Armored Core VI: Fires of Rubicon

FromSoftware goes back to the mech roots that predate its punishingly hard fantasy RPGs - but can it make giant robot battle simulators mainstream?

- Alan Wen

It's been a decade since the last instalment of Armored Core- and FromSoftware has finally decided to return to its roots, putting you back behind the controls of a hulking great mech.

You might imagine piloting these massive war machines would be cumbersome, but your Armored Core (AC) is actually pretty agile. An intuitive control system maps your endless combination of energy swords, plasma rifles, machine guns and bazookas to the shoulder buttons and triggers, while the game's first chapter does a terrific job of teaching the basics.