You Won T Have To Play Other Armored Core Games To Understand The Story In Amored Core 6

Before Dark Souls made FromSoftware a household name and the Soulsborne genre was born, the company made slightly less popular titles, still well-regarded but decidedly more obscure. Starting with the nuanced yet flawed King’s Field trilogy in 1994, in 1997 FromSoftware decided on a departure from their dark fantasy roots, releasing Armored Core for the original Playstation. A third-person mech shooter with an emphasis on customization, Armored Core garnered a groundswell of fan support and positive critical reception, spawning a handful of sequels and spinoffs. The most recent title in the Armored Core series is 2013’s Armored Core: Verdict Day, which was lauded by fans of the series for being a familiar retread while being somewhat panned by critics for the same reason.

RELATED: FromSoftware Addresses Whether Armored Core 6 Will Be Open World or Not

With decades of lore baked into over 15 separate titles, at first glance, it may seem imposing for gamers looking to make Armored Core 6 their first foray into the franchise. In an interview with Hidetaka Miyazaki and Masaru Yamamura from IGN, those fears have been alleviated. Asked if this new entry would be a continuation of the story, Yamamura responds with, “We’d like to think of this as a completely fresh new story.” He continues to say, “This is a brand-new setting and a brand-new story for players to enjoy.” While there will surely be some references and Easter eggs from previous games in the series, it looks like the long-running franchise won’t be required to play to get a grasp on the narrative and gameplay of Armored Core 6.

Hidetaka Miyazaki, who marked his directorial debut with Armored Core 4 for the Playstation 2, will be taking a backseat role for the new Armored Core. Masaru Yamamura, who was the lead game designer on Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice, is heading the title. Serving as both a massive departure from its recent string of successes and a return to its roots, FromSoftware has been clear that this Armored Core will not be just a Soulsborne mech game.

Expectations are in the stratosphere for Armored Core 6: Fires of Rubicon. Whether the game will live up to the hype is yet to be seen, but FromSoftware and its unparalleled track record certainly have the benefit of the doubt. Fans of FromSoftware and its soon-to-be-resurrected franchise are elated over the game’s potential, and for good reason.

Armored Core 6: Fires of Rubicon launches in 2023 for PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S.

MORE: FromSoftware Pulled a Bait and Switch with the Armored Core 6 Reveal

Source: IGN