Revolutionizing Armored Core 6: A Game-Changing Departure from Tradition
Armored Core 6 revolutionizes the beloved series by discarding a traditional feature, resulting in an enhanced player experience Discover how the removal of the Debt System elevates the game to new heights
Highlights
Armored Core 6 brings modern gameplay improvements and tonal shifts to the classic mech-combat series, offering fans a more expansive and challenging experience.
The game no longer includes the Debt System, which used to impose penalties on players for unsuccessful missions. This change enhances the gameplay experience by making it more enjoyable and forgiving. By eliminating the Debt System, the game enables players to focus on replaying missions and improving their skills to overcome challenging enemies and boss battles.
Armored Core 6: Fires of Rubicon revolutionizes the beloved mech-combat series with an array of gameplay advancements and a fresh tone. FromSoftware, the esteemed developer known for its RPG hits that birthed the soulslike genre, has expanded its passionate fan base. By revamping Armored Core for a new generation, FromSoftware has implemented essential changes that elevate Armored Core 6, providing fans with a more immersive, challenging, and replayable experience. One notable improvement in Armored Core 6 is the removal of the Debt System, granting fans a superior opportunity to master the game's evolved gameplay and customization mechanics.
Making its long-awaited return after almost a decade, Armored Core 6 retains the elements that enamored fans while incorporating FromSoftware's modern RPG elements. The enemy combatants now showcase an impressive range of designs, demanding players to strategize their approach for each unit. Additionally, the game features boss enemies reminiscent of those found in the Souls series or Elden Ring, such as a colossal worm-like machine that burrows underground and emits pulsating red waves of energy.
Armored Core's Debt System Explained
The classic Armored Core series offered unique features that distinguished it from FromSoftware's other properties. Set in a sci-fi world with linear missions, the series introduced the Debt System, which added a punishing aspect to learning the game's core mechanics. Under this system, players faced financial penalties for failing to meet mission requirements or failing a mission entirely, leading to accumulating debt. Excessive debt put players at risk of having to restart their game, as they could no longer earn rewards to acquire better weapons or parts.
The Debt System had the potential to significantly impact players' characters if the corporation they owed money to decided to take action. In such cases, human pilots controlling the Armored Cores would be forcefully enrolled in programs like Human PLUS to repay a portion of their debt. Human PLUS involved resetting the player character with certain modifications, making the gameplay easier but providing fewer rewards. However, these so-called "improvements" had unsettling implications. Classic Armored Core titles described Human PLUS as an experimental method of enhancing the connection between a pilot and their mech, achieved through sacrificing one's mind and eventually one's humanity. By incorporating it into the Debt System, corporations effectively capitalized on selling a pilot's humanity to settle their debts.
Dropping the Debt System Makes Armored Core 6 Better
The removal of the Debt System in Armored Core 6 greatly enhances the overall player experience. The game now offers longer missions, increased difficulty, and a focus on replayability. If the Debt System were still in place, players could be forced to restart after accumulating a significant debt from the challenging tutorial boss. Removing the Debt System also aligns with FromSoftware's shift towards Soulslike enemies and boss battles, emphasizing the importance of learning, adapting, and overcoming obstacles.
Despite the removal of the Debt System, Armored Core 6 still incorporates a revenue loss system where players have to pay for weapon usage and mech repairs. After completing a mission, fans must contribute a substantial portion of their reward. However, if players are unable to progress past a specific obstacle during a mission, they can now return to the Sortie menu and upgrade their mech with better parts and weapons. This can be achieved by completing Training Missions, engaging in different modes, or attempting to achieve an S-rank in previous Story Missions. Advancing through Armored Core 6 remains a challenging task, but this one change significantly enhances the enjoyment of the experience, as players can explore numerous strategies without the fear of limited attempts hindering their progress.
Armored Core 6 is available now for PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X|S.
