Armored Core 6 has already triggered some Elden Ring-esque debate about storytelling

A mech in Armored Core 6 alongside Elden Ring's Melina.
Credit: Fromsoftware.

A mech in Armored Core 6 alongside Elden Ring's Melina.
Credit: Fromsoftware.

With Armored Core 6’s release so close people can almost taste it, those who’ve been eagerly awaiting the chance to dive into some action-packed mech battles are all aboard the hype train.

No matter whether the kind of bot build you’re planning on going for is something designed to mirror what ends up being required to routinely decimate opponents in one-on-one duels, or something a little more creative and unorthodox, hopefully you’ll have some fun.

Though many will be concentrating on reducing opponents to wreckage, some players have also been looking forward to seeing what the game has to offer story-wise. Unfortunately, some of the reception to its reviews has prompted similar debate to that which accompanied Elden Ring’s nomination for best story at 2022’s Game Awards.

What are your hopes for Armored Core 6’s story?

The discussion in question has taken place in a thread on the Armored Core subreddit, which user Mr_Jackabin kicked off by claiming: “so many reviewers are missing the point of the storytelling…”

Citing criticism about the game’s narrative being relayed in a manner that some have found a tad robotic and characterless, they argued:

It's meant to feel distant, robotic and detached. The world of Armored Core is awful, and represents the worst attributes of humanity. We ARE the mech. Our character is an insignificant pawn to corporate greed.

While some of their fellow fans have agreed with their assertion, despite not having been able to play the game for themselves yet, thankfully, some have responded with slightly more reasonable takes on the issue.

“This doesn't change the fact that it didn't click with them/they didn't find it very compelling,” said user Fatg0d.

Similarly, userToYouItReaches reasoned: “I personally really like when a game’s storytelling is done in a way that fits the game’s atmosphere, but I can understand why some people might not really connect with [Armored Core] because of how detached it feels.”

“I love Armored Core. Even when it was getting [bad] review scores, it was always my favourite franchise, but it struggles with storytelling, and that’s less about how [the story is] told and more about how effectively it uses briefings to move the plot along,” argued user PXL-pushr.

Regardless of what you’re hoping to see from Armored Core 6’s main story, make sure to follow us for guides to both it and Elden Ring’s Shadow of the Erdtree expansion, as soon as the latter arrives.