Do the Fires of Rubicon burn bright , or does this one taper off out ?
The flame of Rubicon will continue to be stoked , if not by the Coral that we so desperately wish to contain , then by the visible wave of oestrus emit from my forehead as I get this much closer to slam my controller into a desk because of BALTEUS . As someone familiar enough with the FromSoftware program library to make out that their games are normally not my bread and butter , I decided to challenge myself when require to retrospect this especial title in the long - running and much darling Armored Core serial . And I have to say , Armored Core VI : Fires of Rubicon may be the title that has convert me to give FromSoftware ’s program library of game another slam .
I Have No Mouth And I Absolutely MUST Scream My Dialogue
Armored Core VI : Fires of Rubicon has quickly become something of a competition between our work confabulation , to see who can force through and defeat an foe the fastest , who can emerge from a ambitious battle unharmed , or who has put together the greatest build that can rip up through their enemies like a block of metallic Swiss tall mallow . It ’s easy form into a micro - community , fill to the lip with ethnic music who are enthusiastic about their fresh developed mech and are willing to share the secrets of how they finally bring a ambitious genus Bos to their human knee in frustration .
However , in the world of Rubicon , you ’re on your own . As a “ firedog ” of Handler Walter , you should not expect to experience the praise that you may from your fellow worker and friends . As you start from nothing , you carry on work your way up the ranks , eliminating enemy that are go for to bring an end to the Liberation Front , all while dispatch ways to employ them for your own muddied oeuvre .
The storytelling in Armored Core VI is much more straightforward compared to other FromSoftware titles , and without sounding condescending , is the most TV game - y story that they ’ve come out with in quite some sentence . Completely serious while have champion that sound like they just step into the booth to make the newest Mecha gum anime dealership , you ’ll find that the voice acting and the granulose reality that surrounds you , while jarring at first , mesh together in the most exciting of way .
Personally , I love the storytelling in Armored Core VI . It ’s spoonfed to you in a more digestible manner compare to other FromSoftware games . While some may make love the idea of searching every corner of the mapping to regain out every spot of lore that the game has to offer , my goober pea head is happy to know why I ’m here , what the plan is , and how we ’re conk to bring it to fruition .
That said , lore sickos will be glad to know that there are countless chests available to witness , so the power to learn more about the story and why we ’re here in the first situation is definitely useable , and something I ’ll be doing on my New Game + + file . During my first playthrough , however , I was just eager to get into the machine driver ’s butt and deliver some metallic jurist by any mean value necessary .
Smooth Like Butter, Zipping Through Rubicon Like No Other
Now , what good would a Mech fight be if the controls were garbage ? gratefully , over the years , FromSoftware has made some of the most pleasant feeling games , and Armored Core VI is no elision to this formula . Skating around a variety of worlds in your super - powered robot feels unbelievably comforting to the point in time where I would find myself scooting around on icing or other parting of the surround , just exploring and spending more meter in the humanity than I likely should have .
While suitably toilsome , with different weight classes and statistics to take into consideration whilst building your new creation , you ’ll find familiarity with the style that these robotic characters cascade across the landscape . From the nimblest of Mecha to those with exaggerated features and tank car treads , you ’ll need to consider how you ’re be after to navigate the existence before you while creating the Mecha of your dreams .
Every weapon you fit to your motorized demon also feels fittingly weight , puddle firefights all the more engaging . And boy , oh boy , does Armored Core VI need you to study about your car before setting out on a Sortie . The smallest mistake in your body-build could cost you a fight at the final moment before bring down an opposition , so learning what weapons and mech part suit your playstyle is n’t just for aesthetics ; it ’s for survival .
Screenshot by Prima Games
When I first started my journey into Rubicon , I wanted to make a Mech that looked and run like Jehuty from the Zone of the Enders franchise , which Armored Core VI was happy to oblige me with . However , after quickly getting dispatch , due to my more belligerent playstyle , I was able to learn , adapt , and overcome the struggles I encountered by focusing on a build that would work for me . It ’s a bully feeling when you in conclusion sail through the playstyle you were hoping for , from the most nimble and zippy Mechs on the major planet to something massive and grotesque that can lend the strongest weapons in lieu of its mobility .
Thanks to the in - deepness theatrical role God Almighty , you ’re able-bodied to craft the Mecha of your pipe dream . Parts are tough to amount by on the field of study but will tender you some of the most unique looks available in Armored Core if you stumble across them , incentivizing either repetition trips to the same worldly concern or exploration with the reward of whelm AC items . I love I ’ve mentioned BALTEUS before , but finding a arm in your arsenal that can induce precipitous and ruinous equipment casualty makes each struggle feel incredible , rewarding , and deserving a repeated playthrough .
Not everything is blush wine here , however . The camera , especially when using the severe - Lock ability , can be woeful and somewhat nauseating . In other FromSoftware titles , the legal age of the enemies that you run across are on the horizontal plane , make the lock - on arrangement work great . With the extreme venereal disease of verticalness that can number into gaming , especially during late - game encounters , be sure you ’ve arrive a bottle of Dramamine near you if you ’re prone to move sickness . A special boss during Chapter 4 could easily ship someone over the bound if they ’re quick to get sick .
Screenshot by Prima Games
The “Just One More Try” Mentality Is Strong Here
I ’m going to put myself on a major blast right here ; I ’ve never once completed a FromSoftware secret plan before Armored Core VI . While I ’ve always enjoy the time that I ’ve pass in their worlds , learn the lore and exploring the Land before me , I ’ve always checked out at some point or another . I finally lay waste to the Abyss Watchers in Dark Souls 3 last year , and I have n’t picked it up since then . Something in Armored Core VI has deepen that outlook in me , and I ’m already rub to go back and see what else the FromSoftware library can offer me .
The “ Git Gud ” mentality was always something that never really sat right with me , and Armored Core VI seems to have done away with that , offering a more sleek experience from starting line to finish that still offers some obscene challenges , all without feel inconceivable . Again , bringing up BALTEUS , I ’ve see countless players giving up on this exceptional challenge , even after beating and besting the biggest baddies that other FromSoftware biz have put their way . Thankfully for myself , however , I learned how to build a secure Mech , and die back in to take on the challenge once again .
I ’ve personally never felt this path toward a secret plan like this before , where the itch to vote out a boss had gotten so reverently high that I needed to experiment as much as I was to let on the ultimate way to finally vote out them and convey an terminal to their reign of terror upon my psyche . Rather than “ Git Gud ” , the mentality here is more akin to “ Build Gud ” , which make it more accessible to a big variety of players .
Screenshot by Prima Games
Do n’t get me awry , Armored Core 6 is just as challenging , if not more than other FromSoftware game . And it ’s hard not to liken them to one another , especially since the idea of Armored Core becoming another peg in the Souls - like display board was discussed before dismissal . You ’ll have no I - Frames to swear on here , just your overall accomplishment and build lineament to ensure you may live on to see another sidereal day and fight toward the goal of the Liberation Front and bring Rubicon toward the morning of a young twenty-four hour period .
A particular battle in the third chapter may go down as one of my all - time favourite , not due to its trouble , but due to the sheer scope and epicness of the whole thing . Completely cast away the rules of what came before it to the sidelines and squaring off against something totally different is daunting at first , but as you learn the patterns and finally figure out the sweet spot , you ’re depart with a battle for the age , filled to the brim with cackle and give-and-take from the get together teams .
Faster Than A Greased-Up Hog On Your Platform Of Choice
Armored Core VI is a tryout of reflexes , skills , and just general play knowledge , but all of that can occur crash down on you if your tractor trailer or console table determine to give out on you at the defective possible meter . Testing my copy on three separate devices , my consecrated PC , my Steam Deck , and the AYANEO Air 1S , I ’m happy to cover that the game runs fabulously on anything I put it on . graphic tweaks are comfortable to give , and with my PC being a minute beefier than most on the market , I could easily push 120 FPS in this title .
No matter which cabinet you ’re on , or what kind of PC you ’re running with , you should run into very few moments of falter when it comes to overall performance . With a kind of missile , energy beat , flames , and spark filling up my screen at any give time , the only time I notice any sort of major slowdown was during the cinematic explosions at the last of a major fight , due to the increase focal point on those particular second . Beyond that , I fly the coop into no noticeable issues during any combat that I was partaking in , even in the PVP arena that are unlocked as you get on through the tarradiddle .
The graphical fidelity prove here once again reinforces the engine and oeuvre that FromSoftware has put into creating beautifully detailed game that run amazingly well , no matter the platform . From the metal shine of your polished - up Mecha to the environmental item littered with junked machines and sparks of engagement , everything here looks fantastical .
Screenshot by Prima Games
The Verdict
Armored Core VI : Fires of Rubicon is a very special biz . Its internal section are crafted with PlayStation 2 - era design , brought together in an oven that can advertise out some of the most delicious Mech combat that I ’ve experienced in a very long time . Its narrative is engage enough to keep you pushing frontward , and its diversity of mission and hirer conflict can evoke a range of emotion from any actor .
It ’s also dauntingly hard , but that ’s where most of the beauty of this experience lies . There are going to be moments where you ’ll need to place the comptroller down and take a few laps around the room before taking on the challenge of a chief once again , but this time you ’re smarter , better , and stronger than before , so it ’s time to strap in and become the rowdy . Show them who they ’re messing with , 621 , and lease the last cinders combust . Over and out .
