Are We Expecting Armored Core 6 on Game Pass?
FromSoftware held off on their flagship vehicular combat series for nearly 10 years; patiently waiting until just the right moment came along for it to reemerge with modern mechanics and lessons from its soulsborne genre. On August 25th 2023 they will release Armored Core 6: Fires of Rubicon; this sixth instalment could make its debut via Game Pass?
Fires of Rubicon will soon be hitting all modern consoles save for Nintendo Switch, featuring both robotic firefights and design ideas from Souls series.
Fans of the original Armored Core series may be excited about seeing its name back on Xbox’s “Upcoming Releases”, but how should Xbox players react specifically? Will they receive day one Game Pass access? We provide players with all the details on what to expect – more than 10 years since its last moderately well-received title released – from Armored Core 5.
While Soulsborne games such as Mortal Shell and Wo Long: Fallen Dynasty have made appearances on Microsoft Game Pass in the past, FromSoftware does not seem likely to take that route with Fire of Rubicon being included anytime soon. No other FromSoftware title has ever made the cut so its chances appear slim indeed.
After being consumed in flames caused by an unknown energy source, Planet Rubicon 3 has recently returned to prominence. Humanity had attempted, with limited success, to harness Coral as an energy source to enhance technological capabilities – with megacorps and resistance groups pitted against each other over accessing this precious energy source – much as was done 50 years prior. Now Armored Core pilot Raven enters this battleground as an independent mercenary caught between competing groups over Coral.
Players guide Raven through a mission-based structure, upgrading his mech and mastering various weapons to take down enemies on both sides. While Armored Core 6 retains some elements from previous titles in its series, its gameplay showcase at Summer Game Fest 2023 showed elements clearly drawn from Souls games.
Fans of Armored Core should find its gameplay loop familiar, though fans might notice some modifications, including hard lock-on (where your camera automatically tracks enemies); Estus Flasks that work similarly to health kits; and massive boss battles reminiscent of soulsborne games – these elements might alter some elements dramatically, although FromSoftware introduced Armored Core back in 1997 would likely remain faithful to what made Armored Core so appealing in its initial form.
