Armored Core 6: Fires of Rubicon review — FromSoftware's mecha mayhem masterpiece

Developer FromSoftware took the gaming industry by storm in the 2010s with its many action RPGs like the Dark Souls trilogy, Bloodborne, and Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice, and won Game of the Year in 2022 with the monumentally successful Elden Ring. Now, though, the legendary studio is back just a year later with a brand new reboot entry in a lesser-known mecha action franchise it's been contributing to since 1997: Armored Core. After several years of development that began all the way back in 2017, Armored Core VI: Fires of Rubicon is finally here.

As someone who's only ever played FromSoftware's Souls-style titles, I was incredibly excited to get the opportunity to review Armored Core 6. I've spent the last week and a half playing through its expansive campaign and its suite of various side levels, and I'm ecstatic to say that I've been completely won over by its frenetic vehicular combat, deep sandbox of weapons and mech components, the intriguing narrative, and its phenomenal presentation. Make no mistake: whether you're a longtime Armored Core veteran or a curious Souls fan looking to see what else FromSoftware is capable of, I'm confident you'll absolutely love this game.

Disclaimer: This review was made possible by a Steam code that was provided by Bandai Namco. The company did not see the contents of the review before publication.

Armored Core VI: Fires of Rubicon

The long-awaited reboot of FromSoftware's mecha action series is finally here, and it's an absolute triumph. Between its exhilarating combat systems, intriguing story, and excellent presentation, Armored Core 6 is undoubtedly one of the best games of the year.

See at: Microsoft (Xbox) | GMG (Steam) | Amazon (Xbox & PS5)

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Armored Core 6 review: Gameplay and combat

While many will no doubt attempt to draw comparisons between Armored Core and more recent FromSoftware properties like Dark Souls or Elden Ring, it's important to understand that the studio's mecha franchise — and this new addition to it — is actually quite distinct. The open-ended and interconnected environments of the Souls titles are traded for a mission-based structure that features carefully designed linear levels, complete with checkpoints and resupply caches. The game also heavily encourages experimentation with its various unlockable mech components and weapon platforms, going so far as to allow you to swap out parts before respawning and create multiple designs you can quickly switch between at your base.

This emphasis on adapting your loadout to the circumstances of each sortie is at the heart of Armored Core 6's progression. The vast majority of the game's encounters can be won with a number of different approaches, but you won't be sticking to a single build throughout the story like most players typically do in Souls titles. In fact, trying to is a recipe for failure, as many fights simply can't be won with certain weapon or mech types. Good luck trying to hit a nimble Armored Core pilot with a heavy rocket launcher, or with attempting to target a boss' vertically located weak point while rolling around on tank treads. Some levels even task you with staying undetected or gathering intel in a short amount of time, encouraging the use of an extremely lightweight craft that's optimized for movement instead of direct confrontations.

Of course, knowing what you're facing and how to counter it is only half the battle. Even if you find the right key for an encounter's "lock," your foes won't give you an easy victory (this is a FromSoftware game). Opponents frequently assail you with everything from streams of deadly machinegun fire to lethal missile barrages and furious energy blade swipes, forcing you to time evasive boosts and rocket through the air to avoid these attacks while returning fire to keep up the pressure. Many bosses also have distinct weak spots you'll need to target in order to dish out any real damage, testing your ability to maneuver quickly as battles progress. 

In general, carelessness is punished heavily; burning through your mech's energy meter by doing too much unnecessary flying could leave you without the resources needed to dodge a deadly attack, and getting hit repeatedly in a short period of time will break your posture and stagger you Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice style (you can do this to enemies, too). Ammo and repair kits are limited as well, so wasting too many rounds on weaker foes or taking too much damage can leave you without important resources when they're needed (mercifully, they're replenished after death).

On the whole, the pace of this skill-driven combat is blisteringly fast and intense, making Armored Core 6 the most exhilarating game I've played so far this year. In typical FromSoftware fashion, it's also incredibly satisfying to master its challenges and reap the rewards of engaging with its systems. Overloading a boss' posture and blowing them to smithereens with my full arsenal has made me whoop and cheer in the ways that only this developer's games can.

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Beyond the main campaign, there are also plenty of bite-sized engagements to enjoy in the game's Arena. In addition to giving players more of the title's thrilling boss battles to take on, these extra levels will reward brave challengers with extra credits to buy parts with and special OST Chips that can be used to unlock some very interesting and powerful upgrades. For example, one gives you the option to trade out the weapons on your Armored Core's shoulders for extra handheld ones, while others unlock new manually activates moves that expand your repertoire of options in combat.

Should you wish to give your tricked out mech a test run before taking it into your next mission, there's a customizable AC Test arena where you can try it out against a handful of enemy types. Unfortunately, though, I think most will find this space very lacking since you can only practice against three basic foe types. What's more useful is a series of training levels that will help players learn Armored Core 6's rather complex, but ultimately intuitive controls for each type of mech you can build. There's also a PvP mode in which players can battle other pilots in a deathmatch environment, though unfortunately I wasn't able to try it out. It looks pretty fun, though.

But what about the customization? What about the Fashion Souls? If personalizing your Armored Core is something you'd like to do, you'll be happy to know that there are a huge number of options available for doing so. Each individual part of your mech can be decorated with a wide variety of paint jobs and camo patterns, and can be made to look as polished or as weathered as you'd like. There are also several different decals you can place in custom locations on your Armored Core's chassis, and you can use various shapes and pre-made images to design your own emblem, too. Ultimately, the options here are fantastic, and give players plenty of ways to make their mech feel uniquely theirs.

Armored Core 6 review: Story (no spoilers)

Armored Core 6 puts you in the shoes of mercenary Armored Core pilot "621" and sends you down to Rubicon 3, an ashen, war-torn world that was once home to a remarkable, but destructive energy resource called Coral that ignited and torched the entire planet. Recent reports indicate that Coral has begun to surface on Rubicon once again, and you — working as a "Hound" for the enigmatic Handler Walter — are tasked with finding and claiming it.

Along the way, you'll encounter a myriad of different corporate paramilitaries and mercenary groups looking to take control of the Coral themselves, along with a force of organized Rubiconian resistance fighters trying to take their world back and a handful of other factions. As a ruthless war between these entities rages, all of them will approach you to offer contracts; you'll often find yourself fighting alongside a group in one mission only to turn your weapons against them in the next, as a result. Aside from getting you the credits you'll need to upgrade your Armored Core, completing these contracts allows you to gather the intel you need to hunt down Rubicon's Coral.

I won't be getting into spoiler territory here, but as you make progress, you can look forward to several twists that reveal more about the story's main cast, the Coral you're after, and more. You'll meet a fair number of interesting and enjoyable side characters, too. One, a friendly Armored Core pilot named Rusty, is sure to be remembered as this game's Solaire of Astora.

Overall, with its intriguing plot and diverse cast, the story of Armored Core 6 is quite good. It may not have the same deep worldbuilding you'll find in FromSoftware's other RPGs, but what's here is pretty engaging to unravel. Notably, it's also considerably more straightforward compared to the developer's past narratives due to the linear nature of the campaign.

Armored Core 6 review: Visuals, graphics, and audio

Historically, FromSoftware's titles have been known not for their raw visual fidelity, but for their incredible art direction and awe-inspiring locations. This was the case with Elden Ring last year, and it will be the case with Armored Core 6, too. Its models and textures look good, no doubt, but the design of Rubicon 3 and its environments is what stands out the most.

While the studio's worlds are often tinged with a degree of melancholy and despair, none are quite as outright bleak as this one. Landscapes scarred by the raging Coral blazes of the past are covered by deep snow and ash as far as the eye can see, with sprawling, yet abandoned cities and patches of surviving flora providing a glimpse at what came before. Husks of various warships and Armored Cores litter the planet's surface, serving as a grim reminder of how long bitter, vicious war has plagued Rubicon. The atmosphere is palpable, especially since these environments are often bathed in moody lighting from a sunrise on the horizon or the deep crimson of Coral burning in the skies.

The visual effects are also worthy of praise, as they do much to sell the brutality of the game's mechanized warfare. Streams of tracer rounds, rockets, energy cannons, and other types of ordnance cut through the air and slam into targets with extraordinary power, while impeccable animations convey the weight of your Armored Cores as well as the awesome kinetic momentum they're capable of. Slain foes and bosses often combust in huge showers of sparks and fire, while behemoth-sized targets come down with unparalleled level-altering spectacle. It's all just so damn cool.

Armored Core 6's visual presentation is complimented excellently by its score, which is primarily made up of dark electronic tracks that evoke the feel of the Blade Runner films. The moody pieces heard throughout regular gameplay then escalate to thrilling themes when boss battles begin, with their intensity ramping up significantly as the fights themselves do. The soundtrack is a departure from the orchestral scores composed for previous games in the series, but it's perfect in its own way.

The game has an impressive suite of sound effects as well, ranging from punchy explosions and thunderous physical impacts to the roar of your weapons and the beeps and whirs of your Armored Core's onboard systems. Both major and minor characters are very well voice-acted, too, as are the various foes you'll face throughout the story.

Armored Core 6 review: Performance and stability

In my experience, the PC version of Armored Core 6 runs quite well overall. On my i5-12600K/RTX 3070 gaming rig, I had no problems maintaining 60+ FPS on High settings and 3440x1440 ultrawide resolution (hooray for a FromSoftware game with native ultrawide support!) most of the time, though performance did briefly drop to 40 frames or so during some particularly impressive scripted sequences. These dips were rare, but are nonetheless worth mentioning.

I can't speak to the quality of the Xbox version of the game personally, but one of my Windows Central colleagues has played through it on Microsoft's console and reports having a good experience. Sticking to the 1440p 60 FPS Performance Mode is recommended, as the 4K 30 FPS Quality Mode only looks a little better but cuts the framerate in half. Note that on both systems, you can look forward to speedy five or six-second loading times (provided your PC has an SSD).

In terms of bugs, I'm happy to say that I've only experienced one throughout my entire playthrough in which a minor enemy's AI seemed to break, causing the foe to stop fighting me properly. Beyond that, the game's stability has been flawless.

Armored Core 6 review: Final thoughts

As a hardcore fan of FromSoftware and its Souls games, I went into Armored Core 6 with very high expectations despite the fact that I've never played or even seen much of the franchise until now. After battling my way across Rubicon 3 throughout the last week and a half, I was delighted to find that those expectations were not only met, but were exceeded. This high-octane mecha title delivers all the rich and satisfying combat puzzle gameplay that the developer's fans expect, but in a way that will feel completely new for many.

If it weren't for Baldur's Gate 3, Armored Core 6 would easily be my Game of the Year for 2023 so far (Starfield is about to enter the chat). This is undeniably one of the best PC games and best Xbox games for folks that love FromSoftware's approach to game design, and I'll be singing its praises for years to come. Give it a try, and you'll be in that chorus, too.

Armored Core VI: Fires of Rubicon

The long-awaited reboot of FromSoftware's mecha action series is finally here, and it's an absolute triumph. Between its exhilarating combat systems, intriguing story, and excellent presentation, Armored Core 6 is undoubtedly one of the best games of the year.

See at: Microsoft (Xbox) | GMG (Steam) | Amazon (Xbox & PS5)

View Deal