Armored Core Vi Fires of Rubicon

Game'scover

About the Game

A company that is well known in the gaming world is FromSoftware. Its name is mainly related to the category "soulslike games". They are the company whose games created and defined this category. Some of these games are: Demon souls (2009), Dark souls (1-3) (2011, 2014, 2016) and Bloodborne (2015) which received positive response and are considered masterpieces with various honorary titles. Their most recent games, Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice (2019) and Elden ring(2022) are games that collected various awards including Game of the year when they were released.

What not many people know is that before it gained the fame and recognition brought to it by the "souls games", the company was known for the Kings field trilogy (1994-1995) and the Armored core series (1997) which is consists of various games of which 16 were created by FromSoftware. The plot of these games is mostly self-contained unless it's a spin-off game which will usually have a number in its name (Armor core 2; Another Age). In December 2022 at the Game Awards 2022 the company officially revealed the trailer of Armored core Vi: Fires of Rubicon which had a positive response. This game is the first in ten years as Armored core: Verdict day was released in 2013. This fact did not create anxiety for the creators who believed in the potential of their team. Finally, this game was supervised by Masaru Yamamura (Game Director) who was lead game designer on Sekiro shadows die twice.

On July 2023, the game was released in the following forms:

Standard
Included the game alone
Deluxe Edition
Included the game,a steelbook case, an art book and a digital CD.
Collector's Edition
Included the game, a steelbook case, the art book, digital audio, stickers, pinbadges and a 32cm armored core model inside a Garage diorama.

Story of the Game

The rare Coral power source was sighted on the planet Rubicon
As mentioned above, the games are mostly standalone so you can start with Armored core VI as your first experience. The new game takes place in the distant future where with the consolidation of technology humanity has developed an interstellar civilization. On a distant planet, humanity discovered an energy source named Coral with which they could reach new horizons in the field of technology as it would be the main source of energy for their machines. This plan initially worked as expected, but the overuse of Coral led to the cataclysmic event "Fires of Ibis" which engulfed the planet itself and those around it in flames that destroyed every form of possible life. With this disaster, people thought that Coral had disappeared.
Years later, on the planet Rubicon 3 humanity has detected signals of Coral and each company is trying to claim it for their share. With this reasoning various mercenaries came to the planet Rubicon 3 with the purpose of making a profit from Coral, as the companies need them for their "dirty work". In this game, you are in possession of an "upgraded" human with the code name C4-621 who is a driver/fighter of Armored core, huge machines with weapons capable of great destruction and battles (Robot, mechas). You work under the tutelage of Handler Walter with the goal of doing enough to have a better life. With Walter's help you illegally land on the planet Rubicon and to keep a low profile, you steal the identity of a mercenary and go by the name Raven.

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On the planet Rubicon, there are frequent conflicts between the mercenaries and the employees of the big companies who want the Coral. Walter sends you on various missions, but he's not the only one, as Raven forms alliances with other mercenaries. During a mission Raven is exposed to a large wave of Coral energy which results in Raven meeting Ayre. Ayre does not have a physical form but contacts Raven telepathically by speaking directly into his mind. The further you go in the game, the plot becomes more and more complex as you are given new information. Various friendships will be tested, and Raven will have to make decisions (which will determine the game's scenario) with what he knows. What will be the future of the planet? Which company will claim Coral? Is history repeating itself, and if so, will it lead to a new Fires of Iblis? The future is in your hands.

Thoughts on the story

The game scenario is relatively simple in plot but very interesting in the action it offers. The plot is mainly given through the exchange of dialogue between one person (Walter, Carla, Ayta etc.) who explains your mission. Also lore items are given during gameplay when you are on a mission, be it from your allies or your opponents. There aren't enough cutscenes that expose you to the story, but their lack isn't that noticeable. But when one scene leaves you speechless, it's only natural that you want more. The script then allows you to make decisions that will change the course of the story allowing you to replay the game to see a different ending. Finally, upon completing the campaign (at least once) NewGame+(NG+) becomes available in which you will find new missions with new story pieces.

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Gameplay

Intense battles await you in Rubicon
The gameplay is reminiscent of various children's shows (Transformers) or anime (Code Geass, Gundam series) as you operate your own Armored Core(AC) in large sand boxes. After passing the tutorial/opening act of the game, you are given the opportunity to create (customize) your vehicle. The menu is large and will grow further with each mission you do as new options become available to you. At any time you can change the color of your AC in various places/parts. For example, the head alone has four different areas where you can put a different color. Each area has its own elements (sub-parts). Additionally you can change the material of your armor. E.g. Make it look scratched, rusty, new, faded, etc. You can also add ready-made designs/patterns such as fire, stripes, etc. Finally, you can add emblems on top of your AC. You can make these emblems bigger/smaller etc. and place them wherever you want. Emblems are given to you through your quests and also from the Arena (more info later). You can also create your own emblem through an editor. The possibilities are limitless.

Once you've designed the AC model to your satisfaction, you're ready to accept missions. These missions always have an objective that you should complete. They are not all the same as some may require you to neutralize the enemy, destroy items (helicopters, power generators, etc.) on the map, find/collect items from the battlefield, etc. Sometimes they can have unexpected endings like boss encounters. In this way some may last 5 minutes (Find missing files in 5 mins) while others may last 1 hour until you defeat the boss which may appear at the end or beginning of the mission. After successfully completing your objective, you are given an amount of money and new pieces of equipment are unlocked in the shop to make new changes to AC.

Game'chasers
Your invasion begins, get ready
During your time in Rubicon, you can move within large areas. The game is not open world, but the areas are large and the fact that the Robots fly allows you to fly in high areas and also go underground. The game doesn't have many collectibles to encourage you to look for them but there are a few things you can find. If the mission is not a boss fight, then there will be various other weapons (NPCs (cannons, drones, robots)) that will try to stop you. Down in the center of the screen, there is a compass that will have red marks where there is an enemy, invisible or distant enemies will not be seen. Your Objective will appear as a diamond on your screen and its description will be on the top left.

Your Armored Core is equipped with the weapons you chose before your mission. You can carry up to four weapons which must not exceed the weight the AC can carry. If you go over it you can't play the missions and if you are in chuck then your AC will be slow and won't be able to hover for long or dodge enemy fire. At the bottom right of your screen you can see how many bullets you have available in each of your weapons (there is also a voice that gives you updates when you reach an amount of 50%, 30%, etc.). Your life is placed in the lower left (AP) along with the available Repair Kits (max 3). Also, if you add Expansion to your AC, you'll see the availability of his ability under life. You can use your scan to spot any enemies or collectibles. The scanner is available at any time, but has a small cooldown after using it. Finally, in the bottom center, above the compass, you'll see your stunt meter and booster power bar. The stunt meter (top bar) when you take damage will fill orange and when you have cover it will decrease. When it fills orange, you will temporarily lose AC control and each extra hit will deal more damage. The boost bar depicts the power of the engines that keep you in the air or allow you to do quick dodges. The heavier the AC load, the faster the line will redden. When it turns red, you won't be able to fly or use the boosters until they are ready again.

To survive in Rubicon you will need to adjust your Armored core all the time. “Trial and error”, “Brute force” or “adaptability”? What will your playstyle be?

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What do you do if your AC can't handle the battlefield? Understandably, your build may not be able to beat a boss or run fast without being spotted by lasers as you don't know what the mission will be like. You have two options, continue your effort as you are (because even the squashiest build you have can win) or make the changes that will bring you victory. Missions that end in a boss fight or those that start with a boss fight, have checkpoints which when you play give you supplies to go into battle fresh. If your build is not the right one, the game gives you the ability to change AC pieces. Eg I personally had a simple build based on speed and air combat. In some boss fights I changed my playstyle, and from air combat I changed it to ground tank fight. The right changes can defeat a boss within a minute while others can take 3-5 minutes and a lot of trial and error. These changes are part of the game, while trial and error (that is, don't change strategy) is part of the Challenge.

During the battle the logic is simple, avoid enemy fire and attack with everything you have. Enemies also have a stunt meter which you will need to fill up to be able to do a lot of damage. Your and the enemy's movement and build is key. Eg If you are a tankie you might defeat a heavy enemy but lose to a close combat squashy who could avoid your fire. Dodge can avoid direct hits but can still hit you with AoE (Area of Effect) if you don't move away properly. On the off chance that your weapon is out of bullets, your AC will attempt to hit via a close range melee attack. The game has no difficulty level, as with souls games but it is not souls like either. You will struggle yes, but you can beat it. Game'chasers

Post Game Content

During the campaign or after, you are gradually given access to side content. Initially you are given access to Training. Here the game teaches you the main mechanics of the game but more importantly, it lets you see different kinds of weapons and mechas. Simply put you can see and play with standard AC, flying AC and tank AC and see weapons like blade, shield, missiles and more. Some missions give you different prizes. You are then given access to the Arena. In Arena you start with a low rank and have to climb a class from 29F to 1S. Simply put, they are Boss fights which reward you with cosmetic (emblems), data (opponent data), COAM (money) and OS-T. OS-T are points that you redeem for extra upgrades mainly passive (extra life when using repair kit, automatic/tracking lock on, extra damage (with some kind of weapon), faster speed, etc.). Also here you can buy skill expansion.
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Finally, you are given access to Nest. In Nest you will find the PvP(Player vs Player) experience where you will compete with other players. During PvP you can choose Single or Team. In Single mode you will compete in 1vs1 battles similar to Arena. The first player to score 2 points is the winner. In case of a tie (end of time or simultaneous kills) then both players will get 1 point each. In Team mode the teams are divided into 3vs3. Unlike 1vs1 there is no "best of 3" rule and instead they try to score points for their team by killing opponents within the time limit. The mid game will find the player with the most points and declare them as the main/important target giving extra points to the player who kills them.

Sound and Graphics

The game was created with FromSoftware's engine, with which they created Sekiro (2019) and Elden ring (2022). The previous games were set in different worlds (Old Japan (Sekiro) and Lands Between (fantasy medieval world (Elden ring))) so this is the first time that this Engine creates a future game based on the "real" world. The graphics are very nice and the environment reacts realistically. When you move through the water it will react according to the speed you are moving and if you get close to cars or buildings you may break them apart. The destructible environment makes the experience much more rewarding. The explosions happening left and right are a sight to behold. The visual effects from the explosions don't affect the gameplay at all but add to the whole experience. Also during battle you will see visual details such as weapons overheating from heavy use, sparks coming out of your AC when you are low on health, etc.

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On the other hand, Kota Hoshino handled the sound of the game. Kota Hoshino has been a member of the company's sound department since 1998 and has written various tracks for various games including dark souls, Sekiro and Elden ring. He is a veteran of Armored core as he has been in charge since 1999 Armored core: Master Arena. Aside from the main sound, the sound effects and voice acting are on point. Each weapon has its own distinct sound and if it's a Charged skill weapon you can tell the difference. In addition, updates and projectile warnings during battle will help you make decisions that will save you from game over (e.g. you need life, you will run out of bullets from one of your four weapons, incoming damage, etc.). The only negative in the audio department is that some nice tracks will not reach their climax because the battle will end much faster than expected, resulting in the song being overtaken.

Finally, the whole experience becomes much better with the PlayStation 5 and the controller. Dualsense's haptic feedback makes every attack feel special and every hit you take will feel more and more vital. You can feel the difference when you shoot a rocket, when you use mini-guns and when you use your blade. Also the same applies when you walk with AC or when you fly with the use of boosters. Then you can feel the kind of your AC. If you have the Standard, if you have the flying model or if you have a Tank. Finally, the hits you receive have different vibrations based on the opponent's weapon (if it is an automatic weapon, shotgun, sniper, sword chainsaw, etc.)

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Final Thoughts

In conclusion, Armored core 6 offers a fantastic experience. The game's scenario is fantastic and gives you the option to make decisions that will lead you to different endings or alternate scenarios that will lead you to different missions. The gameplay offers you different customizations that will give you different experiences in each mission. Sometimes making changes will make missions easier or harder. The visual effects, realism and destructive environment along with the accompanying tunes and the haptic feedback of the controller make the experience much more enjoyable. The game's side content and PvP experience will keep you busy for quite some time.

On the other hand the game has some micro-issues. Initially the game does not have enough cutscenes something that FromSoftware is known for. The scenario is given to you in the form of a dialogue that explains the mission to you either at the beginning of it, or during its duration. There are cutscenes that appear where they should, which are of excellent quality, and that's exactly why we want more. In addition, at the beginning of the game, the creators throw a lot of information about the gameplay at you which can scare you, but after playing for a while everything they told you will come naturally to you. Finally, the game is difficult but with a certain build you can pass the game with ease. Of course the choice to use it is yours. You can start with a simple build, get to the boss and if you struggle switch to the “broken build” and beat within seconds.

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