Armored Core (Series)

[Moonface]

So I know @Maniakkid25 is a fan of this series after seeing their response to the Armored Core VI announcement back during The Game Awards, and while I've never played one myself I was reading the transcription of an interview which happened today at the Taipei Game Show with ACVI's producer Yasunori Ogura, and seeing what he had to say raised my interest in the game enough that I figured I'd make this thread.

Here's the transcription for anyone else interested in reading it.

tl;dr highlights that I picked out are as follows:

• "We were determined to take advantage of FromSoftware’s experience and know-how to really establish freedom for the player in terms of what can be done with game controls and the customization that lies at the series’ core. That was the key point we focused on. When you play the game, you will see how changing parts affects the action elements. The action and customization elements really do work together symbiotically, and I really think this is the most important thing. Defining the parameters that govern this relationship was absolutely key."
  
• There is no direct connection between V and this latest title in relation to story, which means there is no need to have played previous titles in the series.
  
• The fundamental concept at the heart of the Armored Core series, involving the free assembly and customization of parts to create your own mech, remains very much a part of this title. The developers have prioritized this aspect throughout the development process.
  
• A number of new measures have been put in place to help make assembly and customization more intuitive and logical than it has been in the past.
  
• The overarching backbone of the game’s story features the struggle for control of this material between various corporations and organizations.
  
• Story mode is restricted to single-player only due to the way battles have been constructed. An online arena is being planned for the multi-player component.
  
• As well as freedom to construct your own mech, you will also be allowed to fully customize the paint, weathering, and create your own emblem. Emblems can be exchanged online with other players.
  
• More information will be released in the coming days about Armored Core VI.
  

I think what's hooked me the most from the interview is being reminded that fights in this series aren't about just making a build and sticking with it like in Souls games, but changing your build based on what you're up against. It feels like how gyms in Pokémon are focused more on putting together a team that's suited for that particular gym rather than just walking in at a high enough level to demolish it with anything.

[Maniakkid25]

Metal Wolf Chaos. Metal Wolf Chaos! METAL WOLF CHAOS!

Okay, I'll stop. Seriously, that announcement makes me want to grab Armored Core 2 again, but uh...100 dollars? Nah, I'll pass for now. I have Armored Core 4 and Verdict Day (though the case says 5. Oops!), though, so I'll need to dust them off sometime. It's seriously a cool series, and I cannot say enough that if you want a dry run of the game, Metal Wolf Chaos is the way to go. It's fun, it's funny, and it's a good way to get a feel for the gameplay in a much lower stakes environment.

[Moonface]

I do plan to give MWC a try at some point, hopefully before this game comes out.

I also hope this game addresses whatever issues previous ones had, since a quick look at the critical reception to most of the other games seems to be rather middling which I admit isn't something I'm used to seeing for FromSoft games.

[Maniakkid25]

Yeah, the later Armored Core games kinda strayed off as far as quality goes, but the old games are still pretty gold, IMO. Hopefully, they knock it out the ballpark, show that they've still got it.

I know I keep bringing it up, but I do think Metal Wolf Chaos played an important role in this becoming a thing. See, after Front Mission Evolved (which, granted, is Square Enix, but it's relevant because they went into third-person action for this one) crashed and burned, and Armored Core Verdict Day flopped, they probably thought the market for Mecha-Combat was dead. Just another casualty of CoD Multiplayer dominance. But when Metal Wolf Chaos XD suddenly got announced and there was HUGE hype for it, EVERYONE got their ass in gear, realizing this is still a tappable market. Now, we're seeing Front Mission make a return in it's original state, and a free Hero Shooter styled after Gundam is out and actually doing well, all things considered. I do actually think without Metal Wolf Chaos, we would not be seeing Armored Core 6.

[Moonface]

Looking at the overall reviews it seems MWC sits at roughly the same level of reception as later Armored Core games though, and mostly got notable for being "the most American video game ever made" more than itself being an amazing mech game to play. I agree it definitely showed that there is a market for mech games, but it does also seem to indicate that getting the overall experience right still hasn't been properly realized yet.

[Moonface]

Armored Core VI: Fires of Rubicon | Gameplay Trailer
"Augmented human C4-621 has awakened." The first look at gameplay for Armored Core VI has dropped, along with additional details about the game courtesy of an interview with the developers on the PlayStation Blog.

ENGAGE IN HIGH-SPEED MECH COMBAT
Play as an augmented mercenary piloting a huge, customizable mech. While the pace and structure of mech-piloting action fundamentally differ from other games by FromSoftware, the smooth and responsive controls players are used to from those games are still present here, albeit it in a different context. Think giant, heavily equipped robots with the ability to zip around across ground and air, reacting at lightning-fast speeds to attacks and threats while trying to one-up dangerous foes with even more firepower at their disposal.

RUBICON, THE RUINED PLANET
Armored Core VI is a new story that takes place on the planet Rubicon, where a powerful energy source called “Coral” has been discovered. But this isn’t stuff that looks pretty in aquariums–Coral is extremely volatile, and it’s already caused a massive disaster that nearly turned all of Rubicon to ash many years prior. But those futuristic megacorps just can’t resist the siren song of Coral and continue to war for it to this day.

The various areas of Rubicon are filled with contrasts, as the hollowed-out industrial ruins from the aforementioned disaster smolder beneath a shiny shell of state-of-the-art mining constructs encasing the planet. Game director Masaru Yamamura shared that "it’s an intricate and multi-layered world, brimming with mega-structures and enormous underground facilities built by its former inhabitants. These structures cover a planetary surface wracked with extreme cold and contamination in the aftermath of the great disaster, and the player will be exploring these various environments as they proceed."

The expansive environments will deliver an incredible sense of scale, maintaining the quality expected from FromSoftware’s world-design maestros. And with your Armored Core’s (AC for short) advanced movement skills, you’ll be able to explore these large, open spaces to your heart’s content. You’ll be encountering lots of different scenery and objectives as you advance through the game’s mission-based progression structure (like previous entries), and missions will vary from very combat-oriented fighting across sweeping battlefields to recovering data logs from wreckage and doing other side objectives too.

COMBAT FEATURES

• Assault Boost: One of the biggest new features in Armored Core VI is an instantaneous switch between long-range gunfighting and close-range melee, thanks to a button-activated movement skill called the Assault Boost. “Assault Boost is an offensive action that helps close the gap between enemies and lets you quickly go from long distance to close range,” Yamamura tells us. It will also provide some incredible chain abilities when fighting, as he describes vividly: “Say you activate Assault Boost to make your approach while using machine gun fire and a missile salvo to stagger the enemy, then use your pulse blade to score a direct melee hit once you’re up close.”
  
• Stagger: Another addition to the series’ combat is a “stagger” element: if an AC takes too many hits over a short period of time, its Attitude Control System will be overloaded, making it vulnerable for a short time. Both continuous hits and big, powerful strikes will cause stagger damage, encouraging you to keep up the pressure on the opponent. The damage inflicted to an enemy’s stagger gauge varies from weapon to weapon. It can also be affected by factors like distance, adding additional strategy in equipping and using these armaments in combat.
  

FIGHT CHALLENGING BOSSES
The series’ big boss encounters are back, and Yamamura provided insight into the metal monstrosities you’ll encounter that look bigger and more intimidating than ever.

“There will be a rich variety of powerful enemies of all shapes and sizes. Huge combat helicopters, heavily armored mobile turrets, and unmanned heavy demolition machinery that’s programmed to indiscriminately crush intruders. Armored Core VI will offer a number of explosive battle experiences that challenge players to fight against the odds and overcome these ginormous, more abnormal mechs.”

In addition to these larger bosses, you’ll even fight against other ACs and humanoid mechs in high-octane duels. And in grand FromSoftware tradition, it may take several attempts and some experimentation with your AC’s equipment to fully learn and adapt to a boss’s quirks. So better prepare yourself, as Armored Core VI will offer numerous cathartic explosive battles that’ll truly test your skills.

BUILD THE PERFECT AC
Customization is a key part of the Armored Core experience. You have access to an assortment of parts to upgrade and fine-tune the power of your AC. Four slots for holding weaponry–one in each hand and two on the back–give you a lot of space to experiment with custom loadouts. What kind of weapons are we talking about? Bazookas, gatling guns, split missiles, plasma rifles, and all the perennial favorites. There are a bunch of new close-range weapons, too.

“One aspect we focused on in Armored Core VI is melee weapons, exclusively equipped to the left hand,” Yamamura continues. “These can include a cluster bomb thrower, a chainsaw or pulse blade, lances, and other more idiosyncratic weapons. Since the main weapons are firearms, the melee weapons are more focused on that strength of individuality.” Add in custom paint jobs and liveries and you’ll be able to create a unique AC that’s all yours.

THE ARENA IS BACK
There’s more good news for longtime Armored Core fans. The Arena, a much-cherished mode where you can fight a series of battles against a wide array of specially customized mechs, makes its return in Armored Core VI as a “combat aptitude evaluation program” (simulated training exercise).

“There are a lot of different AC frames and a lot of colorful characters to fight in the Arena, so we hope the players confront them all and aim for the top rank. You can even encounter the real version of these opponents while out on missions. These are more formidable than their simulator counterparts, and will confront the protagonist with their own ideals and motives in the heat of battle.”

Perfecting your combat skills won’t be the only reason you’ll want to return to the frontline: there will be multiple endings to Armored Core VI’s narrative, with new paths opening up on subsequent playthroughs, giving players plenty of incentive to explore the world and story thoroughly. What will be the ultimate fate of Rubicon? That’s all up to you.

Armored Core VI: Fires of Rubicon is set to release on August 25, 2023 for PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X|S, and PC.

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Ooh getting to see actual gameplay of this finally has got me way more interested than before! The trailer makes everything look so smooth and simple but I bet it actually gets really complex and rewarding to master the gameplay just like with other FromSoft games. Not sure if it's a day one buy for me since I might see if any streamers I follow are gonna play it and watch them for a bit just to get a better idea of whether the game will truly be something that I'll enjoy in the long run.

[Moonface]

There was a hands-on event for Armored Core VI this past week and while a lot of outlets have given their impressions from that event, a lot of them don't really go into a lot of depth beyond anything you could figure out just by watching the brief amount of press footage they've all been allowed to show off. This one channel however is actually going into a lot of detail about things, even going so far as to attempt to recreate the HUD and UI of the game which was visible for hands-on gameplay but is not present in any of the footage the press were given to release, so rather than bother dumping links to all the impressions since most are a waste of time I'm just going to share this one really good one instead that is worth bothering with:

[Moonface]

Armored Core VI: Fires of Rubicon | Story Trailer

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Really cool trailer that gave me some real D-Day vibes when I started paying attention to the environment and noticing it's made to look like a beach with those metal X things dotted over it, with the "protagonist" side trying to push forward through it against a big fortification and such. The way the characters were speaking also reminded me a lot of Titanfall. I kinda wish FromSoft would put out a small demo of the game though because I think a lot of people might go into this with Souls-genre expectations because of how this particular IP hasn't been how a lot of people over the past decade+ have discovered FromSoft. I'll admit even I'm having to tell myself not to think I'll immediately vibe with the game just because I like everything else FromSoft has done that I've played because this isn't the same as those.

[Moonface]

Currently watching a streamer playing through the game (AC6) and I don't know if it's because they've got a lot of experience with Souls games or not but so far my impression of the game is that it eases you into things way gentler than any Souls game does. Is that normal for this series? It's a little jarring to not see a FromSoft game kicking the players teeth in right out of the gate.

[Maniakkid25]

Yeah, Armored Core just isn't that kind of game. I, for one, am glad to hear they aren't trying to force the lessons learned in the Soulsbourne games down Armored Core's throat. You're only jarred by it because FromSoftware spent a DECADE making games that were designed to kick people's teeth in because Dark Souls was a sleeper hit and Armored Core 5 Verdict Day flopped, so they had nothing left to do. And seeing the metacritic score gave me a sigh of relief. They've still got it!

[Moonface]

Ah. I only really heard of FromSoft after they started making Souls games, so I thought they were a developer who made exclusively hard as dicks games. XD