In 1995, I played a kind of game called Robotica on the Sega Saturn console, which I will always remember for its unique atmosphere. I remember it for almost three decades, mostly because of that suffocatingly depressing impression of the future, where soldiers on the battlefield take on the appearance of soulless drones and robots located in the metal labyrinths of bases and factories. Of course, there are many other, much more famous games about mechs, but for me this one is the most memorable. I mention this because for me, in a mech game, not only the action itself is important, but also the world, the overall context and atmosphere of the game. And it is in this respect that the latest “behind closed doors” demo from the latest part of the famous Armored Core series reminded me of my favorite Robotica.
Unique battlefield
Already the first trailer of the game literally radiated the atmosphere, showing giant metal labyrinths that cover the wastelands of a devastated planet. This strong impression of the game environment was further enhanced by the freshness of the game itself, because the design and processing of the environment is at a better level than I’m used to in this genre of games – the game cards are truly gigantic and seasoned with impressive special effects such as smoke rising from pipes, and etc.. The depressing metallic wasteland was one of the many things the game reminded me of other series from its creators, in particular the death-obsessed lands from 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 technically, the overall impression of it is again extremely strong.
But more importantly, the game environment is very carefully built for complex navigation and battles, both horizontal and vertical. In practice, this means that very often you are not on a platform or in a corridor, but in the middle of an intricate labyrinth, through which you can move in all directions, including up and down. This offers not only unique opportunities for combat, but also for finding your own way through a given location, where, for example, you can completely avoid some battles, blow up part of the environment, and so on. Sure, your mech can walk and ride, as well as fly (although flight seems to have a limited duration), but the environment also includes unique features like catapults that launch you high above the battlefield so you can choose a new one. penetration point.
Build your own death machine
The movement options of your vehicle, as well as its combat capabilities, arsenal or armor, of course, can be completely customized to your taste. The “Assembly” editor for the individual pieces of your gear is an absolutely essential part of the game, and this is where mech fans are likely to get the most out of it. Since the game is by no means easy in terms of overall difficulty, you will certainly appreciate the opportunity to enter the editor of your car, not only before the mission itself, but also during the checkpoints during it. In terms of the functionality of the world, this is due to the supply stations located in the game environment.
In the rather lengthy gameplay that we were able to see, the player, after many battles with smaller machines, reached a mini-boss, apparently with the same abilities, speed, and strength as the player’s machine. But the wild firefight, full of evasive maneuvers, quickly ended when the enemy car hit “on the body” and drew a plasma cutter. So, back at the checkpoint, the player got rid of some ranged weapons, replacing them with a cutter, and further strengthened the propulsion systems so that he could move and dodge faster. With this equipment, he successfully coped with the second attempt of this fight. The solution to the more difficult fights in the game can be hidden in both your equipment and your combat skills. By the way, this miniboss was of course followed by a much larger and scarier real location boss.
Call FromSoftware
While the creators didn’t mention specific titles for their other games, they did make it clear that they’ve made good use of their fresh experience with action games in the new Armored Core. Watching an epic battle with a giant robot in a steel mill, it was clear at a glance what kind of games and what elements they had in mind. This boss easily resembled bosses from the Souls or Elden Ring series, among other things, in that its size, speed, and brutal weaponry made you want to run or refuse to fight.
But it’s the signature style of the creators of the Souls genre that really draws us to the new Armored Core. In all aspects, this game gives the impression that the authors have used both their rich experience of recent years and the resources invested in a game that is noticeably more developed and ambitious than the previous parts of this series (which, however, has been successfully running since 1997 in twenty major 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 whole new bar of quality, we are ready to try something else from them. As such, Armored Core VI represents the “dark horse” of this year’s bloated gaming season that should by no means be underestimated.
Armored Core VI: Fires Of Rubicon will release on August 25 on PC (Steam), PS4, PS5, X1 and XSX|S.
Source :Indian TV
