Armored Core 6 and Elden Ring: What’s Making The Transition?

Armored Core 6 is, obviously, going to be a huge deal coming from a studio as prolific as From Software. The thing about FromSoft, though, is that Armored Core 6 and Elden Ring come from the same source. And, of course, while it's a given that an AC title won't be a straight-up Soulslike, we can't help but wonder: which elements of FromSoft's previous work will, invariably, make the transition?

An obvious point to make is that we don't know much about Armored Core 6's gameplay loop at this time. We do know that it's a hugely important new release for FromSoft, and we do have a semblance of an idea of what its technical backing should look like. Yet, most everything else remains a question mark at this time.

With that in mind, join us for a short discussion of some key gameplay elements that Elden Ring refined, and which we believe ought to make their way into Armored Core 6, too.

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Discussing Armored Core 6 and Elden Ring

Getting the obvious concern out of the way, we've seen time and again that a good Soulslike doesn't really need to be a fantasy game for it to pan out. With The Surge and Bleak Faith nailing down the dreary, desolate sci-fi atmosphere already, FromSoft could absolutely pull the same thing off. Armored Core, however, is an established franchise. One that has an identity of its own. An identity that doesn't necessarily cross over with Dark Souls all that much.

The thing that's fascinating about Fires of Rubicon, in particular, is that FromSoft is seemingly ready to embrace its legacy as the creative force behind the modern concept of a Soulslike. According to From Software's producer Yasutaka Ogura, who spoke with PCGN on the topic of Armored Core 6,  "As ten years have passed between [Armored Core] titles, we at FromSoftware had developed so many other titles in the interim from Dark Souls 2 to Bloodborne, Dark Souls 3, and of course others like Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice and most recently of all Elden Ring. All of which changed us."

He continued by saying that "the experience and know-how that [FromSoft's] game designers and developers built up through these titles were able to be made use of in [Armored Core 6]." Now, this doesn't necessarily outright confirm much of anything. However, it implies that AC6 may be closer than ever to the studio's most popular releases.

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FromSoft Games Feel Like FromSoft Games

It's hard to miss a FromSoft game for what it is. The studio's signature is emblematic and ever-present. Anyone who's played a first-party Soulslike will recognize another From Software title as soon as they get to control the protagonist. However, this wasn't necessarily the case back when the previous Armored Core game launched.

Since 2012, From Software has truly come into its own. The developers honed their craft into a scalpel-precise type of output that delivers even when it fumbles. There's a good reason why Elden Ring was such a huge success, after all. Now, to be perfectly frank, it's hard to expect the same sort of performance out of Armored Core.

Over the past decade, Dark Souls entered the industry zeitgeist several times over. It's an established, household franchise whose influence - indeed - did end up seeping into Elden Ring. The same effect may not apply to Fires of Rubicon, however. The question that remains, then, is just how much of Souls will FromSoft even want to transplant into Armored Core? Will the studio embrace that which it has come to be known for, or will it attempt to carve out a novel niche, instead?

Not a Soulslike, But Something Adjacent To The Concept

If we had to take a wild guess (and we do, for the time being), the things that made Elden Ring such a unique open-world experience will make a return with Fires of Rubicon. Its deliberately obtuse gadgetry and mechanics, for example, would fit right in. The ridiculous variety of weapons would too. Same goes for complex and difficult enemy encounters, as has plainly been shown in what little gameplay we've seen of AC6 already.

The thing to keep in mind, however, is that Hidetaka Miyazaki is not directing Armored Core 6. This means that FromSoft will deliver a markedly different experience than what Soulslike veterans might expect. So there's a disparate set of expectations here. We just need to wait and see what FromSoft says next.

To summarize, we expect the following features in Armored Core 6:

• Deep, meaningful mech/character customization
• An immense list of gadgets, gear, and weapons
• Plenty of exploration opportunities
• Difficult, challenging content in droves

Since Fires of Rubicon is sticking with a mission-based structure in lieu of true open-world progression, however, each of these disparate elements may materialize in a wildly different way from what we saw in Elden Ring. One expectation we just can't shake is that the game might be mechanically similar to Death Stranding in moment-to-moment exploration. That, however, is just a big question mark for the time being.

Stay Tuned for Gameplay Proper!

All we've really got right now is hype, and precious little hard info to go on. As was the case with Elden Ring, FromSoft is keeping its card close to its chest. Though Fires of Rubicon is due to launch later this year, on August 25, it's unlikely that Bandai and From will lean heavily into the game's marketing campaign before the time is just right.

With mere months to go, though, we can't help but wonder how long this might take. Whatever the case may be, we believe FromSoft is bound to elevate the Armored Core franchise to new heights later this year. The only thing that remains to be seen, as it were, is how it might choose to go about this business!

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