Armored Core VI Review: Rubicon Lights – War Machines

FromSoftware has a reputation as a studio where if you fall in love with one of their games, you will automatically want to play all the others. In 2009, this Japanese developer studio became known to the general gaming public with the game Demon’s Souls, which laid the foundations of the souls genre. Since then, Hidetaka Miyazaki and his team have perfected the genre, culminating in last year’s blockbuster Elden Ring, which won the most Game of the Year awards and sold over 20 million copies. Although the history of this development studio began in the nineties with the fantasy series King’s Field, which can be considered the forerunner of soul games, in the nineties FromSoftware also launched a second series: elaborate action-packed “simulations” of mechs, walking combat robots. . This series is called Armored Core and after five numbered and many “side” games in 2013 fell silent. Now, ten years later, he’s back with a very ambitious sixth installment.

• Platform: PS5 (review), PS4, XSX|S, X1, PC
• Publication date: 08/25/2023
• Manufacturer: FromSoftware (Japan)
• Genre: Action-mechanical “simulator”.
• Czech localization: No
• Multiplayer: yes (PvP up to 6 players)
• Download data: 43 GB
• Game time: 50+ hours
• Price: 1449 CZK (couples)

iron doom

As with their other games, FromSoftware doesn’t emphasize an overtly linear plot here, but offers just enough movies and dialogue to really immerse you in the game world and its inhabitants. In the role of an “upgraded” human combat robot pilot, after a spectacular introduction, you land on the devastated planet of Rubicon, where corporations in the past mined the unique substance Coral on a large scale before the entire planet was engulfed in a devastating fiery catastrophe that vaguely resembled a solar flare. In the charred ruins of a once magnificent industrial complex, the war machines of several different organizations are now trying to find and extract the remains of a precious resource. You enter this fight as a mercenary who can be hired by any side of the conflict. However, as you progress through the game, you will gain the ability to choose missions and employers, thereby influencing both the content of the missions and the direction of the story and one of its possible endings. The planet Rubicon holds a secret about the true nature of the mysterious local energy and all this destruction, and you can choose your allies and how to uncover and use this secret.

Another common thread that ties the game to past FromSoftware titles is the focus on building environments and the general atmosphere of the world you navigate through. The Rubicon is somewhat reminiscent of the area evacuated after the accident at the nuclear power plant, as giant factory complexes complement the burnt and abandoned settlements with “residential apartments” of factory workers, completely abandoned and left in disrepair. The theme of smoldering fire underground will also be familiar to fans of the Dark Souls series. While some game locations are graphically simpler, others offer stunning vistas of epic skylines where factory floors form a “sky of steel” above your head. Some of the game’s maps (it’s not an open world, but the locations have a nice thematic harmony and continuity) are small, while others are absurdly gigantic, multi-story. Speaking of comparisons, let’s unequivocally and clearly state how similar the game is to the Souls games:

Similar souls games:

• Thoughtful history of the game world
• Hidden secrets in the corners of locations
• Dark, depressing, melancholic atmosphere.
• Numerous, stylishly written and well-voiced dialogues.
• The choice between a slow powerful tank and a nimble fragile attacker
• Extremely epic boss battles
• Dramatic difficulty spikes
• Emphasis on feints and counterattacks.

Dissimilar games of the soul:

• Sci-fi setting (obviously)
• High emphasis on verticality (you can fly)
• Structure of individual missions, locations and events
• Ability to completely change your build in an instant
• A high percentage of firearms (and the ability to play only with them)
• Garage, equipment purchases and aesthetic modifications to your car

Regardless of how I look at it, I still feel like the game has more in common with the Souls games than things that completely separate it from them. That’s why I think fans of other FromSoftware games should definitely give Armored Core 6 a try, even though it’s not exactly the same. Obviously the most striking link is the design philosophy behind the combat system and more or less all of the action in the game. FromSoftware clearly still believes strongly in the fun of overcoming tough challenges, which is why the game has no adjustable difficulty: running into one of the many bosses can be downright brutal the first time around, at least until you earn the right gear and really delved into not only the controls, but also the understanding of game mechanics, for example, the effects of plasma weapons on armored targets. Interestingly, although I spent hours frustrated and swearing at some of the bosses the first time, after their first defeat, I already killed them more or less without problems – in this regard, the game most reminds me of Sekiro, where it was also necessary to practice the bosses correctly.

Fascinating loop

Fans and connoisseurs of the Armored Core series will confirm that one of the best features of these games is the cyclical gameplay. While Souls games usually rely on their world being seamlessly interconnected so you can fully immerse yourself in its endless “what’s over this hill and what’s in that cave”-style exploration, Armored Core games go in the exact opposite direction, and all of their content is broken down into closed locations according to individual story missions or activities (activities are, for example, “galdiator” arena matches that unlock an enemy build for your garage after you win).

In practice, you spend your time alternately completing activities in individual missions or quietly working out and improving your equipment in the garage. Since missions are always rewarded with a sum of money based on your performance, and the money is used to buy additional equipment, it is very important not to underestimate the possibility of replaying any completed mission indefinitely – on the one hand, you can improve your performance. in it (fanboys want all missions to be completed at “S” rank), but mostly you accumulate funds to buy better cars and weapons. If you try to just move forward and only play through each story mission once, you’ll run into too much trouble very quickly because you can’t afford to buy powerful enough gear.

The right way to play

1. Complete the story mission
2. Buy and place new equipment in the garage
3. Complete more story missions until you meet an overly difficult boss.
4. Return to previously completed missions and save money by completing them again.
5. Spend time on side activities (Arena, Hunt) to unlock additional equipment.
6. Use the accumulated funds to buy better equipment.
7. Come back better equipped to that boss that was too hard.

It can look pretty boring, but missions are often completed quickly (by a few minutes), and there is nothing more fun and enjoyable than gradually improving your car and returning to familiar missions to see how much easier and faster it is now to devastate. . FromSoftware deliberately made most of the enemy ranks relatively weak, so the joy of wreaking havoc among them is simply intoxicating. Returning to the old missions, thanks to better equipment, you will also enjoy the fact that it will be easier for you to destroy initially difficult bosses. The action and gameplay here is so engaging that it serves as enough motivation and reward, no matter if you’re repeating something you already know. Perhaps the best analogy in this regard is returning to a familiar track in a racing game with a much better car.

It’s like returning to a familiar track in the best car in a racing game.

But that doesn’t change the fact that in some cases the first encounter with a new boss is a very brutal ordeal that can make you very upset. In this case, you have the opportunity to dig into your parts at the checkpoint and change the assembly before the fight, but be careful: especially at the beginning of the game, you will not be able to afford to buy all the parts available. , so you won’t have enough spares to exchange in missions. If you return to the main garage, where there is also a shop for buying parts, the checkpoint in this mission will be reset to zero and you will have to play it again. However, some checkpoints before the boss also contain the path to it and some dialogue, which in general leads to a little more downtime outside the main attraction than we would like. When you go head-to-head with one of the strong bosses, you want to get back into the fight as quickly as possible, and it doesn’t always go as smoothly as you’d like. You can react in PvP arenas that support one-on-one or three-on-three online battles. Personally, I’m not a big fan of PvP in games, but who knows, maybe in this case I’ll still like it – the main thing, of course, is the battle with someone you know – and his “personal” car.

As with other FromSoftware games, it takes some time to get used to the principles and general pace of the game. I’ve had a few moments frustrated by a tough boss, or looking uncertainly at a long list of repetitive missions, or an even longer list of drives, chips, planes, chassis, and other parts in the garage. , with all the statistics that I have, at first he was losing. But with each passing hour, the game drew me in, and I enjoyed it more and more, until about twenty hours later, the moment came when I realized how absorbed I was and that I didn’t want to play anything else. In addition to the great mechanics and exciting combat system, the sometimes beautiful design of the game and its excellent speed/fluidity also play a role in this. Some moments are literally unforgettable, whether it’s the appearance of one of the epic bosses or the installation of tank belts and four grenade launchers on your own car to turn into a boss yourself.