Fans have been waiting for a new entry in this series since the PS3 and Xbox 360 years. That's right, the franchise skipped the entirety of the last generation. So, was the decade-long wait for Armored Core 6: Fires of Rubicon worth it? Reviews for it are unsurprisingly high.
The day that a FromSoftware game gets below 75 will be a dark one in this new golden age of theirs. Well, there was Déraciné for PS VR that disappointed some, but altogether things are still good for the company. Armored Core 6: Fires of Rubicon is not perfect and a few patches could make the game better. Will FromSoftware keep at it, or will they forget all about this game now that it has launched? Only time will tell, but hopefully, this one will have long legs.
8 Add Difficulty Levels
FromSoftware certainly likes to cater to the hardcore players out there as showcased by their series of Soulslikes. It’s RPGs that a demanding series of brutal games appeared two generations ago now, but there are still those wishing to get in on the action.
Would a difficulty option ruin Elden Ring 2 or Dark Souls 4? It’s a hot debate, but what about Armored Core 6: Fires of Rubicon? Since it is not in the Soulslike category, it should get difficulty modes in a patch.
7 Add Save Slots
There are only autosaves in the game which is frustrating for a couple of reasons. First, a lot of players like to keep backups of their profiles just in case a glitch occurs. The cloud service can help with that paranoia but it’s also nice to have multiple save slots.
Manual save slots would also allow players to save scum which is probably the reason why some developers only use autosaves. Being able to buy gear without worrying about it being a waste of money or not could help players value experimentation when customizing their mechs.
6 Add AI Mercenaries
One of the coolest things that Wo Long: Fallen Dynasty did as a Soulslike was add AI companions. Players could manage them by switching them out periodically to suit their needs. There are some missions in Armored Core 6: Fires of Rubicon where AI companions are added automatically.
One example is Rusty who helps in the boss fight against Juggernaut. These AI companions are far and few between though and a system that allowed players to hire AI units instead would be a cool feature to see in a future patch.
5 Multiplayer Fixes
When players get in a rough spot in a Soulslike game, they can summon friends to help them out. For example, Elden Ring allows up to three friends or random people to play together. Armored Core 6: Fires of Rubicon has multiplayer in it but it doesn’t unlock until players are deep into the game.
Also, the mode is more like a deathmatch than a co-op experience. It would be helpful to get co-op in the game but it would also be nice if this multiplayer aspect wasn’t hidden deep within the game’s confines.
4 Boss Changes
The bosses are the most intense experiences in the game. This shouldn’t be surprising to hear about in a FromSoftware game. Players will get checkpoints before these encounters which is helpful as death will replenish all Repair Kits.
However, the missions that accompany them are often lengthy and sometimes there are mini-bosses in-between like the mission to fight Balteus. If players have to back out to buy new equipment, it can be a long trek back. That’s why bosses should be on separate missions to alleviate that sense of lost time.
3 Level Up Your Pilot
There are currently two ways to get stronger in the game. First, players can add better parts to their mechs to increase health, attack power, and other stats. Later on, they can also use the OS Tuning shop to buy skills like being able to manually aim guns.
What if the pilot, codenamed Raven, earned experience points after kills? That’s how it works in the Front Mission series. Pilots level up and earth skills to help with their mech handling, but putting on new parts is what makes the mechs stronger overall. Armored Core 6: Fires of Rubicon could try this style as well.
2 Repair Kit Upgrades
It’s an obvious statement to say but health is the most important meter in a video game. Players can heal via Repair Kits in this game and they are limited to three per battle. As mentioned earlier, they can be replenished in death but that is the only way.
OS upgrades can increase potency, but there is no way to increase how many Repair Kits players get. In Dark Souls, players can increase the potency and capacity of their healing item called an Estus Flask. Armored Core 6: Fires of Rubicon should add a similar system.
1 Adjust The HUD
One of the best features in the game is the Photo Mode which is a first for the series. Armored Core 6: Fires of Rubicon is one of FromSoftware’s best-looking games and allowing players to capture that beauty in screenshots is magical. The Photo Mode removes the clutter of the HUD, which begs the question.
Why can’t the HUD be removed from the options during normal gameplay? That would be a nice simple feature to see pop up in an update. Also, a harder lock-on targeting system would help with boss fights tremendously.
Armored Core 6: Fires of Rubicon was released on August 25, 2023, and is available on PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X.