What feels like a golden age for FromSoftware fans continues asArmored Core 6: Fires of Rubiconis just around the corner. If the Shadow of the Erdtree expansion forElden Ringfalls in 2024, FromSoftware could end up releasing a game’s worth of content three years in a row, a far cry from the timeElden Ringspent in silent development.Armored Core 6also marks the return of an old FromSoftware franchise, the value of which cannot be understated after a decade of Soulslikes.
Even so, a lot ofSoulsDNA is already evident inArmored Core 6. The game is undoubtedly a mecha action title with even higher emphasis placed on customization than FromSoftware’s other build-heavy titles, andArmored Coreis so rooted in FromSoftware’s historythat some Soulslike traits could be said to originate in it. However, looking at the level design and how enemy animations are emphasized in preview footage implies connections to theSoulsgames will be strong. WithElden Ring’s enormous success and FromSoftware’s tendency to reference its past works, there shouldn’t be any doubt thatArmored Core 6will echo what came before it.
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Patches Is Too Popular To Miss Armored Core 6
Armored Core 6andElden Ringare already starting in comparable places, concerning post-apocalyptic worlds approached by nameless and morally dubious protagonists. Both games also share a fascination with fire, thoughACdoesn’t match the degreeElden Ringemphasized its Frenzied Flame. Past thematic and visual similarities common to many FromSoftware titles, players might not expectArmored Core 6to have much to do with the open-world fantasy titleElden Ring. However, a precedent for the two to acknowledge each other has already been set.
While a balding, untrustworthy character like him dates back to at leastShadow Tower Abyss, Patch the Good Luck, or Lucky Patches, acts as a bizarre constant across some of FromSoftware’s titles. First appearing as a minor pilot inArmored Core: For Answer,Hidetaka Miyazaki’s second directing role, Patch had the unique trait of surrendering and running away if he outlives his teammates.
Patches serves as an author’s signature of sorts for most titles that Miyazaki has directed, those beingDemon’s Souls,Dark Souls,Dark Souls3,Bloodborne, andElden Ring. He often betrays the player, but attentive explorers will realize he guides them towards treasure in the process and tends to set up shop with unique items afterward.
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Patches' close association with Miyazaki puts his inclusion inArmored Core 6into question, as another director stepped in early in development. Masaru Yamamura was previously the lead game designer onSekiro: Shadows Die Twice, which excluded Patches despite having been co-directed by Miyazaki. Still, FromSoftware knows exactlyhow popular Lucky Patches is, and that means fans could still catch a glimpse of him in a side mission or the Arena. Whether appearing as part of a squad, deploying long-range tactics, or even cheating a little, Patches would make for a memorable bright spot in the otherwise grim world ofArmored Core 6.
Other Possible Ties Between Armored Core 6 And Elden Ring
There is one other direct line to be drawn betweenArmored Coreand its Soulslike counterparts. Long before Patch and his predecessors,FromSoftware began adding a “Sword of Moonlight"to many of their games. The form this took was highly malleable, allowingArmored Coreto introduce countless laser blades sharing the name Moonlight. Even though it was a regular fixture ofKing’s FieldandArmored Core, it was theSoulsgames that propelled this weapon’s name to fame.
The sword has taken a more rigid shape in its recent roles, typically being a wide blade that glows light blue and shoots a similarly colored projectile. Getting the Moonlight Greatsword inElden Ringinvolves completing Ranni’s game-spanning quest, but it’s more than powerful enough for players to brandish it should they choose to.
Not only is thisblade’s appearance inArmored Core 6a guarantee, thanks toAC6’s expanded melee system players may be able to wield the blade exactly like they would inElden Ring. Trailers have already shown a mech impaling another with what is practically a laser lance, so the Moonlight’s typical size and projectile should be intact like always.
Finding many more direct links betweenElden RingandArmored Core 6may prove difficult, as apart from things thatArmored CoreandDark Soulsalready share, these games are formatted very differently. The best place to look for commonalities may lie deep in each game, with factors affecting both titles' endings.Elden Ringemphasizes finding alternative endingsby supporting different NPCs' ideologies, and based on prior entries,AC6may gradually introduce similar branching paths.
It’s unclear how many endingsArmored Core 6will have on its first run, but more have been confirmed with their own mission paths on subsequent playthroughs. Chances for an ending where the player triggers another Coral-fueled catastrophe that baptizes Rubicon-3 in fire are quite high and would parallelElden Ring’s Lord of Frenzied Flame ending.
Players may also be able to side with Rubicon 3’s natives and drive off the alien corporations, somewhat similar to the ending Ranni’s quest line grants. There will be a lot of opportunities for the player to make their mark on the world in bothElden RingandArmored Core 6, and FromSoftware fans should look forward to earning them all.
Armored Core 6will be released on August 25 for PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S.
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