Engage in high-speed mech combat

Those whose primary experience with FromSoftware comes from games like Bloodborne or Elden Ring might be curious about what to expect from Armored Core VI.

You play an augmented mercenary piloting a huge, customizable mech. Yet while the pace and structure of mech-piloting action fundamentally differ from other games in the studio's catalog, players can rest assured that the smooth, responsive controls they've come to expect in FromSoftware games is still here–just 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.

"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," says game director Masaru Yamamura.

The expansive environments will deliver an incredible sense of scale, maintaining the quality we've come to expect 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).

"There will be missions where you're fighting across sweeping battlefields–very combat-oriented," Yamamura explains. "But you'll sometimes be 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.

We asked Yamamura how the pace and feel of the game compares to previous entries.

"The average movement speed across the game is somewhere between Armored Core 3 and Armored Core 5," he replies. "But Armored Core VI has been developed to bolster the changes of tempo and combat. With instantaneous bursts of speed and sudden changes of tempo, combat can often reach the dizzying heights of say, Armored Core 4."

Fight challenging bosses

The series' big boss encounters are back, and the metal monstrosities you'll encounter look bigger and more intimidating than ever.

"There will be a rich variety of powerful enemies of all shapes and sizes," says Yamamura. "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.



25 augustus 2023

Last edited on: 27-04-2023 18:03

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Geef kip

Ik heb ‘m al in de OP gezet, maar vanaf vandaag is er een gameplay-trailer uit van AC6.



En hier met Japanse audio:



De game verschijnt al op 25 augustus, dus dat lijkt weer een zomertopper te worden. Ik heb er zin in .

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Geef kip

Edities:





Pre-order bonus:

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Geef kip

My God man. Die Premium C.E. is gewoon €450!

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En ook al uitverkocht in de EU store.

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Geef kip

vroeger wel eens Armored core games gespeelt op de PSP maar vond het vrij moeilijke games.

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This space for rent

Mmm ik kan 'm in m'n winkelwagen doen.

Niet dat ik 'm ga bestellen, wat een bedrag.

Ik kan het nog in mijn winkelmand zetten? Alle platforms zijn nog beschikbaar?

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Dan is 'ie weer op voorraad gekomen. Hij was net op.

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Geef kip

Ik heb nog ergens armored core 4 ergens liggen. Voor 10 min gespeeld vroegah.
Misschien eens ontstoffen en spelen.

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If you eat LEGO, You shit BRICKS.

Ik ben benieuwd of Amazon.nl de CE(PS5) ook in Nederland zal aanbieden. Toevallig staat er een productpagina online .

CE is overigens ook te pre-orderen bij Amazon.fr(PS5) voor €249,99 excl.verzendkosten.

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Man, man, man, wat een geld voor die speciale edities. Krijg je er een werkende mecha bij ofzo!?

Wel eentje waar je naar kunt koekeloeren.

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Geef kip

Het ziet er naar uit dat de Premium C.E. is uitverkocht:

''We don't have enough ARMORED CORE VI FIRES OF RUBICON Physical Full Game [PS5] - PREMIUM COLLECTOR'S EDITION EU stock on hand for the quantity you selected. Please try again.''

Geen flauw idee hoelang het allemaal heeft geduurd voordat het uitverkocht was, maar man man man wat een prijzen! Ik ben benieuwd of er BG'ers zijn die de Premium editie hebben aangeschaft? Ik kan me nog goed herinneren dat de Dark Souls 3 Prestige Edition €400 was!

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Oh man kan wel janken zo blij ben ik dat deze uit komt. Armored Core Nexus, Last Raven en 5 ZO veel gespeeld + PVP in gedaan. Heerlijk. Moet zeggen dat de collectors edition wel enorm trekt met dat beeldje maar heb al zo veel van die kneut dat ik twijfel. Augustus wordt een GOEDE maand

Oh never mind zie dat de 'normale special edition' ook al €250 is dat wordt de normale versie dan gewoon haha

Wel jammer dat de Steelbook weer achter een €250 editie zit. Ik ga zelf de launch editie maar halen denk ik. Ik vraag mij alleen af of andere retailers het gaan verkopen of dat dit exclusief is voor de Bamco store.

Ben benieuwd. Dit spreekt me in ieder geval een stuk meer aan dan de Souls games.

Maar is dát serieus waar je dus plus-minus 200 euro extra voor betaalt? Voor het poppetje!?

Serieus, wat krijg je er nou allemaal bij?

Die €200 extra is voor de plastic garage om het koekeloerbare menneke heen.

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Geef kip

Vroeger waren de CE's echt een stuk goedkoper. Ik weet dat je vroeger een steelboek en iets van merch bij de game kreeg voor meestal €10-€20 euro meer. Nu is het gewoon honderden euro's meer en 9/10 is het niet eens van kwaliteit.

Dat laatste weten we hier natuurlijk nog niet. De paar Dark Souls CE statues die ik heb gezien zijn allemaal van hele goede kwaliteit, maar ja... De prijzen gaan echt nergens over. Voor €450 of zelfs €250 heb je echt hele vette Gunpla's. Die moet je dan wel zelf in elkaar knutselen, maar toch. Die zijn een stuk vetter dan wat je hier krijgt.

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Geef kip