Armored Core VI Launches to Favourable Reviews
FromSoftware’s latest release since the smash hit ‘Elden Ring’ is out now- and its not what a lot of fans may expect from the studio. With Hideo Miyazaki and his team being solely focused on the ‘Soulsborne’ genre after the explosive success of Dark Souls back in 2011, they’ve finally returned to a franchise that many had thought forgotten. Armored Core VI is a mech fighting game that is far more bombastic and over the top than the often quiet and understated games that have released in the last decade.
Image by FromSoftware
While some had their doubts about how FromSoftware would transition back to the mech genre, review scores paint the sixth Armored Core game in a good light. With an 87 critic score and an 82% very positive rating on Steam, this could be the resurgence in the genre that so many fans have ben craving. Considering that the last game in the franchise is now over 11 years old, this is the perfect starting point for anyone considering getting into the series.
However, this entry won’t be for everyone. Typical to FromSoftware, the difficulty is cranked up to 11- even more so than previous entries in the series. This certainly makes the game divisive but isn’t overwhelming to the point of being unfair- which is a balance that the studio has been able to carefully curate over a decade of Souls games. Review Site 'Worth Playing’ had the following to say in their glowing 9/10 review:
“Armored Core VI: Fires of Rubicon is a darn fine entry into the franchise. The buttery-smooth gameplay and incredibly cool combat make it an absolute delight to play. It's easily one of the best mecha action games”
Image by FromSoftware
It seems that other review sites were less than impressed, however. Gameblog.fr were disappointed with FromSoftware’s efforts in their 6/10 score:
“"At no point do you get a sense of the studio's maturity or expertise. Armored Core 6 could have been anyone's game. A messy title, not very pretty and very repetitive. A game with an archaic, old-fashioned structure that leaves no room for immersion and doesn't even seem to want to draw the player into its world.”
Image by FromSoftware
The general consensus seems to be that, if you’re expecting a game anything like FromSoftware’s catalog, you won’t get it here- which is certainly not a bad thing. Armored Core as a series is fundamentally different from anything else the studio has created, and trying to change it to fit the mold that fans are expecting would take away from what makes it great. If you’re a fan of mech games, or if you have any interest in the genre, Armored Core VI is certainly something that you may want to pick up- just don’t expect it to be a successor to Elden Ring.
