What Elden Ring Fans Need to Know Before Playing Armored Core VI
by Richard Eisenbeis,
With the recent success of Elden Ring, Armored Core VI finds itself in the spotlight even more than its predecessors. However, Director Yamamura was quick to note that, despite being made by the same studio, Armored Core VI should not be viewed as a Soulsborne game with mecha: “The basic format of Armored Core is completely different from the games in the Soulsborne series, so there are no aspects of the game mechanics or in the gameplay that can be copied over directly.”
“Game design is fundamentally different when it comes to sword fights versus gun battles,” Producer Ogura added, “We are not going to take elements that have worked well in the ‘Dark Souls’ series and incorporate them without thinking.”
However, that doesn't mean there are no Soulsborne elements in Armored Core VI. As Director Yamamura put it, “This title is a new mecha action game created by FromSoftware—taking advantage of the knowledge and experience gained through the development of past [FromSoftware] titles and combining it with the fun of customizing mecha that the Armored Core series has always had. Specifically, we have developed this game with a three-dimensional map structure, a battle design that allows players to carefully observe and deal with enemy movements, and the ability to overcome difficult situations with ingenuity—all of which FromSoftware has emphasized in its other action games.”
Of course, incorporating Soulsborne elements into the well-established Armored Core series was not an easy process. Producer Ogura noted, “Careful consideration and trials were always necessary to avoid incongruity [between classic and borrowed elements]—to apply our know-how in areas where we could expect to generate new synergies.” Yet, all in all, Director Yamamura thinks the merging of elements has been a success: “I believe that Armored Core VI offers the usual underlying quality with a more advanced gameplay experience for both Armored Core fans and fans of our recent [Soulsborne] titles.”
However, mecha combat is only half of what makes Armored Core what it is. As Director Yamamura explained it, “Armored Core offers two unique game experiences: ‘the kind of dynamic three-dimensional action that only mecha can provide’ and 'the ability to customize your mecha through different combinations of weapons and equipment—and decorating it to your liking with coloring and decals.'”
Weapons are likewise diverse in how they work. “We also made sure that the weapons will have a sense of individuality in terms of how they shoot, how they recoil, and how their projectiles behave,” Director Yamamura continued. “Furthermore, in this title, four weapons can be assigned to the four L/R shoulder buttons and, generally, can be used simultaneously.”
However, this doesn't mean that the best strategy is to equip four of your favorite weapon at once. As Director Yamamura put it, “Related to [weapon choice] is the "stagger" system, which allows the player to coordinate their attacks with multiple weapons—i.e., equipping one weapon that will build stagger quickly and another that will deal direct damage once the opponent is staggered. This is a new addition to weapon selection in this title, and we encourage you to be creative and find your own winning combinations.”
However, it's important to note that you shouldn't become too attached to any single mecha loadout. Instead, it's often best to tailor your mecha to each mission. “You should carefully examine the content of the mission you are going on and consider what weapons you should bring to be the most effective. You should also consider what kind of mecha configuration to have—i.e., how much mobility you will likely need, and so on,” Producer Ogura was quick to note. “Of course, you can stick to your own playstyle, but we suggest at least matching your weapons to the mission.”
As mecha customization is such an important part of the game, players might be worried about buying the wrong equipment and not having enough money to get the needed gear. Luckily, this is not an issue in Armored Core VI. “Since all mecha parts are bought and sold in the game at the same price, there is no need to be so cautious [in your purchases].” Producer Ogura told me, “You can buy equipment and try it out. If it doesn't suit the battle situation or is difficult to use, you can sell it and try again with new equipment. Also, when you purchase equipment, you can see in advance what kind of attacks and/or actions the equipment can perform. We hope that you will find the [in-game] videos explaining the equipment useful in selecting the right ones for you.”
While the mecha-centric gameplay is first and foremost, Armored Core VI has more than a bit of story to it. “At the very least, we want the player to go out on a mission with an understanding of what he or she is fighting for, so we have prepared an easy-to-understand story in that sense,” Director Yamamura began. “On the other hand, the information you get in the [main] story is in fragments, and you have to pick them up to piece together the whole picture—which is a storytelling method typical in FromSoftware games.”
It should also be noted that the game has multiple endings—many of which can't be seen your first time through. “The game is designed to be played not once but multiple times for the full story of the game to be understood,” Director Yamamura explained. “Also, the way the missions unfold may change, or new missions may appear from the second playthrough on.”
Despite the game's sci-fi nature, it was important to Director Yamamura to play things straight. “In the game's story, we are careful to portray the lives and deaths of the characters in a way that is as grounded as possible. There are exceptions, of course, but as a general rule, enemies and allies alike fight because it's their ‘job’ or 'because they have to,' and then simply scatter to the four winds without a second thought.”
Yet, despite the game's almost post-apocalyptic setting, Director Yamamura stresses that this is not a world without hope: “Even in such a harsh world, Armored Core still has an underlying positive stance when it comes to humanity. I interpret this as part of the unique flavor of this world. [...] While the world is even worse off than in past iterations, we hope to convey the nuance that there is still meaning in fighting.”
Armored Core VI Fires of Rubicon is scheduled for release on August 25, 2023, for the PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, and Windows.
Disclosure: Kadokawa World Entertainment (KWE), a wholly owned subsidiary of Kadokawa Corporation, is the majority owner of Anime News Network, LLC. One or more of the companies mentioned in this article are part of the Kadokawa Group of Companies.
