Bandai Namco has just released a 13 minute preview of the gameplay and core systems of FromSoftware’s upcoming title, Armored Core 6. The preview puts the game’s intense combat, fluid movement, intuitive customization, and much more on display. This is the most we’ve got to see of Armored Core 6 thus far, so let’s break down everything that was shown off in the preview.
Story and Setting of Armored Core 6
The preview starts off letting us know that our Armored Core (AC) mech is a mercenary unit tasked with discovering a “mysterious new substance” on the planet of Rubicon. The gameplay will take place within “huge, multi-layered stages,” and that is very much shown throughout the preview.
The scenes shown in the 13 minutes we got of Armored Core 6 footage captured various desolate and epic-looking settings, as is standard for FromSoftware games. Additionally, these environments are wide open and “freely navigable,” allowing for wide ranges of movement and possibly exploration, which is to be expected from an Armored Core game.
While you traverse through these zones, you’ll be undertaking missions that call you to annihilate enemy ACs, gather information, and protect vital subjects, all while boosting through the skies in your rocket-powered mech
Armored Core 6’s Combat Looks Fresh
Combat in Armored Core 6 is extremely fast-paced and aggressive, which is complemented by the intuitive and fluid movement and combat capabilities that were shown in this preview. Your AC can be equipped with up to four unique weapons on its arms and shoulders. These weapons can consist of ranged attacks like missiles, and close-up attacks like a blade.
The preview shows the AC fighting enemy ACs and full-on ships with these varied weapons while simultaneously evading and boosting in each direction in order to dodge projectiles and pursue targets – it looks wholly action-packed.
We also get a glimpse at a few of the bigger boss battles, which look to call for a lot of evading and strategizing due to the devastating attacks they look to put out. The narrator of the preview mentions that “players can learn an enemy’s movements and tells” in order to overcome these bosses, a sentiment that will sound all too familiar to anyone who’s played Elden Ring, Dark Souls, or quite frankly any other FromSoftware game.
Armored Core 6’s Customization is Crucial
As with any Armored Core game, the core of Armored Core 6 (pun intended) is its customization. You’ll be able to completely modify your AC’s assembly, including its head, core, arms, legs, fire control system, generator, and each of its four weapons, which are attached to both arms and shoulders.
Tailoring your AC will be key to success in Armored Core 6 because each modification changes some part of its stats and play-style. FromSoftware looks to have gone all in on AC modification, making adapting your AC to fit the play-style you enjoy and/or what will work better against certain opponents a seemingly essential part of the game.