Last year’sArmored Core 6: Fires of Rubiconis important for a few key reasons. For one thing, it’s the revival of a franchise that many considered to be dead and buried, especially after FromSoftware doubled down on the soulslike formula in the 2010s. But its scope, ambition, and blending of classic design pillars with modern sensibilities says something much greater: thatFromSoftware is still open to revisiting its older IP, regardless of market conditions, demand, or other similarly unexciting external factors.
Now thatArmored Coreis back in action, FromSoftware will need to decide what to do with it. Naturally, fans of the franchise are anticipating additional entries, and while one can only hope that this will be the case, it might be equally gratifying for FromSoftware to dedicate itself toArmored Core 6for the time being. With a few notable exceptions, FromSoftware has released DLC for all of its major, blockbuster releases from the past decade or so, withElden Ring’sShadow of the Erdtreemarking the pinnacle of the studio’s creativity and ambition regarding post-launch content. Put plainly, FromSoftware should not only keep this ball rolling, but kick it out of the field of soulslikes and into the field ofArmored Core.
Armored Core 6 Deserves a Show-Stopping DLC Like Shadow of the Erdtree
Armored Core 6’s World Shouldn’t Sleep So Soon
Rubicon 3 and its complex political entities, all wielding incomprehensible power through their private AC militias, sets the stage for an entrancing and disturbing science-fiction narrative. It’s a premise that is likely unfamiliar to most FromSoftware fans, specifically thosefollowing the studio in the years afterDemon’s Souls, when high fantasy, with some detours into historical fiction and cosmic horror, became its modus operandi. But it’s no doubt an alluring alternative.
The sci-fi landscape ofArmored Core 6is fascinating and horrifying, with the same emphasis on environmental storytelling as theSoulsgames, though with an admittedly different overall structure. Another similarity it shares with the likes ofDark SoulsandElden Ringis the sense of dense history conveyed through small details. The backstories of characters like Carla, Iguazu, and ALLMIND, which comprise this history, could be further detailed through DLC. Such an expansion would also be a great opportunity forArmored Core 6to take its more nebulous and cerebral science-fiction concepts to the next level, making for a more mind-bending and multilayered narrative experience.
An Armored Core 6 DLC Could Provide Great Gameplay Opportunities
TheArmored Coregameplay loopis a decidedly unique one, wherein the process of build-crafting and upgrading is intricately linked to every other element of the game. Indeed, whileAC6is usually considered to be part of the action genre, its granular stat-tweaking makes it feel more like a strategy or hardcore RPG at times, since planning and forethought are often just as important, if not more so, than the moment-to-moment gameplay.
It feels almost unfair to ask for this system to be further fleshed out—it’s quite comprehensive already—but it’s easy to imagine how it could be.Shadow of the Erdtreeadded a whopping eight new weapon categoriestoElden Ring, each with its own attributes and movesets, so maybe anAC6DLC could do something similar, introducing new damage types or even mobility options, as these are among the best customization options in the base game; the important thing would be that this new gear meaningfully expand the gameplay ofArmored Core 6. Coupled with a new, illuminating narrative and exciting areas to explore, anAC6expansion with the same effort and panache asShadow of the Erdtreecould be a true home run.
Armored Core 6: Fires of Rubicon
WHERE TO PLAY
Combining FromSoftware’s longstanding expertise in mech games with their signature action gameplay, ARMORED CORE VI FIRES OF RUBICON brings a brand-new action experience to the series.Dynamic, Omni-directional Battles Players will pilot their mech in fast-paced, omni-directional battles, taking advantage of massive stages and their mech’s mobility on land and in the air to ensure victory.Customized Parts for Individual Battle Styles Customize Armored Core parts to suit a large variety of playstyles. Selecting different parts not only changes the mech’s attacks, but also directly affects its movement and battle style, so each mission can be approached with a unique mech strategy.Thrilling Boss Battles Deploy a wide variety of offensive and defensive tactics at close and long range to take down powerful enemy bosses.
