Armored Core 6 Review: Gameplay Impressions, Videos and Features

There are few better moments in gaming than a new release by FromSoftware. Armored Core VI: Fires of Rubicon is a brilliant follow-up to the immensely successful Elden Ring.

Armored Core is one of the original series developed by FromSoftware and it's exciting to witness the rebirth of the franchise in this new era of FromSoftware after so much success with the Souls series, Bloodborne, Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice and Elden Ring. Armored Core VI is a refreshing change of pace from recent FromSoftware games, as players control mechanized units that feature fast movement, gunplay, missiles and melee combat.

The combination of mechs and space setting is thrilling but the famous FromSoftware difficulty is still the main selling point as gamers will need to compose themselves to overcome the unique challenge. Whether gamers are familiar with the Armored Core series, or jumping in for the first time after recently becoming fans of FromSoftware, Armored Core VI is a must-play game amid one of the greatest years in gaming history.

Gameplay Impressions

It's impressive just how well FromSoftware's typical combat translates to mechs. This feels like a mix between Elden Ring and Sekiro, plus the fantastic addition of guns and missile launchers. As players upgrade their mech, all of the shoulder buttons on a console controller will control some combination of a combat weapon, gun, missile launcher or shield. There is a lot to keep track of between the different gameplay mechanics and incoming enemies, so it can be easy to become overwhelmed during combat. Ultimately, like recent FromSoftware games, players need to keep their composure and utilize all skills.

Arguably the biggest adjustment from recent FromSoftware games is just how vital movement is to succeeding in battle. There's different variations of boost, dodge and perhaps most importantly, the ability to jump and ascend, which is why movement becomes essential. This the most 'vertical' FromSoftware game in years. Players should be utilizing their boosts often to ascend in the air and evade incoming missiles and explosions. While on the ground, it's imperative to use the boost to strafe the area and evade incoming gunfire and missiles. Gamers who grew accustomed to the more grounded combat of the Souls series will need to switch their strategies and become familiar with the different boosts in order to succeed, especially when it comes to staggering enemies in order to land more impactful blows for more damage.

Armored Core VI is among the most customizable games to release this year. Like previous FromSoftware games, there's an immense amount of combinations to utilize across different playthroughs and it's still as exhilarating as ever to accomplish a difficult battle. This game maintains the usual FromSoftware weight limitation so it makes decisions feel more important when adjusting parts of their mech.

The number of different parts players can purchase from the shop can be rather overwhelming at a glance but it allows for an incredible amount of possibilities to mix parts and fine tune the AC to each gamer's preference. The option to play a video to showcase and demonstrate what the purchase is an excellent quality of life feature given so much of this will be new to many gamers. There's so many different parts of the AC to customize that it's easy to get lost in buying and selling parts, testing different combinations and then altering the color scheme. Players could easily spend many hours just customizing their AC, which will also make for fun streams on Twitch, YouTube, etc. It was also wise of FromSoftware to allow players to train and participate in test runs before deploying on missions to test the AC unit.

The mission structure is different compared to massive open-world games like Elden Ring, and in relation to other FromSoftware games, is more like Demon's Souls. Once the mission is accomplished, the player returns to its hub where customizations can be made. Some missions are more extensive than others, which is a welcomed change of pace during the campaign. Although not open world, it is absolutely worth exploring the mission zones for collectibles and items. There's a lot of variety in the mission structure throughout the campaign, although the gameplay is so intriguing that it never becomes stale or monotonous.

Regarding quality of life features, perhaps the greatest inclusion in this game compared to most recent FromSoftware games is the ability to outright pause the game. This has been a requested feature by gamers to FromSoftware so it's great to see that feedback implemented. Beyond that, the checkpoints are forgiving and players can restart from a checkpoint (or restart the mission from the beginning) quickly from the menu and experience minimal loading time. When restarting from a checkpoint, the player's health and ammo are restored, so it's a great trick to utilize after finding a checkpoint if low on health or ammo. If a player loses a battle, there's an option to adjust parts from the menu without having to end the mission and go back to the garage, which is another brilliant quality of life feature to save players from having to constantly restart missions just because they wanted to experiment with different parts or tweak weaponry to overcome a challenge.

Loghunts are this game's version of specialized hunts or mercenaries from other action games, which grant reward parts when completed. These are definitely worthwhile for players to complete in order to enhance their mech as every bit always helps in a FromSoftware game. Before completing the mission goal, it's important to make sure these enemies are eliminated first.

For more focused battles during the campaign outside of missions, the Arena mode features increasingly difficult and tense one-on-one battles against AI AC units with no repairs to assist. This is a great test of skill to prepare for more difficult battles during the campaign missions. Completing each challenge unlocks customization rewards, and more importantly, OST Chips. This currency can be used to purchase important permanent upgrades and enhancements for the AC in the OS Tuning menu, such as increasing the effectiveness of repair kits.

From a graphics and art style perspective, Armored Core VI is a visual treat with so many explosions and effects. The world itself is fascinating with unique maps that feature tons of details for such massive levels. The varied locations keep the game fresh and provide a level of intrigue often found in FromSoftware games. The mechs and unique enemies are extremely detailed, which is incredibly impressive given how many different parts needed to be designed by FromSoftware.

Overall, the game runs smoothly without any hiccups or glitches, which is vital for an action game of this caliber. Simply put, FromSoftware nails the aesthetic once again and continues to cement themselves as one of the top developers in the industry for building engaging worlds. The performance and gameplay is spot on as gamers would expect but that it's done so with mechs makes it an even more impressive feat.

Conclusion

Featuring a full single-player campaign, multiplayer options, intense action gameplay and immense customization options, Armored Core VI is the complete package. The core mechanics that gamers have grown to love in FromSoftware games are present and accentuate the mech setting. The frenetic gameplay mixed with the famous FromSoftware challenge creates the perfect blend for an action game.

Impressively, FromSoftware continues to do all of this at the highest quality and further cement its place among the greatest developers. Returning FromSoftware fans will feel at home with Armored Core VI. However, Armored Core VI is the perfect entry point to the series or FromSoftware games, just like Sekiro in 2019 and Elden Ring in 2022 when they were released.

In arguably the greatest year in gaming history, it's fitting that one of the best developers will leave a mark by reigniting a franchise and pushing it to new heights. Armored Core VI deserves to be nominated among the best action games at The Game Awards in December.