AC6 is a lot of things, and, for one, it's a sort of full circle for FromSoft artistically and as the creator of the AC series.
The AC series has been, day one, about its mechs. Construction, building up your builds while doing dirty work for others. An meticulous, infectious loop that became a cult hit. Sequels kept tuning out, left and right. Helmed by its incredible customization, deep gameplay, and unforgettable sound design no small part by Kota Hoshino, AC has survived over the past 20+ years for a variety of reasons. It's great, it really is special and a crowning FromSoft achievement.
Then, AC4 came in 2006, hot off the heels of Last Raven. Directed by Mr Dark Souls himself, Hidetaka Miyazaki. The game was fast, like, real fucking fast. So fast, that you could argue that it sucked the nihilism and real robot feel of the first 3 gens. Yadda yadda. The point being, Miyazaki had a take, as his directorial debut, for the Armored Core series. A frenzied, super fast power mecha fantasy that kept touch with its roots while striving for more. In due time, Miyazaki would create Demon's Souls and soon after Dark Souls, a hailing achievement for the company that launched it into stardom. Here, Miyazaki further enhanced his artistic ideals, one by one. More Souls games would come out, he'd end up Directing Bloodborne, a more frenzied take on the Souls formula. FromSoft had shifted towards Miyazaki's stylizations more and more with the passing years. After the lukewarm reception of AC5 and Verdict Day, the AC series reached a stalemate as FromSoft reached a economic peak in releasing critically acclaimed bangers.
Then, AC came back. AC6, a full circle reaching back from before Dark Souls to AC4, all the way to Elden Ring. AC4, Elden Ring, Dark Souls 3, Bloodborne, all of this looped into itself. Now, AC6 is out, a brand new installment with years of stylistic choices behind it.
I personally believe, it succeeded. I'm not an AC fan that believes soley in the gritty integrity of the original first 3 generations, in fact, I appreciate the sidewindled attempt that was AC4. I see no issue with a series developing and shifting over decades, and AC6 is no stranger to that. It indulges heavily on AC4's incredibly breakneak speed style. It also leans into the more speed-oriented-build articulation, whilst also having more insentives to go for heavier and abrasive builds in a way that Gen 4 didn't exactly reach. It's got AC4's style, but some of the philosophy behind what FromSoft would develop in the recent years.
AC6 pulls so much from what we'd consider "Souls" like caveats or even mechanics from Sekiro, but in reality it does this whilst reaching full circle behind Dark Souls, to Miyazaki's first outting with AC4. This is AC6 coming full circle, and I really quite fucking dig it.
Hoshino's subdued but electronically punctual soundtrack does numbers towards the game's already bombastic, masterful sound design. Every blast, energy beam, or planetary disfunction sounds great. Its attention to mechanical design is layed into the sound design to all be so metalic, as AC should be. Hoshino here doesn't hype or experiment as much but instead layers electronic discombulations that work substantially in hindsight.
The story does a great job and keeping the integrity and style of the game at heart, which, in my opinion is the real job of an AC story. Here, it takes obvious cues from Dark Souls 3 in its "cinder" and "fire" based theme, but by the end I believe it comes off well if only for how effective its stylisitc choices are strewn throughout the designs or sounds.
Gameplay, I believe, like AC4 and Miyazaki's vision, is likely to be the most rivetting. For those that found AC4's take a destructive homoginization, this only slightly does so less. Mechs are all, still, incredibly fast no matter the build. Builds have become more streamlined to create a faster, brisker pace with less freedom of expression by usually having builds be, in some way, fast to some exception. AC has always been about its Mechs, about their creation. Here, there is still plenty to chew on, but it isnt quite that abstract depth the original series would let on. Its enough, however. Its enough to make any change to your mech feel exctiting, especially visually. What this game lacks for in unrestrained depth in builds I believe it makes up for in spectacle and sheer enjoyment. You either despise the appeal, or love it. The same love or hate I believe can be seen with how AC6 adds its Bosses, which are a clear take from FromSoft's recent work. They got telegraphed moves to dodge, and phases and what not. Dark Souls was, for better or worse, what got FromSoft into stardom.
It works, though. At least for me. At its heart, unless you're completely stubborn to the appeal of Mechs as a complete hunk of metal and Human transfiguration, AC6 is nothing but fun. Its speed works to its benefit by pitting you against fair but similarily if not faster machines. Pulsating, dynamically shooting all shades of colors at you. It really is a blast, and its a appal that reminds me more so of ZOE 2 than "traditional" Armored Core.
Maybe Armored Core in its "original" form is too outdated in a world of DMC's and Bloodborne's. Maybe so, but FromSoft amps up the formula for an appropriate appeal that I believe still works at its steel core for the greater benefit of being a fun and incredibly paced Mecha action game.
Maybe I'm a bringer of what "ruined" the direction of AC as a real, heavy ass mecha shooter. I may be cynical, but I am not cyinical enough to pass up on a fun time backed up by care and effort towards its mechs and feel. To Boost maddly into the skies or to clunk-ily move as your camera is blindsided into oblivion by two Nineballs, I love both. A series deserves to grow as it pleases, and this game makes that growth work.
The AC series has been, day one, about its mechs. Construction, building up your builds while doing dirty work for others. An meticulous, infectious loop that became a cult hit. Sequels kept tuning out, left and right. Helmed by its incredible customization, deep gameplay, and unforgettable sound design no small part by Kota Hoshino, AC has survived over the past 20+ years for a variety of reasons. It's great, it really is special and a crowning FromSoft achievement.
Then, AC4 came in 2006, hot off the heels of Last Raven. Directed by Mr Dark Souls himself, Hidetaka Miyazaki. The game was fast, like, real fucking fast. So fast, that you could argue that it sucked the nihilism and real robot feel of the first 3 gens. Yadda yadda. The point being, Miyazaki had a take, as his directorial debut, for the Armored Core series. A frenzied, super fast power mecha fantasy that kept touch with its roots while striving for more. In due time, Miyazaki would create Demon's Souls and soon after Dark Souls, a hailing achievement for the company that launched it into stardom. Here, Miyazaki further enhanced his artistic ideals, one by one. More Souls games would come out, he'd end up Directing Bloodborne, a more frenzied take on the Souls formula. FromSoft had shifted towards Miyazaki's stylizations more and more with the passing years. After the lukewarm reception of AC5 and Verdict Day, the AC series reached a stalemate as FromSoft reached a economic peak in releasing critically acclaimed bangers.
Then, AC came back. AC6, a full circle reaching back from before Dark Souls to AC4, all the way to Elden Ring. AC4, Elden Ring, Dark Souls 3, Bloodborne, all of this looped into itself. Now, AC6 is out, a brand new installment with years of stylistic choices behind it.
I personally believe, it succeeded. I'm not an AC fan that believes soley in the gritty integrity of the original first 3 generations, in fact, I appreciate the sidewindled attempt that was AC4. I see no issue with a series developing and shifting over decades, and AC6 is no stranger to that. It indulges heavily on AC4's incredibly breakneak speed style. It also leans into the more speed-oriented-build articulation, whilst also having more insentives to go for heavier and abrasive builds in a way that Gen 4 didn't exactly reach. It's got AC4's style, but some of the philosophy behind what FromSoft would develop in the recent years.
AC6 pulls so much from what we'd consider "Souls" like caveats or even mechanics from Sekiro, but in reality it does this whilst reaching full circle behind Dark Souls, to Miyazaki's first outting with AC4. This is AC6 coming full circle, and I really quite fucking dig it.
Hoshino's subdued but electronically punctual soundtrack does numbers towards the game's already bombastic, masterful sound design. Every blast, energy beam, or planetary disfunction sounds great. Its attention to mechanical design is layed into the sound design to all be so metalic, as AC should be. Hoshino here doesn't hype or experiment as much but instead layers electronic discombulations that work substantially in hindsight.
The story does a great job and keeping the integrity and style of the game at heart, which, in my opinion is the real job of an AC story. Here, it takes obvious cues from Dark Souls 3 in its "cinder" and "fire" based theme, but by the end I believe it comes off well if only for how effective its stylisitc choices are strewn throughout the designs or sounds.
Gameplay, I believe, like AC4 and Miyazaki's vision, is likely to be the most rivetting. For those that found AC4's take a destructive homoginization, this only slightly does so less. Mechs are all, still, incredibly fast no matter the build. Builds have become more streamlined to create a faster, brisker pace with less freedom of expression by usually having builds be, in some way, fast to some exception. AC has always been about its Mechs, about their creation. Here, there is still plenty to chew on, but it isnt quite that abstract depth the original series would let on. Its enough, however. Its enough to make any change to your mech feel exctiting, especially visually. What this game lacks for in unrestrained depth in builds I believe it makes up for in spectacle and sheer enjoyment. You either despise the appeal, or love it. The same love or hate I believe can be seen with how AC6 adds its Bosses, which are a clear take from FromSoft's recent work. They got telegraphed moves to dodge, and phases and what not. Dark Souls was, for better or worse, what got FromSoft into stardom.
It works, though. At least for me. At its heart, unless you're completely stubborn to the appeal of Mechs as a complete hunk of metal and Human transfiguration, AC6 is nothing but fun. Its speed works to its benefit by pitting you against fair but similarily if not faster machines. Pulsating, dynamically shooting all shades of colors at you. It really is a blast, and its a appal that reminds me more so of ZOE 2 than "traditional" Armored Core.
Maybe Armored Core in its "original" form is too outdated in a world of DMC's and Bloodborne's. Maybe so, but FromSoft amps up the formula for an appropriate appeal that I believe still works at its steel core for the greater benefit of being a fun and incredibly paced Mecha action game.
Maybe I'm a bringer of what "ruined" the direction of AC as a real, heavy ass mecha shooter. I may be cynical, but I am not cyinical enough to pass up on a fun time backed up by care and effort towards its mechs and feel. To Boost maddly into the skies or to clunk-ily move as your camera is blindsided into oblivion by two Nineballs, I love both. A series deserves to grow as it pleases, and this game makes that growth work.