As the night sky cracked open and the Armored Core VI review embargo crumbled, just a few days ahead of its release on August 24, critics doused the gaming community with a mix of hope and curiosity. The weight of a decade’s worth of anticipation hinged on this moment, and as the sunrise revealed, it was overwhelmingly in FromSoftware’s favor. The response? Decidedly divisive but quite addictive – as is usually the case with a FromSoftware game.
Armored Core VI: Fires of Rubicon does more than mark the series’ return after a ten-year hiatus. It signals the prolific rebirth of a game that fuses the familiarity of its forebears with the audacity of the new age. This isn’t the FromSoftware of yesteryears nor is it a simple rehash of the old Armored Core titles. It’s a dynamic mix, carrying the DNA of its more illustrious and younger siblings, including the now iconic Dark Souls, Bloodborne, and last year’s GOAT of GOATs, Elden Ring.
Make no mistake, FromSoftware’s fingerprints are all over the place, with Armored Core 6 retaining the same punishing difficulty of its brethren. But, as always, difficulty isn’t a mere challenge – it’s an invitation. An invitation to master the nuances, to dive deep into the intricate systems and engineer a mech that’s not just powerful but profoundly personal. It’s not merely about confronting power and corruption but about imbibing that power, channeling it through your mech, and unleashing it as an unstoppable force.
What truly stands out in this new iteration is its impeccable balance. The game embraces its roots while shedding the weight of dated contrivances. The action is fast, fierce, and fluid. Your mech, once tamed and customized, dances in the chaos of battle. Rockets blaze, swords slash, and plasma rounds light up the battlefield, encapsulating the very essence of mecha fantasy.
And yet, for all its cinematic splendor and mechanical brilliance, there’s a poignant narrative lurking beneath. The story might appear clichéd or even disorienting to some, but its soul-its very essence-is rooted in the protagonist, Raven. Raven’s tale isn’t recounted in verbose monologues but whispered through the actions and reactions of those around him. There’s a sense of weariness, a resignation to the relentless demands of war, which offers a reflective mirror to the player. It’s not the studio’s most polished tale, but its rawness and vulnerability arguably make it the most human.
Armored Core 6 doesn’t shy away from acknowledging the inescapable realities of war. The cheese, the rhetoric and the dichotomies of assigning emotion then demanding detachment – these are deliberate choices, commentaries perhaps, on the convoluted nature of war itself.
But amidst this tumult, there’s a central theme, one that’s been the lifeblood of FromSoftware’s creations: resilience. It’s the undying spirit of perseverance, of evolving, adapting, and overcoming.
Whether it’s navigating the treacherous realms of Soulsborne or piloting a deadly mech in Armored Core VI, the game’s message remains consistent. Observe, adapt, practice, and emerge victorious. Not because the world expects it, but because, well, it looks damn good.
The general consensus appears unanimous: Armored Core VI has managed to carve a niche for itself as it pays homage to its predecessors. Sure, it’s draped in the memories of the past, but it’s not bound by them. It’s a beacon, illuminating the path forward, showcasing the dazzling possibilities of mecha games.
As of the moment, Armored Core VI: Fires of Rubicon holds an 87% rating from critics on Metacritic for the PlayStation 5 from 53 “Critic Reviews”. The number doesn’t fall off too far on the Xbox Series S/X (79%) and is the same on the PC (87%).
The scores aren’t the highest, but it’s not low either. But, it’s more than enough to warrant the detour from Elden Ring, presumably pushing back Shadow of the Erdtree to next year to give FromSoftware time to work on the game’s release. Whether or not Armored Core 6 will succeed and get a post-launch expansion remains to be seen. However, as a video game franchise resurrected, it’s firing on all cylinders, bringing back the spotlight and redefining the very genre it belongs to.
