Finished: 2026/09/12
FromSoftware are the masters of world-building and Armored Core VI: Fires of Rubicon is a prime example of this. The game nails its atmosphere and creates the feeling of being an independent mercenary in a world disputed by multiple competing factions, each with its own competing agenda.
The atmosphere is enhanced by the supporting characters and the superb voice acting. In typical FromSoftware fashion, most characters, even minor ones, are amazing and could have a VaatiVidya video about them. G1 Michigan is a prime example: the typical drill sergeant, full of memorable lines and who actually cares for his subordinates, knowing by name each one of the usually unnamed MT pilots. He is a sharp contrast to V. II Snail, a calculating and egotistical man, who is willing to sacrifice his comrades to trap the protagonist and reach his own goals. My favorite (and for the whole fanbase, it seems) is Rusty as each one of his lines is absolutely iconic. There are few moments in gaming that hit as hard as hearing “I won’t miss” as the music stops and he shoots a cannon across the ocean to hit the Ice Worm.
These characters also play a big part in the endings. Rusty, again, is the star: seeing him in a new AC represented now by an unmuzzled wolf is a direct sign of him showing his true intentions. The only critique of the endings I have is that the “Liberator of Rubicon” feels more satisfying than “Alea Iacta Est”, the so-called “True Ending”. While taking the Coral release from ALLMIND’s hands and leading Coral and humanity into a new future feels good, it is somewhat confusing what this means in practice, especially because you are immediately put into combat again. On the other hand, fighting alongside Rusty and the RLF to liberate Rubicon is on another level even if the Coral growth problem persists.
The other high point of the game is its gameplay. The game feels pretty unique: the reliance on auto aim (manual aim is so niche that it requires an actual upgrade to unlock it!) and focus on resource management take some time to get used to but eventually become highly satisfying. Paired with the omnidirectional movement, the game feels truly three dimensional as the focus is more into positioning and managing resources rather than simply dodging and aiming. After the first few chapters, especially the Balteus fight, the game clicked for me and completing it was not as hard as I expected at the start.
The true challenge of the game comes, however, from S-ranking the missions: this effectively forces the player to optimize their build to something that can complete the objective fast and efficiently. Trying to piece together a good build for each mission and optimizing the pathing and enemy fights was really fun. In the end, my AC, named Bad Omen, was often equipped with the VE-67LLA, LR-037 Harris and double Songbirds. This build was good enough to S-rank most missions as I would stun-lock and burst enemies in a few seconds. However, the game felt more fun when I needed to change something up like for the CEL-240 fight which constantly dodged the Songbirds missiles. This was my entryway into the forbidden meta of the double Zimmermans and double Stun Needles which is not only extremely strong but also very fun.
Some missions, however, like “Infiltrate Grid 086”, had S-rank requirements that felt too strict in my opinion, requiring multiple attempts with many different builds to nail the perfect run. I think the game could have been a little more transparent on how the score system really worked as some missions seem to really favor speed while others require you to take down some random enemies during the level to achieve the S rank. Had I known it before, S-ranking “Infiltrate Grid 086” would probably have felt fairer.
Before the announcement of Armored Core VI, I had not engaged with the series and did not really know much about it. After playing it, the game exceeded my expectations and I’m somewhat sad to have finished it. If the Souls series was actually a psyop to make people try Armored Core, it worked perfectly on me and I hope that the success of this game gives FromSoftware the confidence to put more energy into this franchise and launch Armored Core VII soon.