Armored Core 6: Fires of Rubicon does so many things great right from the start: gorgeous graphics and explosions, a semi-deep mechanical robot building system that doesn’t over-complicate things too much, and a vehicular combat gameplay loop that is entertaining through much of the game itself. FromSoftware has been notching win after win with its game releases over the last few years, and Armored Core 6 will more than likely sit nestled snugly between some of the most favored of the studio's games. However, that doesn’t mean the game is without flaws, and those not familiar with previous Armored Core games might find themselves struggling to enjoy the experience due to a narrow, but focused, variety of small issues. But despite these, almost every aspect of the game is just plain fun.

One such struggle might not have anything to do with the game itself, but rather a carryover from FromSoftware’s more recent titles. The Japanese developer did launch the original Armored Core way back in 1997, and fans of the original more than likely won’t struggle with an almost peculiar feeling of being confined that new fans might feel after experiencing the open worlds of Elden Ring and Sekiro: Shadow Die Twice. The linear and sectioned-off gameplay areas that are surrounded with hard-neon-red borders might be a bit of a rude awakening for players expecting to roam the lands of Rubicon in their giant mechanical vehicles (or mechs) much like the heroes of the aforementioned games. But Armored Core 6, like its predecessors, is a different style of game, and it will be interesting to see how new players react to that setup. The gameplay loop itself is pretty simple: players first decide their mech's load-out by choosing weapons and body parts to use, work through and complete the mission, and then return to the mission select menu. It's a simple, almost basic loop, but the game doesn’t ever give the feeling that it's wasting a user’s time except for a few missions that repeat locations, though those instances are rare.

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It’s almost surprising how fluid it feels to progress through multiple missions during a single play session. The story starts off sort of slow, not showing much in the direction it will go until late in the game, and it never really has a single moment that grabs hold of users' attention and makes them continue playing just to see what is going to happen next. But many will find it hard to stop playing despite lacking that singular moment. The story is solid if a bit average, but the game does a good job of getting players engaged simply by being fun to play, though some missions will definitely be more memorable than others.

The chapter-ending missions are by far the bright spots, mostly for their varied action set-pieces and the way they progress the story. A few even have surprising twists right at the beginning. There is an interesting variety of mission types as well, though almost all feature destruction of some type. Some are simple one-on-one fights, others might have players spelunking through an underground cave looking for broken mechs, while others will have users attacking fortified bases. Armored Core 6 offers a nice variety of activities even if most will be focused on enemy devastation. One smart decision the developers made was allowing players to farm previously completed missions for the cash needed to upgrade their weapons and armor. This helps eliminate the feeling of being stuck that some may get when running up against a mission that seems impossible, as farming an older mission over and over can grant enough money to purchase needed upgrades for weapons and armor.

The environmental destruction is a bit hit or miss, though. Most small obstacles such as light poles, railings, cars, etc., will explode or break apart merely by running into them while larger objects like large gas tanks will explode when shot, but the majority of buildings both big and small cannot be destroyed. It makes sense from a gameplay perspective, as some missions require cover in order to be completed successfully. There is, however, a certain disappointment in that lack of total destruction, especially when the player is in control of a speedy and powerful mechanical robot. One could argue there is a sense of being robbed of an experience, but what can be found in the game is absolutely awesome. Armored Core VI features some entertaining explosions, from little explosions underfoot as small tanks are destroyed, to the much larger detonations from bosses and larger vehicles are a beautiful sight to behold. Even the smoke trails from missiles or the after-images from grenade launchers or electric sniper rifles are pleasing to watch and track across the screen. Those users searching for games filled with exquisite-looking combat will enjoy everything this game has to offer.

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That being said, some of the terrain graphics are a bit basic, though the difficulty in making snow and mud look interesting can’t be discounted. They’re not bad by any means, but they definitely won’t awe anyone quite like the explosions and combat graphics do. Most probably won’t even notice the blandness of the various locations on Rubicon, but some may find themselves disappointed with something as simple as the game’s terrain. Luckily the game doesn’t force the terrain as the main focal point at any time, as the true star of a game about giant mechanical robots fighting each other is indeed, the giant mechanical robots.

FromSoftware really put in the effort to create a variety of stunning mech designs and looks. Broken into various parts - head, torso, legs, arms, and weapons - each can be mixed and matched to certain extents. Each brand carries its own style, from blocky and bulky to sleek and pointed, and each has benefits or negatives to weight and a plethora of other stats. There are limits based on overall weight and the mech’s internal systems, but there is still a lot of freedom in how players will go about designing their own giant machines. Users can create a sniper-heavy weapons platform on tank treads that specializes in death from afar, or a swift and nimble melee machine that uses various saws and energy blades to slice-n-dice enemies up close.

Armored Core 6 caters to player choice, though some missions will lean more in a single direction when it comes to what someone might need to prioritize in order to succeed. There are a few missions that can feel nigh impossible with a melee build due to how quickly damage can rack up if players aren’t careful. These restrictions can be overcome either through practice and perseverance or by changing the assembly of a mech at the mission restart screen, allowing players to move around and change gear and weapons to ones they’ve already purchased. This is a welcome feature that allows for a ton of trial and error without having to repeat large chunks of missions.

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There are a lot of weapons to choose from as well. The standard shooting tools are all here: machine guns, submachine guns, grenade launchers, rockets, cannons, electrical-based guns, and just about anything a player would want to strap onto a giant mech. They’re all visually impressive and their effects are some of the best in the vehicular combat genre. There is a bit of a step sideways in the enjoyment factor, though, as some weapons are meant to be replaced with improved weaponry that unlocks as the user progresses through the game. It can mean losing a favorite sounding or fun-to-shoot weapon in situations where inflicting more damage quickly is needed. This becomes even more of an issue when it comes to replacing mech parts, as certain parts will give more health and/or defense and force players to replace their favorite-looking pieces. Luckily, paint jobs and decals will be automatically placed on the new armor or weapons, and some new pieces might even look better than the old after being installed.

This upgrade system also blurs the lines of difficulty for the game itself. During the review playthrough, much of the game felt easy, with the skill walls mainly being the end-of-chapter bosses, especially at the end of the first couple of chapters. It almost didn’t feel like a FromSoftware game during the easy stretches, but the developers definitely strove to remind players of not only their flare for boss design but also how easily they could ramp up the difficulty for them. It is staggering at first, going from swiftly flying through missions without much fear to running headlong into a brick wall that stops and explodes the player in their tracks. How one views such stumbling blocks may very well determine their overall enjoyment of the game.

If nothing else, Armored Core VI rewards perseverance. Like most other FromSoftware games, there really isn’t any other feeling quite like toppling something that seems almost impossible during the initial first few tries. This is a genius part of many of FromSoftware’s games: giving players the tools through repetition and strategy tweaks that allow players to climb the wall of adversity and come out the other side with a feeling and visual evidence of accomplishment.

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Players wishing to take a break from the main storyline will also be able to battle digital versions of both enemy and friendly NPCs they encounter throughout the game in a 1 vs. 1 arena mode. With letter rankings for each adversary, users are tasked with climbing the mercenary ranks to not only obtain their opponent's emblems but also little items called OST chips. These chips are then used to upgrade aspects of a player's stats directly, i.e. increasing all explosive damage or adding various armor that can be activated with a key press. This also influences builds, as adding to specific damage types will obviously influence which type of weapons are taken into battle. Eventually, an optimal set of choices will arise as the best, but when starting out, anything that added an increase in damage seemed to be the best choice. It adds yet another layer to the game without being overly complicated itself, or overcomplicating the rest of the game as well.

All of these choices listed so far can then be brought into the multiplayer arena. A max of nine players can be in a single room, with two formats currently available: the 1v1 Single mode or the 3v3 Battle mode where users go up against both AI and human enemies with the host able to choose if the winners or losers sit out the next match and rotate in those who didn’t sortie. The chaos brought by fighting human opponents is something truly awesome to behold.

While the enemy AI in the game isn’t a slouch by any means, there is a mixture of both terror and wonder that can only be experienced against other players. The mixture of various weapons, mech designs, and the chaos that it creates is absolutely addicting. Players are also able to upload their load-outs and share them online with friends and foes to either judge or copy. It is a good launch point if users want an idea of which direction to go in building their mech. The lack of different multiplayer game modes might set it back from being the main draw of the game, but players will undoubtedly be asking for more in the ensuing months after the game launches.

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From Software has focused on creating an amazing vehicular combat game, steeped in the roots of the franchise while bringing something awe-inspiring to fans who may have never dipped their toes in the genre before. The games' speed, modification options, and fun gameplay loop will certainly draw in fans from around the world to fight and destroy each other. The single-player campaign does a good job reminding players of just how good a storyteller FromSoftware is, and while its multiplayer is pretty bare-bones in what it offers, it still shines a light on just how incredibly thrilling and fun it can be to go up against fellow players. Armored Core VI: The Fires of Rubicon will undoubtedly be the go-to vehicular combat game for a lot of fans, and most pilots will be unable to park their mech and put the game down for a long time.

Armored Core VI: The Fires of Rubicon is currently available for PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, and Xbox Series S|X. Game ZXC was provided a PC code for this review.