It seems like the FromSoftware formula of analyzing and learning from enemy patterns will be retained in Armored Core VI. The developer playing engaged enemies shortly thereafter and showed off the various weapons they had equipped as they quickly rocketed around enemies to dodge their attacks and deal a ton of damage back, occasionally staggering enemies to do even more damage. That player-driven variety looks like it will apply during combat, too. Armored Core VI is still level-based, but in that way, it seems like it retains a bit of the open-world spirit of Elden Ring. You can fly right into the action, fight from a distance, or maybe fly around until you find a path that’ll put you in a good starting position for a fight. FromSoftware showed how advantageous it was to attack enemies from above multiple times, but also showed at one point how the player’s mobility gives them more options to approach a situation. Players can boost in any direction, opening up many exploration and combat opportunities. If you think Sekiro and Bloodborneare fast, this action was happening at a speed unlike any other modern FromSoftware game.

Gameplay then started, and I saw the demoist boost forward at high speed with the rockets on his mech, going deeper into the facility’s interior. Looking at this level, I was impressed by its intimidating scope, with a massive mechanical structure piercing the icy tundra below.

It was set at the Central Ice Field, where the player is trying to take control of the Grid 086 facility. This pushed the team to create expansive levels where players can rocket around in their mechs, give players lots of gameplay customization options, and design challenging encounters that would provide players with a sense of accomplishment after taking down tough enemies.Īfter that high-level overview and a look at some of the massive map environments, I finally got to see the game played by a developer in the room. Essentially, the studio wants to bring the design sensibilities for game feel and level construction that it has gained working on games like Dark Souls, Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice, and Elden Ring to a new Armored Core title.

My hands-off Armored Core VI demo started with FromSoftware detailing this series’ history and its vision for this new game.

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