Armored Core VI: Fires Of Rubicon

Meching a strong impact

FORMAT PS5, PS4 / ETA 25 AUG / PUB BANDAI NAMCO ENTERTAINMENT / DEV FROMSOFTWARE / PLAYERS 1, MULTI

Whether you’re an Armored Core veteran or not, it’s been more than a decade since the last entry, so forgive us as we take FromSoftware’s soulsborne games as a point of reference on how to approach a series that’s sometimes viewed as even more intimidating to get to grips with. But with FromSoftware having done much to improve its onboarding, Armored Core VI might be one of the most approachable titles the developer has ever made.

There are, of course, some aspects that might lack appeal to players enraptured by Lordran and Yharnam. Rubicon’s grey and muddy environments, with cardboard skyscrapers straight off of a tokusatsu set, pale in comparison to those settings. The characters you never see but hear over your comms are a pretty uncouth and unlikeable bunch. Their ranks are joined by your genetically engineered mech pilot, known at first by their code number 621 and then later as Raven.