The game's producer shared that the team took into account their experience from developing titles like Dark Souls, Bloodborne, Sekiro, and Elden Ring but made sure that customization would remain at the core of the game's experience.
At BNE FUN LOVE 2023, which took place alongside Taipei Game Show 2023, FromSoftware producer Yasunori Ogura responded to some questions about the studio's upcoming game, Armored Core VI: Fires of Rubicon.
The latest installment in the series, Armored Core: Verdict Day, was released in 2013. Ogura noted that FromSoftware didn't plan to have such a long gap between the previous entry in the series and this new title. He explained that the studio had been busy with creating other titles during these 10 years and had to ensure that resources were allocated properly.
Still, Ogura and FromSoftware CEO Hidetaka Miyazaki had always wanted to return to the series. According to the producer, Miyazaki helped lay the foundation for the team as the initial game director but he is not the current game director on the project.
Speaking of Fires of Rubicon's connection to the previous titles in the series, Ogura mentioned that the new title will be a completely standalone game, so players don't need to know the story of the previous installments in the series.
However, the core concept of the series, which involves customizing and assembling your own mech, remains a significant part of the new title. The development team has prioritized this aspect of the series and combined it with their experience from developing other titles, including Dark Souls, Bloodborne, Sekiro, and Elden Ring, to create a new, satisfying Armored Core experience.
As for Fires of Rubicon's difficulty, Ogura shared that the developers aimed to create a challenging game, and he is confident they have achieved that goal. The approach to difficulty in this game, however, according to the producer, is different from previous titles, as the customization of the player's mech using various parts is the core feature of the series and the key to overcoming difficulties in the game is to adjust these parts.
The development team placed emphasis on this aspect of the game and the action system, designing a game that rewards players who use the right actions in different situations to overcome challenges and feel a sense of accomplishment.
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