Rumors suggest that FromSoftware is developing a new Armored Core game, and the developer can learn a lot from Elden Ring for this next project. The esteemed Japanese studio has been making games since the 1990s, with the fantasy RPG series King's Field and the mech combat franchise Armored Core being standout hits from these early years. However, since the 2009 launch of Demon's Souls the studio has become most well-known for its soulslike action RPGs like Dark Souls, Bloodborne and Elden Ring. Rumors suggest that FromSoftware is currently making Armored Core 6 as its next game, and the developer's most recent project can have a major influence on the mech combat series.
Released back in 1997, Armored Core is a third-person sci-fi shooter where players construct and pilot their own combat mech called an Armored Core. Players take on missions to earn credits, which can then be spent on new modifications for their mech that make them progressively stronger in combat. Customization has been a key part of the series since the beginning, with players able to tweak their Armored Core's speed, strength and weaponry by mixing and matching parts. The original game spawned a long line of sequels which all followed a similar gameplay structure, with the most recent addition to the series being 2013's Armored Core: Verdict Day.
FromSoftware's latest game, the massive open-world RPG Elden Ring, pushed the envelope by completely overhauling the developer's beloved soulslike genre. The game maintains the qualities that made players fall in love with Dark Souls like its challenging difficulty, cryptic lore and in-depth role-play systems. However, instead of progressing through linear levels Elden Ring sees players explore an enormous world called the Lands Between. This makes for an entirely original experience as players discover a ridiculous number of hidden items, lore and bosses across every corner of the expansive map. Elden Ring has been wildly successful since launch, and the ambitious title can teach FromSoftware a lot if the studio is truly creating a new Armored Core game.
Armored Core Can Add A Greater Variety of High-Tech Weapons
FromSoftware fit a truly unbelievable number of different weapons in Elden Ring, with these combat tools ranging from swords and bows to rusty anchors and candlesticks. This huge variety of weapons ensures that every player finds something that fits their build and playstyle, and it also allows for nearly endless replayability as fans try out new combinations. This exceptional variety also extends to Elden Ring's enemies and bosses, since the Lands Between is crawling with all manner of deadly foes for players to face. Between the game's expansive arsenal and colorful lineup of enemies, Elden Ring combat stays fresh for hundreds of hours of gameplay.
The Armored Core series takes players to sci-fi dystopias rather than lush fantasy worlds, but a new entry in the series can still take inspiration from Elden Ring's weapon and enemy variety. FromSoftware's next Armored Core game can put a renewed emphasis on modular mech customization by giving players a truly enormous arsenal of weapons and parts to collect. These tools of war can include firearms, laser weapons, flamethrowers, high-tech swords and all manner of other futuristic weapons. Rather than exclusively pitting players against other Armored Cores, the game could also make combat even more exciting by including massive robotic foes, small human-sized droids and everything in-between.
A Cleaner UI Would Make Armored Core More Immersive
Despite letting players explore an enormous and wide-open fantasy world, Elden Ring has a remarkably clean user interface. Necessary information like health, stamina and item selection is clearly displayed during combat, but the game's default setting hides these displays during exploration. The screen isn't blocked by navigational tools, either, since players are expected to explore freely or use the in-game map to place visible markers across the Lands Between. While mocking the cluttered UI in Ubisoft game Skull & Bones, many fans used Elden Ring as an example of a simple and effective user interface in an open-world title.
While the project may put emphasis on fast-paced combat over immersive exploration, FromSoftware's rumored Armored Core project should still learn from Elden Ring's streamlined user interface. Even though they're piloting a robotic mech, players shouldn't have the experience ruins by information flashing on their screen every second. Instead, a smart UI can pop up to aid in futuristic mech combat before automatically disappearing while players immerse themselves and explore the environment. If the next Armored Core game is open-world, flying around a sci-fi setting would be much more impactful without a cluttered screen.
Optional Content Would Make Armored Core 6 Truly Massive
While there is a main storyline for players to follow, Elden Ring is filled to the brim with completely optional content. The number of mandatory Elden Ring map areas is shockingly small, and experienced players are able to beat the entire game in only a few hours. However, those who choose to explore the Lands Between encounter a huge host of optional content that ranges from minor enemy encounters to full-blown secret regions and complex storylines. Fighting through optional areas also helps players level up, which makes the game's more difficult storyline bosses significantly more manageable.
Whether it's an open-world adventure or a more linear experience, FromSoftware's rumored Armored Core game should take inspiration from Elden Ring's optional content. Hidden areas and boss fights would reward exploration, and completing this optional content could let players earn particularly exciting and valuable mods for their Armored Core mech. FromSoftware can also make optional enemy encounters brutally difficult, since players would not be forced to conquer these foes to advance the main story.
With multiple new unannounced FromSoftware games apparently in development, it seems likely that a new entry in the Armored Core series is on the way. While many fans assume that this game would adopt the popular soulslike formula, the title could also stick closer to the more linear level-based games of the franchise's past. In either case this Armored Core project could still learn from the greatest achievements of Elden Ring. With its gameplay variety, clean user interface and breadth of optional content, Elden Ring would be a great example for FromSoftware to look at while crafting a future Armored Core adventure.