It might not be a new Soulslike, but as the next big flagship release by FromSoftware, Armored Core 6: Fires of Rubicon has the attention of the masses. The mech action series has been out of commission for a while now, but now returning to it as one of the most prestigious studios in the industry, From is looking to deliver what’s looking like the series’ biggest and most impressive instalment to date. We’ve already spoken plenty about the game and what it will bring to the table, but there’s plenty more that we haven’t yet covered- to that end, here, we’ll be going over a few more details that you should know about Armored Core 6: Fires of Rubicon.
AC PARTS
Customization is king in Armored Core, of course, and true to the franchise’s core, Armored Core 6 will also look to empower players to customize their mechs to ridiculous degrees in a variety of ways. You’ll be able to swap out a variety of different parts, each coming with unique stat boosts and gameplay benefits, including your Armored Core’s (or AC’s) weapons, limbs, boosters, defensive system, and much more. While some legs might give you higher mobility and speed, others might make you bulkier and slower while also lending greater defences. With no restrictions being placed on what parts you can combine together, the potential for customization flexibility is going to be a core part of the experience.
OS UPGRADES
In addition to the many different parts you’ll be able to swap out on your AC, you’ll also be able to apply OS upgrades that will bring other benefits, which is a new mechanic for the series. The changes and improvements here will generally be more granular and specific than what we mentioned with AC parts, like being able to turn faster or improving your Assault Boost, but will add an even greater degree of customization options nonetheless.
COSMETIC CUSTOMIZATION
In addition to how your ACs perform and what they’re able to do on the battlefield, the customization options available in the game will also let you change what they look like. This is an aspect that FromSoftware hasn’t spent nearly as much time talk about as compared to other customization systems, so it remains to be seen just what the range of options will be here, but we do know that players will be able to change things such as colours, textures, and wear and tear.
MISSION-BASED STRUCTURE
This might be a bit of a shock to FromSoftware fans who’re going to be jumping into Armored Core for the first time with Fires of Rubicon, but the series takes a very different approach in terms of how it’s structured. Rather than the open world of Elden Ring or the interconnected Metroidvania-esque areas of other Soulslike titles, Armored Core 6 is going to be entirely mission-based. Missions also tend to be quite short in Armored Core– the point here is not to go through long, harrowing journeys, but to spend the bulk of your time tinkering with your AC in the garage, heading into a mission for a short and glorious burst of action, see what customizations you need to make, and then head back to the garage so you can come back with improved chances of success.
EXPLORATION
Given the mission-based structure of Armored Core 6, it goes without saying that you should also expect way less emphasis on exploration than what FromSoftware titles have become anonymous with over the last decade and a half. Areas in Fires of Rubicon are going to be pretty big, though that will mostly be to facilitate the fact that your ACs are going to move at fast speeds and cover vast distances quickly. While there will be some opportunities for exploration here and there, you shouldn’t expect it to be a crucial part of the experience.
MOVEMENT SPEED
Movement speed, as we’ve touched on already, is always a big focal point for Armored Core games, and that’s going to be the case in Fires of Rubicon as well. Of course, it’s not going to be a constant that every player will experience the same way- depending on how your AC is customized, how mobile and agile movement feels will vary. By and large, however, traversal will be quite quick. Game director Masaru Yamamura has said that the general movement speed in Armored Core 6 is going to be “somewhere between Armored Core 3 and Armored Core 5.”
ENEMY VARIETY
Owing to the series’ very nature, the enemies that you’ll be fighting in Armored Core 6 will be entirely mechanical and industrial in nature, though you can still expect plenty of enemy variety throughout the experience nonetheless. From unmanned heavy demolition machinery to rival ACs, from huge combat helicopters to heavily armored mobile turrets, Armored Core 6 will see you fighting against several different kinds of foes that will demand different strategies. And of course, there’ll also be the bosses- speaking of which…
DYNAMIC BOSS BATTLES
Though Armored Core 6 is going to be very different from FromSoftware’s Soulslike offerings, one area where it’ll be similar will be the boss fights, which, according to the developer, will be the highlights of the experience (as was usually the case in past Armored Core games as well). Not only is the developer promising a “stiff challenge” with the boss fights in Fires of Rubicon, they’re also being billed as “extremely dynamic” affairs that will keep players on their toes.
REPEAT PLAYTHROUGHS
FromSoftware has confirmed that Armored Core 6 will feature choice and consequence mechanics, which, of course, means there will be multiple possible endings. That in and of itself should encourage repeat playthroughs, but on top of that, as you complete playthroughs, new paths and content will also become available when you go back for a replay. What the extent and nature of that new content will be remains to be seen.
ARENA
The Arena mode has long been a fan-favourite in Armored Core games, and unsurprisingly, it will be making a return in Armored Core 6. The mode’s name is pretty self-explanatory, but on top of providing players a way to jump straight into the action for quick bursts, Arena is also promising to delivering plenty of unique enemy variety, including variations of mechs and enemies that you’ll fight in the story itself.
PVP
Armored Core 6: Fires of Rubicon won’t let you play through its campaign with another player, though PvP multiplayer will still be available. FromSoftware hasn’t revealed too many details on this front, but courtesy of details spotted on the game’s physical copies of Japan, some information has emerged. Apparently, Armored Core 6’s PvP multiplayer will support between two and six players, while an additional three will also be able to spectate. What modes will be available remains to be seen, though From is promising “multiple”.
LENGTH
You expect FromSoftware games to be lengthy, meaty experiences with oodles of content, and it doesn’t look like Armored Core 6 will be bucking that trend. According to From, a single playthrough will be between 50 to 60 hours in length. Add to that repeat playthroughs and the time that you may spend in PvP, and it becomes abundantly clear that the game isn’t going to be lacking in content.
PS5 FEATURES
Armored Core 6 is going to be a cross-gen release, which means it’s fair to assume that it isn’t exactly going to be pushing the PS5 and Xbox Series X’s hardware to the limits. Even so, the game will still boast some current-gen exclusive features. On PS5, for instance, in addition to supporting 3D audio and the DualSense’s haptic feedback, Armored Core 6 is also going to leverage the SSD for much faster load times. Given how frequently you’ll be hopping in and out of the garage in the game, that should be a big boost.
RAY TRACING
On PC, Armored Core 6 is also going to feature support for ray tracing. It’ll only be available in the garage, which is where you’ll be customizing your AC, but given just how much time you’re going to be spending in there and looking at your mech and all of its different parts, the implementation of ray tracing does end up being an exciting addition, especially from a visuals perspective.
120 FPS SUPPORT ON PC
Given the speed and explosiveness of action that Armored Core games usually peddle, it’s fair to say that higher and more stable frame rates are more than just a nice boost- so what should we expect from AC6 on this front? Well, on PC, in addition to a 30 FPS option, not only will 60 FPS and 90 FPS options be available, but in a first for a FromSoftware title, a 120 FPS will also be included (assuming you have the hardware capable of running it, of course).