Armored Core VI: Fires of Rubicon Review

mmorpg.com:

“Got a job for you, 621.”

These words will be ingrained into your brain by the end of your journey in Armored Core VI: Fires of Rubicon. Handler Walter starts most mission briefings off with this phrase, and boy, does he have some jobs for you. I won’t bury the lede here: if you like fast-paced mech combat, Armored Core VI Fires of Rubicon is the best in the genre.

It should be no surprise that From Software has put out another stellar game. While the original Armored Core is among its roots, the studio has earned a shining reputation more recently with the Dark Souls franchise, Bloodborne, and winning the previous game of the year with Elden Ring. Armored Core VI does not feel like a side project while waiting for the next open-world soul’s-like, but was instead crafted with the same care and dedication as the previous major projects.

I’ve always been a fan of the idea behind mech games, starting with the Virtual On cabinet at my local arcade and transitioning to various Gundam and MechWarrior franchises later on. One of the big draws for Virtual On was the twin joystick system, which was way ahead of its time and made me feel like I was actually piloting my robot. Console controllers couldn’t emulate this feeling, and despite MechWarrior having tons of nuanced PC controls the design opted for a much more sluggish combat pace.

The Armored Core series always felt like a middle ground between the two aforementioned franchises, with lots of control over mech customization while also having faster-paced combat. I have no idea how many hours I put into the PlayStation Interactive CD Sampler with the original Armored Core, but I’m sure it’s more than most modern games I play anymore. I remember being blown away at the 3D level