izigame.me

I haven't played an Armored Core since the original 1 & 2 so if there's some fundamental differences in 3, 4 or 5 I won't know the difference. So here I am with 6 and some expectation of nostalgia and here we go...
---
30 minutes in and I'm through the intro mission and the first boss and the difficulty pulls no punches. You have the tools you need, but expect to actually have to pay attention and learn how to use them, this won't be a walk in the park.
Story is adequate, voice acting is decent and the graphics are high end last generation, circa 2016 or so.
Unless you're a graphics snob, what matters is the game play and that's where this shines so far for me. It's got the feel I remember of an arcade mech game (not a sim) with quick pace boosting and skating around (multiple boost types), an energy (stamina) bar that refreshes fast enough to maintain a decent attack rhythm and ammo management that is just tight enough to make you think about it while not feeling like you'll run out constantly.
Also of note for a day one launch: the game runs smooth on a system that meets the recommended specs. Playing at 2560x1440 resolution, I've had no dips or stutter and haven't needed to turn down anything.
I'm really looking forward to seeing what comes next and finding out how deep the customization goes as you dig further into the game; those were strong points for me in this series back in the day.
Overall I'm having fun so far, and I'd say if you're expecting a fun arcade style mech game this delivers and will probably be a decent challenge to overcome for armored core fans.
On the other hand if you're looking for a mech simulator or need your hand held to get you through difficult boss fights, go cry somewhere else, this game isn't for you.
EDIT1: 2 hours later, a couple more missions and some tweaking of parts and paint jobs and this is living up to what I expected from the original Armored Core in a modern presentation. Really looking forward to dumping another 100 hours into this.
EDIT2: Day 2, 5 hours played. I see a lot of complaints on the forums about difficulty: Grow the F Up, this isn't a game for babies. It's not impossible, but you do have to actually pay attention, use the tools you're given and learn new strategies. The idiots making streams and raging over it just keep face planting into boss attacks for hours and never learn.
The other ridiculous debates I see are raging over what games to compare it with; well let me say this now: I've never played Dark Souls, Elden Ring, Sekiro etc. So, I'm just going to compare this with the original Armored Core games which predate all of those.
This feels like Armored Core to me, it's what I expected, it's challenging but fun, it's the nostalgia and gameplay I wanted from it.
I would almost say "it's too easy" because you can't even make any permanent mistakes. The parts store lets you resell parts for full value, so you are earning money to make sets of parts available but you can mix and match and test whatever you have unlocked without risking buying the wrong things. And missions can be replayed at any time directly from the hangar if you want to get higher ratings or find collectibles. It's a simple hub (like the original) and a menu of parts to play with and missions to play and you just keep unlocking more as you go.
Learn at your own pace, there's no permanent penalties for mistakes and just enjoy the challenge.
I feel right at home playing this for just a couple hours at a time. It's not a big open world to live in, it's an arena of fun you jump in and out of for some action and keep working towards more as you go.
One of the best games this year (for me).
If you can't handle a little challenge, maybe Disney Dreamlight Valley is more your speed.
---
Bottom line: 3rd person arcade style mech shooter with a high difficulty learning curve.
---
While you are here, would you consider following my curator page?
Want to read all of my reviews and not just the curated ones?