‘Armored Core VI’ Hands

'Armored Core VI' is very much an 'Armored Core' game.

A few weeks back I got a chance to sit down and play Armored Core VI for a few hours. It was an interesting experience and one that has made me hopeful about the game.

First off, this is not in any way a Souls game or even a Souls-like game. This is very much an Armored Core game, but with a raft of modern quality of life improvements that have been long overdue.

This was also a development build of the game playable on PC, so there may be changes from now until the game’s release. That means some of my analysis may no longer be valid once the game is out.

I am also playing the game from the perspective of someone who has played and finished every Armored Core game released thus far. So please take that into consideration with my following hands-on impressions with Armored Core VI.

It’s also worth noting upfront that Armored Core VI is not a massive evolution compared to some of the other numbered entries in the Armored Core series and feels more like a remix, although there are some interesting new changes.

Talking of changes, it’s time to put the biggest one to bed from the off.

As you can see, there is a lot to unpack with the game. I definitely enjoyed Armored Core VI as a veteran player and I think newer players will have fun with it too. I’ve already talked about the main areas that held the Armored Core series back in the past, with these being the camera/controls, mecha customization, localization and marketing.

The camera/controls have been mostly resolved, although the solution is a bit simple. Customization is more streamlined and the localization is now great, but I just hope the marketing follows up on pushing this game properly. Armored Core VI has no elements from Souls, and I think this is what is making Bandai Namco nervous. They shouldn’t be though; this is a decent game in its own right and it just needs to be promoted for what it is.

In terms of where Armored Core VI sits in the series, the base feels like Armored Core 3 with elements from Armored Core 4, Armored Core For Answer, Armored Core V and Armored Core Verdict Day. Of the 11 missions playable in the session I had, the full game will have something like 50 missions in total, which is around the same as the first Armored Core game released back in 1997, although that game obviously lacked an Arena.

Overall, Armored Core VI is very much in line with the series as a whole. Veterans will have a lot of fun with this game. Newer players may have their work cut out for them though, but after the hardly straightforward Elden Ring, I am sure Souls fans will be up for a new and involved challenge.

Armored Core VI is released on August 25 for the PlayStation 5, PlayStation 4, Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One and PC.

The video below was captured about halfway through my 4-hour playthrough and as such does not have the Arena or OS Tuning options in the menu, as I unlocked those later on.

In addition here is Bandai Namco’s own gameplay breakdown video that covers some of the points I raised above.

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