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The ARMED CORE Anomaly

Heimdall_Xtreme

Heimdall_Xtreme

Jim Ryan Fanclub's #1 Member
Changed the title of my thread

The Armored Core anomaly


I am very pleased that Fires of Rubicon is receiving positive reviews and my copy of the video game will arrive in a few days... (Because Amazon Mexico sold out of copies).



What I do not understand is why until the sixth installment, the series is receiving attention? It caught my attention in the PS3 era, but it was more like a Niche game...

Nobody or very few people gave Dragon Dogma a chance... but now there is a huge hype on its sequel, and the video game press is bowing down... WTF? If they didn't listen before...

This is how the same thing happened with Nier, which nobody paid attention to until Automata arrived... or with Dragon Dogma, which I bought its copy in the first months of its launch.

Is it the people who barely realize the potential of the series or the hypocrisy of the video game press that for its convenience advertises a video game? :pie_thinking:
 
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Fbh

Fbh

Member
It's only natural the game would get more attention now that FROM has gone from a niche japanese dev to one of the most beloved devs in the industry. Specially after having just released their best reviewed and selling game so far last year.
 
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TerribleAtThisGame

TerribleAtThisGame

Member
Who is "they" even though? Different individuals reviewing games, different individuals buying games, different gaming culture, different FromSoft and on and on. Things change.

There's no monolith of players or press that has been scorning the series all along and now bows to the From "trend".
 
Vblad88

Vblad88

Member
We are running out of true classic IPs to revive, so devs and PR teams are giving the "classic" tags to the oddballs. Saving money on creativity.
 
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STARSBarry

STARSBarry

Gold Member
It's literally just an armored core game though and through, in my books that's a good thing, but I suspect others will have issues with that.
 
The Infectious Paradox

The Infectious Paradox

Gold Member
I mean, time spreads the word on underrated gems. And when you put out bangers like DS and ER people will be ready to buy your shit and give you the benefit of the doubt. And they didn't fail on AC6.

They could make a game about being a janitor cleaning shit and I'd still try it.
 
GrayChild

GrayChild

Member
I loved FROM Software even before Demon's Souls came out. God knows how many hours I spent playing Kuon and Echo Night.

Even back then I KNEW their games deserved much better sales and reception. So yeah, they finally got the recognition they were owed, and I can't be happier.
 
El Muerto

El Muerto

Member
I've been a From Software fan since the PS1 days with Kings Field, with Otogi being my favorite. But i'm not a fan of their newer games at all. I'm definitely grabbing AC6 since it's not another soulsbourne. There hasnt been any good mech games recently either. Hope they continue making great games. Having a huge fanbase will help.
 
Kenneth Haight

Kenneth Haight

Gold Member
Good games are good, I’m glad they are having multiple teams working on different projects. All their recent games just have a “feeling” of smooth gameplay and movement that is really hard to beat. AC6 when you are dashing and boosting around and firing off volleys of missiles, is like you’re doing a death dance with the opponents, is really fun and satisfying. It’s still tough as nails though.
 
Killer8

Killer8

Member
A lot of early From games simply weren't very good. Many of them were dogshit, in fact. I played the demos of the HD-era Armored Core games back when I got my PS3 and thought they were abysmal. I don't blame the public at large for overlooking a lot of their very niche and often janky output. There is a touch of revision that From were always good and it was a shame that they were overlooked until Souls came along. No.

When Demon's Souls came out a couple of years later and blew me and many others away, it was something of an awakening for the developer which I think even caught them off guard. Ever since then, they have only gone from strength to strength. I'm happy for them as a B-grade developer who finally found their AAA footing. Now that they've returned to the Armored Core series, they are taking everything they've learned over the last 15 years re: how to make a good videogame, and applying that to the series.

I have no qualms with anyone only dipping their toe into the series now. There's no point adopting a gatekeeping mentality of "I was here first" when it comes to From. First of all, no one cares. Second of all, people should be glad it's finally getting some recognition as a series. But mainly, there's no point because I don't feel anyone has missed out on much by only getting into the series now.
 
POKEYCLYDE

POKEYCLYDE

Member
Why? From Software's pedigree has gone through the roof since the old Armored Core games.

Armored Core 5 came out 2012. Dark souls came out 2011. And Dark Souls was by no means a hyped up game. It gained notoriety over time, through word of mouth.

Dark Souls 2, 3, Bloodborne, Sekiro and Elden Ring have all comes out since the previous Armored Core.
 
M

MagnesD3

Member
Bro its not rocket science, From Software is currently the best developer in gaming, they havent missed in many years. They have made potentially the Greatest game ever made, they keep gaming still exciting for me because I get to look forward to at least 1 gaming thing in the year.
 
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HoodWinked

HoodWinked

Member
ya its completely due to their meteoric success of Dark Souls and Elden Ring. Because those games do well there is spill over money and resources for other projects.

Visually it's a massive improvement over Armored Core V which was a PS3/360 game, so this franchise skipped a generation so there was some pent up demand as well.

Also another thing is a game's popularity has shifted, it's less now about publisher/outlet relations which used to effectively gatekeep and more about clout within influencer/streamer circles. Dark Souls and Elden Ring enjoy very strong appeal in these groups because of their replayability, and streaming enjoyment. Because of this From Software has become a darling among them.
 
Naked Lunch

Naked Lunch

Member
Its funny because if people are now suddenly going apeshit over ACVI - they could have played pretty much this exact same game 10+ years ago with ACFA thru ACVD.
Ide even argue those 2 are better than ACVI. You got way more parts to build with in the PS360 era games for one. And For Answer is at least twice as fast as VI.
The presentation and pre-mission jargon of VI is a 1 to 1 copy or even worse than the previous iterations too.

Basically if you like ACVI, do yourself a favor a try to track down For Answer (Miyazaki directed FA) or Verdict Day.
 
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Guilty_AI

Guilty_AI

Member
Naked Lunch said:
Its funny because if people are now suddenly going apeshit over ACVI - they could have played pretty much this exact same game 10+ years ago with ACFA thru ACVD.
Ide even argue those 2 are better than ACVI. You got way more parts to build with in the PS360 era games for one. And For Answer is at least twice as fast as VI.
The presentation and pre-mission jargon of VI is a 1 to 1 copy or even worse than the previous iterations too.

Basically if you like ACVI, do yourself a favor a try to track down For Answer (Miyazaki directed FA) or Verdict Day.
Click to expand...
shut up nerd
 
Dacvak

Dacvak

No one shall be brought before our LORD David Bowie without the true and secret knowledge of the Photoshop. For in that time, so shall He appear.
Heimdall_Xtreme said:
Changed the title of my thread

The Armored Core anomaly


I am very pleased that Fires of Rubicon is receiving positive reviews and my copy of the video game will arrive in a few days... (Because Amazon Mexico sold out of copies).



What I do not understand is why until the sixth installment, the series is receiving attention? It caught my attention in the PS3 era, but it was more like a Niche game...

Nobody or very few people gave Dragon Dogma a chance... but now there is a huge hype on its sequel, and the video game press is bowing down... WTF? If they didn't listen before...

This is how the same thing happened with Nier, which nobody paid attention to until Automata arrived... or with Dragon Dogma, which I bought its copy in the first months of its launch.

Is it the people who barely realize the potential of the series or the hypocrisy of the video game press that for its convenience advertises a video game? :pie_thinking:
Click to expand...

The studio From is now popular. Before the Souls game, they weren’t. That’s it.
 
Bartski

Bartski

Gold Member
Heimdall_Xtreme said:
What I do not understand is why until the sixth installment, the series is receiving attention?
Click to expand...
Animated GIF
 
Dice

Dice

Pokémon Parentage Conspiracy Theorist
I don't know if you noticed, but FromSoft got WAAAY better at designing good controls for their games. I fucking hate Dark Souls but I love Sekiro and Elden Ring and it's all because of the controls. The are other improvements as well, they don't pull as much cheap trolly bullshit, you have more freedom of playstyle, there are more avenues to go develop/reconfigure and come back later, etc. However it really comes down to the controls.

Also I never played Armored Core games before, but looking at videos it seems to me like the technology wasn't ready to do the concept justice before. Those games seem barren and difficult to track. Zone of Enders captured the anime mecha combat feeling way better and it was way more popular. Now AC6 is looking (and playing) a lot more like ZoE and it's being received well. I'm not surprised.
 
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O

Ozzie666

Member
I get the love for them; not sure I would call them the best developer. Maybe the hottest developer or the current darling of the industry, for how long who knows. But I do respect them for using their newfound adoration and cash to take risks. Armor Core 6 is a risk, it's another difficult game hidden behind a pretty package. Excellent production values and no expense spared. Dark souls put them on the map, Eldin Ring put them in the stratosphere., Armored Core 6 will keep them there. They have been on one hell of a roll. I really hope AC makes them enough bank.
 
I_D

I_D

Member
Do you want the actual answer?
It's the Durante effect.

As soon as he released DSFix, Dark Souls immediately became one of the most-acclaimed games of the past decade.
Then he released GeDoSaTo, which completely revolutionized footage and screenshots for older games, including the Souls series.

Because he made the Souls series so popular, FROM immediately began to influence huge parts of the gaming market.
Now we have all kinds of Souls clones, with more being announced every other month.


Because of the Souls-effect, FROM has become a pretty major player in the gaming realm.
Because FROM is now a major player, the Armored Core series will, quite obviously, do better than it has ever done before.
 
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Heimdall_Xtreme

Heimdall_Xtreme

Jim Ryan Fanclub's #1 Member
Danjin44 said:
Not mecha games, I cant remember last time mecha game received well in west.
Click to expand...
Even games like Gundam did not get this receipt from the West.
L*][*N*K said:
What I don't understand, why is this a question? FromSoftware went from a tiny Japanese studio to a huge global powerhouse with millions of fans who pay attention to what they make, simple as that.
Click to expand...

Actually the idea of the thread is that there are titles that go unnoticed by the public... and later they even look for sequels... Dragon Dogma is a good example and there are many more games.
 
MagiusNecros

MagiusNecros

Gilgamesh Fan Annoyance
Popularity Contest and Modern controls probably. Earlier entries in the franchise were such jank to play that you had to learn how to play the jank game with jank controls.

I assume it's largely because of Dark Souls success that coasted onto AC6. And that the unforgiving difficulty translates very well into AC given you need a good build, good knowledge of what works and are expected to have skill in piloting your mech.

Older AC games were not for the faint of heart.
 
vaibhavpisal

vaibhavpisal

Member
From Soft understand their audience and play to their strengths.

I refuse to believe that Japanese and Western audiance is all that different. Any megahit in Japan can be made ready for Western market with few tweaks.

One of biggest mistake Japanese developers make is introduce grinding without a gameplay system that's engaging enough. This is where From Soft games and Monster Hunter games from Capcom shine. I just can't get enough of them. And they sell gangbusters in Japan and West alike.
 
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