Armored Core 6 Fires of Rubicon has been one of the most anticipated games of the year. With the previous game in the franchise being more than a decade ago, fans have always been longing for something that would sate their hunger for arcade mech combat. Surprisingly and to everyone’s surprise, Armored Core 6 was announced and we finally have it installed on our PC. But is the game really worth the wait? Let’s find out in this review of Armored Core 6 Fires of Rubicon.
The story of Armored Core 6 puts you into the boots of Armored Core mercenary pilot “Raven”. The core of the story centers around the planet Rubicon and its uniquer resource called “Coral”. As Coral is deemed as a very valuable resource that can propel humanity’s technology to even greater heights, mega corporations have used the planet Rubicon as their personal battlefield as they vie for the extraction of it. However, it is not as easy as it seems.
A calamity from before triggered the innate Coral of the planet, decimating the cities and inhabitants of Rubicon. With that event, a major organization pledged to protect the planet from the damaging mining activities. As a mercenary, you get plunged deep into this free-for-all battle against corporations, planetary rebels, and peace-keeping forces.
As with previous titles in the game, you get to pick up the legendary title call-sign of “Raven” as you land into the techno hellscape of Rubicon. With your job as a mercenary you get to have missions that force you to pick sides and factions, branching out the story to different missions and allies. This also adds a bit of replayability as some missions may be locked out depending on your choices.
Armored Core’s charm has always been with its customization and load-out of your own personal mech. Several fictional brands have available parts that you can buy to outfit your mech as the game progresses. These parts can then be combined together to build your own death-dealing machine in the battlefield. With each part having its own set of stats and unique features, this also leads to interesting choices in loadout and playstyle.
Customization also includes the option to stick emblems and other insignias on your mech. Detail is king in this game as you can also paint and customize even individual parts.
Customization is just part of the package but the main one is definitely the combat. Mech to mech combat in Armored Core is still the same as it was from way before but with added features to cater to modern audiences. You can dodge, boost yourself towards enemies, or strafe while peppering them with bullets/lasers from your impressive arsenal. Melee is also an option as you can use shields and swords to close gaps and deal massive damage. The gameplay loop is fun and you’ll definitely be looking for mech duels as the story progresses as it highlights the core frenetic gameplay of Armored Core 6.
As stated above, you can use varying play styles to progress the hell that is Rubicon. Building your own mech and piloting it are two different things and there are times that you may encounter a challenge that cannot be addressed with your current loadout. In short, the game encourages you to experiment. Fast and mobile Armored Cores may have netted you earlier victories but tanky ones and more heavily-armed alternatives may bring you to victory in the latter parts of the game. Again, the game encourages you to experiment and that adds to the level of excitement and play time.
If you’ve played Elden Ring, expect more or less the same presentation in this case. Armored Core 6 uses the same engine but utilizes it more to deliver large setpieces and objects. It’s not to say that it’s bad but it’s not top-notch. Nonetheless, the game is presented in a way to instill a sense of scale while delivering that spine-tingling excitement as you see bullets, mortars, missiles, and lasers rain down the battlefield.
While playing on PC, the I’ve occasionally encountered slow-downs in segments that involve Coral and lots of fire so keep that in mind when playing on the platform.
In a similar vein to other FromSoftware games, audio is masterfully intertwined with the action-packed scenes. Battles mostly have their own unique music to dictate the cadence of the fast-paced battle. Aside from music, you get to hear high-quality conversations between pilots and faction leaders in the game. Some are even customized depending on the circumstances that you chose to approach them!
I can’t recommend the game enough given. I’ve been a fan of Armored Core since I first played it on the PS2 and that hunger has been sated in the modern Armored Core VI Fires of Rubicon. The mech action I remembered from my childhood is still there, just distilled and more refined to fit contemporary tastes and standards. The promised mech action is here and it’s not too far to recommend the game not only to veteran players but also to new ones.
If you are still on the fence in buying Armored Core 6, then use this review to push you a bit further to the buying end. You won’t regret buying this game and if you’re concerned about the amount of time that you’ll splurge in playing this, then don’t. The game is pretty extensive and the gameplay loop is something to watch out for. It’s a pick-and-go game that you can dive into anytime and is offers a right amount of challenge. AC 6 Fires of Rubicon is definitely a must buy for us.
Armored Core 6 Fires of Rubicon is available on the PC (Steam), PS4, PS5, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X|S. As of the writing of this review, the game can be purchased on Steam for PhP 2,399.95. Console versions of the game retail locally at PhP 3,095.00.
For more information about Armored Core 6 Fires of Rubicon, you can refer to the official site.
