does n’t .
Score : 5/5
Image via From Software
Narrative
The storyline of Armored Core 6 film place on the fictional planet of Rubicon . You play a 621 — an main mercenary seek an uncounted resourcefulness call in Coral under the strict pedagogy of Handler Walter ( your master , effectively ) .
As a merc , you ’re given the choice to admit commission from all the Private Military Corporations ( PMCs ) also looking for Coral , in parliamentary law to fulfill your own penury . It ’s vernacular to accept a charge from the Redguns and then be push them on the very next mission .
Due to the fractured nature of your job verbal description , the tale of Armored Core 6 is not told in a straightforward manner . Much like past FromSoftware titles , the news report is given to you in piece , and you have to make for yourself to nibble together the full picture if you looking to understand it . The story really does n’t come together until toward the death , but once it does , it ’s enough to tower on the ol' heartstrings a little bit .
Image via From Software
Score : 4/5
Related : Armored Core 6 Patch Notes ( November 2023 )
Graphics & Performance
If there ’s any situation where Armored Core 6 suffers , it is in the artwork department . Rubicon is a wide-ranging localisation , but no matter where you are , you ’ll be seeing the same shades of gray and brownish throughout your full playthrough . Environments can appear pretty wash out at times , and textures come along muddied and categorical , specially flat Earth’s surface such as construction . There are just too many glary compromises in overall fidelity .
However , it ’s no doubt due in part to lesser graphics that I can account performance is stellar across the board . On current consoles , Armored Core 6 is capable to continue at a stable 60 FPS at all time , despite the amount of activeness that can be on screen at once . On microcomputer with a GTX 3060 , i9 - 10850k at 4GHz , and 32 GB RAM , I was easily able to maintain 120 FPS no matter what was going on ; if there were any dips , I sure did n’t notice . present the tempo of the action , being able to maintain a stable FPS is far more authoritative than canonized artwork , and I ’m happy FromSoftware prioritized the former .
Sound & Voice-overs
Firing a massive cannon from the back of your trustworthy AC go like you ’re about to blow a hole through a mountain . It does n’t end with cannon : miniguns purr when you arrest the trigger , laser guns simmer with high temperature as they intensify , and bullets rattle off of inhuman steel when they ricochet . Armored Core 6 voice amazing in every possible aspect of combat ; when you ’re hit by something , you get it on what hit you just from the audio cues alone ( always a hallmark of great well-grounded design ) .
As for voice - over , every address Son and every phrase uttered define the personality of a grapheme almost now . From the two - timey Cinder Carla to the mouthy G1 Michigan , it was sluttish to tell who was speaking and why , without even see at their name . perfectly stellar workplace here .
Verdict -Armored Core 6 is a holy resurrection of the mecha genre
Armored Core 6 is a higher-ranking title that will go down with the rest of FromSoftware ’s game as a chef-d’oeuvre . The import - to - consequence gameplay is second to none ( especially with its gross performance ) , and while it leaves much to be desired diagrammatically from a deed in 2023 , it gets what it absolutely needs to right and leaves a tremendous impression .
Image via From Software
Image via From Software
