Impressions from the Armored Core VI: Fires Of Rubicon press presentation

In 1995, I played a peculiar game called Robotica on the Sega Saturn console, which has always stuck in my mind for its unique atmosphere. I remember it for almost three decades, mainly because of the suffocatingly depressing impression of a future where soldiers on the battlefield take the form of soulless drones and robots located in metal labyrinths of bases and factories. Of course, there are many more, much more famous mech games, but this one has stuck in my memory the most. I mention this because for me, in a mech game, it’s not just the action itself that matters, but the world, the overall context and atmosphere of the game. And it is in this regard that the fresh “behind closed doors” demo from the latest installment of the famous Armored Core series reminded me of my beloved Robotica.

Unique battlefield

The first trailer for the game was already oozing atmosphere, showing giant metal labyrinths covering the wastelands of a devastated planet. This strong impression of the game’s environment was further enhanced by a fresh sample from the game itself, as the design and processing of the environments are at a better level than I am used to in games of this genre – the game maps are truly gigantic and seasoned with impressive special effects, such as smoke rising from pipes, etc. The depressing metal wasteland was one of the many ways the game reminded me of other series from its creators, namely the land flooded with death in the Souls series. The authors do not deny their unique sense of aesthetics, and although the graphics of the game may not be the best in technical terms, the overall impression of it is once again extremely strong.

But what’s even more important is that the game’s environments are carefully constructed to accommodate complex navigation and combat, both horizontal and vertical. In practice, this means that you’re often not on a platform or in a corridor, but in the middle of an intertwined maze that you can navigate in all directions, including up and down. This opens up not only unique opportunities for combat, but also for finding your own path through a given location, where, for example, you can completely avoid certain battles, blow up parts of the environment, and so on. Of course, your mech can walk and drive, as well as fly (though the flight duration seems to be limited), but the environment also includes unique features, such as catapults that launch you high above the battlefield so you can choose a new entry point.

Build your own death machine

Your vehicle’s movement options, as well as its combat capabilities, arsenal or armor, can of course be completely customized to your taste. The “Assembly” editor for individual parts of your equipment is an absolutely essential part of the game, and this is where mech fans will likely get the most out of it. Since the game is by no means easy in its overall complexity, you’ll certainly appreciate the ability to enter your vehicle editor not only before the mission itself, but also during checkpoints during it. In terms of world functionality, this is explained by the supply stations located throughout the game environment.

In the fairly long and fluid gameplay we were able to see, the player, after many battles with smaller machines, reached a mini-boss that seemed to have the same abilities, speed and power as the player’s machine. A wild firefight full of evasive maneuvers quickly ended when the enemy machine hit the “hull” and pulled out a plasma cutter. So, after returning to the checkpoint, the player gave up some of the long-range weapons, replaced them with a boat, and also strengthened the cruisers so that he could move faster and dodge. With this equipment, he successfully coped with the second attempt at this fight. The solution to the most difficult fights in the game can be hidden both in your equipment and in your combat skills. Incidentally, this mini-boss was, of course, followed by a much larger and scarier real boss of the location.

FromSoftware’s Challenge

While the creators didn’t name any of their other games specifically, they made it clear that they put their fresh experience with action games to good use in the new Armored Core. Watching the epic battle with the giant robot in the steel mill, it was clear at a glance which games and elements they had in mind. This boss easily resembled bosses from the Souls series or Elden Ring, among other things, in that its size, speed, and brutal weaponry made you want to run or give up the fight.

But it is the Souls genre creators’ signature that really appeals to us most about the new Armored Core. In every aspect, this game feels like the creators have capitalized on both their extensive experience in recent years and the resources invested in a much more polished and ambitious game than the previous entries in the series (which, however, has been successfully running since 1997 across twenty main games, spin-offs, and remasters). Let’s face it: after the creators gave us last year’s Game of the Year, rewriting the rules of the genre and setting a completely new bar for quality, we are ready to try something else from them. Thus, Armored Core VI represents a “dark horse” of this year’s bloated gaming season, which should not be underestimated in any way.

Armored Core VI: Fires Of Rubicon will be released on August 25th on PC (Steam), PS4, PS5, X1 and XSX|S.