After FromSoftware’s incredible run from Souls to Sekiro to Elden Ring, Armored Core VI is a near-radical departure: short, relentlessly paced missions, forgiving retries, and an empowering arsenal that makes it clear you are a one mech army instead of some nasty little guy. Its lean approach holds it back in a few minor ways, but a big budget game this dead set on what it is and what it is not is a precious thing in 2023.
It may have taken FromSoftware a decade to return to its love of mechs, but it was worth the wait: Armored Core VI is a ‘we’re back on our bullshit’ slam dunk.
This would be a great action game in any year, but I’m particularly smitten withat this moment in time, sandwiched between epic 100-hour RPGs and following the success of the boundless. It could scarcely be more ’s opposite: instead of being dumped into a wide open world, you select missions from a menu and then deploy your mech after a short briefing. Missions are usually
