Over the last 10 years or so, FromSoftware has become one of the most prestigious video game developers in the industry, with hits like Bloodborne, Elden Ring, and Dark Souls all proving that the developer is capable of making extremely high-quality action-RPGs. However, FromSoftware's history in the gaming industry began long before even Demon's Souls. Many of its biggest fans first discovered the developer through the Armored Core franchise, which is set to get a brand new entry in the near future, titled Armored Core 6: Fires of Rubicon.
One of the most well-known gaming franchises centered around mech combat, Armored Core sees the player sit in the pilot's seat of their very own Armored Core mech. As should be expected of just about any mech game, players are then thrust into an open arena, and tasked with taking down a bunch of enemy mechs. Where Armored Core really shines is its mech customization, which will hopefully be a major part of Armored Core 6: Fires of Rubicon.
What Armored Core 6's Mech Customization Might Look Like
In Armored Core, the player's mech is their lifeline, as it's the only thing stopping their enemies from blasting them into oblivion. This means customizing each mech for maximum efficiency is absolutely necessary if players want to progress through the game's often challenging scenarios. From the get-go, the Armored Core franchise has always had some pretty complex mech customization options, with a range of different parts players can swap out and tune to perfection, and this complexity only evolved with each entry.
In Armored Core 5, players could customize every conceivable component of their mech, down to the type of armor each plate was and what elemental damage it deflected. For example, players could swap out the chest plate of the Armored Core so that it absorbed kinetic damage or heat damage only. Alternatively, they enhance it so that it reduced the amount of recoil the mech would suffer from a high-impact shot.
Each of Armored Core's components has its own role on the mech that not only dictates its weaknesses and strengths, but also the mech's very purpose on the battlefield. The legs, for example, are some of the most important customization elements in the series, essentially dictating how the player needs to control their mech on the field. If players go for the classic bipedal legs, their mech will be an all-round solid machine capable of traversing all arenas with ease, but if they choose a tetrapod design, they'll be locked in place for most of the battle, forcing them to pick off targets from afar. Each leg option also usually comes with its own set of different types, such as lightweight and heavy designs, further complicating the whole process.
Mech customization has always been one of Armored Core's most important, and beloved features, and it seems like a safe bet to assume that it'll be back in full force for Armored Core 6: Fires of Rubicon. While FromSoftware may want to streamline the customization process and UI so that Armored Core 6 appeals to a wider audience, the game is still bound to offer countless different gear variations and customization options. Fans should expect to see the return of individually customizable components, ranging from arms to legs to chest plates, and could hopefully see the return of the tuning system as well, allowing players to manually enhance each component's specific attributes. On top of all that, Armored Core 6 will also probably bring in a wealth of weapon customization, just like previous entries in the franchise have.
Armored Core 6: Fires of Rubicon will be released in 2023 for PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S.
