Armored Core VI: Fires Of Rubicon Gets An Exciting Gameplay Trailer And Release Date
by
Zak Killian
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Thursday, April 27, 2023, 05:53 PM EDT
If you want the perfect example of the divide between so-called mainstream (or "casual") gamers and the more "hardcore" gamers, look no further than the reaction to the announcement of Armored Core VI: Fires of Rubiconat the Game Awards last year. Armored Core is a game franchise deeply beloved by hardcore gamers, but basically unknown outside of that audience. The sixth game now has a release date with pre-orders available on Steam.
A hovering Core rains shells on hapless MTs.
This news comes along with a new trailer for the game, which we'll embed below. The trailer is three minutes of in-engine footage, and most of it looks like gameplay to us. Admittedly, the visuals aren't blowing us away, but it's important to remember that this is a cross-generation game. That means it was probably developed primarily targeting the PlayStation 4 and Xbox One. Furthermore, like past Armored Core games, it seems to target 60 FPS, meaning that the developers likely had to make considerable concessions to hit that target on last-gen hardware.
While the graphics aren't technically impressive, the trailer is absolutely exhilarating to fans of the franchise. The game looks like itself, and more than that, the combat in the trailer resembles that of the 4th main series entry in the game, Armored Core 4. Most fans of the series feel that AC4, released in 2006, nailed the blend of anime-inspired giant-mecha theme with pseudo-third-person-shooter-like combat, while ACV took things a bit too far in a realistic direction.
FromSoftware promised "huge bosses," and it looks like that's no joke.
Folks who are fans of FromSoftware's medieval fantasy "Soulsborne" titles might be eager to try out Armored Core, but we'll caution you from being overly enthusiastic. Armored Core is not like "Souls," not in the least. FromSoftware's Creative Director Hidetaka Miyazaki and game director Masaru Yamamura confirmed that AC6: Fires of Rubicon will play like past AC games and will not incorporate elements from the Souls series.
Even Google's Bard AI agrees: casual gamers should approach with caution.
Indeed, Armored Core is a fairly hardcore mecha simulation game, with extensive unit customization and complex movement and combat mechanics. It is not a game directed at the casual player, nor for shooter fans without the patience for the mecha elements. In that context, it's kind of surprising that the game is even being released at all, as it's unlikely to be a major hit for the company. That's why a lot of series fans had given up hope of ever seeing another entry, and in turn, that's also why fans reacted the way they did at the Game Awards.
If you're a hardcore mecha fan or especially an Armored Core fan, you can pre-order the game on Steam right now ahead of its August 24th release date. It's $60 for the standard edition, or you can pay an extra $10 for the Deluxe Edition; doing so earns you a digital artbook and soundtrack. Folks who pre-order will also receive an exclusive set of Core parts as well as an exclusive emblem.
