REVIEW: ‘Armored Core VI: Fires of Rubicon,’ Is A Rewarding Challenge (XSX)

It’s been over a decade since the last mainline Armored Core game and with the success of FromSoftware’s recent soulslike games Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice and Elden Ring, few expected the third-person mecha series to return any time soon. Armored Core VI: Fires of Rubicon was teased all the way back in 2016 and officially announced at the Game Awards in December 2022 and is now finally available for players to enjoy. Developed by FromSoftware and published by Bandai Namco Entertainment, the latest installation of the long-running series takes it to new heights and lives up to the stellar reputation the studio has earned.

Players take control of their own mecha pilot in the far reaches of space on a planet known as Rubicon 3. Rubicon 3 was home to a substance known as Coral that was considered a vital component of the technical revolutions of humanity. That is until the disaster known as the Fires of Ibis wiped out every remaining source of Coral. Armored Core VI: Fires of Rubicon takes place several decades after the Fires of Ibis when a new source of Coral has been found on Rubicon 3, and the player’s goal is to work with their mysterious Handler Walter and use the mad dash for Coral to make money under a stolen mercenary identity.

Soon after landing on Rubicon 3, players are quickly introduced to the various warring factions, all looking to earn a piece of the pie. Corporations like Balam Industries and Arquebus Corp serve as large entities seeking to strip the planet of all its Coral. Other groups, like the Rubicon Liberation Front (RLF), want to protect the Coral and keep it out of the hands of the megacorporations. There is also the Planetary Closure Administration (PCA), a special forces group tasked with managing access to Rubicon 3 itself.

Each of these factions serves a unique role on Rubicon 3 that puts the player in a bit of a sticky situation. As the story evolves, the choices that are presented drastically change the course of events in Armored Core VI: Fires of Rubicon. While not exactly a “choices matter” type of game, it was nice to have some weight to the decisions being made. The player character goes from being just a simple mercenary trying to make some money to being dragged into a fight for the fate of a planet and, possibly, humanity. That development also changes the types of missions that take place later on, which is the most important part of the Armored Core VI: Fires of Rubicon experience.

Armored Core VI: Fires of Rubicon is a linear, mission-based game that sends players out on sorties to complete objectives in order to earn COAM, the in-game currency. Some missions feature objectives as straightforward as collecting reports from destroyed mechas while others sent me on high-intensity adventures against extremely threatening foes. The variety of missions helps keep things from ever getting stale but also leads to some quite serious difficulty spikes.

Those difficulty spikes are what make Armored Core VI: Fires of Rubicon such a special experience, albeit an incredibly frustrating one. See, the idea for each of the challenging sorties is that players should go in expecting to lose in order to figure out the best solution for taking on the boss. However, unlike other FromSoftware games, there is never a “right” answer to any of these encounters. This is because the mecha customization is so robust that it allows for myriad different playstyles that can be tailor-made for each player.

Each mecha can be customized in significant ways, from which types of weapons to use to things like the type of legs or internal computer best suited to the player’s current build. Most of the mecha parts are unlocked in fairly straightforward ways too, either by completing missions or going through the training modules designed to explain the pros and cons of each mecha style. Instead of burying overpowered weapons or gear deep in an open world, Armored Core VI: Fires of Rubicon‘s linear structure allows players to start flexing their creative muscles from an early stage. Gear can also be refunded to the store for full price, making it so players don’t need to endure an endless grind for COAM just to be able to afford a new piece of gear they want to try out.

That’s because the customization is meant to be the core of the gameplay, not the difficulty of the bosses themselves. The reason so many fights feel like drastic difficulty spikes isn’t always because they are just absurdly challenging, but instead players are supposed to fail in order to try new builds and approaches. The fact that there are no correct ways to approach a boss leads to a significant amount of frustration at first that gives way to an incredible sense of accomplishment when things finally click.

A good example is Balteus, the main boss of the first act of Armored Core VI: Fires of Rubicon. My first encounter with Balteus was overwhelming at first, and I frustratingly died in his second phase. After taking the time to plan out an entirely new approach to my mecha build, I was able to satisfyingly beat Balteus on only my second try. My smug satisfaction gave way in the Ocean Crossing mission of Chapter 2, however, when it took over 20 different combinations and attempts to finally make my way through.

The most impressive part of the whole Armored Core VI: Fires of Rubicon is that what works for one player might not work for others. It isn’t as simple as “use Weapon A against Boss B”. In fact, several solutions to different fights floating around online were virtually unplayable for me, something I never expected. Beating Armored Core VI: Fires of Rubicon isn’t as simple as just looking up a build guide, but that allows players to be so much more attuned to what they are doing and the type of mechas they want to use. That freedom allowed me to be more creative in my approaches and learn more as the game went on about how I tend to approach battle and how to best augment my own playstyle. That experience is so hard to master in a game but is done so well in this case.

Throughout all of this, Armored Core VI: Fires of Rubicon is a thrill to experience visually as well. Well-crafted linear missions help the world of Rubicon 3 feel alive, and the movement of the various mechas both friend and foe flow smoothly across the screen at all times. Combine that with intense music you get a high-octane mecha experience that looks and sounds as good as it feels.

Armored Core VI: Fires of Rubicon is a unique experience all about learning to accept failure in order to find solutions to new challenges. Accepting the fact that some runs need to end in defeat in order to learn more about how to tackle the encounter can take a while, but once you settle into the groove it feels so rewarding.

Armored Core VI: Fires of Rubicon is out now on PC, Xbox One, Xbox Series X|S, PlayStation 4, and PlayStation 5.