This is why I am oh so very grateful FromSoftware exists. Sony, the Japanese company, had a very similar stance. Unfortunately, that company is no more. Sony, a Californian company, can go suck a wilted carrot covered in sand.
This is a Fromsoft game dude, they're not gonna give you a gender slider, they're not gonna give you a limited inventory space that you have micro manage, they won't fill it with micro-transactions, they know what they want to give you and they give you exactly what they want
It's incredible how good customization can be when it's not designed around microtransactions. Multiple zones on every individual piece with full choice of any RGB color AND customizable decals. If you want a purple and gold mech, you just make it. No having to wait for the exact colors you want to be put in a battle pass or store.
It's simple IMO.. they don't chase industry trends. But they are on a path of creating a trend of their own. That being games where the gimic is a high level of challenge. But yea they do their own thing and it clearly works for them
@user-vl8nw7jh9q they are definitely meticulous in detail and have a higher than average standard they strive for in everything they do. Where an anime incorporates real aspects of physics or science that most would forget or not think of in the first place just to make it more believable/immersive and reflect the fantastical actions effects if done in the real world. A tedious adherence to staying as believable as possible if it isn't straight fantasy, and even then the attention to detail is simply there in a different way.
I've had my eye on Armored Core for a long time since it had a similar aesthetic to Front Mission and gameplay to Zone of the Enders but was always apprehensive for some reason. Glad I finally jumped in, the game is fun.
Yeah it made me laugh when he said "if this game was made in 2003" I'm thinking yeah, it's called Armored Core Silent Line, and while chunkier than this new one, I say it plays pretty well.
Me too buddy! :) Back in the old days I never understood why these games were so underrated. It truly is a good feeling to see this franchise rise again! And on top of that: this video absolutely nails it what makes AC6 so great. I hope we will see a bright future for this franchise! Let the Ravens fly again!
I think what we can take from BG3 and AC6 is that theres a Audience for both kind of games. What counts is they're polished and you can feel the heart in it while playing.
@@cyborgchimpy BG3's bones are in the same age ballpark as The Finals', Valorant's, Overwatch's and Call of Duty's (given how their 'bones' are being FPS games). People still enjoy those, across generations. It's the things around those bones that makes games stand out, and BG3 has added AAA features like full voice acting and animation to conversations, for example, to a solid isometric RPG base Larian has done with Divinity. Yes, BG3 is not the greatest RPG now because it does something absolutely revolutionary, like inventing a new genre. But among a ton of games with bloated systems tacked on, it has its systems placed with thought and care.
@@danielsantorski5270I do accept what you say to some extent, but I think BG3 has much more respect for their ancestry than games like modern call of duty for instance. what I meant in THIS particular case with ancient bones is that its an RPG played with a literal dice and very in the face modifiers if those exist. that is very very much unlike 99.9% of all modern RPG's. they mostly removed that mechanism from RPG's when they started appearing on computers. that was BACK THEN *THE* thing that made it more enjoyable to play because it might've been seen as a hassle and time consuming in their eyes. modern RPG's have all the RNG and "dice rolling" happen in an instance in the background now. I just feel trends come and go, and in some ways people are slowly moving back into wanting more fun and anticipation and the whole she-bang of emotions rather than convenience because its quicker.
Adding to your point on graphics, something similar has happened with cinema. It used to be about who could get the most realistic and best looking cgi, but it got to the point where we didn’t really care if it looked 2% more like real life. Thankfully there have been many more movies recently choosing to adopt their own stylization past mega realism and I think that it has been of a benefit to us all.
Realistic cgi is good only if the story is good. Movie directors nowadays forget that they have to tell a story. In certain cases, hyper realistic is the way to go like in a horror movie or some gritty war movie
@@kickingbackpunchingcones4099Completely disagreed... Japanese games tend to be super homogenous in terms of style. For instance, we all know the, "JRP look."
I think that's only true for animated movies. But yes, I'm happy though that animated movies are moving beyond the quasi realistic look Pixar had been aiming for.
Not that we don't care, it's cuz the quality has legitimately gone down due to outsourcing. Back during 09-12 we were probably seeing some of the best CGI of the era... But, western studios were also going bankrupt due to a really shitty business model with Hollywood and many started moving to China and India, having their leads train a cheaper workforce to replace the extremely experienced staff. Rythm and Hues was winning awards for best CG for Life Of Pi at some Hollywood awards show while simultaneously singing bankruptcy papers and closing down. Digital Domain sold to some Indians, MPC shut down after Lion King, ILM who were absolute juggernauts sold to Disney and are now just a whipping boy.. It's bad lol.
@@ViJt-oq5nq I think it's a problem of studio people putting everything too much into boxes. You hire a writer to put a script out hitting some plot beats you can market. Hire a director to get shots in, hand the thing over to editors and then the VFX people. Aside from the obvious, and far more important, ethical issue of VFX people being over-worked and exploited, I simply believe they're just not handed material that is decently workable for them. If they're not getting to communicate what reference material they need to make something look believable, or at least have a director delivering shots who knows what it takes, they have nothing to work from. They're just demanded to conjure up whatever the studio says out of nothing. That's why there are regularly movies with lower budgets that still have amazing VFX.
I can't remember the last time I played a game with a simple a straight forward concept from the old days that wasn't a fighting game and this just made me sad and nostalgic.
I am a MASSIVE ace combat fan, but armored core 6 is a better Ace Combat than any of them except AC4 (purely for the story). All Armored Core needs is good music to beat Ace Combat in basically every category.
@@sam-gp3ov yeah, they really nailed the ace combat in-mission comms. Getting to hear radio chatter nonstop is one of my favorite underrated ways to do worldbuilding, and it was SO hype to hear during AC6.
For those who haven't played or unaware of the state of the old games.... should definitely know the two first sentences are an enormous compliment and flattering. Deserved. Such a good game.
I LOVE Fromsoftware. Not only are we getting great games, but they are leading by example to improve the energy. Complete games loaded with content, amazing art direction, soundtracks, bosses, lore and game design.
I finished the game in 3 days. It felt like an adrenaline rush the entire time. Then i found out there was a 2nd ending. Then I found out that if i do both endings, the 3rd playthrough has optional missions and a true ending. Im looking forward to my next 3 weekends.
I'm glad someone finally recognized the fun of the roving death machine power fantasy. I don't need every enemy to be able to 2 shot me. I want to feel like a sick mech kicking ass. My favorite games all have mission structures, I agree that I really hope more devs use them. Also another great video as usual, was hoping you'd do a review on it.
You know, I was expecting more of a bullet-sponge approach, but the trash mobs are pleasantly squishy. This works perfectly for AC6, because the S-rank model leverages pesky MTs versus cost to deal with them, or just skip them entirely. So, you need to go fast, nail the applicable targets and get done. No problem-o. No retrieving dropped COAM, no backtracking, no clunky menus. It's like direct injection, baby.
I mean, yeah we have the bosses to give us a reality check every so often which is good, but I don't mind that the cannon fodder are effectively a case of being curbstomped if you play your cards right.
Nope! Terrible take! Nobody ever listen to this, please. Nobody should want content hidden behind multiple playthroughs just to bloat the playtime on Steam Analytics. If I choose to replay a game, it should be because the game is good, not because the developers arbitrarily rendered it impossible to do everything I want to in one playthrough.
@@CrashSableL Zoomer Take. Exploring alternative routes has been a part of RPGs and even Armored Core for decades. Saying that it is for bloating and artificially increasing game time ignores all passion devs put into these additional endings and features. Lazy gamer mentality.
@@CrashSable I'm sorry, I'm not understanding. You said it yourself. If you choose to replay a game, it should be because it's good. Weather a game has everything to offer in one playthrough or not, and is a miserable experience to play, I don't think people would care to complete the first run anyway.
@@MelloTheJester Okay Boomer... Valkyrie Profile is one of my favourite games of all time. You're meant to play it multiple times to figure out how to get the A ending in the first place. Each time, those playthroughs will feel different as you choose different Einherjar, experiment with story segments in different orders, find new secrets and learn the strategies to make previously difficult challenges a joke. What it doesn't do is lock the A ending behind already having obtained the B and C endings and also beating the Seraphic Gate out of fear of someone _only_ playing for 10 hours. If you can't tell the difference between a game considering it's markedly different runs as part of the whole experience and a game simply locking features behind an already bloated 100+ hour playthrough "because why else would somebody come back to replay our game" then I weep for game design as a whole. That's the lazy mentality - demanding that everyone view the creation of copy-and-paste checklist features or mandatory replay of the same content to gain access to new options right at the end of the critical path as "passion devs put into" a game and claiming anyone who points out the difference between good examples (Chrono Trigger) and bad ones (Persona 5) must just be a "lazy gamer" who's incapable of working for their fun
Brett, so glad to see you covering Armored Core a bit. Loved the series to bits since I was a kid. Love that you gushed about the rule of cool. ACs are the ultimate power fantasy! I think the VA work was phenomenal. The armored core community and myself have absolutely fallen for Rusty, Ayre, Walter, Michigan and more.
Walter's my favorite by far, I *do not* like Ayre (sounds too try-hard anime style), Snail's the perfect asshole, Michigan's a little corny, but great dialogue toward the end, Carla's voice is more bearable than Ayre's, but her writing is a little wack. I dunno, female voice actors usually try *really* hard when they have to sound, like, militant and shit, so it ends up being sorta... Meh. I plan on switching to JP after my 3rd playthrough. Thanks for reading my comment that you shouldn't care about. Cheers.
finished my NG++ yesterday, done all the missions. this is the first game in a literal decade thats made me *want* to do 3 runs back to back. normally im bitching about how games are 200 hours long, but this is the only game where im bitching its not longer. tight. linear. focused. no bloat. AC6 is S tier.
Honestly I agree with you I miss the ridiculous action fun of older games and am not a fan of everything having an open world or an epic story. It’s why I still play dynasty warrior like games. Sometimes it’s just fun letting out steam just bulldozing through a game, and not have to sink 100+ hours into it just to get to that point.
I really was surprised how good this game scratched the itch I didn't know I had for high octane mech combat where movement and fire control really matters to completing a mission well. I find myself completing a chapter of the game and then going back and replaying each mission just to do it smoothly and with newer bigger parts. I agree with how the game only has to be as complicated as you want it to be. Over 40 hours of playing I've moved from just the base stats the game gives you to calculating energy consumption and tuning which generator I use with which type of mech I'm building. I love how deep it feels and exciting it is to just go through the missions again and play the experience again.
Never been a massive mech fan, nor played the OG titles. Something about it, a certain magic, screamed at me to buy it full price. Smallest amount of research I've done in ages, and I'm so happy to have supported it.
Im not gonna lie, I'm a huge fan so far (chapter 3) Sully, Sea Spider , Training room music, Garage music, and frigging balteus has one of the most intense boss songs ive ever heard
I have a theory for you Bret. I think the main main reason for this hyper fixation with graphics is because its an easy sell to a vast majority of people. Older folk like the more traditional realistic hyper reality because it is safer and comfertable to them, kids love the hyper graphics because to then it feels “mature” and grown up. The very casual gamer who probably has only played like 1 GTA game in their life feels more comfertable with realistic hyper graphics. I think there is a very large and noticable stigma in the general audiance to anything that deviates from the “real” and companies know this. Thats part of the reason I think that Disney is pushing these “Live action” remakes so hard
@@high.level.noob.those are old asf the guy probably means tears of the kingdom he’s talking new games if you talk about red dead might as well just go back to the stone ages
What a fantastic video. Very well delivered and articulated. AC6 represents that old gaming formula from 20+ years ago: get a relatively small game (in terms of world size and hours spent) and just go have fun. I 100% agree wih the bloatiness and excessive content some games have nowadays. Spending 100+ hours is just not feasible for me anymore. Newer-esque games like Returnal, Hi Fi Rush and Control represent that AAA gaming space but with smaller more condensed and focus experiences. Hopefully Alan Wake is like that too. Can't wait for your deep dive into the story and lore of Rubicon and its characters. So interesting, it bleeds personality.
Someone at FromSoft: Guys, we have the right idea for the AC games, but I don't think we have the skills nor tech to fully realise our dream yet Miyazaki: How about starting up an entirely new sub genre and produce like half a dozen of GOTY contenders to gain that experience first?
I do actually think it's important that you don't _need_ to rework your mech for each mission because it means that most if not all weapons are viable, and that a player can continue to use a loadout they enjoy when they find it.
I especially agree when it comes to things like cinematics and an extreme focus on visuals. How many games NEED these? Imagine the resources spend on these that could be spent on gameplay.
I'd like to contribute to this by mentioning a game called Hi fi rush, Its a game thats released this YEAR and yet it feels like it belongs in 2003 and its incredibly fun. Greaat gameplay, amazing mechanics, good characters, and a fun story. What baffles me is that this was SHADOWDROPED, and it soled more copies than Forespoken (which received the opposite treatment btw). Its such a good game and its one of my top 3 Best game of 2023. I HIGHLY recommend this game
"I got gud in your last 10 games, now I just want to have fun." This sentiment is how I feel with every game now. It better be fun, or I quit, my time is worth more than anything and I'm done wasting time on games that I force myself to like.
Part of me really empathised with that point while another part just said "skill issue. 💀" I did really feel that way with some of Elden Ring's bosses. I was often like "when can I stop dodging and continue playing?" Or "can you hurry up and swing your weapon already so I can make a feeble attempt at a dodge/parry?" Or "wtf is that AoE/combo? I'm supposed to dodge THAT?" and then "GET OVER HERE SO I CAN BEAT YO ASS, ELDEN WHALE!" I guess it's a hard balance for the devs to make a game that's still challenging and fun to their long-time fans while being accessible enough for newcomers to learn. I'd imagine it can be hard to git gud in the field of making sure that things aren't too hard, or too easy. But at least you can usually tackle the problems your way. Except in Sekiro. But I love Sekiro.
@@robertminnie782yea, it’s definitely tricky in a way, cause some groups of gamers genuinely thrive off challenging themselves to improve, while others prefer to have a more casual entertaining experience. Both are valid mindsets in the end, even if I personally don’t like it when people go “this is an objectively bad game because it’s not hard/easy enough!” Probably just a matter of the devs themselves going “alright, these are the groups we want to appeal to, and we’re gonna stick with that”, which while it means it’s not nearly as widespread and accessible as more broadly designed games, at least means that those suited for said type of gameplay experience often enjoy it a ton for scratching a specific itch that other games don’t.
Seems like there is an obvious compromise: Difficulty Settings. From Software clearly wants to make a specific experience where people are struggling and find value in the process of struggle, failure and getting better. I don't think they ever denied that some people do not like that experience. They are not trying to be all things to all people, but I guess the problem that the video is talking about is that so many AAA games ARE trying to be all things to all people, even though that is impossible.
I really love this video. And also to address your personal preference about boss difficulty, this also lends well to an NG+ experience (on top of this being From's best take at NG+ replayability). I struggled a bit with Balteus the first time around, but on NG+ I beat him so fast I was able to put the whole fight in the game capture's last 30 second clip record function. I think that level of pride in skill and build making you get from a tangible feeling of progression is great. After playing the shitfest that was Diablo 4, it felt good to feel real progression rather than have things perpetually scale with you.
Every time a new boss appears I am always excited to find out what kind of challenge it would offer. And over coming that challenge is the best thing ever. The adrenaline rush is amazing.
This matches my first thoughts when playing this game. It's the most video game-y video game I've played in a while. Like something out the PS2 era but with some incredibly smooth controls.
You are so right. I often find myself nostalgic for games of 20 years ago. Going back and playing some of these older games has been very fun and rewarding.
Genuinely my favorite channel. The effort and personality you display are so rare on this site. There are few channel's that I get excited for and this is at the very top of my list. Keep up the great work 👍
Thank you! I have often said that I miss the days when we would get a mainline final fantasy game every year and that games have become so technically demanding and expensive to make that studios aren't willing to take risks and they take so long to make. If a single game fails, many studios will be shut down instead of being allowed to learn from their mistakes. It sucks. I tend to find games with less realistic graphics more visually interesting
Ahh... nothing like a good ol' PS2/Gamecube era fashioned video game that emphasizes fun above all else! As a Raven and FromSoft fan since the AC 3 days, it brings a tear to my eye to see Armored Core doing as well as it is now! It's beautiful... *sniffles and blows nose while crying happy tears* Yeah, there's always gonna be room for the Baldur's Gates 3's and TOTK's I won't deny that, Hell, I welcome it, but NOT EVERY game has to be them! Nintendo can get away with it cause they've always got something cooking and occasionally bring out the good ol' fashioned stuff like Metroid Prime Remastered (which to me is more on the Remake end of the spectrum in regards to graphics mind... not complaining, gameplay's always been solid for that title, all they needed to do is give it a nice fresh coat of paint and make it look as pretty as it is now!) and they understand at this point that variety is the spice of life as we see with some of the newer heavy hitters like Xenoblade, Splatoon, and on the older but now gaining steam or rapidly rising end of the scale Fire Emblem and Metroid. So *Insert Malos from Xenoblade Chronicles 2 voice here* indeed party like it's 2003! Cause those games even with the pains of the time were awesome!
How I new I was jaded by modern AAA games: when I went to paint my AC, I was pleasantly surprised that all colors, textures etc. were free, no color had to be grinded out, now colors behind in game currency, no microtransactions for colors or anything. All you had to do was pick from the color RGB codes and good to go.
Coming from the perspective of someone born 20 years ago in 2003. I don’t have the nostalgia for this kinda game. But there’s something special about it. Something satisfying.
Well said and based. I think AC6 shows just hard it is to be a developer of multiple beloved series and simultaneously reboot an old series that was dormant for a good while. Fromsoft always said from the beginning that this game would incorporate things they've learned from the main Souls years, while also keeping it different enough to be something more than just another Souls-like. No other current AAA dev would (temporarily, at least) abandon a massive cash cow like Elden Ring or Dark Souls to reboot a 10 year dormant niche robot mech action game. The execution of the game may be divisive or underwhelming to some, but at least it was made at all and I don't blame them at all for attempting to bring in a wider fan-base, especially for a reboot. I hope AC7 is already being worked on.
AC6 development was announced before Elden Ring came out. After DS3, Fromsoft specifically announced that they are working on one new IP and one old IP and my mind went to Armored Core 6 straight away.
DLC will probably be first. I mean, I want to know how the real Raven plays into it all. After all, it’s implied they have something to do with the mess 621 is thrown into
re: AC6 artstyle, I'm pretty sure FROM has been using the same in-house engine since AC4 at least. It's definitely behind technologically, but it does produce a very distinct look independent of the themes in the art direction. Dark Souls 3, Sekiro and AC6 all read as being in the same reality to me. I love how sharp and crisp everything looks in FROM games in terms of detailing within outlines, and the harsh environment shadows makes everything look a bit like a drawing while also reading well. Objects also layer well without Z-fighting or LOD issues. Modern FROM are also very good at using lighting, which carries most of the look. AC6 also proves it can be optimized to run incredibly well.
Ha ha, oh man, I wondered if I was going to see the poor Student Pilot getting thrashed by your super-tank. I imagine most players of the game recognize that mission as the perfect "test dummy" to try out a new AC configuration, and earn some quick cash at the same time. The whole mission is just that little 1v1, and the devs knew exactly what they were doing when they made it (and it happens so early in the story, too) That poor guy deserves to become a meme or something.
Quality video with good commentary. Appreciate your takes brother. I loved Armored Core and the break from extensive in depth learning. Fromsoft knows exactly what they are aiming for and hit it
I’ve been wanting to platinum every game I get and it’s been a blessing and curse. There’s just games I will flat out just never bother playing because I know getting them done will fry my brain. I wish Rockstar would bring back max Payne because of something like armored code. Make a simple and sweet narrow experience and pack it with your amazing mechanics. I don’t anticipate open world games anymore unless I know you get around fast af like in Spiderman. Basically armored core is my favorite. Cuts out a bunch of bs and all I’m having is fun.
Good video! It’s beautiful to have found in 2023 a game that really gives me the joy I used to feel while playing halo missions as a kid. In my opinion when it come to create a good videogame It’s all about creating a sandbox where you can use fun tools against fun enemies to defeat, and Armored core does that perfectly. I’m talking non stop about this game to everyone I can lately while consuming content like yours. If it was for me this game would be goty material, just for the slap it gives to the game industry as a whole. Unluckily for ac6 this year is a blessed one and there are also baldur’s and Zelda.
Right on. Given today's gaming climate though, I'd assume From just wanted to get back to making AC games (as made evident by this one seeming like it was released right after 5, a decade ago) and not worrying themselves with any of that GOTY stuff. They built a dedicated fan base off their hard work and good ideas, then pumped the marketing on a used-to-be-niche-in-Amerika IP to great effect. This one was an introduction-style title for the newbies and sort of a refresher. The next one will probably focus more on multiplayer, maybe. Who knows? But more AC can never be a bad thing.
You totally speaks my mind. It feels like modern AAA games are tailored to critics & streamers since people will just buy what they recommend. Except people don't have as much time to play games as they do.
I love you pointing out the bosses. I had so much with the individual missions and the arenas matches fighting other AC’s, but gawd dayum if it ain’t obnoxious to fight boss #5 that yet again, has 10 AOE moves. It doesn’t feel like a skill check as some people would say.
Agreed. I hate Dark Souls gameplay because of the “death is required” system that it’s setup to be. Aside from a few bosses I love that Armored Core was not developed to be like that. But those few bosses mess up the pacing of the game from my POV. I don’t need a boss to breeze past but I also don’t want a boss who’s gimmick is “I’m zippy so it’s impossible to hit me unless you get lucky” looking at you C-weapons or the gimmick of “I’ll stun lock you into oblivion itself. Say hi to Todd for me.”
on the topic of games that feel like straight out of your childhood. i highly recommend a game called DISTANCE it's an arcade racer that combindes the wildest things in one package. F-zero & thumper and even horror elements (yes horror) and platforming mechnics. it's one of the most unique games iv'e ever played. (not to mention the amazing music and intersting story) I'm litereally addicted. great video, loved it. :)
Man, in half of the vid I added AC 6 to wishlist and when opportunity comes I think I’ll have the same fun as you did. It really reminds me of my childhood games like Ratchet and Clank as you mentioned at the beginning, which had great levels in form of planets. They were mostly linear and everything there was great. From gameplay, puzzles, atmosphere, soundtrack, level structures and graphics (especially the Original trilogy). I really like how FromSoftware delivers their products. They’re focused on their goal and try new things in their IP’s.
Funny thing about personal preference regarding the bosses: the common argument you found regarding the merit of the bosses basically sum up people who enjoy it as masochists who want to test how close they need to get to the skill ceiling. Meanwhile, my experience with games before I got a decent laptop were 2D bullet hell games. So while I enjoy the bosses, it’s not because I like “getting my ass kicked” (none of the bosses ever needed more than 6 tries, usually less than half of that), but because they doubled down on my own nostalgia for game design. Not saying either of us are wrong or right, just thought it was an interesting thought that added to the statement regarding preferences for how bosses are currently. I always enjoyed picking up on from soft’s bosses’ patterns but armored core solidified why by just being aesthetically closer to those bullet hells I played.
I always had this exact same sentiment about Monster Hunter: World. It was so refreshing to play a game with sooooo much fucking content that was so direct and easy to access and the gameplay was top notch. Truly the one game besides AC6 I’ve described to my buddies as “the most souped up version of a ps2 game you could ever imagine” lmao
Great video. I don't have the time or energy to cover those massive games; right now I'm just playing Elden Ring (and waiting for the DLC). Thanks to this video I might try AC.
I've been a fan of the AC series since about 2013, played through Verdict day and 4A completely. When I heard we were getting a new AC game in 2023 I nearly shat myself. And I'm currently playing it and enjoying every moment of it. And I realized, ALMOST nothing reeeaaally changed in the series. And I have never been happier. Straight forward missions, slow burning story, INCREDIBLE bosses, music, cannon fodder, and of course. The unrestricted, unrivaled customization not locked behind a paywall. It's just a straight up FUN game, a fun time, and a sort of blast from the past. It's a beautiful marriage of what made every previous title challenging, enjoyable, infuriating AND rewarding. And I would have it no other way. Great review, and I agree with you on nearly everything you mentioned. Glad to see the series getting the recognition it deserves!
I do disagree with FromSoft’s boss design being undodgable. The bosses require more precision and pattern recognition than before, with more complex attack patterns and move sets, but they’re very much still something you can dodge. That’s why I haven’t really had any issues with any bosses in a FromSoft game after I figured out the “dance” you have to engage in to actually do anything
totally agree except i feel that the bosses in this game are much more about trying new mech configurations to see what will get you through and not just getting good. If you dont engage with reconfiguring your mech it could definitely get tedious but the game mechanics encourage it so
I like the bosses, but I don't like them because they're difficult. I think I just love the spectacle. There was something exciting about balteus shooting hundreds missiles at me before pulling out a flame sword and cutting me in half. Having great enemies to stand against you makes me feel all the more powerful.
AC6 is what I’ve been dreaming in those years as a mech fan Military sim mechs Missions It’s fairly difficult and I like it I also love the feeling that gives piloting those walking arsenals And the possibility to choose a random mission and just play it , It’s old school in many ways and it’s what I needed. Thank you from software
The campaign for armored core vi is the perfect length, it's long enough without feeling too long and short enough that I'm still willing to play new game + when I complete it.
Got 100% on it yesterday and made a coral-powered white and red-metal reverse-joint mech to celebrate while hunting the last few story logs. I don't remember the last time I did everything a game had to offer and felt the desire for more. I've been gaming for over two decades, and the sheer dopamine and satisfaction I get from AC6 is practically unprecedented.
I love you thank you for making this video. Lately I’ve been feeling like gaming desperately needs more games like armored core and all the other classics we used to love. Games can be 5-8 hours and still be great and worth $60. Some of the best games ever made can technically be beaten in 10-30 minutes (speed running).
Armored Core 6 is proof that incredible art direction, game play that allows player choice and snappy responsive controls are more important than having 30 million repetitive task open world. BTW Brett love your use of Metroid Prime Music for the background. I feel like the OST for those games are kind of forgotten.
Dude I have always felt the same way. One game that has made me felt like I was young was playing Evil West. I love games focusing on gameplay and also challenging. Evil West does it so well. The Company behind the game also makes amazing games also, like Greedfall and Blacktail that feel like a game that would sit well in a 2008 setting.
As I told my gf, this game feels like those games from the early 2000s that you remember super vividly and you play now and look awful, but here, you don't have to imagine it, it looks and play like it does
When it comes to what you said about bossfights, I think there's a balance that has to be made between the difficulty of the bossfight and the pace of the bossfight. If you have a tough as nails bossfight you're going to die to 20 times to get a handle on and then it takes 15 minutes to get to that part where you die, that's going to suck. If the bossfight takes 2 minutes total and you can match the pace of the boss infront of you in a fight that feels fair but punishing, you could die 50 times or more without really losing patience with it. I've always seen a sign of a good difficult bossfight being when you lose and still have fun. From what I've seen, though, AC6 is... not that. One of the biggest reasons I personally haven't tried AC6 is because all the basic enemies are so comedically easy that there's no point in using various builds and all the bosses look so unreasonably difficult and long that they'd make me feel forced to use specific counter builds or altogether stop being fun faster than not. Also the lack of demo and $60 pricetag are doing absolutely nothing to fix my doubts.
I've played every souls game multiple times over and I promise you no boss in AC6 comes close to that level of difficulty or jank. I max fought a boss four times on ac and never had to change my build to compensate. The mobs aren't there to challenge you or gank you they serve the purpose of making you feel like an absolute ace pilot who is far above the average foot soldier. I had more fun with the bosses in ac then I had on any boss in soulsborne. Every boss feels like an anime rival fight for the ages. I was nervous about AC at first too since I've never played an AC game before but I absolutely promise you it's worth every single penny in my opinion. No description does the game justice on what it feels like to play.
@@johnnytopside1437 yea no description will do the game justice on how it feels to play lol. that's not really something you can tell from looking at it either. I wish it had a demo, just the tutorial and some super basic customization so I could get a feel for the game and decide if I like it or not since there's honestly no way I'm throwing out $60 on something I'm unsure about. It looks like a game I'm either going to absolutely love or absolutely hate with nothing inbetween.
@@theoreticalexistence9630 I definitely see that on the love it or hate it thing, I'm also a Gundam fan so I might have a little bias on mech stuff lol. A demo would definitely have helped too and it's wierd there's not one with how easy it would be to let someone experience the first few missions.
quite ironic for me that the bite-sized formats of titles like AC are actually the ones I end up getting addicted to since I can always just use the good ol' excuse of "just one more ________" whenever I do something in the game
Just yesterday i told my friend that armored core vi made me feel pretty nostalgic even though i never played any armored core games before. Playing the game just reminded me of the ps2 era and i 100% agree with the things said in the video it was awesome having a „simple“ AAA game
I think the bosses in AC6 are fine. Most of the fights are only hard because you don't "get it" right away on your first playthrough. When you start doing a NG+ and NG++ run you should understand the patterns and be able to handle them with ease especially with the expanded arsenal of weapons you have by NG+.
Many triple A games these days feel more like interactive movies than video games and this brought that feel back of having challenging levels and bosses.
Imagine where instead of going mad over silly crafting systems in action games and RPG mechanics in adventure sandboxes, you're simply invited to play the game.
I've been enjoying it a lot myself, in fact I decided to start over to try different choice missions. Admittedly, I keep it offline to be able to use a trainer though. I like to fly around during that silly stealth mission and stay undetected by flying over every MT instead of trying to sneak through the city. I also like to be able to let loose with my weapons and only have to worry about my paycheck. My preference is with kinetic and explosive weapons with mixed cannons using a grenade cannon and stun cannon. Add on some machine guns or pulse guns and you can take on anything.
The fact they didnt bloat the game with unnecessary modern features is a miracle.
This is why I am oh so very grateful FromSoftware exists.
Sony, the Japanese company, had a very similar stance. Unfortunately, that company is no more.
Sony, a Californian company, can go suck a wilted carrot covered in sand.
This is a Fromsoft game dude, they're not gonna give you a gender slider, they're not gonna give you a limited inventory space that you have micro manage, they won't fill it with micro-transactions, they know what they want to give you and they give you exactly what they want
Fromsoft wouldn't, thankfully. That's mostly a western game dev thing.
It's incredible how good customization can be when it's not designed around microtransactions. Multiple zones on every individual piece with full choice of any RGB color AND customizable decals. If you want a purple and gold mech, you just make it. No having to wait for the exact colors you want to be put in a battle pass or store.
@@Darklinkftw12I’d say most of the super garbage comes from Korea tbh, a lot of Indie devs in the west are amazing
From Software literally never misses.
How does one studio consistently crank out literal masterpieces over and over and OVER?
By caring about the quality of their work and being uncompromising in the face of the industry as a whole.
It's simple IMO.. they don't chase industry trends. But they are on a path of creating a trend of their own. That being games where the gimic is a high level of challenge. But yea they do their own thing and it clearly works for them
Japanese people are seriously dedicated to there art.
Miyazaki himself said he allows his workers to use their imagination and lets them do as they think is fit based on his requests.
@user-vl8nw7jh9q they are definitely meticulous in detail and have a higher than average standard they strive for in everything they do. Where an anime incorporates real aspects of physics or science that most would forget or not think of in the first place just to make it more believable/immersive and reflect the fantastical actions effects if done in the real world. A tedious adherence to staying as believable as possible if it isn't straight fantasy, and even then the attention to detail is simply there in a different way.
As a lifelong Armored Core fan it brings me so much joy seeing all these new folks fall in love with 6
you and me both fellow Raven!
I've had my eye on Armored Core for a long time since it had a similar aesthetic to Front Mission and gameplay to Zone of the Enders but was always apprehensive for some reason. Glad I finally jumped in, the game is fun.
Yeah it made me laugh when he said "if this game was made in 2003" I'm thinking yeah, it's called Armored Core Silent Line, and while chunkier than this new one, I say it plays pretty well.
@@raoullupin5412as a new comer, allow me to fly on a borrowed wing
Me too buddy! :) Back in the old days I never understood why these games were so underrated. It truly is a good feeling to see this franchise rise again! And on top of that: this video absolutely nails it what makes AC6 so great. I hope we will see a bright future for this franchise! Let the Ravens fly again!
I think what we can take from BG3 and AC6 is that theres a Audience for both kind of games. What counts is they're polished and you can feel the heart in it while playing.
This comment spitting facts out here!
Agreed
I dont really get it. I mean, BG3 has ANCIENT bones. what makes people think its structure is modern or something?
@@cyborgchimpy BG3's bones are in the same age ballpark as The Finals', Valorant's, Overwatch's and Call of Duty's (given how their 'bones' are being FPS games). People still enjoy those, across generations. It's the things around those bones that makes games stand out, and BG3 has added AAA features like full voice acting and animation to conversations, for example, to a solid isometric RPG base Larian has done with Divinity. Yes, BG3 is not the greatest RPG now because it does something absolutely revolutionary, like inventing a new genre. But among a ton of games with bloated systems tacked on, it has its systems placed with thought and care.
@@danielsantorski5270I do accept what you say to some extent, but I think BG3 has much more respect for their ancestry than games like modern call of duty for instance.
what I meant in THIS particular case with ancient bones is that its an RPG played with a literal dice and very in the face modifiers if those exist. that is very very much unlike 99.9% of all modern RPG's. they mostly removed that mechanism from RPG's when they started appearing on computers. that was BACK THEN *THE* thing that made it more enjoyable to play because it might've been seen as a hassle and time consuming in their eyes.
modern RPG's have all the RNG and "dice rolling" happen in an instance in the background now.
I just feel trends come and go, and in some ways people are slowly moving back into wanting more fun and anticipation and the whole she-bang of emotions rather than convenience because its quicker.
Adding to your point on graphics, something similar has happened with cinema. It used to be about who could get the most realistic and best looking cgi, but it got to the point where we didn’t really care if it looked 2% more like real life. Thankfully there have been many more movies recently choosing to adopt their own stylization past mega realism and I think that it has been of a benefit to us all.
Realistic cgi is good only if the story is good. Movie directors nowadays forget that they have to tell a story. In certain cases, hyper realistic is the way to go like in a horror movie or some gritty war movie
@@kickingbackpunchingcones4099Completely disagreed...
Japanese games tend to be super homogenous in terms of style. For instance, we all know the, "JRP look."
I think that's only true for animated movies. But yes, I'm happy though that animated movies are moving beyond the quasi realistic look Pixar had been aiming for.
Not that we don't care, it's cuz the quality has legitimately gone down due to outsourcing.
Back during 09-12 we were probably seeing some of the best CGI of the era... But, western studios were also going bankrupt due to a really shitty business model with Hollywood and many started moving to China and India, having their leads train a cheaper workforce to replace the extremely experienced staff.
Rythm and Hues was winning awards for best CG for Life Of Pi at some Hollywood awards show while simultaneously singing bankruptcy papers and closing down. Digital Domain sold to some Indians, MPC shut down after Lion King, ILM who were absolute juggernauts sold to Disney and are now just a whipping boy..
It's bad lol.
@@ViJt-oq5nq I think it's a problem of studio people putting everything too much into boxes.
You hire a writer to put a script out hitting some plot beats you can market. Hire a director to get shots in, hand the thing over to editors and then the VFX people.
Aside from the obvious, and far more important, ethical issue of VFX people being over-worked and exploited, I simply believe they're just not handed material that is decently workable for them. If they're not getting to communicate what reference material they need to make something look believable, or at least have a director delivering shots who knows what it takes, they have nothing to work from. They're just demanded to conjure up whatever the studio says out of nothing.
That's why there are regularly movies with lower budgets that still have amazing VFX.
I can't remember the last time I played a game with a simple a straight forward concept from the old days that wasn't a fighting game and this just made me sad and nostalgic.
i cant remember the last time i played a game that gave you cosmetic options this good and didnt charge you money for each color and emblem.
The mission structure and the fact that the your most dangerous pilot in your machine of war on each mission reminds me so much of Ace Combat
it turns out that in the end, an AC is an AC.
I am a MASSIVE ace combat fan, but armored core 6 is a better Ace Combat than any of them except AC4 (purely for the story). All Armored Core needs is good music to beat Ace Combat in basically every category.
The dialogue/va is also kinda similar- exaggerated personality, anime dub vibe
@@quantum5661 >
@@sam-gp3ov yeah, they really nailed the ace combat in-mission comms. Getting to hear radio chatter nonstop is one of my favorite underrated ways to do worldbuilding, and it was SO hype to hear during AC6.
For those who haven't played or unaware of the state of the old games.... should definitely know the two first sentences are an enormous compliment and flattering. Deserved. Such a good game.
I LOVE Fromsoftware. Not only are we getting great games, but they are leading by example to improve the energy. Complete games loaded with content, amazing art direction, soundtracks, bosses, lore and game design.
They're not even done, Co-op is still coming, as well as potential for new parts, and/or missions. Kinda hoping for PvP missions as well.
@@involuntaryanalysisco-op is coming
I finished the game in 3 days. It felt like an adrenaline rush the entire time. Then i found out there was a 2nd ending. Then I found out that if i do both endings, the 3rd playthrough has optional missions and a true ending. Im looking forward to my next 3 weekends.
I'm glad someone finally recognized the fun of the roving death machine power fantasy. I don't need every enemy to be able to 2 shot me. I want to feel like a sick mech kicking ass.
My favorite games all have mission structures, I agree that I really hope more devs use them.
Also another great video as usual, was hoping you'd do a review on it.
There are few things as satisfying as watching the little MTs firing weapons at you that literally bounce off your armor without causing damage.
You know, I was expecting more of a bullet-sponge approach, but the trash mobs are pleasantly squishy. This works perfectly for AC6, because the S-rank model leverages pesky MTs versus cost to deal with them, or just skip them entirely. So, you need to go fast, nail the applicable targets and get done. No problem-o. No retrieving dropped COAM, no backtracking, no clunky menus. It's like direct injection, baby.
I mean, yeah we have the bosses to give us a reality check every so often which is good, but I don't mind that the cannon fodder are effectively a case of being curbstomped if you play your cards right.
The best thing about the game is NG+ and NG++ give you new rewards and alternative missions to complete. I really wish more games would do this.
Kinda similar to Goldeneye on N64, more objectives and areas with higher difficulties
Nope! Terrible take! Nobody ever listen to this, please.
Nobody should want content hidden behind multiple playthroughs just to bloat the playtime on Steam Analytics. If I choose to replay a game, it should be because the game is good, not because the developers arbitrarily rendered it impossible to do everything I want to in one playthrough.
@@CrashSableL Zoomer Take. Exploring alternative routes has been a part of RPGs and even Armored Core for decades. Saying that it is for bloating and artificially increasing game time ignores all passion devs put into these additional endings and features. Lazy gamer mentality.
@@CrashSable
I'm sorry, I'm not understanding. You said it yourself. If you choose to replay a game, it should be because it's good.
Weather a game has everything to offer in one playthrough or not, and is a miserable experience to play, I don't think people would care to complete the first run anyway.
@@MelloTheJester Okay Boomer...
Valkyrie Profile is one of my favourite games of all time. You're meant to play it multiple times to figure out how to get the A ending in the first place. Each time, those playthroughs will feel different as you choose different Einherjar, experiment with story segments in different orders, find new secrets and learn the strategies to make previously difficult challenges a joke. What it doesn't do is lock the A ending behind already having obtained the B and C endings and also beating the Seraphic Gate out of fear of someone _only_ playing for 10 hours.
If you can't tell the difference between a game considering it's markedly different runs as part of the whole experience and a game simply locking features behind an already bloated 100+ hour playthrough "because why else would somebody come back to replay our game" then I weep for game design as a whole.
That's the lazy mentality - demanding that everyone view the creation of copy-and-paste checklist features or mandatory replay of the same content to gain access to new options right at the end of the critical path as "passion devs put into" a game and claiming anyone who points out the difference between good examples (Chrono Trigger) and bad ones (Persona 5) must just be a "lazy gamer" who's incapable of working for their fun
Brett, so glad to see you covering Armored Core a bit. Loved the series to bits since I was a kid. Love that you gushed about the rule of cool. ACs are the ultimate power fantasy!
I think the VA work was phenomenal. The armored core community and myself have absolutely fallen for Rusty, Ayre, Walter, Michigan and more.
Yeah i've seen a lot of talk about how these AC characters are great & that really excited me more for it.
How are they treating the Student Test Pilot that everyone learns to farm for cash / use as a test dummy?
Cinder Carla too especially her Arena AC she's the only person who talks to you in the arena. She's cool asf
@@fromBbong I adore Chatty as well and their relationship. Don't forget to smile :)
Walter's my favorite by far, I *do not* like Ayre (sounds too try-hard anime style), Snail's the perfect asshole, Michigan's a little corny, but great dialogue toward the end, Carla's voice is more bearable than Ayre's, but her writing is a little wack. I dunno, female voice actors usually try *really* hard when they have to sound, like, militant and shit, so it ends up being sorta... Meh. I plan on switching to JP after my 3rd playthrough.
Thanks for reading my comment that you shouldn't care about. Cheers.
Seeing armored core come back to live was such a win for gaming
I’m finishing up my NG+ playthrough today. I love this game to death and learning how to pilot different mech builds is really fun.
finished my NG++ yesterday, done all the missions. this is the first game in a literal decade thats made me *want* to do 3 runs back to back.
normally im bitching about how games are 200 hours long, but this is the only game where im bitching its not longer.
tight. linear. focused. no bloat. AC6 is S tier.
Honestly I agree with you I miss the ridiculous action fun of older games and am not a fan of everything having an open world or an epic story. It’s why I still play dynasty warrior like games. Sometimes it’s just fun letting out steam just bulldozing through a game, and not have to sink 100+ hours into it just to get to that point.
I really was surprised how good this game scratched the itch I didn't know I had for high octane mech combat where movement and fire control really matters to completing a mission well. I find myself completing a chapter of the game and then going back and replaying each mission just to do it smoothly and with newer bigger parts. I agree with how the game only has to be as complicated as you want it to be. Over 40 hours of playing I've moved from just the base stats the game gives you to calculating energy consumption and tuning which generator I use with which type of mech I'm building. I love how deep it feels and exciting it is to just go through the missions again and play the experience again.
Pro tip: record your session. get a drink, cuppa tea or coffee. sit back. relax. press play. That thing you just did - chances are it looked AWESOME!
Just nailed Balteus. The learning curve for beating him, is not a joke
Once I figured out flying directly above one of his shoulders helped dodge his missile barrage his fight went from frustrating to fun.
the key to winning the fight is simple, you must be more agressive
First time I met Baltheus, he sent me to bed, no dinner
slammed my face against him for over an hour haha
Thus boss took me 6 attempts and I'm new to these, don't know why people struggle on him so much lol.
Never been a massive mech fan, nor played the OG titles. Something about it, a certain magic, screamed at me to buy it full price. Smallest amount of research I've done in ages, and I'm so happy to have supported it.
AC 6 is what I'm playing right now and it makes me feel young again.
My only complaint about armored core 6 is that it is missing the craziness of the OST of the older games.
Im not gonna lie, I'm a huge fan so far (chapter 3) Sully, Sea Spider , Training room music, Garage music, and frigging balteus has one of the most intense boss songs ive ever heard
@@darthrex6267 The Music is fine. It just isn't crazy fun like previous titles. Silent Line 3, Twist it, Panther, and stuff like Mechanized memories.
But Rusted Pride is at least at the level of mechanised memories.
Damm love that theme.
Rusty my beloved.
I have a theory for you Bret. I think the main main reason for this hyper fixation with graphics is because its an easy sell to a vast majority of people. Older folk like the more traditional realistic hyper reality because it is safer and comfertable to them, kids love the hyper graphics because to then it feels “mature” and grown up. The very casual gamer who probably has only played like 1 GTA game in their life feels more comfertable with realistic hyper graphics.
I think there is a very large and noticable stigma in the general audiance to anything that deviates from the “real” and companies know this. Thats part of the reason I think that Disney is pushing these “Live action” remakes so hard
God Of War, Returnal, Breath Of The Wild, Armored Core, Elden Ring >>>
The only good games released recently
Doom Eternal, Red Dead Redemption 2
@@high.level.noob.those are old asf the guy probably means tears of the kingdom he’s talking new games if you talk about red dead might as well just go back to the stone ages
Ah yes, red dead redemption 2, the ancient game of the past, revered by cave people from the far far time of… late 2018-early 2019. Wow.
@@kenganmmvs8615 botw 2017 and Gow 2018 wdym
What a fantastic video. Very well delivered and articulated. AC6 represents that old gaming formula from 20+ years ago: get a relatively small game (in terms of world size and hours spent) and just go have fun. I 100% agree wih the bloatiness and excessive content some games have nowadays. Spending 100+ hours is just not feasible for me anymore. Newer-esque games like Returnal, Hi Fi Rush and Control represent that AAA gaming space but with smaller more condensed and focus experiences. Hopefully Alan Wake is like that too.
Can't wait for your deep dive into the story and lore of Rubicon and its characters. So interesting, it bleeds personality.
Someone at FromSoft: Guys, we have the right idea for the AC games, but I don't think we have the skills nor tech to fully realise our dream yet
Miyazaki: How about starting up an entirely new sub genre and produce like half a dozen of GOTY contenders to gain that experience first?
I do actually think it's important that you don't _need_ to rework your mech for each mission because it means that most if not all weapons are viable, and that a player can continue to use a loadout they enjoy when they find it.
I especially agree when it comes to things like cinematics and an extreme focus on visuals. How many games NEED these?
Imagine the resources spend on these that could be spent on gameplay.
I'd like to contribute to this by mentioning a game called Hi fi rush, Its a game thats released this YEAR and yet it feels like it belongs in 2003 and its incredibly fun. Greaat gameplay, amazing mechanics, good characters, and a fun story. What baffles me is that this was SHADOWDROPED, and it soled more copies than Forespoken (which received the opposite treatment btw). Its such a good game and its one of my top 3 Best game of 2023. I HIGHLY recommend this game
Frankly I normally choose whichever armour looks prettier because I don't want to spend hours comparing all 14223566 stats each armour has.
I only look at hp when I'm struggling with a boss and put on the biggest guns I can carry. Normally it makes most bosses trivial.
I mean, just like every other Fromsoft game out there, you can totally beat the game with the default gear.
I’m so glad you looked into this game. I wanted a video on it from you the moment I finished my play through!
"I got gud in your last 10 games, now I just want to have fun." This sentiment is how I feel with every game now. It better be fun, or I quit, my time is worth more than anything and I'm done wasting time on games that I force myself to like.
Part of me really empathised with that point while another part just said "skill issue. 💀"
I did really feel that way with some of Elden Ring's bosses. I was often like "when can I stop dodging and continue playing?" Or "can you hurry up and swing your weapon already so I can make a feeble attempt at a dodge/parry?" Or "wtf is that AoE/combo? I'm supposed to dodge THAT?" and then "GET OVER HERE SO I CAN BEAT YO ASS, ELDEN WHALE!"
I guess it's a hard balance for the devs to make a game that's still challenging and fun to their long-time fans while being accessible enough for newcomers to learn. I'd imagine it can be hard to git gud in the field of making sure that things aren't too hard, or too easy.
But at least you can usually tackle the problems your way.
Except in Sekiro.
But I love Sekiro.
@@robertminnie782yea, it’s definitely tricky in a way, cause some groups of gamers genuinely thrive off challenging themselves to improve, while others prefer to have a more casual entertaining experience. Both are valid mindsets in the end, even if I personally don’t like it when people go “this is an objectively bad game because it’s not hard/easy enough!”
Probably just a matter of the devs themselves going “alright, these are the groups we want to appeal to, and we’re gonna stick with that”, which while it means it’s not nearly as widespread and accessible as more broadly designed games, at least means that those suited for said type of gameplay experience often enjoy it a ton for scratching a specific itch that other games don’t.
Have I ever told you the definition of insanity... You should have learned your lesson by now lol.
Seems like there is an obvious compromise: Difficulty Settings. From Software clearly wants to make a specific experience where people are struggling and find value in the process of struggle, failure and getting better. I don't think they ever denied that some people do not like that experience. They are not trying to be all things to all people, but I guess the problem that the video is talking about is that so many AAA games ARE trying to be all things to all people, even though that is impossible.
That’s why I can’t play Starfield. The space stuff is so bland that I have to force myself to play it and I just don’t want to. Back to AC and BG3.
I really love this video. And also to address your personal preference about boss difficulty, this also lends well to an NG+ experience (on top of this being From's best take at NG+ replayability). I struggled a bit with Balteus the first time around, but on NG+ I beat him so fast I was able to put the whole fight in the game capture's last 30 second clip record function. I think that level of pride in skill and build making you get from a tangible feeling of progression is great. After playing the shitfest that was Diablo 4, it felt good to feel real progression rather than have things perpetually scale with you.
Every time a new boss appears I am always excited to find out what kind of challenge it would offer. And over coming that challenge is the best thing ever. The adrenaline rush is amazing.
This matches my first thoughts when playing this game.
It's the most video game-y video game I've played in a while.
Like something out the PS2 era but with some incredibly smooth controls.
You are so right. I often find myself nostalgic for games of 20 years ago. Going back and playing some of these older games has been very fun and rewarding.
Genuinely my favorite channel. The effort and personality you display are so rare on this site. There are few channel's that I get excited for and this is at the very top of my list. Keep up the great work 👍
Thank you! I have often said that I miss the days when we would get a mainline final fantasy game every year and that games have become so technically demanding and expensive to make that studios aren't willing to take risks and they take so long to make. If a single game fails, many studios will be shut down instead of being allowed to learn from their mistakes. It sucks. I tend to find games with less realistic graphics more visually interesting
i finally beat NG++ so it's time to binge all your ac6 vids. it's so cool seeing people celebrate a franchise i adore after 10 years of dormancy
Ahh... nothing like a good ol' PS2/Gamecube era fashioned video game that emphasizes fun above all else! As a Raven and FromSoft fan since the AC 3 days, it brings a tear to my eye to see Armored Core doing as well as it is now! It's beautiful... *sniffles and blows nose while crying happy tears* Yeah, there's always gonna be room for the Baldur's Gates 3's and TOTK's I won't deny that, Hell, I welcome it, but NOT EVERY game has to be them! Nintendo can get away with it cause they've always got something cooking and occasionally bring out the good ol' fashioned stuff like Metroid Prime Remastered (which to me is more on the Remake end of the spectrum in regards to graphics mind... not complaining, gameplay's always been solid for that title, all they needed to do is give it a nice fresh coat of paint and make it look as pretty as it is now!) and they understand at this point that variety is the spice of life as we see with some of the newer heavy hitters like Xenoblade, Splatoon, and on the older but now gaining steam or rapidly rising end of the scale Fire Emblem and Metroid. So *Insert Malos from Xenoblade Chronicles 2 voice here* indeed party like it's 2003! Cause those games even with the pains of the time were awesome!
loved how hyped you are about your build. this whole video is a great take on the game.
I watched one of your videos and now UA-cam will not stop recommending them to me and I SIMPLY CANT GET ENOUGH!!! I CAN'T STOP WATCHING!!!
it's a breath of fresh air, but Namco showed us the same AAA, mission based tactical action puzzle style game last Gen with Ace Combat 7. I love it!
How I new I was jaded by modern AAA games: when I went to paint my AC, I was pleasantly surprised that all colors, textures etc. were free, no color had to be grinded out, now colors behind in game currency, no microtransactions for colors or anything. All you had to do was pick from the color RGB codes and good to go.
I love the choice of words you chosen to describe our Goliath sized American Cabinet
Coming from the perspective of someone born 20 years ago in 2003.
I don’t have the nostalgia for this kinda game. But there’s something special about it. Something satisfying.
Well said and based. I think AC6 shows just hard it is to be a developer of multiple beloved series and simultaneously reboot an old series that was dormant for a good while. Fromsoft always said from the beginning that this game would incorporate things they've learned from the main Souls years, while also keeping it different enough to be something more than just another Souls-like. No other current AAA dev would (temporarily, at least) abandon a massive cash cow like Elden Ring or Dark Souls to reboot a 10 year dormant niche robot mech action game. The execution of the game may be divisive or underwhelming to some, but at least it was made at all and I don't blame them at all for attempting to bring in a wider fan-base, especially for a reboot. I hope AC7 is already being worked on.
AC6 development was announced before Elden Ring came out. After DS3, Fromsoft specifically announced that they are working on one new IP and one old IP and my mind went to Armored Core 6 straight away.
DLC will probably be first. I mean, I want to know how the real Raven plays into it all. After all, it’s implied they have something to do with the mess 621 is thrown into
To be fair, it's incredibly difficult to not have a traditional campaign/mission structure in what is essentially a vehicle combat game
Star Citizen says hi.
Just found your Chanel. Really enjoy the way you do the video
re: AC6 artstyle, I'm pretty sure FROM has been using the same in-house engine since AC4 at least. It's definitely behind technologically, but it does produce a very distinct look independent of the themes in the art direction. Dark Souls 3, Sekiro and AC6 all read as being in the same reality to me.
I love how sharp and crisp everything looks in FROM games in terms of detailing within outlines, and the harsh environment shadows makes everything look a bit like a drawing while also reading well. Objects also layer well without Z-fighting or LOD issues. Modern FROM are also very good at using lighting, which carries most of the look. AC6 also proves it can be optimized to run incredibly well.
Ha ha, oh man, I wondered if I was going to see the poor Student Pilot getting thrashed by your super-tank.
I imagine most players of the game recognize that mission as the perfect "test dummy" to try out a new AC configuration, and earn some quick cash at the same time. The whole mission is just that little 1v1, and the devs knew exactly what they were doing when they made it (and it happens so early in the story, too)
That poor guy deserves to become a meme or something.
Doesn’t help that it’s also a good mission to farm money from what I read.
Quality video with good commentary. Appreciate your takes brother. I loved Armored Core and the break from extensive in depth learning. Fromsoft knows exactly what they are aiming for and hit it
By far the best UA-cam video I've seen all year
I’ve been wanting to platinum every game I get and it’s been a blessing and curse. There’s just games I will flat out just never bother playing because I know getting them done will fry my brain. I wish Rockstar would bring back max Payne because of something like armored code. Make a simple and sweet narrow experience and pack it with your amazing mechanics. I don’t anticipate open world games anymore unless I know you get around fast af like in Spiderman.
Basically armored core is my favorite. Cuts out a bunch of bs and all I’m having is fun.
Good video!
It’s beautiful to have found in 2023 a game that really gives me the joy I used to feel while playing halo missions as a kid. In my opinion when it come to create a good videogame It’s all about creating a sandbox where you can use fun tools against fun enemies to defeat, and Armored core does that perfectly.
I’m talking non stop about this game to everyone I can lately while consuming content like yours.
If it was for me this game would be goty material, just for the slap it gives to the game industry as a whole. Unluckily for ac6 this year is a blessed one and there are also baldur’s and Zelda.
Right on. Given today's gaming climate though, I'd assume From just wanted to get back to making AC games (as made evident by this one seeming like it was released right after 5, a decade ago) and not worrying themselves with any of that GOTY stuff. They built a dedicated fan base off their hard work and good ideas, then pumped the marketing on a used-to-be-niche-in-Amerika IP to great effect. This one was an introduction-style title for the newbies and sort of a refresher. The next one will probably focus more on multiplayer, maybe. Who knows? But more AC can never be a bad thing.
You totally speaks my mind.
It feels like modern AAA games are tailored to critics & streamers since people will just buy what they recommend. Except people don't have as much time to play games as they do.
"I dont wana get good. Ive been good" sums up my attitude towards gaming as i get older
I love you pointing out the bosses. I had so much with the individual missions and the arenas matches fighting other AC’s, but gawd dayum if it ain’t obnoxious to fight boss #5 that yet again, has 10 AOE moves. It doesn’t feel like a skill check as some people would say.
Agreed. I hate Dark Souls gameplay because of the “death is required” system that it’s setup to be. Aside from a few bosses I love that Armored Core was not developed to be like that. But those few bosses mess up the pacing of the game from my POV. I don’t need a boss to breeze past but I also don’t want a boss who’s gimmick is “I’m zippy so it’s impossible to hit me unless you get lucky” looking at you C-weapons or the gimmick of “I’ll stun lock you into oblivion itself. Say hi to Todd for me.”
Loved listening to your thoughts on what AC6 is and what we really want. Fun games that dont drain our pockets with bland stuff
on the topic of games that feel like straight out of your childhood. i highly recommend a game called DISTANCE it's an arcade racer that combindes the wildest things in one package. F-zero & thumper and even horror elements (yes horror) and platforming mechnics. it's one of the most unique games iv'e ever played. (not to mention the amazing music and intersting story) I'm litereally addicted.
great video, loved it. :)
I've been a "gamer" for about 25 years or so, and I can confidently say this is in the top 5 most fun games I've ever played.
Man, in half of the vid I added AC 6 to wishlist and when opportunity comes I think I’ll have the same fun as you did.
It really reminds me of my childhood games like Ratchet and Clank as you mentioned at the beginning, which had great levels in form of planets. They were mostly linear and everything there was great. From gameplay, puzzles, atmosphere, soundtrack, level structures and graphics (especially the Original trilogy).
I really like how FromSoftware delivers their products. They’re focused on their goal and try new things in their IP’s.
Funny thing about personal preference regarding the bosses: the common argument you found regarding the merit of the bosses basically sum up people who enjoy it as masochists who want to test how close they need to get to the skill ceiling.
Meanwhile, my experience with games before I got a decent laptop were 2D bullet hell games. So while I enjoy the bosses, it’s not because I like “getting my ass kicked” (none of the bosses ever needed more than 6 tries, usually less than half of that), but because they doubled down on my own nostalgia for game design.
Not saying either of us are wrong or right, just thought it was an interesting thought that added to the statement regarding preferences for how bosses are currently. I always enjoyed picking up on from soft’s bosses’ patterns but armored core solidified why by just being aesthetically closer to those bullet hells I played.
I always had this exact same sentiment about Monster Hunter: World. It was so refreshing to play a game with sooooo much fucking content that was so direct and easy to access and the gameplay was top notch. Truly the one game besides AC6 I’ve described to my buddies as “the most souped up version of a ps2 game you could ever imagine” lmao
From Soft is the definition of "spending more time on putting imaginations on paper than taking forever on perfecting that one stroke of paint"
This was soooo good man. Fucking killing it lately! Everyone who loves gaming should watch this.
Great video. I don't have the time or energy to cover those massive games; right now I'm just playing Elden Ring (and waiting for the DLC). Thanks to this video I might try AC.
Armored Core 6 is a W game. GOTY contender FOR SURE!!! Armored Core is finally back from the dead. I was convinced Gen 5 killed the series forever.
I've been a fan of the AC series since about 2013, played through Verdict day and 4A completely. When I heard we were getting a new AC game in 2023 I nearly shat myself. And I'm currently playing it and enjoying every moment of it. And I realized, ALMOST nothing reeeaaally changed in the series. And I have never been happier. Straight forward missions, slow burning story, INCREDIBLE bosses, music, cannon fodder, and of course. The unrestricted, unrivaled customization not locked behind a paywall. It's just a straight up FUN game, a fun time, and a sort of blast from the past. It's a beautiful marriage of what made every previous title challenging, enjoyable, infuriating AND rewarding. And I would have it no other way. Great review, and I agree with you on nearly everything you mentioned. Glad to see the series getting the recognition it deserves!
I do disagree with FromSoft’s boss design being undodgable. The bosses require more precision and pattern recognition than before, with more complex attack patterns and move sets, but they’re very much still something you can dodge. That’s why I haven’t really had any issues with any bosses in a FromSoft game after I figured out the “dance” you have to engage in to actually do anything
It's been so long since i've had so much fun playing a game
I freakin adore Armored Core 6.
Extreme level of fun.
“Just go here and blow everything up” is why top gun for the GameCube is still one of my favorite games
totally agree except i feel that the bosses in this game are much more about trying new mech configurations to see what will get you through and not just getting good. If you dont engage with reconfiguring your mech it could definitely get tedious but the game mechanics encourage it so
I like the bosses, but I don't like them because they're difficult. I think I just love the spectacle. There was something exciting about balteus shooting hundreds missiles at me before pulling out a flame sword and cutting me in half. Having great enemies to stand against you makes me feel all the more powerful.
It just pleasant to play a game without microtransactions.
AC6 is what I’ve been dreaming in those years as a mech fan
Military sim mechs
Missions
It’s fairly difficult and I like it
I also love the feeling that gives piloting those walking arsenals
And the possibility to choose a random mission and just play it ,
It’s old school in many ways and it’s what I needed.
Thank you from software
so just mechwarrior 5 but faster paced
The campaign for armored core vi is the perfect length, it's long enough without feeling too long and short enough that I'm still willing to play new game + when I complete it.
There was just something special about booting up AC6 and seeing the FROM SOFTWARE logo all over again when it released.
I felt young again.
Got 100% on it yesterday and made a coral-powered white and red-metal reverse-joint mech to celebrate while hunting the last few story logs. I don't remember the last time I did everything a game had to offer and felt the desire for more. I've been gaming for over two decades, and the sheer dopamine and satisfaction I get from AC6 is practically unprecedented.
I love you thank you for making this video. Lately I’ve been feeling like gaming desperately needs more games like armored core and all the other classics we used to love. Games can be 5-8 hours and still be great and worth $60. Some of the best games ever made can technically be beaten in 10-30 minutes (speed running).
Armored Core 6 is proof that incredible art direction, game play that allows player choice and snappy responsive controls are more important than having 30 million repetitive task open world.
BTW Brett love your use of Metroid Prime Music for the background. I feel like the OST for those games are kind of forgotten.
it feels like it came out in 2003 along R&C because it did. its been around as a series for over 20 years
Dude I have always felt the same way. One game that has made me felt like I was young was playing Evil West. I love games focusing on gameplay and also challenging. Evil West does it so well. The Company behind the game also makes amazing games also, like Greedfall and Blacktail that feel like a game that would sit well in a 2008 setting.
Having you get overwhelmed by missile and still think that is fine make you a masochist
As I told my gf, this game feels like those games from the early 2000s that you remember super vividly and you play now and look awful, but here, you don't have to imagine it, it looks and play like it does
Currently on my second playthrough and absolutely loving this game.
"Look at you 621, you found...a friend."
I'm glad someone's pointing out the complexities of these types of new game mechanics I just want to play a video game that simple
I'm glad that someone else is happy about a return to the old ways.
When it comes to what you said about bossfights, I think there's a balance that has to be made between the difficulty of the bossfight and the pace of the bossfight.
If you have a tough as nails bossfight you're going to die to 20 times to get a handle on and then it takes 15 minutes to get to that part where you die, that's going to suck.
If the bossfight takes 2 minutes total and you can match the pace of the boss infront of you in a fight that feels fair but punishing, you could die 50 times or more without really losing patience with it.
I've always seen a sign of a good difficult bossfight being when you lose and still have fun.
From what I've seen, though, AC6 is... not that.
One of the biggest reasons I personally haven't tried AC6 is because all the basic enemies are so comedically easy that there's no point in using various builds and all the bosses look so unreasonably difficult and long that they'd make me feel forced to use specific counter builds or altogether stop being fun faster than not.
Also the lack of demo and $60 pricetag are doing absolutely nothing to fix my doubts.
I've played every souls game multiple times over and I promise you no boss in AC6 comes close to that level of difficulty or jank. I max fought a boss four times on ac and never had to change my build to compensate. The mobs aren't there to challenge you or gank you they serve the purpose of making you feel like an absolute ace pilot who is far above the average foot soldier. I had more fun with the bosses in ac then I had on any boss in soulsborne. Every boss feels like an anime rival fight for the ages. I was nervous about AC at first too since I've never played an AC game before but I absolutely promise you it's worth every single penny in my opinion. No description does the game justice on what it feels like to play.
@@johnnytopside1437 yea no description will do the game justice on how it feels to play lol.
that's not really something you can tell from looking at it either.
I wish it had a demo, just the tutorial and some super basic customization so I could get a feel for the game and decide if I like it or not since there's honestly no way I'm throwing out $60 on something I'm unsure about.
It looks like a game I'm either going to absolutely love or absolutely hate with nothing inbetween.
@@theoreticalexistence9630 I definitely see that on the love it or hate it thing, I'm also a Gundam fan so I might have a little bias on mech stuff lol. A demo would definitely have helped too and it's wierd there's not one with how easy it would be to let someone experience the first few missions.
There is certainly a lack of arcade games in aaa
I think you should do a character study into the characters in Spider-Man 2018. I love you videos and they make work go by fast thank you
quite ironic for me that the bite-sized formats of titles like AC are actually the ones I end up getting addicted to
since I can always just use the good ol' excuse of "just one more ________" whenever I do something in the game
Great video. AC6 felt like a breath of fresh air
Just yesterday i told my friend that armored core vi made me feel pretty nostalgic even though i never played any armored core games before. Playing the game just reminded me of the ps2 era and i 100% agree with the things said in the video it was awesome having a „simple“ AAA game
I think the bosses in AC6 are fine. Most of the fights are only hard because you don't "get it" right away on your first playthrough. When you start doing a NG+ and NG++ run you should understand the patterns and be able to handle them with ease especially with the expanded arsenal of weapons you have by NG+.
im getting old with you bro. i feel ya.
Many triple A games these days feel more like interactive movies than video games and this brought that feel back of having challenging levels and bosses.
Imagine where instead of going mad over silly crafting systems in action games and RPG mechanics in adventure sandboxes, you're simply invited to play the game.
I've been enjoying it a lot myself, in fact I decided to start over to try different choice missions. Admittedly, I keep it offline to be able to use a trainer though. I like to fly around during that silly stealth mission and stay undetected by flying over every MT instead of trying to sneak through the city. I also like to be able to let loose with my weapons and only have to worry about my paycheck. My preference is with kinetic and explosive weapons with mixed cannons using a grenade cannon and stun cannon. Add on some machine guns or pulse guns and you can take on anything.