feed the fire.
August 25, 2023 4:38 AM Subscribe
Armored Core 6 brings mecha to the masses [Polygon] “The rebooted Armored Core is not a sprawling adventure game à la Elden Ring or Bloodborne, nor does my experience with those games make me a capable mech pilot. Instead, Armored Core 6 is a reconsideration of a classic game series infused with a decade of studio growth, expertise in combat and level design, and the heightened expectations of FromSoftware fans. Armored Core 6 is a faster, more refined Armored Core experience that streamlines the mecha franchise in clever ways. [...] It’s noisy, chaotic, and starkly beautiful, all this clanging metal, ricochets, and explosions. It’s unlike many of the FromSoftware games you may have played over the past decade, to its benefit.” [Launch Trailer][Overview Trailer]
• The latest entry in the long-running mech series is opaque, taxing, and irresistible [Kotaku]
• The latest entry in the long-running mech series is opaque, taxing, and irresistible [Kotaku]
“Armored Core VI nails a certain synth-infused post-apocalyptic vibe, but it’s the combat and especially the boss fights that make it feel high-stakes and ripe with drama. In one early mission I take out a massive walking cannon shaped like a grasshopper in the desert. In another I survey for Coral deposits near an old mine shaft. Sooner or later I arrive at a boss fight that stops me in my tracks. First it’s a bulldozer shaped like a tractor trailer. Next it’s another mech inside spherical armor that fires so many homing missiles it feels like I’m back in an ancient 8-bit bullet hell shoot ‘em up. But Armored Core VI is not nearly so two-dimensional. It’s more like Mega Man X fused with Star Fox. I can dash in any direction, fly 1,000 feet up in the air, and fire more weapons than I have fingers to pull the triggers for. Half the battle is just remembering every option available to me at every second and deploying all of them in the most damaging and economical patterns possible. The other half is learning how seemingly minor tradeoffs in my loadout can drastically change the outcome of an encounter.”• Wading in the Rubicon [VG247]
“There’s certainly room for more and deeper storytelling here, though. Narrative segments and conversations with your handler or rival factions bookend each mission. They’re short and definitely not the main focus, which is a shame, as there’s a substantial amount of narrative potential in the world that FromSoft created for AC6. Your sly handler weaves a network of lies and intrigue to get what he wants, and with so many factions and that much double-crossing going on, it’s a story ripe for letting you choose sides or influence the outcome in some way – except you can’t. If there’s another Armored Core game, I hope FromSoftware decides to branch out with the story and give you a more significant role in it. For now, though, you’re just along for the ride, and with shoulder-mounted weapons, rocket boosters, and ultra-powerful weapons in each hand, it can be quite the ride – sometimes. Armored Core 6 shares more in common with Musou games than you might think. Most missions, especially early ones, have dozens of standard enemies in garbage-quality mechs that you can wipe out with a few blasts from even weak handgun weapons. They can gang up on you and cause trouble, but they aren’t especially difficult or fun to get rid of.”• FromSoftware's full spectrum mech experience mostly delivers [Rock Paper Shotgun]
“If your experience of FromSoftware’s games is its fantasy action RPGs, the difference in mission statement here is clear. Armored Core is a power fantasy, not a grubby underdog struggle. You’re not some ragged undead, you’re the big bully. Even when you’re beaten back, your ability to re-spec and return with even bigger, better tools is part of the power trip. In one mission, I planted a hefty cannon on my left shoulder to clear out some sniping laser turrets, using building cover to stay out of sight then popping them off from distance. But that approach didn’t help much against the slippery mini-boss that followed, so I switched the cannon for a shield (you can only change equipment mid-mission if you die and restart at a checkpoint), ditching cover to confront him in an explosive open duel. This kind of contrast from scene to scene can make each level feel like a unique challenge, and Armored Core VI is committed to variety throughout. In one stage you have to hover under concrete bridges and overhangs to avoid the attention of satellite laser sights that pierce the sky like puppet strings. In another you’re tasked with taking down an enormous Rubicon strider, a sort of rusty AT-AT Walker, disabling its defences piece by piece. Elsewhere, you have to keep from being seen and photographed before surprise attacking your assigned target. From levels that involve dropping down into the depths of the planet to great sky battles against warships, for a game about piloting a giant wrecking machine, the versatility here is extraordinary.”• Brand Evangelionist [Eurogamer]
“From the first moment you take the controls, piloting your mech feels fantastic. The titular ACs aren't the lumbering brutes of Battletech, instead they're pure Mobile Suit Gundam. Sure, they're armoured engines of war that are bigger than a house, but they're fast, unleashing torrents of laser fire while dodging a hailstorm of missiles. Sure, you can trudge along on foot (or occasionally tracks) but the vast majority of the time you'll be in boost mode with an array of thrusters blasting your AC across the map at high speeds, dodging, dashing and leaping through the air. It's in mechanised movement that you begin to realise that, while not a Soulslike, AC6 is very much a From Software game. Sure, the team hasn't climbed into the cockpit in a while, but they have been perfecting their signature measured, thoughtful combat. With AC6, they're just slapping high-powered rocket boosters on everything and giving you four massive guns instead of your trusty sword.”• Armored Core 6 players can't believe how tough the tutorial boss is [Games Radar+]
“FromSoftware's first Armored Core game in over a decade has just launched, but heaps of players are already struggling with the early hours of it. It turns out that many players are having a tough time conquering Armored Core 6's opening boss, which is considered the "tutorial boss" of the entire game since it concludes the opening mission. As Automaton Media reports, this boss is the AH12 HC Helicopter, complete with barrages of missiles and relentless heavy machinegun fire. "First boss of AC6 is kicking my ass," attests one player on Twitter. Truth be told, it's not uncommon for FromSoftware "tutorial" bosses to pack a punch, but sometimes they're designed to be overwhelming by nature, like the Vanguard Demon in Demon's Souls. Over on the Armored Core subreddit, one post claims roughly half of Armored Core 6's negative user reviews on Steam are from players who can't beat the opening boss. Right now, Armored Core 6 is sitting pretty at a great 'Very Positive' overall rating from user reviews on Steam after more than 3,600 user reviews.”
I am viscerally disgusted and repulsed by the setting and dialogue in [the trailers for] this game, so I'll never play it. But I must say that the idea of giant robots fighting is pretty cool. There was a Pacific Rim beat-em-up a bunch of years ago, it might be nice to revisit the franchise with modern technology and, for fuck's sake, get someone who knows how to write a decent plot and script.
posted by seanmpuckett at 5:43 AM on August 25, 2023 [3 favorites]
posted by seanmpuckett at 5:43 AM on August 25, 2023 [3 favorites]
Yeah, the story seems paper-thin and from some early reviews I've watched, its mostly a lot of dialogue and exposition through a radio signal, we aren't going to see a lot of humans portrayed in this game and its mostly just mechs go boom and fighty-fight with laser swords and guns and thats what I'm here for.
posted by Fizz at 5:55 AM on August 25, 2023 [3 favorites]
posted by Fizz at 5:55 AM on August 25, 2023 [3 favorites]
I only had a few minutes to start up the game before work this morning, but the way your mech moves when you jump, fly (via booster rockets), strafing up and down and side to side. It feels very good. They understood that the mechanics of the gameplay would have to be flawless (something FromSoft understands quite well), and the story is just whatever. Evil corporations mining a planet for some ultra rare resource and you're caught in the middle. LETSGOOOOOOOOOOO!
posted by Fizz at 5:57 AM on August 25, 2023 [2 favorites]
posted by Fizz at 5:57 AM on August 25, 2023 [2 favorites]
I am viscerally disgusted and repulsed by the setting and dialogue in [the trailers for] this game...
Yeah, the dialogue especially disgusted me. It was all just mindless amplifications of the jingoistic/macho aphorisms our culture constantly repeats to itself to justify aggression and violence.
posted by Thorzdad at 6:09 AM on August 25, 2023 [2 favorites]
Yeah, the dialogue especially disgusted me. It was all just mindless amplifications of the jingoistic/macho aphorisms our culture constantly repeats to itself to justify aggression and violence.
posted by Thorzdad at 6:09 AM on August 25, 2023 [2 favorites]
Oh c'mon. I've got work to do.
posted by procrastination at 6:11 AM on August 25, 2023 [9 favorites]
posted by procrastination at 6:11 AM on August 25, 2023 [9 favorites]
Played a few hours last night and spent most of that time customizing my mech. The game lets you create custom decals (similar to the Forza games) which is a huge time sink for me.
Then when I played the actual game, it took me a few missions to get the feel for the movement and combat. But when I took on a tough, optional enemy and figured out a working strategy, suddenly everything clicked and the game felt great to play. I'm looking forward to more.
Yes, the game features lots of jingoistic capitalist dialogue. But depiction is not endorsement. The plot is deeply anti-capitalist like all FROM Soft games. You're playing the villain... obviously so. The people you're attacking fear you. It can be a little hard to stomach, honestly, but I understand what they're going for.
Of course, there'll be people who won't get the counter-narrative and who will just take the story at face value. You can't worry about people like that when you're writing.
A few hours in and I think the game's great. Fun to play, fun to customize and an impactful narrative. It's not Dark Souls or Bloodborne, so keep that in mind.
posted by Laura Palmer's Cold Dead Kiss at 7:03 AM on August 25, 2023 [16 favorites]
Then when I played the actual game, it took me a few missions to get the feel for the movement and combat. But when I took on a tough, optional enemy and figured out a working strategy, suddenly everything clicked and the game felt great to play. I'm looking forward to more.
Yes, the game features lots of jingoistic capitalist dialogue. But depiction is not endorsement. The plot is deeply anti-capitalist like all FROM Soft games. You're playing the villain... obviously so. The people you're attacking fear you. It can be a little hard to stomach, honestly, but I understand what they're going for.
Of course, there'll be people who won't get the counter-narrative and who will just take the story at face value. You can't worry about people like that when you're writing.
A few hours in and I think the game's great. Fun to play, fun to customize and an impactful narrative. It's not Dark Souls or Bloodborne, so keep that in mind.
posted by Laura Palmer's Cold Dead Kiss at 7:03 AM on August 25, 2023 [16 favorites]
I bought F1 2023 and I'm really disappointed that I don't know if anyone in the pit crew are dating. It's as if all they care about is the visceral thrill of driving a formula one car at 220mph, they put zero effort into the story!
They had GRRM (the game of thrones guy) do the story for Elden Ring. The guy who's famous for having hundreds of characters with interwoven story arcs, and books fat enough to beat a Clegane to death with. And yet, ER is no Baldur's Gate. I guess they were too busy making a great action rpg. There are dragons though!
Speaking of Baldur's Gate 3, if you love stories you need to play it.
posted by adept256 at 7:08 AM on August 25, 2023 [2 favorites]
They had GRRM (the game of thrones guy) do the story for Elden Ring. The guy who's famous for having hundreds of characters with interwoven story arcs, and books fat enough to beat a Clegane to death with. And yet, ER is no Baldur's Gate. I guess they were too busy making a great action rpg. There are dragons though!
Speaking of Baldur's Gate 3, if you love stories you need to play it.
posted by adept256 at 7:08 AM on August 25, 2023 [2 favorites]
I never played the old Armored Core games — I tend towards the more plodding Battletech/Mechwarrior stuff, but this sounds installment sounds a little like how I remember Virtual On, if it were more than a fighting game.
posted by snuffleupagus at 7:10 AM on August 25, 2023
posted by snuffleupagus at 7:10 AM on August 25, 2023
Yes, the game features lots of jingoistic capitalist dialogue. But depiction is not endorsement. The plot is deeply anti-capitalist like all FROM Soft games. You're playing the villain... obviously so. The people you're attacking fear you. It can be a little hard to stomach, honestly, but I understand what they're going for.
Of course, there'll be people who won't get the counter-narrative and who will just take the story at face value. You can't worry about people like that when you're writing.
Oh, good, another You Bastard! game. Duly noted.
posted by zamboni at 7:34 AM on August 25, 2023
Of course, there'll be people who won't get the counter-narrative and who will just take the story at face value. You can't worry about people like that when you're writing.
Oh, good, another You Bastard! game. Duly noted.
posted by zamboni at 7:34 AM on August 25, 2023
aren't the lumbering brutes of Battletech, instead they're pure Mobile Suit Gundam
Aw, too bad. I watched a few random minutes of gameplay and the guy was floating all over the battlefield on jump jets moving like an object with no mass or inertia. My mecha fantasies involve slow, lumbering machines where each step is a laborious process of raising tons of steel with individual actuators. It'd make an awfully boring game though.
(Thinking now of the ancient Apple ][ classic The Bilestoad, nominally medieval knights but might as well be melee mechas. Very awkward movement! But then that game also gave you hoverdiscs so you could glide around and get places more easily.)
posted by Nelson at 7:38 AM on August 25, 2023 [4 favorites]
Aw, too bad. I watched a few random minutes of gameplay and the guy was floating all over the battlefield on jump jets moving like an object with no mass or inertia. My mecha fantasies involve slow, lumbering machines where each step is a laborious process of raising tons of steel with individual actuators. It'd make an awfully boring game though.
(Thinking now of the ancient Apple ][ classic The Bilestoad, nominally medieval knights but might as well be melee mechas. Very awkward movement! But then that game also gave you hoverdiscs so you could glide around and get places more easily.)
posted by Nelson at 7:38 AM on August 25, 2023 [4 favorites]
Oh, good, another You Bastard! game. Duly noted.
Verrrrrrry likely closer to the Heel Realization arc. No spoilers, I'm just guessing, but that's a way more likely than the entire plot of the game being just 'hahaha it's fun to oppress'
posted by FatherDagon at 7:53 AM on August 25, 2023
Verrrrrrry likely closer to the Heel Realization arc. No spoilers, I'm just guessing, but that's a way more likely than the entire plot of the game being just 'hahaha it's fun to oppress'
posted by FatherDagon at 7:53 AM on August 25, 2023
A very long time ago I reviewed a game called Harvester (1996) where the idea was the player would be tempted to commit ever more appalling violent acts in order to advance the plot and see what happened next. The player thus becoming changed from innocent bystander to good Samaritan to morally-questionable anti-hero to psychopathic serial-killer. The developer was rather upset at me when I suggested to readers that the best way to approach this kind of media was to not play it at all. Of course Aloy in Horizon is right up there in total human body count with the worst of real-world killers. It's difficult to justify some of this stuff in the name of having a good time.
posted by seanmpuckett at 7:56 AM on August 25, 2023 [1 favorite]
posted by seanmpuckett at 7:56 AM on August 25, 2023 [1 favorite]
The first online community I ever participated in beyond lurking was an Armored Core forum and being lucky enough to live near two of the larger concentrations of players in the US at the time, I attended all the Master of California tournaments except for the last and helped run them from the second onward (see here for details (and footage including me at 19 and 20 years old which I wish didn't exist)).
Having largely retired from gaming after the PS2, I actually tried to get into a couple demos held in advance of ACVI's release here in Tokyo, but even getting on the earliest train of the day wasn't enough to secure me a ticket. Though if I did get to participate, I honestly was hoping to bounce off of the streamlined and modernized gameplay (back in my day the only reason to touch the analog sticks in Armored Core was to press L3 and R3…), if only to avoid getting a PS5 or more likely a PC capable of modern gaming, seeing which platform my old-school compatriots are getting the game on, and having to catch up with 15-20 years of changes in gaming overall.
posted by Strutter Cane - United Planets Stilt Patrol at 7:58 AM on August 25, 2023 [3 favorites]
Having largely retired from gaming after the PS2, I actually tried to get into a couple demos held in advance of ACVI's release here in Tokyo, but even getting on the earliest train of the day wasn't enough to secure me a ticket. Though if I did get to participate, I honestly was hoping to bounce off of the streamlined and modernized gameplay (back in my day the only reason to touch the analog sticks in Armored Core was to press L3 and R3…), if only to avoid getting a PS5 or more likely a PC capable of modern gaming, seeing which platform my old-school compatriots are getting the game on, and having to catch up with 15-20 years of changes in gaming overall.
posted by Strutter Cane - United Planets Stilt Patrol at 7:58 AM on August 25, 2023 [3 favorites]
Not to derail the entire thread but because we're discussing games that explore villainy. If you have a PC, check out Tyranny, developed by Obsidian, same company that did Pillars of Eternity. It was a kind of short experiment which I believe was released in between PoE1 & 2, but its a fascinating look at politics & character and how your choices have far-reaching consequences. The short blurb is as follows:
I do not expect FromSoft to thread the needle with this kind of nuance when it comes to how they frame their characters, at least not with AC6. But we'll have to see where the plot takes us.
posted by Fizz at 8:01 AM on August 25, 2023
“ The game starts after the evil overlord Kyros has already conquered the world, and where the player-character, a Fatebinder, is one of the higher-ranked members in Kyros' power structure. As a Fatebinder, the player must travel the world to help restore order after Kyros' victory, and make decisions on how to handle the various factions of survivors, which can affect what companions, spells, and abilities the player may select from.”
I do not expect FromSoft to thread the needle with this kind of nuance when it comes to how they frame their characters, at least not with AC6. But we'll have to see where the plot takes us.
posted by Fizz at 8:01 AM on August 25, 2023
Yeah I apologize for getting into the weeds here, this poast is about Armored Core 6. I think I'd find the game a lot more approachable if they'd just set it in a less morally reprehensible context. Stepping back now.
posted by seanmpuckett at 8:07 AM on August 25, 2023 [1 favorite]
posted by seanmpuckett at 8:07 AM on August 25, 2023 [1 favorite]
I think I would find it less compelling with a less morally reprehensible context. Like cyberpunk, the ugliness is part of the charm.
posted by june_dodecahedron at 9:04 AM on August 25, 2023
posted by june_dodecahedron at 9:04 AM on August 25, 2023
I've played a lot of From games but this is the first AC and the movement and combat are at the same time very different but still very tight.
I was zipping around the first stage, just rolling my face around on the controller and trivially blowing up all the bad guys and I started getting worried that maybe this game wasn't for me
And then he big helicopter appeared. The big helicopter in the first mission is a huge gatekeeper until you start putting all the pieces of the mechanics together.
When I finally took it down I was hooked.
posted by Reyturner at 9:06 AM on August 25, 2023 [1 favorite]
I was zipping around the first stage, just rolling my face around on the controller and trivially blowing up all the bad guys and I started getting worried that maybe this game wasn't for me
And then he big helicopter appeared. The big helicopter in the first mission is a huge gatekeeper until you start putting all the pieces of the mechanics together.
When I finally took it down I was hooked.
posted by Reyturner at 9:06 AM on August 25, 2023 [1 favorite]
The overview trailer is great, but did you catch the Karl Urban trailer? Doesn’t add much, except KARL URBAN. Totally on brand, perfect spokesperson for AC.
Preordered, have only a chance to play about 20 minutes of tutorial this morning because of work, and I am counting the minutes until I can get home and feed the fire.
posted by rodlymight at 9:21 AM on August 25, 2023 [1 favorite]
Preordered, have only a chance to play about 20 minutes of tutorial this morning because of work, and I am counting the minutes until I can get home and feed the fire.
posted by rodlymight at 9:21 AM on August 25, 2023 [1 favorite]
yeah, I wanted to play this too but I feel like the Breaking Bad problem exists here as it does everywhere. like you're meant to actually embody a toxic, not-even-anti-hero, the antagonist of the story. except most people who play it will still operate in the protagonist mode and thus every moral quandary is just brushed aside with 'eh but action so cool, Walt kill boom stuff, badass man, I would do this in real life if real life were this universe and I had these sets of skills'
all the reviews of previous Armored Core games made it sound like they were intentionally structured to be brutal and unforgiving with an ever-present debt system that required you loaning out your body for cybernetic experimentation if and when you hit rock bottom (which had the effect of making gameplay easier). they were meant for a 'hardcore' demo who wanted a more convincing virtual reality with direct analogues to the depressing, exploitative conditions that is the salaryman's life
I'm pretty sure this ACVI is a lot easier and more accessible so you lose that ludic element of punishing gameplay because, as with Cyberpunk 2077, we do actually live in that dystopian capitalist reality of interpassive consumption where FromSoft being a capitalist institution is able to have their cake, eat it, and have a fanbase who think eating the cake is actually pretty great (the cake here is reifying capitalism of course)
posted by paimapi at 9:54 AM on August 25, 2023 [2 favorites]
all the reviews of previous Armored Core games made it sound like they were intentionally structured to be brutal and unforgiving with an ever-present debt system that required you loaning out your body for cybernetic experimentation if and when you hit rock bottom (which had the effect of making gameplay easier). they were meant for a 'hardcore' demo who wanted a more convincing virtual reality with direct analogues to the depressing, exploitative conditions that is the salaryman's life
I'm pretty sure this ACVI is a lot easier and more accessible so you lose that ludic element of punishing gameplay because, as with Cyberpunk 2077, we do actually live in that dystopian capitalist reality of interpassive consumption where FromSoft being a capitalist institution is able to have their cake, eat it, and have a fanbase who think eating the cake is actually pretty great (the cake here is reifying capitalism of course)
posted by paimapi at 9:54 AM on August 25, 2023 [2 favorites]
I find it amusing that ...in the distant future, with enormous, flying, customizable, sword-wielding, rocket launching, bullet shooting, self-repairing robots capable of containing fusion reactors and 3D maps of intricate environments, which can raise force-fields and even run and jump and swim, then return to base and reconfigure themselves...
...that radio transmissions still sound like they're from 1942.
I love FromSoft games. I just don't have the time or discipline to master and finish them. The Internet makes it such that you either lovelovelove FromSoft games (because they test your true gaming ability) or you hatehatehate them (because they're ableist or whatever). But I'm somewhere in between. I love the games but I can never finish them. I got really far in Bloodborne. But I never finished it. I played about 75 hours of Elden Ring (messing with different character builds). And I never finished it. I'll probably skip this one, but I'm tempted.
I agree that the vibe here is off-putting. I'm sure you play as the evil corporation, but it still smells bad to me. One reason I loved the Souls games, Bloodborne and Elden Ring: you weren't really human, and your enemies weren't really human. Even the most human-like enemies were weird, dessicated beings in a nightmare world. High, conceptual fantasy. This is more like war-mongering.
Plus I prefer fantasy over sci-fi... at least in fantasy worlds, the authors aren't trying to convince me to believe their bullshit.
posted by SoberHighland at 11:02 AM on August 25, 2023 [1 favorite]
...that radio transmissions still sound like they're from 1942.
I love FromSoft games. I just don't have the time or discipline to master and finish them. The Internet makes it such that you either lovelovelove FromSoft games (because they test your true gaming ability) or you hatehatehate them (because they're ableist or whatever). But I'm somewhere in between. I love the games but I can never finish them. I got really far in Bloodborne. But I never finished it. I played about 75 hours of Elden Ring (messing with different character builds). And I never finished it. I'll probably skip this one, but I'm tempted.
I agree that the vibe here is off-putting. I'm sure you play as the evil corporation, but it still smells bad to me. One reason I loved the Souls games, Bloodborne and Elden Ring: you weren't really human, and your enemies weren't really human. Even the most human-like enemies were weird, dessicated beings in a nightmare world. High, conceptual fantasy. This is more like war-mongering.
Plus I prefer fantasy over sci-fi... at least in fantasy worlds, the authors aren't trying to convince me to believe their bullshit.
posted by SoberHighland at 11:02 AM on August 25, 2023 [1 favorite]
Kazuhiro Hamatani & Masaru Yamamura are both listed as writers for Armored Core VI and have both previously worked on Bloodborne, Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice& Ninja Blade. I don't know much about the storylines from the previous Armored Core games, but I wonder if it's always been told from the "villain" point of view. Looking at the Armored Core game series wiki, the throughline seems to be that its always been about corporations battling each other for rare metals and resources.
Here's a break down of the series/story broad points. Spoilers I guess for old ass games.
posted by Fizz at 12:02 PM on August 25, 2023 [3 favorites]
Here's a break down of the series/story broad points. Spoilers I guess for old ass games.
“In the original continuity established by 1997's Armored Core through 2001's Armored Core 2: Another Age, Earth experienced a cataclysm known as the "Great Destruction" and humanity has been forced underground. Corporations begin fighting for dominance, leading to the increasing reliance on Armored Core pilots called Ravens.[3] Following the events of 1999's Armored Core: Master of Arena, humanity rebuilds and colonizes Mars. Through 2000's Armored Core 2 and its expansion, Another Age, the fledgling Earth government struggles to maintain power as opportunistic corporations exploit the power gap and rebel groups resist against the hegemony of government and business interests.[4][5]It seems to still kind of want to explore that tension of corporate warfare and environmental destruction. Will have to see how this story plays out. Assuming I can get to the end, I rarely finish these games.
The series was rebooted with 2002's Armored Core 3, beginning a new story arc that concluded with Armored Core: Last Raven in 2005. Following a global nuclear war, humanity has retreated underground. Following centuries of rule by an artificial intelligence called The Controller, its decay leads to the destruction of much of humanity's underground network, causing them to look toward the surface for safety.[6] By the end of 2003's Silent Line: Armored Core, humanity has fully returned to the surface of Earth.[7] The final two games of this continuity, 2004's Armored Core: Nexus and 2005's Armored Core: Last Raven involve the end of the existing power dynamic of corporations and Ravens fighting over the surface.[8][9]
2006's Armored Core 4 rebooted the series yet again. Here, corporations have seized control of Earth governments and are waging war across the surface for dominance. A war waged over the course of the game pollutes the environment, leading to the creation of floating cities in 2008's Armored Core: For Answer. Depending on the player's choices, humanity either barely survives the fallout of For Answer's conflict or is completely eradicated.[10][11]
The fourth continuity of the series was introduced with 2012's Armored Core V. A single corporation has dominance over a contaminated Earth and is being opposed by a resistance faction that seeks to overthrow them. 2013's Armored Core: Verdict Day details the outbreak of another war 100 years later following an apocalyptic event.[12][13]”
posted by Fizz at 12:02 PM on August 25, 2023 [3 favorites]
Gee, thanks Fizz... now I'll probably end up buying it ;)
posted by SoberHighland at 12:18 PM on August 25, 2023 [1 favorite]
posted by SoberHighland at 12:18 PM on August 25, 2023 [1 favorite]
aren't the lumbering brutes of Battletech, instead they're pure Mobile Suit Gundam
As someone who once loved Battletech in several media, I really felt this when I encountered the new Armored Core Let's Plays. It was a bit like being a classic zombie movie fan watching 28 Days Later for the first time: I undersand this is a thing people like but it might not be for me.
posted by pullayup at 8:55 PM on August 25, 2023
As someone who once loved Battletech in several media, I really felt this when I encountered the new Armored Core Let's Plays. It was a bit like being a classic zombie movie fan watching 28 Days Later for the first time: I undersand this is a thing people like but it might not be for me.
posted by pullayup at 8:55 PM on August 25, 2023
The real question, though: is there a moonlight greatsword
posted by pullayup at 9:01 PM on August 25, 2023 [2 favorites]
posted by pullayup at 9:01 PM on August 25, 2023 [2 favorites]
There was a moonlight laser blade in every preceding generation of Armored Core, so I can't imagine there's not one in VI.
posted by Strutter Cane - United Planets Stilt Patrol at 9:14 PM on August 25, 2023
posted by Strutter Cane - United Planets Stilt Patrol at 9:14 PM on August 25, 2023
(man just the other day I was firing up the system shock remake and thinking that a MechWarrior 2 (with Ghost Bears Legacy!) remake would be amazing. This is not that, but also looks very pretty )
posted by kaibutsu at 9:14 PM on August 25, 2023 [3 favorites]
posted by kaibutsu at 9:14 PM on August 25, 2023 [3 favorites]
Every critique of this game's politics screams "I've spent the last 15 years ignoring Hidetaka Miyazaki's existence" rofl
Like, way to pick on the most acclaimed game designer of arguably the 21st century by revealing you skipped the guy who made "video games meaningfully engaging with moral themes" a thing. From Software is not Rockstar or Irrational.
posted by Tom Hanks Cannot Be Trusted at 4:46 AM on August 26, 2023 [2 favorites]
Like, way to pick on the most acclaimed game designer of arguably the 21st century by revealing you skipped the guy who made "video games meaningfully engaging with moral themes" a thing. From Software is not Rockstar or Irrational.
posted by Tom Hanks Cannot Be Trusted at 4:46 AM on August 26, 2023 [2 favorites]
This ain't Reddit, brah. If you have a point to make, use your words.
posted by seanmpuckett at 5:40 AM on August 26, 2023 [2 favorites]
posted by seanmpuckett at 5:40 AM on August 26, 2023 [2 favorites]
There's a recent-ish BattleTech (2018) game from Paradox Interactive that was really fun and interesting. Great on PC but don't bother wtih the console ports, they ran like shit from what I've seen and heard. But for anyone who wants a different kind of mech game, the 2018 game is dope and has a well-written story from what I recall. The gameplay had more of an XCOM tactics like feel only with really cool bad-ass mech shit!! Highly recommended for anyone who has a PC.
posted by Fizz at 7:10 AM on August 26, 2023 [2 favorites]
posted by Fizz at 7:10 AM on August 26, 2023 [2 favorites]
I was obsessed with the 2018 Battletech. It is a tactics game very much inspired by tabletop, but really delivers on all the mechbay customization fun I remember from MW2.
I played through a couple of missions of AC6 last night. It's obviously a very different thing, but the movement is extremely crispy and the combat has a lot of depth.
Re: the concerns in this thread about the plot..they aren't worth taking seriously. You start the game being awoken from cryosleep, ordered by your handler (who is...who, exactly?) to graverob yourself a new identity. Definitely a setup likely to be a lot more critical of the societal status quo than any Battletech plot I ever saw, which are... always feudal revenge plays. 2018 Battletech is, at least, and so are all the books I remember.
posted by billjings at 8:24 AM on August 26, 2023 [7 favorites]
I played through a couple of missions of AC6 last night. It's obviously a very different thing, but the movement is extremely crispy and the combat has a lot of depth.
Re: the concerns in this thread about the plot..they aren't worth taking seriously. You start the game being awoken from cryosleep, ordered by your handler (who is...who, exactly?) to graverob yourself a new identity. Definitely a setup likely to be a lot more critical of the societal status quo than any Battletech plot I ever saw, which are... always feudal revenge plays. 2018 Battletech is, at least, and so are all the books I remember.
posted by billjings at 8:24 AM on August 26, 2023 [7 favorites]
And then he big helicopter appeared. The big helicopter in the first mission is a huge gatekeeper until you start putting all the pieces of the mechanics together.
Tip for people: you can just use the laser sword and hit it twice, drop down to earth, jump up and hit it twice. Do that 3-4 times and the fight is over. I guess people are staying away from it? I just want to laser sword so I beat the boss taking no damage.
posted by OnTheLastCastle at 4:22 PM on August 26, 2023 [1 favorite]
Tip for people: you can just use the laser sword and hit it twice, drop down to earth, jump up and hit it twice. Do that 3-4 times and the fight is over. I guess people are staying away from it? I just want to laser sword so I beat the boss taking no damage.
posted by OnTheLastCastle at 4:22 PM on August 26, 2023 [1 favorite]
I can't believe I have to bust out this old Internet meme for those missing the subtext in the latest game in a mech series that is all about being hired and used by mega corporations to do their dirty deeds.
... and not trusting FromSoft with nuance in plot? That sounds like surface level reading of all their stories that are literally about power and corruption. I can get being frustrated with their stubbornly difficult games (as a fanatic for everything they've made since King's Field even I would argue they wouldn't lose anything with "easy modes" or whatever) but they've never not challenged power structures in everything they've ever made.
Everyone calls you a Dog / Hound for money in Armored Core 6. The revolutionaries literally beg you to think for yourself. The music, the oppressive vibes, the radio chatter, the barks, all enforce that.
posted by mysticreferee at 7:36 AM on August 28, 2023 [5 favorites]
... and not trusting FromSoft with nuance in plot? That sounds like surface level reading of all their stories that are literally about power and corruption. I can get being frustrated with their stubbornly difficult games (as a fanatic for everything they've made since King's Field even I would argue they wouldn't lose anything with "easy modes" or whatever) but they've never not challenged power structures in everything they've ever made.
Everyone calls you a Dog / Hound for money in Armored Core 6. The revolutionaries literally beg you to think for yourself. The music, the oppressive vibes, the radio chatter, the barks, all enforce that.
posted by mysticreferee at 7:36 AM on August 28, 2023 [5 favorites]
I can't believe I have to bust out this old Internet meme for those missing the subtext in the latest game in a mech series that is all about being hired and used by mega corporations to do their dirty deeds.
I think most of the derailing in this post has centered around the exact opposite of that meme. 'Cool robots, but you should feel bad about it' isn't a game I want to play. If you do, more power to you.
posted by zamboni at 8:54 AM on August 28, 2023
I think most of the derailing in this post has centered around the exact opposite of that meme. 'Cool robots, but you should feel bad about it' isn't a game I want to play. If you do, more power to you.
posted by zamboni at 8:54 AM on August 28, 2023
I think most of the derailing in this post has centered around the exact opposite of that meme. 'Cool robots, but you should feel bad about it' isn't a game I want to play. If you do, more power to you.
Most of the derailing in this post has been really intellectually unsatisfying, if I'm going to be totally honest.
At the end of the day, a lot of us are excited about playing a game where we pilot a giant robot that blows things up. Given that we want to do that, AC6 gives us a relevant ethical universe to do it in. "Sure, but you're still engaging in wanton destruction and being a bad person" may be true, but it's also facile in the way that it makes the claim, "Games where you pilot giant robots that blow things up are inherently bad," without actually owning that claim.
That's why it's so frustrating to those of us who have actually played the game: the actual plot doesn't seem to matter to this discussion. So how is it in any way an interesting discussion of the game this post is ostensibly about?
posted by billjings at 9:36 AM on August 28, 2023 [3 favorites]
Most of the derailing in this post has been really intellectually unsatisfying, if I'm going to be totally honest.
At the end of the day, a lot of us are excited about playing a game where we pilot a giant robot that blows things up. Given that we want to do that, AC6 gives us a relevant ethical universe to do it in. "Sure, but you're still engaging in wanton destruction and being a bad person" may be true, but it's also facile in the way that it makes the claim, "Games where you pilot giant robots that blow things up are inherently bad," without actually owning that claim.
That's why it's so frustrating to those of us who have actually played the game: the actual plot doesn't seem to matter to this discussion. So how is it in any way an interesting discussion of the game this post is ostensibly about?
posted by billjings at 9:36 AM on August 28, 2023 [3 favorites]
No ethical consumption playing fun video games under capitalism.
Game looks amazing, I've watched hours of no-commentary videos so far and am strongly considering picking up a PS5 to give this a shot. The music is absolutely jaw dropping, what a pleasure to hear a new Kota Hoshino OST after all this time!
posted by Cpt. The Mango at 11:43 AM on August 28, 2023
Game looks amazing, I've watched hours of no-commentary videos so far and am strongly considering picking up a PS5 to give this a shot. The music is absolutely jaw dropping, what a pleasure to hear a new Kota Hoshino OST after all this time!
posted by Cpt. The Mango at 11:43 AM on August 28, 2023
At the end of the day, a lot of us are excited about playing a game where we pilot a giant robot that blows things up. Given that we want to do that, AC6 gives us a relevant ethical universe to do it in. "Sure, but you're still engaging in wanton destruction and being a bad person" may be true, but it's also facile in the way that it makes the claim, "Games where you pilot giant robots that blow things up are inherently bad," without actually owning that claim.
My reading of the thread is that pretty much everyone is excited about piloting giant robots that blow things up, but group A has reservations about the AC universe/storyline/vibe, so there was an initial inrush of 'this looks great, not for me'. Group B who has more of an investment in the AC universe engaged, making the case that the AC universe was full of nuance and critical interrogation, and continued trying to persuade group A they were doing it wrong, not picking up that it wasn't a sandbox that group A wanted to play in. I think it'll be more rewarding if Group B focus on the game, instead of trying to convince group A that they should want different things from gameplay.
posted by zamboni at 1:18 PM on August 28, 2023
My reading of the thread is that pretty much everyone is excited about piloting giant robots that blow things up, but group A has reservations about the AC universe/storyline/vibe, so there was an initial inrush of 'this looks great, not for me'. Group B who has more of an investment in the AC universe engaged, making the case that the AC universe was full of nuance and critical interrogation, and continued trying to persuade group A they were doing it wrong, not picking up that it wasn't a sandbox that group A wanted to play in. I think it'll be more rewarding if Group B focus on the game, instead of trying to convince group A that they should want different things from gameplay.
posted by zamboni at 1:18 PM on August 28, 2023
My reading of the thread is that pretty much everyone is excited about piloting giant robots that blow things up, but group A has reservations about the AC universe/storyline/vibe, so there was an initial inrush of 'this looks great, not for me'. Group B who has more of an investment in the AC universe engaged, making the case that the AC universe was full of nuance and critical interrogation, and continued trying to persuade group A they were doing it wrong, not picking up that it wasn't a sandbox that group A wanted to play in. I think it'll be more rewarding if Group B focus on the game, instead of trying to convince group A that they should want different things from gameplay.
This is all reasonably correct, except that AFAICT group A has reservations about the trailer, and jumped to some conclusions about depiction vs. endorsement.
This is a thing that happens all the time in discussions of creative media, particularly where dramatic irony is used:
In conclusion, the Internet is our Rubicon, reliable information is our Coral, and I am 621
posted by billjings at 4:37 PM on August 28, 2023 [2 favorites]
This is all reasonably correct, except that AFAICT group A has reservations about the trailer, and jumped to some conclusions about depiction vs. endorsement.
This is a thing that happens all the time in discussions of creative media, particularly where dramatic irony is used:
- Some people are more engaged in the discussion about the thing in question than they are with the thing itself
- Some people also lose sight of that fact as they defend their opinion to people who have more than a surface level understanding of the thing in question
- And they also lose sight of the fact that their opinion was probably tentative and passing in the first place. (Which is fine! People make decisions based on trailers or back cover copy every day; there's too much out there for it to be fair to ask everyone to dive deeper into everything)
In conclusion, the Internet is our Rubicon, reliable information is our Coral, and I am 621
posted by billjings at 4:37 PM on August 28, 2023 [2 favorites]
People make decisions based on trailers or back cover copy every day
What fools. Anyway, you’re right, I am doing it wrong, I should want different things from gameplay, and the show does only get good after the first season and a half.
posted by zamboni at 6:01 PM on August 28, 2023
What fools. Anyway, you’re right, I am doing it wrong, I should want different things from gameplay, and the show does only get good after the first season and a half.
posted by zamboni at 6:01 PM on August 28, 2023
Games can engage with these themes without needing to give them the full Kojima.
posted by snuffleupagus at 6:02 AM on August 30, 2023
posted by snuffleupagus at 6:02 AM on August 30, 2023
I agree that games can engage with these themes without needing to give them the full Kojima. Glad that Armored Core 6 doesn't do that.
posted by mysticreferee at 7:19 AM on September 7, 2023
posted by mysticreferee at 7:19 AM on September 7, 2023
« Older Ethnic cleansing in Nagorno-Karabakh, 2022 -... | "We are always the topic, rarely the voice." Newer »
This thread has been archived and is closed to new comments
Never touched an AC game in my life but Elden Ring was an all-timer for me. Where I had previously bounced off FromSoftware Games I lost myself in ER, and even finished it.
posted by d_hill at 5:42 AM on August 25, 2023 [1 favorite]