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Mech fans have something to celebrate with the reveal of the story trailer for Armored Core VI: Fires of Rubicon. Many have been counting down to the game’s release since it was first revealed. April’s gameplay trailer assured fans that it would play well, but some wondered if the story would hold up. The Armored Core series is known for its grim military plots. Will the sixth installment carry its weight?
The Story of Squad Alpha
In the trailer, ACs known as Hounds rush into a combat zone despite heavy incoming fire. Laser beams cutting through heavily armored mechs and strings of explosions across an overcast sky are just the start of this Armored Core VI story trailer’s visual splendor. Elsewhere, a body lies strapped to a table while an ominous narrator questions someone named Handler Walter. The narrator wants to know what happened to 617 and the others. Before we can get answers, an unseen man orders the narrator to “wake it up.”
The scene grows desperate as the attacking ACs are cut down, destroying 219 and 220. Prevailing against heavy odds, the last surviving AC triggers a self-destruct sequence. Flinging itself into the heart of the enemy compound, it destroys itself as well as its target: a mysterious mechanism controlled by the enemy. What did Squad Alpha sacrifice so much to destroy? The trailer isn’t telling, but it demonstrates a story that is sure to thrill.
621 and Hints of What’s to Come in Armored Core VI
A voice in the trailer declares the mission complete. The unseen man tells the body on the table, implied to be 621, that he will give it a reason to exist. Then the sensors of the AC standing over them come alive. From watching this trailer, there’s going to be plenty of action, so players will need the perfect mech. The story trailer for Armored Core VI is rich with hints, but the final shape of that narrative isn’t clear yet. Will the player take control of 621? Who does Squad Alpha serve? What motivates Handler Walter?
The Armored Core series has a long tradition of exploring complex, heavy plots. Megacorporations and mercenary squads are AC‘s bread and butter. Considering Fires of Rubicon is being developed by the team that brought us Elden Ring, it’s fair to wonder how much of this storytelling will be left intentionally cryptic. Thankfully Armored Core VI: Fires of Rubicon releases soon, so players won’t have to wait long to find out.
Armored Core VI: Fires of Rubicon launches on PC, PS4/PS5, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S on August 25.
