More than a decade and several genre-defining titles later, Armored Core 6: Fire from Rubicon has a new gameplay trailer and a release date: August 25, 2023. This new vision for the AC Franchise seems to take scale, speed, and action to even higher levels than the already fast-paced For the answer And AC5and we got a glimpse of the team’s vision for the game.
Armored Core 6 is poised to take the series to new heights. The trailer has a lot to unpack, but a few things stand out.
As mentioned, scaling – made possible by improved hardware – is at another level. While Armored Core 6 will use a mission-based structure rather than an open or pseudo-open world, the levels are larger, more intricately detailed and more vertical than almost any previously seen in the series.
Enemy variety is also increased, with nearly a dozen types of enemies to fight, new MT designs, and plenty of environmental hazards. Perhaps most importantly for fans like me who are familiar with the larger than life bosses that FromSoft is known for, bosses in Armored Core 6 eclipse the player’s mech. They come in many forms, with one focused on rockets, another a giant worm thing, and another spider-like robot wielding giant red energy blades.
Of course, there’s also mech-versus-mech combat. AC6 comes with PvP, although it’s unclear if there was a glimpse of it in the gameplay trailer. However, it is clear that there will be mech encounters with NPCs, and many of these will have fully voice-controlled characters with their own motivations and desires.
History has never been that Armored Core The strongest suit in the series. While FromSoftware has undoubtedly made strides with its narratives over the past few years, this seems to be the latest AC follows the shape of previous titles in the franchise with some added complexity.
Armored Core 6‘s story seems to play with the concepts of identity, purpose, and a series of failing civilizations struggling to stay together while conflict rages across the planet. The player character has apparently taken on the mantle of another mech pilot and must either prove himself worthy of the nickname “Raven” or defend himself against those who disparage him for it.
We’ll no doubt know a lot more as the months go by, and again, Armored Core 6: Fire from Rubicon will be released on August 25, 2023 on PS5, PS4, Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One and PC.
