Posted in: Bandai Namco, FromSoftware, Games, Video Games | Tagged: Armored Core VI, Armored Core VI: Fires Of Rubicon

Armored Core VI Preview: Mech Action Meets Souls Punishment

Bandai Namco and FromSoftware brought us out to California to play a preview of Armored Core VI! Here's our thoughts on that session.

Ever since Bandai Namco and FromSoftware teased the upcoming release of Armored Core VI: Fires Of Rubicon, our minds have been racing on what a current-gen version of the series would look like. The series has been a favorite of ours when it comes to mech titles, even with some of the entries being hit-or-miss. They've experimented over the years to see what works and what doesn't, some with bold choices that paid off and others with options that didn't live up to the hype. So this new incarnation of the series could go either way for a lot of fans. We were fortunate enough to be invited out to California by the team to try the game out, as they took over an airplane hangar (and even had a working real-life mech on display) for us to play a sample of the game for several hours. Here's our thoughts on that preview.

We're going to keep a lot of the story points spoiler free since we're sure there are a lot of you reading this who want to know what's up but don't want all the details. The shorthand to the intro is that you are an augmented human pilot, designated "C4-621," who is working for a handler known as Walter. Walter has decided that you're going to get involved in the middle of a conflict happening on a planet called Rubicon 3, the center of a new source of "Coral," a source of energy that is highly sought after. The first mission has you taking out some enemies and finding the ID of another mech pilot you can use to impersonate one of the mercenaries on the planet who is already dead and takes on their callsign of "Raven." Once you obtain that identity, you use it to take on jobs and involve yourself in the conflict, depending on who's hiring.

A lot of the missions have a pretty cool flow to them. You start in a hangar chatting with your handler about what's going on and then are presented with options for gigs to take. Some are pretty simplistic, such as going after a specific target or doing recon work, while others are more in-depth, as you will join squads to help them out or clear an area of all enemies. When you take a mission, you then have the option of changing, upgrading, or swapping out parts on your mech to fit the situation you're going into. A little bit of story, some cutscenes, and boom, you're on the mission. From here, it will be up to you to use your weapons and your wits to overcome the circumstances and battle your way through tons of enemies to make the mission a success. If you're familiar with Armored Core as a series, this will feel all too familiar. If you're just a mech-game kind of person, this will be a bit of a spicy upgrade to other titles you're used to.

One of the biggest challenges to Armored Core VI, which should come as no surprise given it's being made by FromSoftware, is the Sould-like element to many of the bosses. Basically, you're going to spend a lot of time dying a lot and learning as you go. We're not going to sit here and say that the bosses are unfair; they are defeatable. However, we're also not going to lie to you. They are a pain in the ass! One boss we ran into was an attack helicopter that we had on the ropes several times until it decided to move out of bounds from the fighting area and started shooting at us when we couldn't hit it. We basically had to go sit in the middle of the fighting ring, waiting for it to come back to get a shot at it. Another boss, which had a giant laser eye as a target, was practically firing at us every 20 seconds, leaving us in a position where we could only get one set of shots off and then spent 30 seconds ducking. Then we ran into one that required us to hit it from behind, in a match where it would constantly turn around and just before we got behind it. If this sounds like something you may have encountered in games like Elden Ring, Bloodborne, and Dark Souls 3, then you already know what kind of pain you're in for.

The game gives you the option to replay missions without losing anything, so it's not like you're screwed over. But if you want to change out parts to your mech, you will need to start the entire mission over. Thankfully, you have a plethora of options to choose from. Every mission will give you credits to buy new gear, and successful missions will even unlock new options or find new gear from those missions to incorporate into your mech. So you have the time and money to go back and design it however you wish to beat the missions the right way, even if it means going through a ton of trial and error. What's more, the customization of this game is insane. Armored Core VI gives you far greater ability to make your mech look and feel however you wish beyond just a simple paint job. Do you want this thing to look neon green with scorch marks, a hint of rust, and a sponsorship from some company on the side? You got it! You can even customize your own clan logo from TONS of design options. You can look as badass or ridiculous as you want, even in defeat.

Ultimately, we had a lot of fun playing this demo. The game is pretty solid, and aside from a glitch here and there, and the general frustration of dying frequently in punishing ways, it was a great time. We're not trying to labor this point too heavily, but it is a Souls-like title, and if you're not ready for the tactics, action, and eventual defeat that comes with that kind of a game, better you know about it now than find out about it later. I will say that once you defeat those bosses, the satisfaction and rewards make up for the time spent learning how to defeat them. But unless you're a god-tier player who can one-shot one of these games in the most brutal mode possible, you're going to experience failure a few times before you get it right. And for the mech fans out there, this is going to be a game right up your alley.

Armoured Core VI comes out on August 25th for PC, Xbox, and PlayStation consoles.

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