Players can use Assault Boost to switch between long-range and close-quarters combat, stagger enemies, and equip up to four weapons.
FromSoftware’s Armored Core 6: Fires of Rubicon is out on August 25th for Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, PS4, PS5 and PC. The first gameplay of the mech action title has been revealed, and it’s looking good. In a new PlayStation Blog interview, game director Masaru Yamamura detailed the combat. There are also new screenshots, which you can see below.
Yamamura first spoke about Assault Boost for instantly switching from long-range gunfire to close-range combat. “Assault Boost is an offensive action that helps close the gap between enemies and lets you quickly go from long distance to close range,” Yamamura tells us. You can also chain weapon attacks together with it. “Say you activate Assault Boost to make your approach while using machine gun fire and a missile salvo to stagger the enemy, then use your pulse blade to score a direct melee hit once you’re up close.”
Hit a mech enough times, and they’ll become staggered, leaving them vulnerable. Continuous hits and heavy attacks deal stagger damage, and the amount dealt depends on the weapon and distance. As for the overall speed of movement, Yamamura described it as “somewhere between Armored Core 3 and Armored Core 5.
“But Armored Core 6 has been developed to bolster the changes of tempo and combat. With instantaneous bursts of speed and sudden changes of tempo, combat can often reach the dizzying heights of say, Armored Core 4.”
You can also look forward to massive boss fights, from “huge combat helicopters” and “heavily armored mobile turret” to “unmanned heavy demolition machinery that’s programmed to indiscriminately crush intruders.” You’ll also go up against other Armored Cores and “humanoid” mechs in duels, which could take “several attempts and some experimentation with your AC’s equipment to fully learn and adapt to a boss’s quirks.”
FromSoftware spoke a lot about mech customization, and there are several parts and weapons to equip. You have four slots for weapons, with one in each hand and two carried with plasma rifles, split missiles, bazookas, and melee weapons on offer.
“One aspect we focused on in Armored Core 6 is melee weapons, exclusively equipped to the left hand. These can include a cluster bomb thrower, a chainsaw or pulse blade, lances, and other more idiosyncratic weapons. Since the main weapons are firearms, the melee weapons are more focused on that strength of individuality.” Furthermore, you can create custom paint jobs and liveries.
The Arena also returns, as players battle “a wide array of specially customized mechs” in various battles. “There are a lot of different AC frames and a lot of colorful characters to fight in the Arena, so we hope the players confront them all and aim for the top rank. You can even encounter the real version of these opponents while out on missions. These are more formidable than their simulator counterparts, and will confront the protagonist with their own ideals and motives in the heat of battle.”
If that weren’t enough, Armored Core 6: Fires of Rubicon will have multiple endings. As you complete playthroughs, new paths become available. Stay tuned for more details en route to release.
