I was totally surprised by how much I still remembered about the original. I was even more surprised how well this game (sometimes too faithfully) recaptures the feeling and tone of the original, too. It wildly veers between serious socio-political allegory to wacky melodrama to high action to slow and tedious. It's a roller coaster, for sure.

Ultimately, it's a game that is greater than the sum of its parts. No single aspect stands out as being best-in-class, but somehow the various pieces all come together to make a whole game that feels exceptionally well conceived and conveyed.

A throwback to the great action games of the PS2 era. It's lean, tight, and wonderfully over-the-top. Like Bloodborne, Armored Core VI shows off just how good From Soft is at crafting and honing action-game mechanics. It's also refreshing to see that From Soft can make a game that isn't designed to beat you into perfection. Armored Core VI keeps you moving and never forces you to spend hours and hours on a single boss. Don't get me wrong; it's still a challenging game. But it isn't a brutally hard one. Among the best in the genre.