Summary
WhenArmored Core 6: Fires of Rubiconwas first revealed, many unfamiliar with the series may have expected FromSoftware to release a game that followed the formula of the company’s Soulslikes. However, those fans would soon come to find out thatArmored Coreis a long-running serieswith its own distinct identity and gameplay fundamentals that FromSoftware has been working on since long beforeDemon’s Souls. While the idea of anArmored Core-style game with Soulslike foundations may sound appealing, there’s a good chance it will never happen.
TheDark Soulsgames and its spiritual successors follow a very particular template, despite their many differences. Of course, they are characterized by their at-times extreme difficulty, but more specifically, they are designed to make the player feel severely underpowered, especially at the start of the game. While many games will pit players against enemies and bosses that are either at or above their character’s power level, Soulslike games take every opportunity to put the player at a disadvantage. Many of thetrends of FromSoftware gamesstem from this philosophy, from the slow-paced combat to the interconnected, dense level design.
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Why an Armored Core Soulslike Wouldn’t Work
Armored Core Is Fundamentally Different from Souls Games
While Soulslikes are built around making the character feel small and powerless, games likeArmored Core 6: Fires of Rubiconalmost take the opposite approach. The player controls a ten-meter-tall mech, with a wealth of incredibly powerful machine guns, laser weapons, and explosives at their disposal. These games can certainly still be difficult, but the player is supposed to feel powerful, and it would be hard to make them feel weak or insignificant given the circumstances.
The differences betweenArmored CoreandDark Souls-style gameplay go beyond just combat; the level design, movement mechanics, and general pacing are all wildly different between the two franchises.
Players can make incrediblypowerful builds inArmored Core, but the differences between theArmored Corefranchise and Soulslikes go beyond just gameplay. TheArmored Coreseries is about many things, but one of its core themes is related to the horrors of far-future advancement, where corporate greed and a disregard for extraterrestrial ecosystems can turn planets into hellish battlegrounds. The armored cores themselves serve to support this theme, as they represent how far humanity can go when it comes to creating tools for destruction. If these armored cores were powered down, or used for slow and methodical combat wherein the player can be killed with just one or two quick hits, it would undermine their thematic relevance.
The Surge Franchise Fills The Niche
It may not have thein-depth customization ofArmored Coreor the FromSoftware label, butThe Surgegames live somewhere in the middle ofDark SoulsandArmored Core, and are likely the closest players will get to a blend of the two franchises for the time being. InThe Surge, players don’t control a typical mech but rather a human with auxiliary mechanized attachments which make him stronger. Most of the threats the player is up against are close to their power level, which helps keep the games challenging. Meanwhile, the restraint from going full mech letsThe Surgeretain the deliberate combat of a typical Soulslike game. FromSoftware likely wouldn’t want to be seen as playing second fiddle to another franchise, considering the developer’s reputation for setting trends, soThe Surgemay well be another deterrent when it comes to a mech-focused Soulslike.
FromSoftware is working on multiple new projects, so anything is possible; players could very well get their hands on a game that combines the mech action ofArmored Corewith the Soulslike formula, but it seems unlikely. Moreover, bothArmored Core 6: Fires of Rubiconand the more traditional Soulslikes by FromSoftware are successful and realize their artistic visions, so there’s not much reason to combine the two.
Armored Core 6: Fires of Rubicon
WHERE TO PLAY
Combining FromSoftware’s longstanding expertise in mech games with their signature action gameplay, ARMORED CORE VI FIRES OF RUBICON brings a brand-new action experience to the series.Dynamic, Omni-directional Battles Players will pilot their mech in fast-paced, omni-directional battles, taking advantage of massive stages and their mech’s mobility on land and in the air to ensure victory.Customized Parts for Individual Battle Styles Customize Armored Core parts to suit a large variety of playstyles. Selecting different parts not only changes the mech’s attacks, but also directly affects its movement and battle style, so each mission can be approached with a unique mech strategy.Thrilling Boss Battles Deploy a wide variety of offensive and defensive tactics at close and long range to take down powerful enemy bosses.
