Highlights
- Armored Core 6 brings the classic mech-combat franchise into the modern era, combining updates and customization with elements from FromSoftware's recent offerings.
- The game presents a significant spike in difficulty, especially in Chapter One's boss fight against Balteus, proving to be an overwhelming challenge for some players.
- Similar to the struggles faced by Elden Ring players during the Margit fight, Armored Core 6 fans may find themselves trapped in the opening chapter for a while.
Armored Core 6: Fires of Rubicon may not be one of developer FromSoftware's Soulsborne titles, but players are finding that it poses a considerable challenge. Armored Core 6 is the newest title in FromSoftware's mech-combat series, reviving the franchise after nearly a decade away. During its absence, FromSoftware has found explosive mainstream success, thanks to its modern RPG properties giving rise to the Soulsborne genre. 2022's Elden Ring picked up multiple Game of the Year Awards and proved to be the developer's most commercially popular title as well. While the two titles are meant to deliver very different experiences, Armored Core 6 players appear to share one struggle with Elden Ring players, as many struggle to overcome the title's Chapter One boss fight.
Armored Core 6 ushers the classic mech-combat franchise into the modern era. The title boasts a wide range of updates, as well as an expansive customization system, and infuses them with elements from FromSoftware’s more recent offerings. While the title is not a Soulike, enemies and boss battles still offer a significant spike in difficulty, putting even veteran AC Pilots to the test. To offset this shift towards a broader challenge, Armored Core 6 also features helpful new additions, such as Repair Kits and checkpoints, allowing players to test a variety of builds in order to overcome each obstacle.
Armored Core 6 Features a Crushing Chapter One Boss Fight
Armored Core 6 introduces its difficulty quite early, with a tutorial boss fight that many players have struggled to overcome without frustration. Once the game gets going, the majority of its first chapter presents fans with a moderate challenge, as they complete basic missions and face-off with the occasional mini-boss. However, the difficulty spikes through the roof once players encounter Chapter One's final boss, Balteus. While fans have undoubtedly mastered Armored Core 6's basic combat by this time, the incredibly aggressive mech has proven to be an overwhelming challenge for some fans, entirely halting their progress.
The Balteus fight sees players apply all that they have learned through Armored Core 6's trial-and-error approach. However, many players found themselves without the parts to contend with Balteus, a flying mech that fires off attacks straight out of a bullet-hell title. Balteus also features a rechargeable shield, making damaging the mech even harder. Once players feel like they have the encounter under control, a second, much harder phase begins. While defeating Balteus isn't impossible, many fans are struggling to overcome the boss fight.
Armored Core 6 and Elden Ring Fans Share a Similar Struggle
The challenge presented by Armored Core 6's Balteus has caused some fans to become trapped in the title's opening chapter until they are able to obtain a means of improving their AC through the shop. This struggle mirrors a situation faced by Elden Ring fans in 2022, as the title's first chapter caused some players to experience a similar plight. More than two weeks after Elden Ring’s initial launch, a considerable amount of players were unable to defeat its first major boss, Margit the Fell Omen. This caused some fans to put the title down for a time, while others walked away entirely.
It remains to be seen how many fans will see their progress halted by Armored Core 6's Balteus fight, and how this number will compare to Elden Ring's two-week reports. Both titles pose a significant challenge to players of all skill levels and uphold the tough-as-nails bar that FromSoftware sets for its fans. While the two titles are not much alike, with the developer outright stating that Armored Core 6 is not meant to be a Soulslike, both put their fans through the gauntlet early on. However, fans of Armored Core 6, like those of Elden Ring, will discover that overcoming this early challenge unlocks the door to a world and experience that they certainly won't want to miss.
Armored Core 6 is available now for PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X|S
