Armored Core VI Does Not Care About You

Video essay on the newest FromSoftware title Armored Core VI: Fires of Rubicon and the character of 621.
Timestamps▼
00:00 Intro
05:35 The Mechs Though
11:05 Contact
20:23 Hound
27:46 Crossing The Rubicon
39:07 End

[@Gridlock1475]

"There is a lady in my head who calls me stud muffin" - 621 probably

[@FinnishKossuGaming]

"Please leave me alone..." - G5 Iguazu probably

[@A_K_U_M_U_2129]

DAMMIT! NOT THIS MEME!

[@tannerbarnes7392]

"Please leave me alone." -V2 Snail

[@Iveno-Von-Aethervein]

Master Chief as well.

[@ernesielta]

"You ok buddy." -V4 Rusty

[@cptncutleg]

I think you're missing the point of the different playthroughs. You're not told what to do, you're given options. You're not just a mercenary, you take a mission from Ayre for free. Rusty recognises you as a person, as does Iguazu. They both recognise that your choices and your determination are key to your success. The name Raven is given to those that have the determination to force their decisions upon the world and create change.

[@backpug1228]

Thank you for not ignoring our salty mans existence. 🤩

[@Tuberuser187]

An insightful breakdown, though I do disagree with describing 621/Ravens actions as war crimes. We don't know what the in universe definition of war crimes is or even if the concept exists but, by our real world definition none of Ravens actions (until the endings) are a war crime. All of the targets and machines Raven kills and destroy are viable military targets, they don't attack civilians or hospitals, they don't use weapons like chemical weapons and though there are a couple of incendiary weapons they are always targeted against materiel instead of infantry. The massive indiscriminate blast in the Fires of Raven ending and whatever the hell the release ending was do count though, the old games did literally have war crimes though with things like Pinkerton style union busting with 10m tall mechs.

[@TheSpectralFX]

This tbh. I think the author of the video is too much of a doomer to get it lol.

[@Bladings]

Was using grayjay but had to hop in youtube proper to point out that the killing of the Trainer AC proooobably counts as a war crime. And, depending on some legalities and your weapons of choice, the indiscriminate killing of the planet's local militia (RLF) and reckless destruction of civilian property could also count as a war crime. But yea, overall, nothing too bad compared to prior installments. Its just a job 621, all of it.

[@cptncutleg]

Yeah, I'm pretty sure we never go after unarmed targets.

[@Tuberuser187]

@@Bladings The tester AC was an armed military target, the level of training and experience of armed combatants isn't a factor. Same for the militia, armed military targets. The times fighting happens around, say the city at the wall then if there is a war crime then its one the RLF are committing by hiding military targets around civilian infrastructure. Except for the ending where 621 blows up a bunch of solar systems or commits a functional genocide with coral release its all gravy.

[@Bladings]

@@Tuberuser187 Its explicitely stated that he's a student pilot. Itd be like going to some airforce academy and murdering a student for some corporation. Moreover, the militia is made up of Rubiconians, they arent hiding in civilian areas, they most likely live there and were living just fine before the corps decided to invade Rubicon again (although they were suffering from the PCA's blockade).

[@pris5133]

I have one nitpick near the beginning You said that the souls game inspired all the big telegraph attack, hard gameplay, lock on, etc... Actually only the big telegraph attack is from the souls series, any other stuff such as lock on, high skill ceiling gameplay has exist since the first AC, imo the difficulty spike of the souls series actually inherit from the AC games, this mech franchise has been known for not hand holding and absolutely destroy you if you don't nail down the base mechanics

[@Ouium]

Well, dark souks picked it up from demon souls, and demon souls had some inspiration from monster hunter. And previous experience of the fromsoft gave some ideas as well

[@Ghorda9]

@@Ouium there's also ocarina of time for the lock on and basic movement.

[@Ouium]

@@Ghorda9 yeah, you are right. Giants, standing on the shoulders of giants.

[@justsomeguywithlasereyes9920]

@@Ouium Armored core For Answer came directly before Demons souls btw.

[@JJLYKES]

Lol these young guys think everything started in their generation. Armored core was on the demo disc that came with the play station 1. And the full game was hard as nails. Dark souls is standing on the shoulders giant MECHS. Don't forget that...

[@Kinzokugia]

Generally I agree, but FromSoft isn't "Straying further from the formula that made them huge in the last decade" they're returning to the things that made them beloved for the two decades prior

[@h1_hru]

And improving it

[@TheRationalPi]

Yeah, and likewise with the "Cost Cutting" of the menu-driven driven interface. That's been the vibe of Armored Core since we were first introduced to the Raven's Nest back in AC1.

[@varnix1006]

People barely know From Software before Dark Souls. I don't even remember Armored Core was made by them until AC6 announcement and I played nearly all of gen 3 titles.

[@forecastlotus3899]

19:23 I'm only about this far in but I would like to point out that Iguazu isn't losing his mind, he's just a very sore loser, and the ringing he talks about isn't insanity either, it's Ayre. Iguazus augmentations are picking up the wave that Ayre is on, this happens everytime he fights us and only us because we are the only ones with a coral voice in our head. Iguazu thinks we have some sort of cheat to give us better odds because of that ringing. It's not until the end that he realizes that the ringing that's driving him to terrible headaches is coral. A coral voice he never could reach. He finally got his fair fight, even in death, he envied the fourth gen AC that had it all. Edit: Ah good, you said that, making this entire comment null and void

[@yourlocalreptillian1742]

The only ending where you get the freedom that your callsign refers to is when you reignite the coral. Real sad boi hours

[@jacknagel9387]

Just to throw my hat into the Ring here. I still believe the Liberator is the best ending overall. One thing I think people forget is that with the RLF victory over the corpos and PCA they’re actually sitting in a better place than they ever did before so it’s not a going back to the status quo situation. It’ll take a long while for the Corps to get back on their feet, especially with how expensive of a loss they just experienced, all the while the RLF are more unified, and driven to protect their planet than ever with all kinds of captured technology to turn into a defense force. I doubt that they’ll touch Rubicon anytime soon.

[@SomeUnkindledAsh]

I almost busted a blood vessel listening to reviewers saying AC6 had no story. Said the same thing about ER. I know FromSoft's style of storytelling isn't for everyone, but how disconnected do you have to be to say "it has no story"?

[@forecastlotus3899]

Like did they play the same game, the story isn't even tucked away like a souls game ITS OUT IN THE OPEN. Every mission IS the story

[@HungryHungryB]

That thumbnail has set a high expectation. And after watching, i gotta say you've delivered. 👍👏

[@HungryHungryB]

EDIT: LOL NVM all this was addressed in the vid 2 mins in and I guess we just had WILDLY different experiences. I was incredibly emotionally invested in the game and world. On NG I felt annoyed that I had to do corporate missions and on NG+ I made a decision to kill only the necessary RLF members and complete whichever ones I could by killing none at all. I was really hyped when I got the option to betray the Redguns, and thought it was some secret option rewarding me for not massacring the natives. It turned out that it's not some secret route you unlock by being a RLF sympathizer but it still felt great lol, so I wonder how your playthrough went. I don't think I ever felt ambivalent or detached from the story, I always either felt: - pissed off at Arquebus, - shitty for betraying some specific people, - happy after given the option to kill someone i wanted to, - annoyed at being forced into some actions, etc. I got really invested. And that's ignoring the fun of piecing together the lore and personalities/history/hidden agendas and schemes of each pilot by looking at each pilot's badge, their dialogue, collecting info logs, redoing missions and trying alternate routes, etc.

[@HungryHungryB]

EDIT: LOL NVM all this was addressed in the vid If you mean the character 621, yeah. Initially it's a pretty grim world where you're a cripple on life support who really has no prospects but to be thrown into a cheap mech and sent to die. Your handler promises that if you reach the coral you'll get rich enough to unburn your brain, and he shows his true colors later. Your other companion is a hypocrite from an entire race of hypocrites (one sec coral is important to her, even orphan coral, the next second she's decked out in coral weapons when energy, incendiary, or kinetic weaponry would do just fine. Other coral beings display the same cannibalistic tendencies.). You (621) have literally no choice but to do the missions. BUT, as you play you gain more and more agency both as a player and 621, and eventually you have both enough skill and reputation to be able to decide the fate of a solar system (or an entire universe, depending on how ending 3 works). My interpretation of the story is about 621 going from being a replaceable cripple (literally bought and sold) to becoming the most influential man on Rubicon (or in history, but ending 3 is real vague on the details). You go from being a corporate pawn to being able to assist the defense force, to being able to decide whether a solar system burns, wage a war against space-spanning conglomerates, or turn every human into semi-immortal magic infinite energy machines. (Ending 3 is vague.) At that point, how *could* you feel weak, unimportant, or purposeless? You've got the world at your fingertips and you've clawed your way to the top. You've taken on G1 and his entire squad of MTs. You've destroyed an entire arquebus fleet almost singlehandedly. You've taken multiple IBIS series mechs. You've taken on the Ice Worm, CATAPHRACT (which tore up three other hounds in the video (unless that was a Tetrapod, which you've destroyed plenty of)), and WAAAYYY more.

[@justletmecomment6453]

Coral Waves are different than individual Coral particles. Ayre is a sentient Wave Mutation, she can interface with/assimilate regular bits of Coral that are just floating around. Cells vs souls, if you will.

[@HungryHungryB]

@@justletmecomment6453 true. Saying they're a race of hypocrites is hyperbole, but my point was she's shocked and disgusted by the Sea Spider being powered by coral, and then continues to use a coral-powered, coral-weapon-using mech when other weapons would be fine. And Dolmayan's schizo waifu is happy for him to 'imbibe' coral if it means they can stay in Contact. It's odd.

[@YTmaxi]

I don't think "being normal again" is that high on 621s set of priorities. In Liberator ending, Walter makes that offer to 621, and it doesn't even give 621 pause. Certainly seems to be an important concept for Walter, though. Nice video :)

[@dhoffnun]

TBF that offer doesn't have a lot of substance in context when it's given - and it was always just Walter's assumption that's what 621 wanted, anyway.

[@josephwilson6272]

Thank you for this new perspective on this amazing game. Cheers! And let's hope the next entry in the series arrives soon!

[@diamondogsamurai2226]

Well I will tell I’m feeling much like 621 in life right now. But GREAT video essay I didn’t occur to me the deep story behind this game. This has become top 10 game for me of all time.

[@phantombags]

The controls of AC6 are so incredible! I love it over the past Armored Cores. I wish they can redo all of the Armored Cores and use these AC6 controls and graphics.

[@galaxycamerata]

This video feels like it heard and understood a lot of the concepts in Armored Core 6 very well, but then consciously decided to misconstrue them for the sake of making a point the game itself is very much NOT making. It's not that the world doesn't care about you, because the world CAN'T care about you. It never could. It's simply a burnt out husk now, and even before that, it was simply a world with no thoughts of its own. The point is that you're being encouraged to see past the trauma and anger inherent to the life you're trapped in to realize that there's still PEOPLE that care. Walter seemingly buys the debts of older gen Human+ pilots to help coordinate them into missions that accomplish what he feels are genuinely good changes, as well as free them of their debts by the end by either getting enough credits to buy it off, and he regrets every single death that happens on a mission he's spearheading. His attempts to tell you to brush it off are just as much him trying to help you as it is him trying to remind himself. He even gives Raven a LOT of leeway on how to accomplish something, not only allowing them to buy their own AC parts, but decide mid-mission what they want to do, up to and including outright abandoning the current mission in favor of something else that sounds promising, and even choosing missions for themself. Rusty sees a spark in you that's longing for someone to ignite it, and he's hoping to help you towards that path. He has a LOT of love in his heart for life in general. Its why he sides with the RLF, and his mechs are named for the fact that he loves the exhiliation of flying in the wind and seeing the sunrise on a world worth fighting for. He wants you to have that experience as well. Carla is pretty much instantly endeared to you after you show you're not the aimless dog she thought you were, and she's clearly shown to be a caring person who outright made her butler AI into a valued member of her crew, as well as trying to put out AC parts that act as dependable construction equipment and help with defensive measures. Ayre is essentially helping Raven recover from intense brain damage and encouraging them to stop and smell the roses as best she can. She fills in for Walter when he's indisposed, tries to comfort you during tense situations, and is ultimately hoping to deprogram your desensitization towards life not just to help her people, but regain your own sense of agency. The Raven from Branch is downright PROUD of you from how their operator reacts, because they found someone with the will to carry on a legacy worthy of the name. Hell, even among the cast that aren't directly trying to help 621, there's recurring motifs of people not realizing how much those around them care for them, particularly Iguazu being too stuck in his own self-destructive hatred of you that he can't see Michigan and Volta are trying to help him improve, if not as a pilot then as a person. The endings are all reflections of something important. Fires of Raven is what happens when Raven fails to understand this reality for one reason or another. All there is is the mission, to the detriment of everyone involved, and they have surrendered their agency to someone who's hoping to one day not need to be your guiding hand. Liberator of Rubicon is much the same, but instead of relying solely on Walter, you're relying primarily on Rusty and the RLF to decide for you past that initial choice to go with them. Things go awry as they do, and you only barely scramble to mitigate the damage. Alea lacta Est, meanwhile, is what happens when you catch on VERY early that something is going on and you follow initiative. Yes, it can seem as if ALLMIND is stringing you along, but the game's plot on this path is seemingly written as if Raven understands damn well what's going to happen, and is waiting for a proper moment to strike, because it relies primarily on you, the player, CHOOSING to take ALLMIND's bait knowing that a seemingly quaint autonomous management AI is visibly trying to prepare you for something specific rather than impartially giving you stuff to reward being a good pilot because several key figures in the story have been using parts made by them... and they are ALL seemingly losing their minds over what it's cost them. And in the end, this allows you to sabotage ALLMIND's plans, allow Coral to be heard, and for the entire galaxy to enter a new age that has the potential to be free of what nearly killed it last time. Iguazu keeps asking us why we're so special, but the answer is the thesis of the entire game; We're not special. We simply chose to matter. Fromsoft games are not about how the world is awful. It's about finding the good in a world that's full of awful people.

[@kimbah]

Beautiful interpretation, my friend. Thanks for this video

[@cheeky_casual]

0:22 I know you said "mech warfare" here, but on my first watch, I misheard it as "McWarfare" and now I have the urge to co commit some McWarcrimes 😂

[@benlubbers4943]

"Mission for you 621, directly from the higher ups at Burger King. Your job is to take out the primary enforcer of the McDonalds corporation on the planet. Pilot Asmongold, with his AC the Mech Donalds."

[@justsomejerseydevilwithint4606]

I find it interesting that the only purpose you ever fine is Pure Destruction. How typically nihilistic of Armored Core.

[@elishaberry611]

Always good to have more food for thought on this game's story.

[@atifnoor1785]

You put a great deal of effort into this. The pacing, editing, your voice, it's all great. You've earned a sub bud.

[@clinton4161]

Since Rubicon has trees. I wonder if the planet once was teaming with life and had a better climate. Maybe there were terraforming machines that were destroyed by the Fires of Ibis thus turning it icey.

[@GallowayJesse]

The fires of ibis ruined the planet's climate and made the dam freeze over

[@linkkicksu]

It's funny to be bringing this up about AC6 when AC6 is I think the most "Chosen one" story of all the AC games In every other game you were just some random merc with nothing special about you, just that you were skilled and ended up either supporting certain corps or getting under their skin enough that they try to get you killed and you end up saving humanity by fact of you being the only one skilled enough to do it. Hell in every other game 'Raven' was a job title whereas you're just the one and only Raven in AC6 (Aside from the guy you stole the name from) Well, also aside from in AC5/Verdict Day where it was a nickname but one awarded based on your skill as a pilot, not because you are the chosen one. Also AC6 has probably the smoothest and most "industry standard" controls of the entire series. Play AC1 - AC3SL if you want a REAL mechanical feeling. It's really like learning to drive again for the first time. Also just play the gen 3 games in general if you really want to be blown away by customization options Not only do you have a frame, 4 weapons, generator, boosters and FCS, but you also have shoulder weapons, internal weapons, hangers for backup weapons, the option to swap out your overboost (assault boost) for drones or more custom part slots, custom parts that give your AC certain stat boosts or capabilities like an Anti-missile pulse. You had radiators becuase your boosters and generator create a ton of heat and careless play can end up with you burning yourself alive. Each head had a suite of features like inbuilt radar, biological sensors, night vision, etc. and each head even changed the voice of your AC's main system. And back slots weren't just weapons and shields, but also radars, ammo boxes or double slot back weapons. And on top of all that you could go and manually tune the stat balance of each of your parts like you're playing Assetto Corsa or something. AC6 has the second shallowest customization, only beating out generation 1.

[@artenstien7100]

It really is like they made this game without their actual AC fanbase in mind isn't it? Plus the story is almost a wholesale ripoff of Project Wingman.

[@motorsporttj1689]

⁠​⁠@@artenstien7100 Not really. There are similarities though.

[@alexsabau5942]

@@artenstien7100 How is it a ripoff??

[@varnix1006]

@@artenstien7100 man I want to have whatever blunt you're smoking. If AC6 is Project Wingman ripoff, then Project Wingman is even more an Ace Combat Zero ripoff.

[@Q-Vu]

This video does give me a new perspective to the game now

[@OleNesie]

I get the opposite from this game, I became an insanely skilled pilot and ended up helping the liberation of an entire planet

[@ulric8445]

Yeah I figured that out when more than half of the missions didn’t consist of immense combat fighting alongside other AC pilots or MTs against dozens of enemy MTs and giant machines

[@CommanderKrieg]

Another reverse-joint enjoyer I see. Just so you know, your boost will Regen faster if get smaller back weapons. I also recommend running something like a laser dagger you can switch to for punishes.

[@wolfaja755]

I remember playing armor core on the ps2

[@joevaghn457]

I think AC6 may end up feeling "Soulsborne" like because of From Software's engine. The said "in our modern environment" so that likely means their development environment they currently use, which includes tools like their engine which was used for Bloodborne, Sekiro, Dark Souls 3, and Elden Ring.

[@Insane-xo3kp]

really good video on AC6 Lore and meaning, bc from soft games are really deep, always

[@fireflyraven2760]

I have been wondering since these mecha's are piloted differently then normal ac's can we still call them next like back in ac4

[@dhoffnun]

I'd say no - the thing about NEXTs is that they're powered by the magical mcguffin of Kojima particles - they're a great deal faster than even the fastest mechs in AC6. They also cause absurd pollution when operating, basically making the whole world worthless to live on. (Coral is its own high stakes mcguffin, but operates a bit differently.) I'd say the AC6 mechs are between the 3rd and 4th generation in terms of speed and power.

[@bonboncak42]

You kids had it good, all armored core veterans had to play solo as a raven. But this time we have horny red alien sand to tag along with. Be grateful, buddy Sigh…

[@Tony_Visionary]

i never played this game but had interest on it, this is a good damn video who showed me things concepts lore and meanings i've never thought could exist in this game! nice!

[@kibayaiba3893]

You should play this game and I promise you, it's worth it I was not into the Mech genre but after I played this game seriously wow i change my mind

[@adhdasdfroflxd123]

So true bestie

[@thealgerian3285]

If only. Might be true for the previous AC games, but none this one.

[@gamedominatorxennongdm7956]

Well you don't exactly start with one now don't you.

[@indeedgaminghere401]

Why are people so obsessed with saying everything takes inspiration from Dark Souls? The locking system in Souls game especially like Elden Ring is trash on big enemies. And Dark Souls didn’t invent big bosses with telegraphed attacks. Has no one ever heard of Zelda or Monster Hunter?? Lol

[@Ghorda9]

the trick with lock on is that it's optional, just don't use it on big enemies unless you're using ranged attacks. All melee weapons can be aimed manually.

[@indeedgaminghere401]

@@Ghorda9 Oh, I know not to use the lock on when fighting big enemies. The point is that their lock on for big enemies is trash. I don't use the lock on for big enemies because they're apparently incapable of not making the lock on for big enemies trash. Players shouldn't have to work around bad design, and not using the luck on against big enemies is exactly that. It's not like it's impossible to make a good luck on for big enemies, they just didn't do it lol

[@Ghorda9]

​@@indeedgaminghere401 except the very concept of lock on doesn't work with large enemies because you have lots of different things that you could target in every situation, if it where to always switch to the nearest target it would be really jarring and still inaccurate to a degree.

[@Ghorda9]

@@indeedgaminghere401 it's not bad design to make a QoL mechanic situational and completely optional.

[@indeedgaminghere401]

@@Ghorda9 I’m sorry, but there’s to many games that have figured out locking on large enemies for me to accept that. Just like FromSoft didn’t create large bosses with telegraphed attacks. They also aren’t the first game to have to tackle locking on to large enemies. You can’t tell me they can’t do something that’s literally been done before.

[@mareofstature]

Love the video it's a great breakdown of the game's story. I would like to offer a different perspective on 1 things and correct another. The first is the third ending. You saw that as "hope" and the next evolution of the human race. This I feel is completely inaccurate as it's not "human's" evolution but the Coral's. Thus making the final ending seem not hopeful but ominous. The thing id like to correct though is Walters "prediction" and his view on the coral. The coral was not a prediction but a reality he already lived through once. The Institute created all manner of ultimate war machines. The C weapons, the surgeries, the augments all of these things were developed for war and conquest. Coral was not a fuel or potential for growth for Walter, no it's a Nuke that will cause destruction unimaginable. And he lived that 50 years before when he saw the research. It's not a prediction like a some radical "dooms day theory" it's watching all the horrors be repeated.

[@galaxycamerata]

That's the thing though; It's a reality, but specifically HIS reality. He's missing a major piece of the puzzle in that all of these things happened weren't because of the Coral. It was because of The Institute. He's a traumatized man trying to do what he thinks will save the galaxy from the horrors he's lived through, and its flaws like that that make him a really compelling operator.

[@mareofstature]

@@galaxycamerata I think you agree with me but your wording throws me off. If by "his reality" you mean his perspective on events then yes you are correct. When I say "It was a reality for him" I'm talking about his specific experiences with the institute. He's not missing a piece of the puzzle, he knows where the path leads and wants to destroy the possibility of history being repeated. I think he understands human greed and desire for power very well. Coral was the direct cause and influence that led to his suffering and suffering of many others in the past. His logic is sound.

[@galaxycamerata]

@@mareofstature His logic is sound, but not his conclusion. He's blaming the institute and then punishing the coral because his trauma has obfuscated the fact that there's more to this. Repeatedly, throughout the story, it's been demonstrated that people always had the findings to prove the Coral was alive, but they ignored it by brushing it off as exposure causing a hallucinogenic reaction, rather than pursuing the research further and discovering that there was effectively an entire species of Boltzmann Brains resting within Rubicon; Coral wave frequencies that were complex enough to be no different from a human brain's synaptic sequences. And if Walter was so deeply ingrained with the project yet knew the willful amounts of exploitation and suffering at hand, he likely knew there was something more to the Coral too... and still decided the best course is to burn it all away, killing thousands to send a message to millions. This also doesn't even take into account the implications that ALLMIND seems to be incredibly aware of what's going on but doesn't even raise a finger to stop it, meaning that the fires likely didn't even work if it didn't feel all that threatened. In Fromsoft games in general, Fires symbolizes comfort, but also an unwillingness to adapt. A violent fear of the uncertainty around you. "The darkness is scary, so no matter what's in there I'm going to keep this fire lit." The Frenzied Flame ending in Elden Ring carries a lot of the similar hallmarks to Fires of Raven; Burning away an alien influence - the Erdtree - because its outreach terrifies you due to what people did with it. This is the same game, however, that carries an ending where you can outright change what the Erdtree represents, in the same way you can choose what the coral means to you; Doom, coexistence, or an evolution. All this to say, Walter being an unreliable narrator is what makes his take on everything interesting. With that context, you're made to consider and reconsider everything he's told you, and everything you're told about him. He gains so much complexity knowing his involvement with the entire endeavor is so deeply personal that it's scarred his perception of reality somewhat.

[@HattaTHEZulZILLA86]

Soooo... basically like ALL of FromSoft's protagonists? From Demon's Souls to Elden Ring? Only YOU, the player, give meaning to the paths chosen in FromSoft's games. I thought that wasn't hammered into you after playing all those games already?

[@KABLAMMATS]

Give him some slack, he's a tourist

[@FlashyFrame]

The trend started with Miyazaki's second project as game director, Armored Core: for Answer. The first Armored Core game with three paths/answers that the player choose and give meaning to. Funny how a lot of ACVI is based on Miyazaki's gen 4 Armored core games.

[@themaskmaster8013]

I personally disagree with saying that Coral Release was Raven's choice. All through the game, Allmind gives you missions and you fulfill her requests, just like with Walter and Ayre in the two other endings. Maybe if Raven didn't do what Allmind told him to do anyway after defeating her, then I would say he made his own choice. But given it's Ayre saying "we'll pull the trigger", it's just another manipulation ending in my eyes, but instead of one person using you, it's two. I dunno, I just never liked the ending (but nonetheless appreciate the extra gameplay), it really doesn't feel like you're paving your own way, and I don't really get how it could be taken that way

[@alexsabau5942]

Raven still chooses to do it though. It's clear that his relationship with Ayre isn't just 1 sided, he can end their Contact as Ayre says I believe after the Watchpoint mission. She asks to maintain Contact, until they reach the Coral convergence iirc. Raven could likely have stopped the Coral release from happening if he wanted to, but by that point he wouldn't want to, at least the way I saw it.

[@themaskmaster8013]

@@alexsabau5942 To the same degree that you choose to follow Walter's last wish and Ayre's desire to keep the coral. At the end of the day, you're still just a pawn in Allmind's ploy, which you play directly into until you destroy her at the end. But even then, there isn't a choice, really. You do Allmind's will anyway, still a dog to the ideals that your masters urge you towards. Is it a bad thing? Not really, again, I appreciate the extra content, but... Yeah. Not really your choice, from the moment you kill V.III.

[@galaxycamerata]

@@themaskmaster8013 ALLMIND's will wasn't simply Coral Release by itself. Coral Release was a tool it was using to install itself as the central brain of all sentient life in the galaxy, Human and Coral. It's in the network's name; It wants to be All Minds. The third route is specifically engineered to draw attention to ALLMIND more openly, because you're being presented with a choice to either ignore it drilling puppet strings into everything, or stand against it once and for all to prevent a manipulative AI from devouring the souls of humanity AND the Coral under the pretense of making them "better". And Raven does it because Ayre allows them to see that the ability to grow and thrive together was always on the table without ALLMIND's "guidance" since Ayre helps them recover from the more debilitating effects of the Gen 4 augmentation. It's not just some fight over who gets the credit. Whoever pulls the trigger flat out decides what the gun does.

[@ethanspaziani1070]

I disagree with you the dark souls influence on Armored core has a negative impact on its feel and overall gameplay for me I am nothing more than a drop of water in a bucket now I guess ..... What I love about the series has been twisted and turned into something else something I don't want they took out what I enjoyed......

[@drakemguard1407]

AC veterans players:Welcome to the club friend😀 Try Playing the Last Raven..... Yeah that wil broke you especially if you played the AC 1 to Last Raven

[@TheSpectralFX]

This is somewhat an ignorant doomer take on the serie's theme. Armored core has always been about a rags to riches journey. It's about starting has a nobody and then carving a name for yourself through sweat and blood. 4th generation Armored core also introduced the concept of trans-humanism(think of the term "transcending" here)... it's about being presented with the option of casting away your humanity in exchange for raw power that surpasses what normal humans can do. The "purpose" you claim to be absent is actually yours to make up in your mind to begin with. Hope this helps.

[@HungryHungryB]

I thought the same when i saw the thumbnail, but I guess it's a bit of bait to set up the twist at the end. Throughout most of the video he maintains that attitude but near the end he basically says the same thing as you. 621 has no agency in the start of the game, but by the end of NG++ you've gradually gained more freedom and power until he's finally able to make his own choices. In the NG++ ALLMIND route, instead of following Ayre or Walter's orders, he betrays Walter, curbstomps AllGuazu, and Ayre is the one following his choices this time. He's unshackled, and decides to detonate the magical infinite evolution nuke, and he wasn't coerced into it by anyone. He went from being a cripple slave to the most influential person in history. Rags to riches, as you said.

[@HungryHungryB]

What he means by "no purpose" is 621 is just a dog following orders with no real agency of his own. In NG and NG+, (even NG++ for a while) the only choices he gets to make is which master he wants to obey.

[@mickthick6170]

I love how every AC game always revolves around you, a nameless nobody who ends up steering the fate of mankind by virtue of simply being good at your job. To play devil's advocate a bit, AC6 is the first game where its implied that you weren't really given much of a choice when you became an AC pilot. Every prior game invloves you either starting out your journey or as an independent who's feet are already a bit wet. I think that's the point that the guy in the video was trying to make, that even from the beginning nothing was really your choice, that you're a mercenary through no intention of your own and that the choices laid out for you are the choices of other people, and the only thing you can do is come along for the ride. Of course I do fundamentally disagree with his video because ultimately it is your choice what you do. Even if you're following someone else's wishes, you're still willingly making that choice, much like how you make a choice in ACFA, which was very much executed similarly. That and, well if it were me, I would never have gone through with Coral Release of my own free will, like lets be real. People who willing choose any other ending aside from Fires of Raven be like: yes I want to disseminate the highly volatile extrasolar supercell across the galaxy to "merge" with mankind to jumpstart evolution and create the ultimate lifeform, whatever tf that means I'm sure everything is going to be perfectly alright and the coral is being completely genuine with its intentions, and we can certainly trust any old bloke with a spaceship not to ignite the coral themselves and literally vaporize half of the known galaxy, whether a coral ignition would be intentional or otherwise

[@anthonywuellner969]

Armored core 1 started the ball rolling on the trans humanism, with the 50,000c debt resetting you to human+, ac4 just moves the h+ tech from a background narrative choice(like seeing that Sulla has allmind parts or that Iguazu has allmind arms on the first layer exploration mission) ac4 shows an escalation of war to require h+ instead of being a sketchy new tech

[@dhoffnun]

What a disappointingly reductivist take

[@osakanone]

It really does. It's the most coddling game to date.

[@rouge-ish324]

It's not coddling but definitely easier

[@dantespardaposter5315]

LoL... The game awards it's shit means nothing and they give awards based on popularity and nepotism... The last of us part 2 is a pile of shit Gow 2018 is a pile of shit cinematic garbage... The only times they gave well deserved awards it's cause they feared gamers getting smart enough to understand it's rigged and ruled by politics and nepotism... Love AC 6... Best game of the year for me

[@amoghpara5310]

Last of us 2 is amazing I'll die on that hill

[@justsomeguywithlasereyes9920]

@@amoghpara5310 Youll die quick there since you're objectively wrong.

[@dantespardaposter5315]

@@amoghpara5310 do everyone's a favor and do it for real... fucking runining vidya with that cinematic shit

[@amoghpara5310]

@@dantespardaposter5315 Why u so aggressive about a goddamn videogame jeez bruh. Grow up!!

[@gamesucks3092]

Armored Core 6 has a couple minor flaws that might leave OG mech players wanting more... an adventure style camera, no cover system, no free aiming system/scope plus some of the worst AI and voice acting I've ever experienced really hold this title back By now I was hoping that a cover system would be the standard in all third person shooters and it would be great if you could slave a camera orientation to one of the dash functions for a quick glance option in any direction rather than having to steer your camera around like a boat. Unfortunately the game doesn't have a manual aim mode so everything seems to be done off auto targeting and instead of a tight third person over the shoulder view like Gears of War it has a free floating movie camera more like an adventure game so when you press in any direction except forward your character has to turn in order to head that direction... this provides some jerky animation sequences as always. Overall a fantastic game but lack of camera options no cover system and not much diversity in your aiming strategy take away from the overall title They definitely could have learned a few things from Vanquish!!

[@varnix1006]

Nope, just no. What you want is a 3rd person shooter like Mass Effect but with mechs. What most AC players want is the combination of the good things from AC3, 4 and, 5. You don't want to be the pilot inside the mech, you want to be a Transformer. Also manual aim is in AC6, there's an OS tuning for it. Hold press the camera lock button and you'll enter manual aim.

[@gamesucks3092]

@@varnix1006 manual aim just doesn't work in this title because the stick is so imprecise with giant dead zones and you can't adjust it... your ability to adjust your control is practically negligent in this title its a far cry from the precise controls in other games and the reticle comically overlays on top of your character as if you're watching a cartoon robot from a flying camera😳 They would have done much better by giving us more options

[@veryrare432hz]

Like all of FS games lol ? Fk this one tho

[@VictorIV0310]

TempleOS