Armored Core VI: Fires of Rubicon Review (PS5) | Push Square

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Swapping swords and spells for mechs and missiles probably wasn't the first thing a FromSoftware accountant suggested following the absurd success of Elden Ring, but then the Japanese developer doesn't do things by the books. Having sold more than 20 million copies of the open world masterpiece, the studio has returned to a series it made primarily before Demon's Souls put its name on the map: Armored Core. A continuation rather than a reboot, an army of new fans is sure to make Armored Core VI: Fires of Rubicon the most popular entry in the mech franchise to date. What they'll need to accept, though, is this isn't the sort of FromSoftware experience they're used to — it's far from Elden Ring with robots.

Gone are the vast, labyrinthine environments of Anor Londo or Yharnam, replaced by short, linear missions hardly worth exploring beyond the main objective. Gone are bonfires and a persistent online world, replaced by traditional checkpoints and a pause screen. This is FromSoftware returning to its roots; an Armored Core title of old.

It's a game about getting the job done as quickly and efficiently as possible, and then getting the hell out — there's little time for secrets, additional lore, or side quests. With a campaign roughly 25 hours in length, it gives the experience a sort of Metal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pain feel: you'll select a mission from a menu, complete your tasks, and then return to home base all in the space of five to 10 minutes. The Armored Core series has always been this way, but given the developer's reputation has reached dizzying heights since the PS3's Armored Core V, an end-of-mission results screen so soon after deployment may come as a frustrating surprise to some. Still, what's in those