Despite rumors to the contrary, FromSoftware has expressed that Armored Core 6: Fires of Rubicon will not take inspiration from the developer's recent soulsborne titles. The upcoming mech fighting game will be the franchise's first entry since 2013, and in the interim FromSoftware has crafted fantasy soulslikes including Dark Souls and Elden Ring. While many fans might expect Armored Core 6 to adopt soulsborne gameplay elements, the project will apparently focus on returning to the series' roots.

Before the game's official announcement rumors painted Armored Core 6 as a sci-fi soulslike, but a recent IGN interview debunks these claims. Despite being the lead designer on Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice, director Masaru Yamamura explains that Armored Core 6 will not take any elements from that game. FromSoftware president Hidetaka Miyazaki echoes this sentiment by stating that Armored Core 6 is not directly based on soulsborne titles, has a mission-based structure and will embrace the franchise's core pillars of customization and mech control. Yamamura did reveal that the aggressive fast-paced combat in Armored Core 6 could be comparable to Sekiro, though with heavy firepower rather than a katana.

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Armored Core 6 Fully Embraces The Mech Combat Genre

A robotic mech unsheathing a weapon in the Armored Core 6 trailer

While the project's gameplay will be very distinct, the new Armored Core 6 trailer could draw comparisons to the soulsborne genre with its world design and themes. Fires of Rubicon will take place on the remote planet Rubicon 3, which was destroyed by a mysterious energy source and turned into a post-apocalyptic wasteland. Soulsborne games like Dark Souls and Elden Ring are known for their grand dilapidated fantasy worlds, and Rubicon 3 looks to fit this mold. The game's reveal trailer also contains the phrase, "Feed the fire. Let the last cinders burn," which could easily be mistaken for a Dark Souls quote.

Armored Core 6: Fires of Rubicon will embrace the franchise's past rather than the popular soulslike genre, but the game could still benefit from FromSoftware's recent successes. Armored Core 6 can learn from Elden Ring by drawing on the game's accessibility, for example, since the open-world RPG was much more approachable for newcomers than previous soulslike projects. While Elden Ring gave players the freedom to tackle challenges in any manner and order they chose, Armored Core 6 can hopefully use its customization systems to help any player tailor the experience to their needs.

While Armored Core 6 is releasing on the heels of Elden Ring, the sci-fi mech combat series will not be transforming into a soulsborne RPG. The project will instead embrace what made the series beloved in the first place, letting players build their own personal battle robot before launching into combat against other metal monstrosities. No gameplay of Armored Core 6: Fires of Rubicon has been shown off yet, but FromSoftware promises to avoid just delivering another soulslike experience.

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Source: IGN, PlayStation/YouTube

  • Armored Core 6 Fires of Rubicon Game Poster
    Armored Core 6: Fires of Rubicon
    Franchise:
    Armored Core
    Platform:
    PlayStation 4, Xbox One, PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S, PC
    Developer:
    From Software
    Publisher:
    Bandai Namco Entertainment
    Genre:
    Action, Simulation
    ESRB:
    T
    Mode:
    Single-player, Multiplayer
    Released:
    2023-08-25
    Prequel(s):
    Armored Core: Verdict Day, Armored Core 5, Armored Core: For Answer, Armored Core 4, Armored Core: Nexus, Silent Line: Armored Core, Armored Core 3, Armored Core 2: Another age, Armored Core 2, Armored Core: Project Phantasma, Armored Core