Home
News
Tech
Entertainment
Gaming
Contact
Armored Core 6: Fires of Rubicon - What To Expect From This Game?
Credit: Bandai/Namco
Armored Core is a long-running franchise, few people really know. You may have heard the name, and never played it, and the games have never been critically appraised or sold well for that matter. It’s clearly a niche game for Gundam and Mech lovers, and it’s a series which appeared long before From Software became famous with Dark Souls.
So, what is Armored Core about? Is it worth buying for you? Find out with our review of the game.
Video Game in Its Purest Form
First of all, it’s important to note that it’s a From Software game, so if you hated the way Dark Souls, or Elden Ring let you loose in a hostile world, you’ll get a similar feeling here. However, if you come looking for a sort of Elden Ring with robots, you’ll also be disappointed.
Armored Core VI doesn’t bother with a scenario outside of vague premises, giving you the least context possible. You’re an augmented human controlling a mech, and you’re contracted by corporations to do their dirty jobs. Of course, like in any From Software games, there’s a lore, but it’s up to you to find the courage to read about it through the menus. If you do, you’ll find out that the world isn’t just a generic dystopian future, and some characters actually have an interesting backstory, but in From Software fashion it stays low-key.
Credit: Bandai/Namco
Creating The Perfect Mech
You’ll spend a lot of time in the menus of Armored Core VI: Fires of Rubicon. That’s because the game revolves around the mech you create. It’s not an open-world, it’s mission-based, and there is a bit of exploration, but it’s no Elden Ring.
This means that for every mission, it’s important to gather enough resources to upgrade and customize your robot, otherwise you’ll die, again and again. The customization is extensive, and it’s not only about changing equipped weapons. You’ll also have to change parts of your mech. For instance, selecting a bottom with four legs will give you more mobility to aim at enemies, but you’ll be slower than with tank wheels.
Moreover, you can’t just swap out any part and make the most OP mech, because each part has a weight and energy consumption. So, you’ll quickly find yourself trying to deal with the parts the game sends your way (there are many), looking at the stats and tinkering with your creation. It’s part of the game, and it also means that if you expect to just select a mech and fight right away, you’re looking at the wrong game.
Credit: Bandai/Namco
Mech Simulator: Raging Against The Machine
As we’ve said, this game is developed by From Software, and even though it’s a totally different franchise from Dark Souls, it’s a hard game. The franchise has always been hard. You will die a lot!
The gameplay is very precise, and the mech you built will dramatically change the experience. However, you’ll have basic abilities common to all builds. You have a short boost, launching you to the sides, which is like a dash. Then you have another jet boost which helps you go long distances forward and deliver powerful attacks, but it consumes a lot of energy.
The bosses will make you spit out blood behind your screen, and require knowing exactly how to maneuver your mech. Each build inevitably has strengths and weaknesses, and you must learn to master your robot and adjust it to suit your play style.
Credit: Bandai/Namco
Armored Core Keeps Its Identity, and That’s a Good Thing!
Overall, Armored Core VI: Fires of Rubicon, is everything you can expect from the series, if you’ve played the previous games. We’d say it’s a game made for people who build robots in real life as a joke, but it’s probably the case.
It’s not friendly to newcomers, and just builds upon what was done previously in the series, without incorporating what made From Software popular. It stays true to the spirit of the franchise, and we appreciate it, because not every From Software game needs to be a Souls.
Sure, as a fan of mechs, it’s one of the few options you have right now to play around with giant robots. Thankfully, if you’re skilled and not afraid to dive into stats and spend hours building your mech, Armored Core is satisfying.
Do you like the Armored Core series? Did you play this one? Let us know in the comments below.
Subscribe to My Tech Piece
More Articles
