Armored Core VI: Fires of Rubicon

Armored Core 6: Fires of Rubicon’s stellar customization options feed into its excellent mecha combat, and the result is challenging combat puzzles that kept my attention all the way through its 15-hour campaign and beyond. It’s let down by a dull story, but lands direct hits where it counts.

Armored Core VI sees From Software return to and refine its roots with a game of thrilling mech combat built on aggression, agility, and customization.

FromSoftware delivers a superlative action game that builds on its Soulslike pedigree while staying lean and laser-focused.

The coolest mechs in gaming history form the core ( ͡° ͜ʖ ͡° ) of an intense, focused action game.

But the most compelling aspects of Armored Core 6 come from its hard-fought battles, when 621 survives their mission with just a sliver of life left, having out-danced their opponent in the exchange of missiles, bullets, and laser beams. It’s noisy, chaotic, and starkly beautiful, all this clanging metal, ricochets, and explosions. It’s unlike many of the FromSoftware games you may have played over the past decade, to its benefit. Armored Core 6: Fires of Rubicon is the Elden Ring developer flexing an old, nearly forgotten muscle, but one that’s still strong as ever.

I've seen two endings now and they both make me miserable in different ways, which feels like a good summary of this and maybe all war

Armored Core VI is a solid return for one of From Software’s long-dormant franchises. It still carries many of the mech genre’s old contrivances, like its generic mission structure and predictable plot. However, it modernizes mech action meaningfully to introduce it to a new generation. While legacy fans may have some complaints about the “casualization” of Armored Core, I am ultimately glad the series is back and firing on all cylinders.

Armored Core VI: Fires Of Rubicon's stylish main character, varied level design and effective story are balanced by a few out of place boss fights and too many similar battles. Like a mech itself, Armored Core VI is versatile and packs a real punch, but also somewhat bulky and not always perfectly balanced.

Armored Core 6 is the essence of a soft reboot. It has the unenviable task of drawing newcomers to a niche, sometimes overly challenging series without changing too much of what made fans like it to begin with. The result is a mixed experience that, while it has some shining moments of brilliance, feels a bit loose and never plays to its strengths.

I was a bit skeptical that From Software would find a way to make Armored Core relevant again after a lengthy hiatus, but they figured it out. The spark of the series is still very much alive without giving up its soul and making it something else entirely, and a new generation will be able to appreciate why these games were so venerated. Just be ready to tinker a bit, and take some Ls.