Armored Core VI: Fires of Rubicon (2023)

Armored Core VI: Fires of Rubicon was my first real contact with the Armored Core series. My experience with FromSoftware only truly began with Elden Ring, and it is clear that the studio operates in its own category in terms of design philosophy and difficulty tuning.

Fires of Rubicon is impressive for what it sets out to do. If you appreciate mech combat, you are in the right place. The level design is strong, the visuals are sharp, and the customization system—combining parts, weapons, and builds—is deep and motivating. It captures that distinct FromSoftware intensity, where challenge is part of the identity.

What ultimately pushed me away was the repetition required to progress. Advancing often meant replaying missions multiple times to earn currency, upgrading the mech, and then attempting later encounters with improved equipment. I found myself repeating a single mission ten or twenty times just to afford necessary upgrades. That loop diminished my motivation.

I stopped roughly within the first third of the game. That is unfortunate, because the foundation is excellent. I would like to return to it at some point and experience it more fully. For now, I appreciate what I played, even if I did not carry it through to the end.

It's a bit absurd that you have to beat AC6 three times to see the real ending, and the true final boss being a random dude who's had very little screentime up til that point is kind of a letdown. But the second and third runs offered just enough new twists to feel worthwhile, and blazing through them at lightspeed with a perfect understanding of how best to pilot my elaborate, elegant robot was admittedly pretty cool. Each mech I faced looked bigger and badder than the last, but they all fell like sacks of potatoes with a well-timed boost kick!

I love, too, that the game is confident enough to hide away giant, playstyle-defining mechanics like melee boost cancelling, fully content to let you pass them by entirely. The possibility space of all the different ways an AC6 mech can move and fight feels dauntingly huge, but whittling those options down and finding exactly what works for you makes your relationship with your death robot feel strangely personal. More so than any Dark Souls knight I've played, more so than even Sekiro from Sekiro, my mint-green, boost-addled sword mech feels like its own character.

Found AC6's rendition of the Moonlight Greatsword, and sadly it's just about the worst version of it I've seen in any FromSoft game. Looks cool as heck, shoots rad energy vortices with every swing, but it's wayyy too slow to ever hit any of the hypermobile bosses you face.

Instead, my final loadout for the Chummer ended up just being 3 different missile batteries and the sword you start with at the very beginning of the game. Guns are the only weapons that make use of your mech's aim stat, so it turns out that ignoring them entirely lets you shave a ton of weight off your build and reinvest it into even more absurd melee damage and speed!

Here's a look at the final version of the Chummer, plus a tank and tetrapod mech I built just to try em out.

Took me a hot minute to figure out a control scheme I liked, but now I'm up and running and having a lovely time with my first Armored Core game! Here's my first mech, the Chummer, an ultralight reverse-joint build focused on quickly inflicting stagger and then zooming in for big melee damage.

As a person that has not really played any mech games since Gotcha Force, this is such a fun game.

The combat is dynamic. You get to chose what it is like, fast and hectic, slow and meticulous, up close and personal.

The game starts top pick up after you get through all the training missions. It's worth noting that the item sell price is the same as the buy price.

From Soft does not make a bad game. i've never been a fan of mech games, mech anime, anything like that. But I knew in my soul that I would love this game regardless. and I was right.

Every last little thing about it is made with the most loving detail. In a market filled with games made just to exploit an audience, in a sea of passionless manufactured dregs that make you want to give up on the industry, there is still a savior. This game loves you, it's audience, and it does everything to make your experience perfect.

It handles like a dream. Everything is smooth and responsive. there is a wealth of options in playstyle and despite tremendous complexity, it holds your hand, shows you what each part you can add to your mech does with a video demonstration, the chance to try it out in simulation, the chance to sell it for the price you paid and buy a different part. experimentation is lovingly catered to. The difficulty is not small but it is surmountable. Every single challenge can be overcome either with ability or cunning. every enemy has a weakness. but if you want to play the way you want to, every build is viable if you're determined.

Is this a souls game? it doesn't feature swords and sorcery and cosmic horrors. the setting and story are very different. the same themes remain. the story is more direct but features the same hidden depths that require careful searching, reviewing descriptions and making inferences. Prominent boss fights are still a feature. it's very much a mech game, but as someone who doesn't care about mech games I still loved it. If you enjoy the formula of a From Soft game, you will enjoy AC6.

As ever with this studio, the game sets a standard that makes almost all other games feel poorly crafted and downright insulting to your time.

Note that I didn't play multiplayer. it looks solid enough. I just don't care about that experience. keep in mind my opinions are only on the single player experience.

Roll Credits?: Yes!

Surprised/Let Down/As Expected: As Expected

Favorite Mechanic or Narrative Moment: The game just felt good to play. Controls were tight, and actions had a satisfying weight to them. Staggering an enemy to cut them up, blasting things with huge rockets, kicking them while boosting, and many others were way more fun than they had any right to be. The rest of the game was fine (story is serviceable and it looks nice enough), but the feeling of just piloting a badass robot carries the game so hard it can't be overstated.

Least Favorite Thing: Playing on launch, I was not a fan of the balancing and difficulty of certain sections. I don't mind losing to a boss a bunch of times, but the issue really came from the fact that you had to actively avoid using certain item combinations because they would trivialize the content. The boss would be crushing you, and deep down you know you could forego it all just add a couple shotguns or miniguns to your mech to crush them instantly. There have been a bunch of updates to various underpowered weapons since I last played, so I'm looking forward to a future playthrough to try out new stuff.

Been kind of enjoying the game but man... am I the only one who finds that the lock on system is pretty bad? I'm constantly losing track of my locked target and I feel like if I move the camera to try to keep up it unlocks but if I lock on they simply move too fast for the lock to keep up? Seems like a real no win scenario unless I'm missing something...

I don't know, kinda thought this might be a GOTY game for me but I find myself holding on by my finger tips just 'cause it's Fromsoft and starting to wonder if the only good thing they've ever done is Dark Souls... But I've got more game to go before I really say...

Been a long time fan of Fromsoft, and again they don’t dissapoint. Combat and music is great, the world design spectacular, and an insane amount of mech customization. Also I just love Ayre! I don’t really have any criticisms, other than that it would’ve been amazing if this was an interconnected world rather than just missions. I kept wanting to explore the world without fully being able to.

Overall an incredible game, thank you From!

Am I the only one who noticed how similar the title screen theme is to the Terminator 2 theme? Not a bad thing at all.

This is my first true Armored Core experience. I didn't own a PS1 until well past it's heyday and while I had a friend who loved Armored Core, I was never able to play enough to get into it. It had an overwhelming learning curve and awkward controls. Playing Armored Core 6 required a lot of patience and effort from my end. It's not a poorly designed game, but it is both dense and overwhelming. I think the tutorial for the most part is thoughtful and well designed. You are barred from the AC shop and forced to play with a specific AC for the first bit of short and simple missions. The tutorial boss is certainly a steep increase in difficulty and because you need to fight it to progress the game properly, it's certainly one of the most challenging fights. Mechanically it isn't complex, but because you are still learning the controls it will challenge you. The boss forces you to learn the core mechanics of the game which will likely be a turn off for a chunk of players who don't like to be challenged by games. I'm not criticizing players who don't like being challenged, merely warning that the tutorial boss will feel too punishing if you aren't used to challenging games.

Then gradually, the game gives you training missions (which I recommend, not only for learning purposes but also for the free parts each tutorial rewards you), unlocks the shops, arena battles (a low risk way to get stronger and test out your build. Both from the money you earn and the OST chips which allow you to strengthen your Mech meaningfully) and parts. Eventually, I reached a point where I was excited for the next wave of new parts and arena battles to unlock so I could experiment more.

With all of that said, It wasn't until about 3 hours in that the game finally gripped me. I am glad I stuck it out in the early parts of the game. Once it clicked for me I was zipping around and causing total destruction. It's a fun power fantasy that is further elevated by the sheer amount of customization and ease of switching play styles (once you get over the learning curve). Compared to any previous Souls game, the customization is far more robust. While every weapon and part are certainly not balanced, there is a clear sense of progression and satisfaction from mastering the complex systems. While I was able to figure out most of it on my own, some of the menu description were disappointingly vague and I did have to look up some info. One example would be in EN shortfall (meaning not having enough energy to power your mech).

I really don't view this as a souls game. Yes there is a lock-on mechanic, yes there are limited healing options and there are "checkpoints." But most games feature these same mechanics and outside of those factors the gameplay of Armored Core is so different that they feel like completely different games. This isn't a bad thing. For starters, this game is exponentially faster than any soulsbourne game. Bar none. Your speed can vary, but even in the slowest option you are still vastly faster than any previous Souls game. While AC 6 does have a stamina meter (energy in this case), it does function differently then the Souls game. Here only mobility, whether offensive or defensive, are restricted by energy whereas in Souls game it typically is tied to both attacking and movement. This is a good change. AC 6 is extremely input heavy in comparison to the Souls game. This is the aspect that I believe new players to the series (myself included) will struggle with the most. Having to be mindful of multiple cooldowns and energy management is a lot to wrestle with. For that reason, I found automatic primary weapons or slower firing primary weapons and shoulder weapons to be more appealing. I tried using the the handguns and while they were definitely powerful, it was giving me carpal tunnel and straining my multitasking making evasive maneuvers significantly more challenging. I ended up using the Cheng machine guns or the Needle guns. Both are strong options for a medium sized speedy build. The Cheng's were very appealing being automatic and having a relatively large ammo capacity. Either way, there's a ton to manage and the speed of the game is manic. Having to press four buttons for weapons while managing your energy and dodging to avoid attacks takes a LONG time to adjust to. It did eventually all click together for me and while I heard the later chapters had very challenging bosses, I ended up having no issues with the final few bosses (IB-01 CEL 240 was nerfed before I fought it though I beat the earlier bosses pre-nerf). Beating them in only a few attempts. It did help that I discovered how stupidly strong the Stun Needle Launchers are. Great tracking, fast speed and HEAVY damage. For me I had the hardest time with Balteus and the Sea Spider both pre-nerf. The first Enforcer fight I also had a hard time. This was due to the restrictions of the arena and how aggressive and tanky the mech was. I think mechanically later bosses are more challenging, but at that point I had built a very powerful mech and had gotten acclimated with the controls and combat. Once you reach that point of enlightenment the game is a blast.

I did go on a bit of a tangent above, to circle back another major differences between this game and Soulsbourne (and why I would argue it isn't a souls game) is the mission structure and lack of exploration. This game is far more linear than any other recent FromSoft game and rarely rewards you for exploring. Not a bad thing. I feel they likely avoided an open world not only for performance reasons but also to have a greater connection to the old games. The missions all have level designs specifically tailored for the mission and mechs you fight. This results in varied and engaging gameplay. You need to consider more than the enemies while building your mech. Some of these missions, which I thought were among the better, feature a gimmick. These gimmicks will typically instantly kill you and forces you to approach the mission and objective in a completely different way. Breach The Wall is the first mission that comes to mind and will likely be the first mission players struggle with. Another great mission, which is never repeated, is investigating a base to discover it is flooded with invisible snipers. In previous missions you typically could blitz ahead with reckless abandonment but here you forced to take things slow and use your scan constantly.

I personally think AC 6 is a difficult game. The average gameplay is pretty easy in comparison to the average gameplay of a Souls game. Where AC 6 elevates it's difficulty is in the diverse mission structures (including gimmick scenarios) and in the boss encounters. Unlike in Souls games, the devs never shy away from a novel boss encounter that forces you to completely change your play style and build. This wouldn't be possible in Souls games due to the commitment you make via stat allocation and upgrading your weapons. In contrast, if you die in AC 6 and you have spare parts in your inventory, on the fly you can completely swap out your weapons and Mech parts mid mission or you can quit the mission and buy new parts to completely change your style. This gives you unparalleled adaptability and the devs push this by not restricting boss design to accommodate a broad spectrum of approaches like you see in souls games. Souls game bosses are typically restrained because the Devs want all builds in the game to be viable. That restriction isn't present in AC 6 and the end result are some of the best boss encounters in any FromSoft game I've played.

I've heard people criticize this game over the graphics. This is a common critique for any FromSoft game and I think it's an extremely flawed approach to take. Game development isn't contained in an infinite vacuum of possibilities. There are restrictions imposed by hardware and design decisions. Performance in FromSoft games are usually top notch (some exclusions would be the dreaded Blight Town in DS 1 and Bloodbourne had some performance hiccups here and there) but in general their games perform well and gameplay is always king for them. In addition, while their games don't push graphical boundaries, they never market their games as that... so why judge them for something that is clearly not a priority? They always have a distinctive style and that ALWAYS ages better than any technical achievement graphically because hardware is always improving. In 10 years, even the best looking games being released now won't look good anymore... and there is a cost for pushing graphics to the limits... it isn't a free decision to make. It results in the game being more demanding to play... which is another reason why so many AAA games perform like complete garbage... because they are pushing graphical limits and the end result is garbage performance because of hardware limitations and design decisions... it's extremely taxing to render a giant open world with intricate game mechanics with the best possible graphics... then people complain those games don't run at 144 FPS... like dude use your brain cells and refer to how game development isn't an infinite vacuum. I'll take a highly stylized game with mediocre graphics that performs well any day over a one hundred million dollar shiny toy that breaks the moment you open it... rant over.

If you are on the fence about this game but like action games or have an itch to be in a giant robot I'd say buy it. There is a learning curve but the game feels satisfying to master and the boss fights are awesome and some of the best designed from FromSoft.

Armored Core VI: Fires of Rubiconin julkaisun ja menestyksen seuraaminen on ollut mielenkiintoista hommaa. Jokseenkin hullua nähdä, miten From Softwaren viimeaikainen nousukiito älyttömiin sfääreihin Elden Ringin myötä saa siivitettyä jopa niinkin niche-pelin kuin Armored Coren myyntilistojen kärkeen.

Ansaitseeko Armored Core uuden suosionsa? Sinänsä kyllä, sinänsä ei, jos minulta kysytään.

Jos aloitetaan myötäargumenteista. AC6 on näyttävä peli, joka tarjoaa paljon näperreltävää ja opittavaa. Robottien osia ja aseita on paljon erilaisia, ja osia vaihtamalla voi yllättävänkin paljon muuttaa pelin tuntumaa. Toiminta on paikoin huumaavan hauskaa, ja todella tulivoimaisen robotin akrobatia vihollisten luotien keskellä on hiton viihdyttävää. Kohokohdan pelissä muodostivat ainakin itselleni kaksintaistelut muita robotteja vastaan. Pelissä on myös haarautuva tarina, joka laittaa pelaajan mukavasti puun ja kuoren väliin tekemään päätöksiä. Äänimaailma on rouhea ja musiikit peliin sopivat ja tunnelmalliset.

Ja ne vasta-argumentit? Pelissä on vaikeustason ja bossien puolesta paljon turhauttavuuksia. Bossien iskuja on välillä todella vaikea ennakoida ja täten dodgeta. Iskut tekevät myös hervottomia määriä damagea, jolloin yksi paha osuma saattaa torpeedoida koko yrityksen. Pelin ns. robotti-imuri-bossi on myös jänkkimäisyydessään suorastaan rasittavaa paskaa. Lock-on ei ole läheskään yhtä luotettava apu kuin Souls-peleissä (ainakin minun kokemukseni mukaan), joten kameraa vastaan taistelua tapahtuu bosseissa myös paljon. Robottien rajalliset panosmäärät ovat pelisuunnittelullinen valinta, mutta en tiedä oliko panosten säästelykään suoranaista peli-iloa. Lisäksi, pelin kunnianhimoinen tarina vilisee niin paljon outoja nimiä ja jargonia, että kärryillä on etenkin aluksi hankala pysyä. Moni hahmoista ovat myös kirjaimellisesti ja kuvainnollisesti melko kasvottomia. Pieni lisäkarisma olisi tehnyt terää.

Pelin aikana tuntemukseni vaihtelivat tymäkästä tyydytyksestä syvään vitutukseen. Armored Core VI tekee todella paljon oikein, mutta muutaman asian niin vastakarvaan, että en tiedä tulenko palaamaan pelin pariin paljoa. Jokseenkin tekee mieli antaa pelille vielä hieman myöhemmin mahdollisuus ja katsoa, josko minussa oli enemmän vikaa kuin ajattelin ja pelissä vähemmän.

After beating NG++, I think I have to put this as my front runner for my personal GotY. The customization is so fun, the story is surprisingly good with a lot of twists and interesting characters, and the combat is sublime.

50 hours just flew by with this game. Hope it does well and we get more, whether another game or a dlc expansion.

I've been playing Amored Core 6 for the past couple of weeks and it's all I can really think about. I've long been anticipating the next Armored Core game, even since before Elden Ring was fully revealed. Knowing FromSoftware was the studio behind those games was enough to pique my interest. And while I had played several of them over the years, I did so casually, without ever being a really hardcore fan. I never paid attention to story and it was back when I wasn't a conscious appreciator of game design and all the trappings that come with that.

So when they announced Armored Core 6 at the VGA show last year, it gave me something concrete to look forward to. Even though I was interested, I didn't have that ravenous hunger for it that would make me pour over every scrap of info the studio might reveal ahead of time when promoting or showing gameplay. I stayed relatively blind. I'm glad I did because it has completely ensnared me and I think going in blind was a big part of that.

I've been obsessed with this game since the moment I started. I love everything about it. The mech component, the movement, the combat, the cast of characters, the voice acting, the bleak and serious tone, the world design, the story events, the competing factions, the art style, the mission structure, the weapons, the customization, fucking everything. There are so few things about this game I don't like that I have no reservations saying it's my favorite FromSoft game. I love the Souls games, I love Sekiro, I love Elden Ring, but if you told me FromSoft was never going to make those games again and was just going to make more Armored Core games, I would say "that's perfectly fucking fine," because that's all I want. I want 10 more games just like this. I don't want this mech party to end. It's just too much fun.

Part of my praise and elation for AC6 comes undoubtedly from the fact that it's the first modern game I've bought for my gaming PC and is also the first game I'm experiencing in ultrawide. It's a benchmark, a milestone of sorts. And because I'm playing it on PC, I'm also benefitting from having the audio output go through my recording studio setup with Mackie M624 monitors. In other words, I'm experiencing this game in the best damn conditions one can experience it.

And holy shit is it an experience.

Armored Core 6 is packed with so many epic "FUCK YES, LET'S GO!" moments and "wait, what the hell?" moments alike. Far more than any other FromSoftware game. And unlike most other FromSoftware games, it's 100% obligatory to play through the game multiple times due to the different courses the story can take based on your decisions and based on what alternative missions become available on the subsequent playthroughs.

The only qualm I really have right now is the weaponry. At the time of writing, the meta build is to dual wield the Zimmerman shotguns with some kind of heavy duty explosive shoulder weapon, usually the Songbirds. And it's not that this combo is OP; it's really that everything else is pretty underpowered. Assault rifles have very low impact, low damage output, and the range and velocity of the bullets make them relatively useless for most endgame bosses. The difference between the effective ranges of the Zimmerman shotguns and the rest of the weapons is so negligible that it doesn't make any sense NOT to use the shotguns. Either way, you're going to have to be right up in the enemy's grill to score hits so you may as well make it count.

I'm sure there will be a mod that tweaks this if FromSoftware don't patch it themselves but that's the only thing I can complain about. That's it. I don't have any other issue with the game. It's a 5 out of 5 for me, full stop. As usual, I don't know how to end my rants so there it is.

I beat my first playthrough, one of two endings I could pick from anyway. I had a blast with this game. As a massive FromSoft fan it's a huge breath of fresh air to get a game that is relying something so different from what has become they're standard dare over the past decade. Especially since Elden Ring moved things in a direction I'm less excited about (note: I still gave it 5 stars lol).

Generally Armored Core games have follow-up games that add on to the initial story, tho I'm not sure how that could be possible here, at least with the ending I got. In this day and age, DLC is more likely to take that function. I'd be happy to play one, but I'd also be happy if they moved on to other things.

I know from word gone around that this game has significant added content post-game, so I'm definitely planning to keep playing it. Not sure if I'll review it or wait til I've finished new game +. Hence this little spiel, lol.

First time I played FromSoftware game was demon souls, soon after its premiere on PS3. I knew nothing about it when buying it, except that it has a cool art on the box (specially for what was then a high school boy).

I did not got what I expected and at times it resulted in frustration beyond comprehension but it did ended up actually changing me as a human. It has taught me so much patience and ever since then I have been drinking from the fountain of FromSoft endless, pure gamer juice.

I only learned of Armored Core series existence when I was deep into Dark Souls lore, but noticed I no longer posses any means to play those games, so I just ignored them. When AC6 was annouced I was thrilled, finally a entrypoint to the series for the likes of me.

I am apparently a huge mecha fan. (Even though my only experience with mechs so far, was Evangelion).

I honestly did not knew what to expect from this game, but I think it is an instant game of the year for me (topping BG3).

1. Art design - they obviously have huge experience with this kind of science fiction already, but the years spend by their art team on game like Dark Souls and now Elden Ring, resulted with an extreme understanding of how to present scale and spectacle. There is so many jaw-dropping moments, presented with a clear vision of how to show it to you, so you can appreciate it. It is not just about the scale of having a big thing on the screen that you can climb on. It is also about how to see it for the first time, how you come in contact with it, how the sound around it is. They just know it all and execute it to the point.
2. Story - the fact you have to pass the game few times to get all the endings and the story changes quite a bit, and gives you more and more details it s cool idea. The story is mostly sold by voice actors and some minor log entries, the rest you get during missions. It is definetly a far more accessible story than in most FS games, and in terms of acting, one of the best. Slightly different since all the conversations are though "radio" channels so they can be distorted, there is a lot of pauses etc. but it all adds to the feeling of your character being there, and you being there with him, as a recipient of the message, learning as you both go through each and every struggle. I do not want to spoil any moments of it, but it feels like an usually rather sad, FS story, with regular for them agency, but far more fleshed out characters (mostly sold by actors that only have voices to work on, no in game models).
3. Combar - fast, fun and versatile. The challenge depends on you though. There are OP builds that will get you through every boss and every enemy with relative ease, for sure. But there is a lot to choose from, and when you want to build the mech you want to operate, you might impose a challenge on yoruself when meeting certain elements. In terms of sheer difficulty it is the easiest FS game I played, but I do not think pushing a difficulty requirement on them is neccessary. Any game can be good and easy, this one is very good and not-so-easy but not as hard as DS, Bloodborne or Elden Ring
4. Other - mech customization is something I have been sucked into despite my lack of artistic sense on thing I create. It is so much fun, and robust.

I am enticed to try and emualte older games from the seires on Steam Deck after I had my share of AC6, cause they just made me a mech games fan.