Okay....finally. I am able to put thoughts on this after finishing, and yet I am to understand that I haven't actually finished - I need to hit NG+ and NG++ for that. I'll get to it at some point, I'm sure.
I really ended up enjoying this. The movement feels extremely awesome. Configuring my AC to look like a mid 1990s palette action figure complete with T-Rex decal and/or Solo Jazz color scheme is also awesome.
The OST is one of my absolute favorites in the FromSoft catalogue, especially the original version of Rough and Decent which mixes industrial techno and jazz and makes me want to get the fuck up and move.
The characters fighting for control, domination, liberation, and just understanding of Rubicon are also fantastic. I don't think the story quite lands as much as I'd like it to (some of the choices are incredibly grand and thought-provoking in theory, but ultimately end up on the "tell" rather than "show" spectrum of things, to use a cliché), but the VA work and just general personalities of all the characters are very memorable and touching.
Most of the combat is pretty fun and exciting. The art direction and visuals stand out, as well as the feedback from firing giant missiles or shoving a giant spike into enemies, and the frenetic pace conjures up a lot of adrenaline. Blasting shit and speeding around an arena was never more fun, and I felt completely in control of my AC at all times. That is definitely a triumph in itself.
I absolutely do not like the ACS system in its current state. It's an intriguing idea that is just not executed well, and most of my problems with the game stem from the quirks associated with the system. It throws off the balance of almost everything, and the game suffers as a result. The levels are incredibly easy, but bosses can be extremely tedious without a build focused on exploiting ACS. Yes, you can beat the entire game with nothing but punching. Yes, you can beat the entire game with just the intro AC. However, in my experience as a normal, average person, I experimented with some fun builds during the missions that were extremely easy, and then some of the bosses I just ran into a complete brick wall that I wasn't going to get over without swapping to an ACS build. Then I swapped to the build, and the boss died in 1-2 tries, and each win was about 3 minutes shorter than me trying to grind out fights with other weapons. The power of ACS exploitation is just that ridiculous. I think it would be much more meaningful to swap between different builds based on the scenario and bosses, but the current system means that a high impact build will always be the best, as the weapons that are good at building impact/ACS are also the weapons that get bonuses for damage while the opponent is stunned - there are no trade-offs.
This chasm between gameplay experiences holds Fires of Rubicon back from being truly amazing for me, as it's just hard for the game to get any footing when it constantly shuffles between push-over easy and punishingly frustrating. Everything else about Armored Core VI's presentation is phenomenal, but its wings have been clipped.
PAUSE BETWEEN NEW REVIEW AND OLD REVIEW BELOW
Record Scratch
Whoops. Pausing this review because I've gone back to the game after some encouragement. Enjoying it again and the Chapter 2/3 bosses I've fought have been MUCH more enjoyable than the Chapter 1 bosses.
Still not sure how I feel about the ACS system, as it feels like you either exploit it and dominate or skirt around it and struggle, but I'm having fun for now.
OLD REVIEW BELOW
Dropping this after beating Chapter 1 and feeling pretty bad about it, but that was about all I needed to realize this one just isn't for me.
The moment-to-moment gameplay bangs but the missions are extremely short and easy. Meanwhile, I did not have fun with any of the bosses I fought except for one that was basically a giant stage - that one was awesome - and I didn't mesh with the mission structure and its relevance on trying out new equipment.
The one thing I did absolutely enjoy were the arena fights. I honestly wish the bosses had been other AC pilots rather than big set-piece bosses.
Sorry, this Raven is going back to the nest.
I really ended up enjoying this. The movement feels extremely awesome. Configuring my AC to look like a mid 1990s palette action figure complete with T-Rex decal and/or Solo Jazz color scheme is also awesome.
The OST is one of my absolute favorites in the FromSoft catalogue, especially the original version of Rough and Decent which mixes industrial techno and jazz and makes me want to get the fuck up and move.
The characters fighting for control, domination, liberation, and just understanding of Rubicon are also fantastic. I don't think the story quite lands as much as I'd like it to (some of the choices are incredibly grand and thought-provoking in theory, but ultimately end up on the "tell" rather than "show" spectrum of things, to use a cliché), but the VA work and just general personalities of all the characters are very memorable and touching.
Most of the combat is pretty fun and exciting. The art direction and visuals stand out, as well as the feedback from firing giant missiles or shoving a giant spike into enemies, and the frenetic pace conjures up a lot of adrenaline. Blasting shit and speeding around an arena was never more fun, and I felt completely in control of my AC at all times. That is definitely a triumph in itself.
I absolutely do not like the ACS system in its current state. It's an intriguing idea that is just not executed well, and most of my problems with the game stem from the quirks associated with the system. It throws off the balance of almost everything, and the game suffers as a result. The levels are incredibly easy, but bosses can be extremely tedious without a build focused on exploiting ACS. Yes, you can beat the entire game with nothing but punching. Yes, you can beat the entire game with just the intro AC. However, in my experience as a normal, average person, I experimented with some fun builds during the missions that were extremely easy, and then some of the bosses I just ran into a complete brick wall that I wasn't going to get over without swapping to an ACS build. Then I swapped to the build, and the boss died in 1-2 tries, and each win was about 3 minutes shorter than me trying to grind out fights with other weapons. The power of ACS exploitation is just that ridiculous. I think it would be much more meaningful to swap between different builds based on the scenario and bosses, but the current system means that a high impact build will always be the best, as the weapons that are good at building impact/ACS are also the weapons that get bonuses for damage while the opponent is stunned - there are no trade-offs.
This chasm between gameplay experiences holds Fires of Rubicon back from being truly amazing for me, as it's just hard for the game to get any footing when it constantly shuffles between push-over easy and punishingly frustrating. Everything else about Armored Core VI's presentation is phenomenal, but its wings have been clipped.
PAUSE BETWEEN NEW REVIEW AND OLD REVIEW BELOW
Record Scratch
Whoops. Pausing this review because I've gone back to the game after some encouragement. Enjoying it again and the Chapter 2/3 bosses I've fought have been MUCH more enjoyable than the Chapter 1 bosses.
Still not sure how I feel about the ACS system, as it feels like you either exploit it and dominate or skirt around it and struggle, but I'm having fun for now.
OLD REVIEW BELOW
Dropping this after beating Chapter 1 and feeling pretty bad about it, but that was about all I needed to realize this one just isn't for me.
The moment-to-moment gameplay bangs but the missions are extremely short and easy. Meanwhile, I did not have fun with any of the bosses I fought except for one that was basically a giant stage - that one was awesome - and I didn't mesh with the mission structure and its relevance on trying out new equipment.
The one thing I did absolutely enjoy were the arena fights. I honestly wish the bosses had been other AC pilots rather than big set-piece bosses.
Sorry, this Raven is going back to the nest.