FromSoftware is bringing back the Armored Core franchise with the upcoming Armored Core 6: Fires of Rubicon. It’s been more than a decade since the last entry in the series, so naturally fan expectations and hype are at an all-time high for this release. Between this and the fact that so many newcomers are interested in this game, there are a ton of questions lingering in the air that need to be addressed. To that end, here are 15 things that you need to know before buying Armored Core 6.
Story
Armored Core 6: Fires Of Rubicon’s story tackles many of the same depressing themes of greed and corruption seen in FromSoftware’s other works like the Souls series. Set in the distant future where humanity has expanded its horizons to the space beyond, the game puts us in the shoes of a mercenary who has been sent on a mission to gain control of a mysterious substance on the planet of Rubicon 3. There are multiple megacorporations vying for possession, so the road ahead will obviously be wrought with all sorts of dangers blocking your path – but you must power through at all costs and turn this uphill battle in your favor.
Connection To Prior Games
Armored Core is a series that spans more than a handful of mainline entries and a universe rich with detailed lore, so it’s only natural that fans might want to know whether Armored Core 6 will have connections to prior releases. Thankfully for newcomers to the franchise, Armored Core 6 is built as a soft reboot – so having prior experience with the franchise isn’t necessary to get the full gist of this story. But those who have played previous Armored Core releases will be duly rewarded with clever easter eggs and clever narrative links peppered throughout the game.
Story Choices
In tune with prior releases from the developer, Armored Core 6 will also feature multiple endings – as confirmed by the game’s developer in a recent interview on PlayStation Blog. The developer stated that as players complete playthroughs, they will be able to take new paths which will unlock different endings. We don’t know whether the game will have New Game Plus options or not, but witnessing these alternate endings seems like a great reason to revisit the game a second or a third time.
Mech Combat
Over on the gameplay front, Armored Core 6 looks set to take the foundations of prior entries and modernize the combat in an effort to placate a modern audience. As can already be seen from the trailers, the combat is extremely fast-paced and focused on nimble movements and quick reaction times. The developer states that things can get pretty chaotic as well and that intensity levels might reach the levels of Armored Core 4 – so that’s also pretty exciting to hear as well.
Mech Customization
Much like prior entries in the series, Armored Core 6 will also put a ton of emphasis on mech customization. Players will be able to fully customize their mechs ranging from armor to weapons to mobility options and much more. Of course, there’s going to be some sort of power budget that will dictate the extent of your options – but there’s little argument that Armored Core 6 is definitely going to be a dream come true for fans who like to go crazy with all sorts of wacky builds and also lovers of fashion Souls.
Impact Bar
Armored Core 6 also introduces a new mechanic in the form of the Impact Bar, which seems to have been lifted straight out of Sekiro’s hat. You see, each enemy has a posture bar above its head that progressively fills up with each successful hit – and once it reaches a certain threshold, players can pummel those enemies down with a flurry of heavy attacks which will deal significant health damage if not wipe out the enemy completely. The Impact Bar will most likely make for an aggressive combat system, and we’re excited to see how it pans out in the final release.
Boss Fights
From Ornstein And Smough in Dark Souls to Orphan Of Kos In Bloodborne to Malenia in Elden Ring, FromSoftware has established itself as one of the top talents when it comes to crafting boss fights that push a player to their absolute limits. Armored Core 6 will continue the same trend, with the developer already confirming that boss fights will be one of the highlights of the experience. As such, players can expect plenty of bombastic encounters against hulking mechs who will knock you down in moments unnoticed if you’re not careful.
However, unlike the Souls games where fights revolve around reading attack patterns and finding windows of opportunities to punish the enemy – Armored Core 6’s boss fights will focus more on gear management and choosing the right build for the job if you want to ensure a smooth victory.
Open World
Taking a steep turn back from the level design philosophy of Souls games, Armored Core 6 wouldn’t be featuring an open world for players to explore. Instead, you will be making your way through carefully crafted arenas that differ vastly from one another. These arenas look to be pretty large in space, and there’s plenty of verticality to them as well. Furthermore, the developer has said that Armored Core 6 will stick to the traditional mission-based structure of the franchise – so it’s also likely that these levels might not be seamlessly connected to one another like Dark Souls.
Melee Weapons
One of the bigger changes with respect to the series’ traditional combat is the addition of melee weapons. Players will be able to equip close-range weapons like swords, lances, and chainsaws in the left arm slot which will be used in conjunction with the previously mentioned Impact Bar to deal heavy amounts of damage to enemies. As can already be seen from the trailers, going in for close-range hits will be a highly effective strategy – so you might want to collect these melee weapons as you progress through the game.
Long-Range Weapon Variety
Armored Core 6 will also feature an equally impressive number of options when it comes to long-range weapon variety. You will be able to choose from the likes of plasma rifles, Gatling guns, split missiles, and much more. Of course, there are going to be multiple variants in each of these weapon categories – so you will have plenty of options when it comes to strategizing against different enemy types.
Difficulty Options
It’s customary that every FromSoftware release is accompanied by the age-old question, “Will it have an easy mode?” The developer hasn’t yet confirmed whether the game will have the option to change the difficulty or not, but we do know that it will be a challenging game – as stated by the developer on the Taipei Game Show. While it would be a pleasant surprise to see a more accessible release with Armored Core 6, it’s best to keep expectations in check for now.
Mission Checkpoints
Speaking of accessibility, Armored Core 6 looks set to be more forgiving in terms of mortality mechanics when compared to the Souls releases. You see, each mission will have a set number of checkpoints which ensures that players don’t lose out on a ton of progress after each death. Furthermore, it’s also confirmed that there will be no currency loss on death – which should help make things a bit easier as well.
Multiplayer Support
Long-time fans of Armored Core might have fond memories of duking it out against other players in the many multiplayer modes of prior entries, and we’re happy to report that Armored Core 6 will also feature a Versus multiplayer mode. It’s essentially a 1v1 battle against other real players, allowing you to showcase your crazy builds and strategies and completely obliterate the opposition or just have some good old-fashioned fun with friends.
Co-op Support
Another way Armored Core 6 breaks the tradition of FromSoftware releases is with regard to support for co-op. Unlike the Souls games where you could summon a buddy to help with a tough boss fight, FromSoftware’s upcoming release will not have any such options for co-op gameplay as has already been confirmed by the developers themselves. It’s certainly a missed opportunity, but it is what it is.
PC System Requirements
Armored Core 6 can be a fairly demanding game on PC, so you might need a decent gaming rig to have a shot at running the game. According to the Steam page, you will need to have a minimum of a Core i5 8600k, GTX 960, and 16 GB of RAM to run the game at minimum settings. The final release will clock in at about 65 GB of system space, so make sure to free your drive accordingly. Unfortunately, recommended specifications are unknown at the moment – but expect to have at least an 8-core processor and RTX graphics card if you wish to run the game at anything above 1080p.
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