5/5 ★ – Lord_Hazenberg's review of Armored Core VI: Fires of Rubicon.

My third Armored Core game & the first I’ve ever finished. Armored Core 6 quickly went from, “yeah I’ll get it because it’s FromSoft,” to “holy crap this might be the best game I’ve played all year.” Coming hot off the mildest ride in existence aka Starfield, any decent game would’ve been an improvement but something this kick ass was a godsend. I played this on Series X, and it took around 20 hours to complete the game & the arena mode. I won’t discuss story spoilers as I’ve only completed 1 of the 3 endings, and it’s really something that can only be experienced for yourself. Me talking about all the cool stuff I did means nothing to a reader. Also won’t touch multiplayer as I haven’t played any. The game starts off in typical FromSoft fashion as you have to complete the first mission with a preset mech before you can even access the tutorials. More game modes & mechanics steadily open up alongside campaign progression as to not overwhelm new players who’d run screaming at the sight of the stats screen. However the game structure is simple once you see it in action; do missions to earn money which is used to buy new mech parts. You also have the ability to replay previous missions at any time for the same monetary reward, so if you’re struggling but want to buy new mech parts that’s always an option. Customization & mech building is so much fun, and this is coming from someone who wouldn’t touch Starfield’s customization with a ten foot pole. Every weapon & mech part can fundamentally change your play style, and the paint/decals can be as shallow or deep as you want. There are preset color schemes & emblems or you can color each individual part yourself & even make custom emblems. Inherent replay value is a huge plus here. NG+ & NG+2 offer exclusive missions, weapons, & mech parts. Even existing missions can have new changes added to keep the difficulty up. How this game got me to care so much about characters you only hear through voice clips is nothing short of extraordinary talent from the writers. Fellow mech pilots can accompany you on certain missions & will have some over the radio dialogue, but you will never see a human being in the entire game & can only listen to the characters react via your in game actions. Walter, Ayre, Rusty, Carla, Michigan, & Snail are all great with distinct personalities & goals. I chose the Liberator ending and I still get goosebumps thinking about the final chapter. Art design & scale are out of this world. Whichever mouth breathers try to claim this game is ugly need to see an optometrist. The visuals are breathtaking at times with zero performance issues for my entire playthrough. Now for the true unsung champion of this game; the sound design & soundtrack (which I’m listening to as I’m typing this out). Every bullet, laser, & cannon sounds orgasmic. Then Kota Hoshino returns to compose for the first time since Armored Core Verdict Day and the man hasn’t missed a step. Unbreakable, Fight or Flight, Contact with You, The Man Who Passed the Torch, & Steel Haze (Rusted Pride) are phenomenal standout tracks. I have virtually no complaints. Only reason I’m scoring it a 9 is I’d like to see the other two endings before deciding if I’d bump it up to a 10. Armored Core 6 is a must play if you’re even the slightest bit curious. This game is very hard but I’ve not experienced this much sheer adrenaline in a minute. In a year where we see releases from so many big names like Zelda, Starfield, Diablo, Final Fantasy, Street Fighter, Mortal Kombat, Baldur’s Gate, Resident Evil, & Spiderman; don’t sleep on Armored Core 6.