Armored Core 6: Hands-On Preview

ign.com:

Armored Core 6: Fires of Rubicon is a game that marks several returns for From Software. It’s a return to the series that they built much of the foundation of their legacy off of; a return to a series that they’ve not touched since 2013's Armored Core: Verdict Day; and a return to a genre that isn’t anything remotely close to a Soulslike. I got to play through the entirety of the first chapter of AC6, and if initial impressions are anything to go off, it’s a return that’s going to be triumphant.

My experience with soulslikes is vast, but my time with the Armored Core series is admittedly limited. I’ve played the first couple of missions of For Answer, but very little beyond that. Still, given that lack of experience, one of the things that stuck out to me when I first started playing Armored Core 6 was how easy it was to pick up and play. Your two arm weapons are mapped to the left and right triggers, your two shoulder weapons are mapped to the bumpers, X jumps, square does a quick dodge, clicking in the right stick changes your targeting mode to lock on, and clicking in the left stick engages your assault boost that basically acts like a sprint. If you’ve played a third-person shooter before, Armored Core 6 should feel very familiar, albeit much heavier and more “boosty”.

This is fortunate, because in typical From Soft fashion, Armored Core 6 put my skills to the test right out of the gate. The first boss fight against an AH 12 HC Helicopter was a real sink-or-swim moment; one that demanded I use utilize every tool at my disposal, from my rifle, to my energy sword, to my missiles, to my quick dodges, to my assault boost, and my ability to manage my energy output properly so I didn’t find myself unable to dodge the