Deviating from FromSoftware’s tradition of making dark fantasy ARPG video games, the Armored Core franchise happens to stick out from the bunch as it remains one of the few titles that does not feature impossible-to-clear difficulty levels, and at the same time contains a unique feature that is yet to be seen in other titles made by Hidetaka Miyazaki.
Funnily enough, many might not know that the said franchise happens to be older than any of the renowned director’s projects, including the likes of Elden Ring and the Dark Souls trilogy. One of the few things that helps set the game apart from all the other Soulsborne/ Soulslike games is how it happens to be a bit more player-friendly in contrast to others.
How Armored Core VI Manages To Stand Out From Rest Of Other Hidetaka Miyazaki Games
Hidetaka Miyazaki is a director popularly known for introducing rage-inducing elements into his games along with the insane level of difficulty that takes away the player’s sanity every time they dare to take the challenge. However, things were different this time around with the release of Armored Core VI: Fires of Rubicon.
The said game came out in 2023 and featured for the first time a proper introduction to features and appropriate tutorials. Talking about how the said change came to be, Masara Yamamura, the director of the game stated the following in an interview via PlayStation Blog:
On the other hand, too much complexity carries the risk of turning away new players. Therefore, tutorials and the introduction of new features in earlier segments of the game are quite detailed compared to past games. I think this is one of the things that we chose to change.
The director explained how sticking with the ritual of including a game with an insane level of difficulty carries the risk of straying away new players who might find the experience to be way too overwhelming, prompting the developers to then add in tutorials and a proper set of instructions
Why Armored Core VI Was A Project Very Close To Hidetaka Miyazaki’s Heart
Many FromSoftware fans might not know that Armored Core was also the first video game series that was worked on by the renowned director as he produced AC: The Last Raven back in 2005. Being the very first franchise he ever worked on, it holds a very special place in Hidetaka Miyazaki’s heart, something which has been made evident by the amount of effort he put into releasing the latest installment in the franchise.
In the same interview, the official producer for the game stated how the president of FromSoftware put together a dedicated team of talented minds and developers, making sure the release of a new game in the series after a decade turned out to be perfect and lacked in no field at all.
Armored Core VI: Fires of Rubicon is available to purchase on Steam.
