Tracing The Armored Core Lineage

[@scribeslendy595]

"From the moment I understood the weakness of my flesh, it disgusted me" -KBash preciesly 2 nanoseconds after experiencing mech bliss

[@velocitasfortis]

KBash: "Keep it in your pants!" Everyone: "No. Dicks out for Rusty!"

[@yeetkunedo]

Finally, KBash has entered the world of mecha. Soon, Gundam EXVS bros. Soon.

[@Exlayer-pk8hy]

Let's get him to play srw

[@Gamma0_0]

Gundam EXVS is simply the best team mech fighting experience. God, I want EXVS2 in the West so much.

[@NT-Amusing]

​@@Exlayer-pk8hyIt would probably take KBash a solid year to make a retrospective about that.

[@Exlayer-pk8hy]

@@NT-Amusing It would be feasible if limited to just the games released outside of Japan officially, which are only like, 8 of them. 10 if you count the X Zone spin offs.

[@cbizzle2590]

Soon.

[@StigmataTickles]

That wrap up paralleling FromSoft's iterative arc with your own as a creator brought a tear to my eye. Well done KBash, you're killing it!

[@blaiseoffury4866]

That last little monologue about growing your flower and having people who got used to and enjoy the view is such a nice summary on the nature of continuous creation. Loved, need to write it down somewhere

[@maraganger]

The ending was genuinely extremely touching, something you don't expect out of an Armored Core vid' but even more happy it was there. Very important stuff to say and consider.

[@OccuredJakub12]

I'm very much one of the people he speaks of and I'm not sure how to feel about that. But that's life I guess

[@DashXero]

Yeah. The ending spoke to me too. I'm half-convinced that what I'm working on will be a horrible disaster, but I can't not do it. Thanks, KBash. Good work, and keep at it.

[@malum9478]

@@DashXero the worst thing you can do isn't fail, it's give up.

[@Babaduke97]

When they revealed AC6 at the Game Awards it felt like they where saying "Elden Ring is where we are now, would you like to see where we come from?"

[@TrazynTheKleptomanichad]

a lot of people went: "what is this, mecha souls?" and old geezers like me went: "I was there Gandalf, I was there 3000 years ago getting 9-ball seraph PTSD" it felt so good to be back

[@TornaitSuperBird]

@@TrazynTheKleptomanichadThis series gave me false nostalgic memories. Granted, I did spend a lot of time watching playthroughs of the games despite only having Nintendo stuff growing up. Now I have a Steam Deck and I can play (almost) the entire series and actually enjoy everything firsthand.

[@Laceon1]

Big win

[@Spiderdoom-hg3iy]

armored core 6 was 10x more fun than elden ring. not that it's better, but it's objectively more fun to play

[@torinriley7569]

The extremely sparse presentation of Fromsoft's PS1 library that even bleeds into their later games makes a lot more sense when you find out they used to be a office productivity software developer before pivoting into game dev with most of their old staff roster intact.

[@CrashD6]

I like how at the end, when you were describing the series as a whole, you were actually describing yourself and your work, the first games that barely anyone ever played are like your least viewed videos, a lot of care an dedication was put into those, yet very few bothered to to give them any love, and as you grow and learn, you try new things, try to evolve, and sometimes it doesn't pay off, bringing you back to a tried and true formula, but even with it's trials and tribulations, you've managed to gather a loyal fanbase that sticks with you. It's moving how relatable some games and franchises can be when you look deep enough, thank you for this video KBash!

[@zeroattentiongaming820]

Ah once again I have to appreciate Kbash being the only person to mention Otogi when talking about From's pre Souls work in one of these videos

[@ClarkKentai]

This is the first time I've seen someone other than me pointing out how f'n incredible Otogi is. Props.

[@zeroattentiongaming820]

@@ClarkKentai The series is certainly underrated but honestly I can see why. They were a part of that brief time when Microsoft had a bunch of Japanese devs make exclusives to try and push the OG Xbox in Japan where it flopped horribly and outside that market they reviewed extremely well but sold very poorly due to lack of marketing. I only knew about them due to a demo disc that had a couple Otogi 2 missions and I lucked into finding a single copy of both at a mom and pop game store that had all kinds of really rare stuff. Outside that and Kbash mentioning them in two videos, I've only heard them mentioned once by Foxcade in a character action video where he passingly referred to them as From's take on the action genre DMC started and Matt Mcmuscles mentioned them in passing once or twice. We need a KZbin reviewer to give them their time in the spotlight like all the other old From games. For fuck's sake I have yet to hear a single person mention that the Moonlight Sword was also in Otogi whenever people talk about that recurring element of their work.

[@lesslighter]

@@zeroattentiongaming820 Cryveil actually made the entire painstaking historical retrospective of From Soft that means it starts with the JP only KF1 since KF1 in the US is infact KF2 in Japan

[@Zulfram]

I am among the 500. Last Raven is my favorite Armored Core game, and one of my favorite games period. I think I love it so much because it honestly felt to me like the game that required the most understanding and tinkering to really get through, where missions actually varied enough to render part choice meaningful on a mission to mission basis. Uber-Zinaida can suck it though.

[@mat3393gjh]

I loved ACLR too. Although I grew to love it as much as I did, because I relied on others to quicken my learning. I looked up guides, and used those guides to learn a develop better guides. I tinkerer with my ac a lot. I now kill everything in seconds in ACLR. Uber Zinida is tough, but I’m a learning respawning “no lifer” killing machine. She never stood a chance.😂 I’m probably shit at pvp in ACLR though. Got no practice or exposure.😂

[@rodrigogarofalo7814]

I really hope that this is the one that matters, that this is the one that casts your name in shining gold and makes all the work worth it. You truly deserve it. Keep going...

[@TMRaven]

As the world's biggest Last Raven enjoyer I enjoy seeing people get filtered by it.

[@drwilyecoyote5357]

i got a sort of sadistic glee out of getting a souls player do his first playthrough of last raven on the zinaida route.

[@mat3393gjh]

@@drwilyecoyote5357ouch. Hope he looks up a guide. People need guides in ACLR. Most people can’t learn quick enough to thoroughly enjoy ACLR. It’s difficulty can skyrocket too quick for nearly everyone, except for those who already know the game inside/out.

[@rexailos475]

@@drwilyecoyote5357That’s literally me and honestly it sealed Last Raven as my favourite AC

[@gunjinrieper4062]

"The taregeting box is big enough" Me reflecting at myself using a narrow and deep fcs

[@LoFi_Punk]

"Oh, a hyperbolic statement from a genuine fan of the series and this specific game, that's entertaining" *Noticing the decade plus of LR videos* "Oh, the world's biggest Last Raven fan, huh."

[@Killer66hitman]

As someone who was raised on AC3 then proceeded to Souls it up for a decade along with the rest of mankind, i literally could not be happier with AC6. I feel like it was made for me - and you bet I 100% that shiii. Let me build my mecha, give me an arena to test them in, and then give me missions and online play to really put them through their paces. Glorious.

[@CinnamonLyn]

I really agree on the difficulty of most of the series, it’s pretty generous with aiming so it hasn’t aged as bad as I thought it would’ve. Covering 16 games in 1 video is such an impressive undertaking, really good video!

[@AuramiteEX]

Armored Core is one of the greatest game series of all time.

[@sir_giggles_8d232]

The "Arthritis for your eyes" joke destroyed me, great video Mr. Bash

[@Josh-Stream]

The amount of times I would watch an Armored Core retrospective, and wish it was a KBash Vid... Wish fulfilled. Thank you KBash.

[@Whodat]

Old Raven that has been playing since '97 (also played Lost Kingdoms 1 and 2 on release). I almost dropped a manly tear at that flower part at the end. AC6 Just may be the best in the series. Whether it's DLC or AC7, here's What we need going forward: Sniper builds Gun Arms Anti-missile parts Light Quad legs Physical/solid shields with their own HP that absorb ~half impact damage Hover legs Shoulder mounted chain/gatling/mini guns Dual welding mele Old gen head aesthetics 2 handed/Heavy weapons Auto shotgun Auto grenade launcher Solid/physical kinetic Sword/melee weapons PvP matchmaking Co-op missions Multiplayer game modes (Capture the flag, hordes/waves, defend the VIP, etc) More boosters More cores More generators

[@joshy-noha]

About the corporations thing, yeah, I think japan was way ahead in the 90s about the corprations controlling goverment stuff. FFVII with ShinRa and in Ace Combat 3 it was a war of corporations and you could see propaganda being served on the media while you knew the actual truth of the events lol. Maybe it was japan going through their silent decade after their economy came down hard from the great 80s. Anime and videogames from Japan of the 90s was some dark shit.

[@Shooom-or9mk]

Ac6 doesn't have a 'good' or 'bad' ending and it's very frustrating when people say it does because that misses the whole point. Once humans and Coral come in contact, they are doomed to inevitably wipe each other out. AC6 says that greed will invariably draw corporations to use Coral as fuel, and in consolidating and growing it, will trigger a Coral collapse, simultaneously ODing everyone in the known universe on space percs. The only options are for humans to destroy Coral, for humans to use Coral and be destroyed by it, or to hybridize and become red space ghosts possessing big robots. Ayre's ending is the Naive Ending. She basically says "Yeah allowing Coral to exist basically jeopardizes all of humanity, but we'll figure out something... uhh probably." It's a non-resolution that just hopes for the best. Walter's ending is the Utilitarian ending. You cause a giant explosion that (hopefully) eliminates all the Coral, and of not, at least keeps the corps away for a very long time. You sacrifice the people of Rubicon and all the Coral, which sucks, but humanity is saved. Allmind's ending is different. You combine people and Coral so they can all become like Ayre and pilot ACs as space ghosts. But doing that means giving up a lot--everyone's bodies, and maybe what makes them human. Dolmayan and O'Keefe thought there was a lot that would be lost, at least. Allmind irreversibly thrusts humanity into an uncertain future, where humanity might gain a lot, but might lose a lot too. I'm a huge fan of what they did with the story. Even though it is very close to previous From games, I feel it brings a lot of new stuff to the table. AC seems to still be searching for an identity, and it is heavily leaning on Souls for now. But I don't get the impression that From will play it safe in the future. I think Souls is more of a stepping stone for AC, a tool to build a following before really becoming its own big IP.

[@LoneWolfInsane]

its weird how he complained about the story, of almost every AC game being almost non existent. but couldn't comprehend it anymore the moment it got slightly more complex in AC6. And completely skipped talking about Last Ravens story, despite it having the most interesting and memorable characters pre AC6.

[@V2ULTRAKill]

AC as a series tells a story in a very unique and great way for a game

[@OtherMomo]

Fun fact, if you play ac6, get all three endings, and then start your fourth playthrough all without touching the arena or training simulator, AllMind has special dialogue. Arena has her basically say "sorry my cool challenged werent COOL ENOUGH for you, ill try to make them better, jerk" And training has her legit flabberghasted that you beat all three endings without being certified, its absolutely adorable, imo.

[@HunterForHire422]

Its crazy how in a single month armored core went from completely off the radar to me to probably my 2nd favorite game series of all time. Nearly all of them i enjoyed for different reasons. I honestly hated last raven alot at first too, but in hindsight its a game i respect for pushing me to better optimize both my play and my builds. Theres moments in each game where i was forced to adapt to something the game needed me to do to beat hardest missions or ACs. Last raven just had alot of those moments

[@CyanYoh]

Editing and playing aside, how in the hell do you script at the speed you do? Genuinely impressed and slightly worried at your output speed of videos this large. This will keep my morning dog walks interesting.

[@rodrigogarofalo7814]

This, I really hope he is actually eating. The cadence and length of videos is disturbingly high

[@draghettis6524]

You can do the second ending, Liberator of Rubicon, even on a first playthrough. The only choice that matters is the last one, when Ayre asks you to kill Carla

[@C_0_N]

Exactly what I did

[@juancolon123]

Yup

[@ripplecutter233]

I killed carla on my first run. the lady in my head told me to. no, I won't take my meds.

[@yourdad5799]

​@@ripplecutter233 I honored the legacy of my bro Walter. I ain't listening to a red mist alien thing even it has a nice voice. BURN THE CORAL BURN IT ALL

[@joshuamcwatters6803]

I'm one of the 500 Last Raven enjoyers :D. It's a tough game but the feeling of beating tough missions is so rewarding.

[@bluewingedknight7762]

I think your fears are misplaced, you said it yourself, Armored Core has always had an identity crisis. If it wasn't "over" for the identity of the series with Armored Core 4 then I very much doubt it would be over with Armored Core 6. Perhaps I am nitpicking hear, but regarding health packs as "soulslike" seems rather shortsighted, it's ignoring the plethora of arcade-ish action games that use health items as well. Unless you are going to tell me that Nier or Metal Gear Rising are also soulslike for featuring healthpacks then I think we can agree that the inclusion of that mechanic is an extreme divergence for the formula. You talk about parts seating in the garage, but much like in the fights against Nineball in AC1 or the entirety of AC: Last Raven, there are gonna be cheesy builds who make this game a cakewalk. I am not going to throw around the word "skill issue" as an insult or in an effort to demean those who had to resort to meta builds, but it stands to reason that the experience is going to vary from player to player depending on their skill and that doesn't necessarily mean the sacrifice of the identity of the game. It just means that at different skill levels people are going to have a different experience, and therefore a different relation with the identity of the franchise. Obviously FromSoft make use of their badge as the "creators of Dark Souls" in order to promote their game, but it's in such a passive and unintrusive way, none of the promotional material makes mention of it. Overall I think it's an unwarranted fear, a paranoid thought that will age in a manner more akin to milk than wine.

[@ShiroNoKishidan]

Yo, was that Custom Robo music at the beginning?!?!? 10 seconds in and I already know this video is gonna be fire!

[@borninshadow]

Glad to see someone digging into the Armored Core series, especially with a fresh pair of eyes!

[@billythenarwhal1579]

I think the most impressive thing about AC1 is that it was built in the same engine as King's Field.

[@billythenarwhal1579]

also I am one of those 500 Last Raven enjoyers.

[@LAZY-RUBY]

That rant about lobbying was unexpected, but welcome. Always knew you were cool.

[@enzo991_]

This was such a fantastic retrospective on Armored Core, a series not many people have been around to see its earlier days before jumping into AC6. After watching this I really hope you give the Ace Combat series a try one day. I think you will find a lot of what you loved about Armored Core in it, and I would love to hear your thoughtful analysis of its story and themes.

[@GamersBlogX]

I have to correct something about AC6. You actually can do the liberation ending first before the burn it all ending. I know because that's what I did.

[@Erick.Salvador]

I've been thinking a lot about the stuff you talked about AC6, but I don't think it's bad that they modernized Armored Core a bit more. I've had some problems getting in the series before when I tried Nexus and AC3, and most of the things I had problems with were solved with streamlining a bit. Going back to their old catalogue I always tought how well their games would translate well nowadays, and I hope going back to AC opens their eyes for their history, where they can realize old ambitious ideas in a more refined and experienced way. They expanded and advanced the souls formula to it's limits already, so the only way they can go right now would be to go weird. And no stuff is weirder than their old stuff.

[@BAThomson]

Literally every OST you pulled from different games hit for this video Kbash. Love the grind you put into videos.

[@dhoffnun]

I really appreciated the iterative approach From took with the series - I say that as a fan since the first game was new. Most* AC games were "just more of the same" with some general improvement and light experimentation - which is exactly what I wanted.

[@ccjesper]

My favorite part of ac6 was making hard counter builds personally, I found it very satisfying to figure out what it was that made a challenge difficult and how to counter it. I had like 7 core builds that I was constantly tweaking to the challenge at hand, super fun

[@Hailmarycustom9]

❤

[@SageofLight777]

My ears hear Custom Robo music and immediately perk up. More seriously, I'm interested to see this series and what it has to offer. I'd never even heard of it before the hullabaloo about 6.

[@elsamarks8477]

The Bioshock infinite edit was my favorite bit. I love this video and it’s another excellent series of explanation!

[@-castradomis-1773]

My favorites will always be AC2 and AA. The aesthetic, soundtrack, and story are my favorites. Plus I like the PLOWS, loads of fun. You could literally make any build viable and there were no limits.

[@acaracaraorange7685]

This is some of your best work yet!

[@ForteEXE-nh1iz]

It’s always a good day when kbash posts

[@BDMang02]

Love the ending speech I've been watching you so long that it hit home for motivation as well Thank you.

[@Koleuz2]

Honestly, contrary to what many people think, I PREFER the OG control scheme from 1st, 2nd and 3rd gen of AC, rather than the standardized analog control scheme the 4th and subsequent generations had. Why? Because it actually gave you the feeling that you were actually DRIVING the AC. In the 1st, 2nd and 3rd gen, it actually feels like you are controlling the mech, like you are the pilot inside of the AC doing his best to control this towering war machine. And with even the turn radius of your mech being determined by your build, you actually had to invest in a playstyle and plan your way through a mission. And, over time, as you got better and better in controlling your AC, you actually felt like you were becoming better as a PILOT, alongside with your ever evolving upgradeable mech. In the 4th and subsequent gens, you control your mech in the same way you control a character from any other third person game. It doesn't feel like you are controlling the mech, it feels like you are the mech. And with the controls being so easy, it comes down to how good your AC is for a specific mission or playstyle, learning the controls and how to pilot your mech is almost a non existent process. So yeah, I prefer the OG controls of the first 3 gens over the standardized control scheme we got from 4th gen and onwards.

[@SiphonRayzar]

While all fair, at 4rth Gen literally has you piloting the AC with a psychic connection (AMS), and in Gen 6, you're literally an augmented pilot, directly wired to the AC, so the newer twin stick controls are fine. I myself enjoy the older control scheme too, but you gotta admit, they are archaic. And that works fine for the older games, but I'm glad we've moved on from that.

[@Pimpgamer101]

It’s time for a Zone of the Enders retrospective now.

[@RedGalbot]

Killer video KBash. The Metroid Prime soundtrack in the background really jives with AC.

[@KyleDevy]

The fuck? You completely missed gen 2's story. You didn't even mention it takes place on Mars, and it is a continuation from gen 1.

[@kagerockman]

Yo, I didn't even get a subscription notification! I wish I saw this sooner. Thanks for the upload again Kbash!

[@cliftonsargent1572]

Always love to hear some streets of rage music. Your the best Kbash

[@narokiarzel]

For me, AC6>ACFA>Last raven>AC3>MOA>AC1>ACVD>AC4>SL>AC2>Phantasma>AC2AE> ACV>Phantasma>Nexus I beat all mainline AC games except Nine breaker. For AC6 game play, If you aim to get all S-rank you need swap parts a lot. Pile bunker is pretty much mandatory for all bosses and missiles for all mob clear. too bad you don't need to get all S-rank missions for OS tuning like in ACFA, it feel like all S-RANK is what the game is designed for. About graphic, well, all fromsoft's games share the same engine so they all look the same. --like ACV art style look more like darksouls than AC6. (The lighting, shading, color) Fromsoft sill making obstacle game(Déraciné) but since they change owner to Kadokawa group (one of the biggest game/anime/comic publisher in Japan), future for their unique game is unlikely. Part balance are happen to all AC installation (AC1 = Karasawa/Finger, AC3 = machine gun, ACFA pre-patch = slit missile) give them some time and they will fix it like in ACFA.

[@gravevalintyn5811]

Man with another banger. Even got that custom robo music rolling

[@BenOlsberg1995]

I'm still relatively new to Armored Core and I'm trying to get a comfortable handle on the first game before I truly dive into it. But I seriously hope this video gets an exponential increase in its view count. I know weighing in on this franchise with how frequently other gamers have been as of late because of Fires of Rubicon almost guarantees the dumbass algorithm will devour the effort in whole. But the amount of time KBash sunk into scripting out and recording footage for this video is objective effort.

[@robertmarsh5322]

Thanks for covering this. I grew up ogling Gen 2 and 3 at the rental joint. got into gen 4 late and dove in hard on AC5. Played it competitively organizing matches through a PSN chat room. Our clan had culture, and design philosophy unique to us. We would practice and spar with other teams. My Desert Hunter based on a design inherited from the clan leader and I iterated on ad nauseum. I'll remember those days forever. I sadly lost the hard copies in a fire so no ebay monies for moi. As for your take on AC6 and its narrative its mostly on point but i feel you missed a detail. Coral is space petroleum AND a data medium. But a notable use is as an intermediary to plug people directly into machines like ACs... like your character. A person so messed up by having a chunk of their brain replaced with coral that Walter bought you out of the back a refrigerated truck like a fresh fish. Aire is a cool example that coral can go even further and preserve a whole living person. So ending 2 is the general uncertainty and liberation ending, but coral release? That's some trans humanist crap, you wake up in an entirely different mech presumably because you are now a data entity shacked up with your brain waifu living in whatever mech is vacant and strikes your fancy. Through coral now all computers and all augmented brains are networked and interchangeable. Still uncertain sure but a wild departure from the status quo and a dive straight into super cyberpunk land.

[@RJRedtail]

Perfect timing! I just watched Majuular's King's Field retrospective, then this popped up. I feel spoiled

[@yeetkunedo]

The YT algorithm forces that into my “play next” queue every other video. idk why.

[@bravebiird]

incredible video as always, super happy to see this series. i hope you play the king's field games too! they've instantly become a favorite series for me, and i think it might reframe some of your thoughts on from software's design principles and the way they've shifted over the years

[@RayShadow278]

Huge props for not just going "Just go 50k in debt 5 times and enable Human Plus because it's the only way to play :V" seen way too many people say that's the only way to play the old gen games >Avoided AC2AA Ahh, so you decided to avoid facing the music you did in Master of Arena lol AC games, the side games I mean, definitely count as Expansions, it's just MORE of the same game This, I think, is not a bad thing in my opinion. I much prefer Expansions rather than half-baked DLC with little to no content If you play it right in Nexus and Last Raven you can make a medium-biped build with near instant EN recharge as well as very good Heat tolerance (in regards to moving around with your boosters) with a decent weapon loadout Fun Fact: The Unidentified Weapon at the end of Nexus is only called Nineball in the English version of the game, it is technically NOT supposed to be Nineball within the story, though it is a clear allusion to it You also don't get wiped at the end of Nexus for becoming "too powerful" but rather due to the hubris of both Navis and Mirage, but mostly Mirage Did you know? Armored Core Verdict Day servers are still very much alive, if you participate with the community. This means World Bosses and online matches are still doable. Granted you need to luck out into find a copy at a reasonable price or already have one on hand from back when the game came out I disagree on the "AC6 likely took Souls inspirations in how it presents its story" due to the fact of how 5, 4, Last Raven, Master of Arena, and Project Phantasma presented themselves as much more narrative driven games within the series. Though the text logs are nice Also you absolutely can choose the "good ending" (Liberator of Rubicon) in playthrough 1, I know I did If you need an explainer vid for this game you just weren't paying attention

[@jlord75]

That last speech was great! While it's true that not everyone will be moved by the content one makes, I must say I have found so many games and opinions from your channel.I hope the best for the future!

[@hyperfixatedd]

It's kinda rare on youtube to see someone covering Armored Core and actually talking about how anti-capitalist it actually is, and I'm very happy to see you covering it for what it is I must say, however, that you didn't get Last Raven! hehe

[@hyperfixatedd]

(game's not actually hard if you go through the easier routes first and you can keep reseting the game while maintaining your money and ACs so you can farm the earlier easier missions before actually really starting the journey, let's say)

[@MarilynMalkovich]

​@@hyperfixateddthat sounds unbelievably tedious

[@hyperfixatedd]

@@MarilynMalkovich I get why you feel that but it really isn't, you gotta trust me on this one haha

[@SiphonRayzar]

@@hyperfixatedd Having played Last Raven myself, it is very tedious. And that makes the game, not fun to play.

[@BigYabai]

Oh trust me, you can absolutely schmoove in gen 5. Build any light build, but especially an RJ, then learn how to wallkick and start turning into a coked up pinball of death Also for as much as I love AC6 and everything it signifies, I really, REALLY hope they bring back the complexity in 6.5 or 7. 6 just kind of felt like AC lite. It was still a challenging game and had some decent build variety, but it just feels a little barebones and simplified. I really hope they bring back turning speed and tone down the hard lock so it can be broken by crossing up the enemy. And of course I hope they bring back stuff like shoulder weapons, internal weapons, weapon arms, dual-slot back weapons, bring back heat and radiators, make frame parts besides the legs actually matter again etc. BRING BACK THE RADAR. HEADS IN AC6 ARE POINTLESS WITHOUT RADAR. And also bring back tuning. I want my tuning back.

[@SiphonRayzar]

I'm all for everything, except heat. The heat mechanics can stay in the bin where they belong.

[@CrimsonOptics]

I was fortunate enough to get into Armored Core about a decade ago and managed to pick up For Answer and Verdict Day for like $15/20 before scalpers got ahold of them. I know it's not everyone's favorite, but I love the action game twitchiness of For Answer. I remember distinctly playing couch multiplayer with my friend in college and having a blast fighting each other, trying out new builds and different parts. It's the ultimate Mecha fighting game if you decide to play with friends.

[@lillyclarity9699]

they're not sidegames, bro, they're just standalone expansions or sequels within the generation. absolutely worth playing because they tend to be better than the main numbered entries (why aesiraesthetic is a hack for his lazy retrospective series lol)

[@felipo_galaxy1853]

“Ineffective hit” that bothered me so much during the verdict day section

[@mkessler5388]

All the custom robo music in this video makes me wish for a custom robo video

[@thomasderosso5625]

I'm amused to no end by people getting so filtered by the tutorial helicopter that they'd break controllers and scream online. I'm a *strictly* mid player (INT builds in DS1, 3, and ER) and I was still able to beat the chopper on my second try, and S-rank it the first time I visited it in replay mode.

[@FelisImpurrator]

In all seriousness... I only grew up with two AC games. Hilariously, they were Nine Breaker and Last Raven. The worst and the be'rst of Gen 3. I loved the branching paths and customization of LR and very much did not love the crackhead difficulty spikes. I never got the impression that AC6 was too Souls, though, even after playing through all of Elden Ring. Beyond Malenia memes and "estus", it really isn't. It felt like returning home. Minus some of the bullshit of Last Raven, in a good way. If it took anything from Souls it's ten years of refinement in game design. The good bits. It's not built around slow, methodical combat or anything, but rather something in between Gen 3 and 4 AC's pace. Mission structure is basically Last Raven's branching shenanigans to a lesser extent, plus the longer missions but with proper checkpointing. Unlike Souls, it doesn't lean into the whole risk-reward loop of potentially losing your currency and banking upgrades versus saving them - you only ever really fail upward, but at the same time there is a proper upper limit to how far you can grind past obstacles. Raw stats will only take you so far and are largely gated behind NG+. It's paced very differently and plays like a nice little Greatest Hits of all prior AC generations, minus some things I miss (RIP tuning, built in Exceed Orbit, and back mounted chainguns. May the DLC bring back at least the latter two) and plus some quality of life from Souls that really doesn't step on the core (pun intended) experience. And hey, with actual money behind it, now the animations are... Beautiful. They nailed the feel AC has been reaching for beyond the limits of hardware for decades, and only now has the tech to achieve: Graceful yet weighty, chunky and impactful yet somehow moving at the speed of anime.

[@roswell3875]

I have to say this is pretty great amalgamation of what Armored Core is to us, man. Excellent work. Nuance topics for a very nuanced game.🐦‍⬛

[@gzsprout]

I love KBash content. I love Armored Core (been a fan since AC1!). Combined, this might be, objectively, the best video on YT!

[@laavish748]

AC4 and FA boost was immaculate yet ridiculous. I remember going into pvp would literally make or break you hahaha

[@bennemeth625]

This video inspired me to go on a similar journey, but you're a stronger man than I for forgoing the dual analog fan patch for the older games. Also, Last Raven's vibe is just immaculate, man. In case someone is unaware, the game takes place over a single 24 hour period and missions advance the clock. It's a surprisingly reasonable explanation why we have to worry about parts breaking now- there's simply no time to wait out repairs, just buy another one, bolt that shit on and get out there.

[@otakubacklog]

Love the videos, you’re an absolute madman and that ending was very poignant and touching. Bless! 🙏🏻 I’ve been making my way through what games are available legitimately on PS3/ PSVita after I finished AC6 and this is a series… I wish I played years ago. Not just for the fact that every game is 1-2 times the price of a new game, but also because I’ve had a lot of fun with these games. I get the hype for the old games, but I’m genuinely excited to see where they take the new games. Also, you can change the controls in even the very first game. I made the face buttons the camera control, d-pad for movement, and shoulder buttons everything else. Works wonderfully 👌🏻 I’d love to emulate the games, but all I got is an iMac I got from a friend… and I’m just not gonna bother. I’d rather have a computer for recording music than playing games, I got lots of older consoles for that, but I’m poor so ffffffffu-

[@kingslead8369]

In armored core 1, I beat the game by running past the 2 nine balls. I never bothered beating them.

[@f1r3hunt3rz5]

Last Raven enjoyer here. Proud to be a Raven way before AC6 comes in.

[@NibbleSnarph]

The “game with the gall” I hope this is a sly reference to XC3 Senna xD

[@SaotomeLuna]

My birthday is this week and you upload a video about one of my favorites series? Kbash you shouldn't have!

[@skybuprofen9834]

Souls takeaways aside, Fires of Rubicon is undeniably Armored Core. It borrows its largely central HUD setup from 5th Gen while improving how targeting and FCSs work, and incorporates movement that is a very smooth, flowing blend between 4th and 5th-gen gameplay. The absolute depth of variety and movement technique in AC6 is unlike anything else.

[@TrinSpin]

35:01 Is it bad that I actually did? Like the first thing that popped into my mind when you mentioned more parts that were essentially identical was the rifle with increased heat buildup but lower damage, or the blue version of the 500 round SMG that was in every way inferior. And I noticed the new hover legs that were rewards for the arena(IIRC?) and completing a certain number of missions with hover legs. TBH I have a very special place in my heart for Silent Line since it was my introduction to the series as a child. Also, for newcomers having trouble with the controls, in third gen (and maybe second gen?) the options let you rebind controls so strafing and turning inputs are swapped. It helps if you aren't used to tank controls 1:34:54 Cheers, it's refreshing as an old fan of the series to hear someone new actually understand that concern. I loved AC6 but that was always niggling at the back of my mind, and it's been frustrating to hear people trying to argue that it's just because I (and the other people that voiced that concern/complaint) just hate change and want more of another generation. AC6 was obviously made with a lot of love for the old gens, but at the same a lot of the changes feel like iteration via an integration of Soulsborne as opposed to iteration of just AC.

[@NatchBox]

Sorry for the second comment. But I just wanted you to know that I've already listened to this video 3 times while I've worked. It's dense with information and reflection and as someone who would love to marathon this series and understand its iterations, I'm happy I can at least live vicariously through you. Now if you did this with monster hunter I'd name my first born after you

[@Bonnii_B]

my favorite thing about any given kbash video is his simultaneous excitement and cynicism for what makes human beings so shit and yet so worth cherishing

[@NatsuKen1]

I started AC franchise with Last Raven, and grinded the hell out of it because it was my favourite PS2 game ever.

[@adrianpunk94]

I know you’ve already accounted for these types of comments and the cycle they fall into for you but nevertheless - I can’t find the type of literary criticism you specialise in for gaming anywhere else and it has changed how I critically relate to lots of things I like. It’s hard in a way I don’t understand but thank you. It genuinely is super appreciated

[@kloa4219]

seconding!

[@edwinvillagomez]

the mmx cm music choice is just *chef's kiss*

[@baval5]

Id say to understand the gist of Armored Cores evolution you need to play: AC1 (First Game), Master of Arena (best of gen1), AC2 (first generation gap, added overboost), Silent Line (better than 3 but no real reason to play 3 since changes arent significant), Nexus (huge changes, important to see how From can experiment badly and learn from it, plus best ending of any AC game), Last Raven (arguably the GOAT AC, also the hardest), AC4A (same reason as Silent Line), AC5 (see how they try to make long story driven missions), Verdict Day (see how they pull back from long story missions but still tell a great story), AC6 (the current culmination of everything they learned).

[@consolemans]

As someone who doesn't need convincing that Robots are cool, more robot games from them in any capacity is a win for me and any other mecha fan. Ac6 sales already makes up more than half of the entire franchise sales, it has been dead for a decade after all and you can't buy most old games digitaly. It'll have legs and bring in new people, and serves as a great bedrock for more sci-fi games from Fromsoftware and not just AC games. I am looking forward to the expansion game to AC6 named AC666 where we go to hell fighting coral ghosts perhaps as a prequel.

[@Workinprogressmaxi]

If this person can beat armored core anyone can do it.

[@UltraHorseBoots]

Still watching through the entire video, but I did have a pause when you started to use PSO music during the AC For Answer section. Now it just got me curious if you've had any history with the Phantasy Star series.

[@LumiereTurtle]

Loved to hear the Custom Robo and Mega Man X Command Mission ost used on the video

[@oklimbo]

Thanks for this. Keep going indeed.

[@awkwardliiwastaken]

My man, do you sleep... how do you crank them out like this?

[@xFlavusx]

49:40 I wouldn't call literally 3 FPS in AC: For Answer a smooth experience. And yes, I was running it on PS3. What do you mean depending on the platform if For Answer is an exclusive? Playing on emulator?

[@erikvaldes4293]

FUCK YESS, NOW I CAN GET INTO THE SERIES, THANK YOU KGOD 🙏🏽

[@Ronald87706]

3:25 first time I see a big KZbinr mention such amazing game like Dragon Valor, Kbash legend

[@saifuddinareeb657]

What's the music playing during the ending of AC6 explanation?

[@Timberwolftrass]

little fun fact: the european versions of Armored Core Generation 2 and Armored Core Generation 3 all had working joystick controls for dual shock. only the american versions of these games stuck with D-Pad and Trigger controls for some reason. no idea why.

[@notabelic]

I NEVER STOPPED TALKING ABOUT DRAGON VALOR I play it at least once a year and wish the series (remake after remake) would come back

[@AsteroSloth]

The last time I was this excited for an audio-visual experience to come out it was AATSV so yeah pretty hyped

[@boxxx903]

What song did he use for the Last Raven section, at around 40:00?

[@RyanBeardy]

I played Amored Core 1 in 2023 as my first AC game and boy did not have Jump King as the last level on my bingo card when I played it.

[@Justice17]

What’s the first background ost used here? I know it but I can’t place where it’s from and it’s liking me lol

[@juancolon123]

Your easy mode was using double gats and stun needles. I get it cause i had to use a heavy ac with double laser rifles, stun needle, and plasma launcher to beat the last boss (ending 3). I am going through the game as different builds and not changing out so I guess that is my hard mode.