Although in the last 10 years or so, they have been associated exclusively with Souls games, some of us remember FromSoftware from the PlayStation 2 era and even the first Xbox. Their history goes back to the early times of the first PlayStation, with the King’s Field games, a proto-Souls of sorts that didn’t get much traction. So, FromSoftware started another franchise in 1997: Armored Core.
At The Game Awards 22, fans were confused when it was announced that the creators of Souls series and Elden Ring were returning to their roots with the new Armored Core sequel. Are they making a new Souls game with robots now? Well, not quite, son. Let’s dive into the long history and complicated of the Armored Core series to get a better picture of what exactly to expect from Armored Core VI: Fires of Rubicon.
Related: Armored Core VI Fires of Rubicon Trailer Shows Big Mechs & Is Releasing Next Year
All Armored Core Games – The Complete List
Although you’d think that there have only been five mainline titles so far, this series has been marked by numerous prequels, spin-offs, mobile and portable games, and more. What’s particularly cool is that the same ol’ FromSoftware worked on all these games from start to finish, with no additional studios or off-brand help. So, let’s dive into the rich history of Armored Core.
Armored Core PlayStation Originals
- Armored Core (1997) – A third-person mecha shooter that started it all on the first PlayStation.
- Armored Core: Project Phantasma (1997) – A prequel to the first Armored Core.
- Armored Core: Master of Arena (1999) – A direct sequel to the prequel… Are you following?
Armored Core PlayStation 2 Sequels, 1st Reboot, and Japanese Mobile Games
- Armored Core 2 (2000) – The first game on the PlayStation 2. The story continues from the previous two prequels.
- Armored Core 2: Another Age (2001) – Direct sequel to Armored Core 2 and the final game in the original continuity.
- Armored Core 3 (2002) – The next mainline release for PlayStation 2 acts like a complete reboot of the series.
- Silent Line: Armored Core (2003) – A direct sequel/expansion for Armored Core 3.
- Armored Core: Nexus (2003) – Another PlayStation 2 release and a full-fledged sequel to Armored Core 3.
- Armored Core: Mobile Mission (2004) – A rather simplistic game for 2004’s mobile devices, with a top-down view.
- Armored Core: Nine Breaker (2004) – A PlayStation 2 spin-off to 2003’s Armored Core: Nexus.
- Armored Core: Formula Front (2004) – A launch title for PSP in Japan and a spin-off to the Armored Core series.
- Armored Core: Last Raven (2004) – A direct sequel to 2003’s Armored Core: Nexus, also on PlayStation 2.
- Armored Core: Mobile 2 (2005) – A third-person action game for mobile in Japan.
- Armored Core: Mobile Online (2005) – Another Japan-only mobile game that introduced an online co-op mode.
Armored Core PlayStation 3 / Xbox 360 Era and PSP Re-Releases
- Armored Core 4 (2006) – Second reboot of the series and the first Armored Core game for the PlayStation 3/X360 generation.
- Armored Core: Mobile 3 (2007) – Mobile spin-off exclusive to Japanese mobile phones, played via From’s FromCapsule service.
- Armored Core: Mobile 4 (2008) – Yet another Japan-only mobile game, so obscure you won’t find anything about it online.
- Armored Core: For Answer (2008) – Direct sequel to Armored Core 4. Described as vehicular combat.
- Armored Core 3 Portable (2009) – Port of 2002’s Armored Core 3 for PlayStation Portable.
- Armored Core: Silent Line Portable (2009) – Port of 2003’s Silent Line: Armored Core for PlayStation Portable.
- Armored Core: Last Raven Portable (2010) – Port of 2004’s Armored Core: Last Raven for PlayStation Portable.
Final Days of the Armored Core Series and a Return
- Armored Core V (2012) – Not a reboot, but an indirect sequel to Armored Core 4 and Armored Core: For Answer. It brought back a more traditional Armored Core gameplay. This is the first Armored Core game released after the success of Dark Souls (2011) and released for PlayStation 3/X360.
- Armored Core: Verdict Day (2013) – Direct sequel to Armored Core V and a final release in the series for another decade.
- Armored Core VI: Fires of Rubicon (2023) – Return of the series first revealed during The Game Awards 2022. Released on PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Windows, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S in 2023. FromSoft’s Miyazaki and Yamamura emphasized in an interview with IGN that they have avoided “Soulsborne style gameplay,” with the gameplay direction focusing on the traditional Armored Core releases.
Do You Need to Play All Previous Armored Core Titles Before Playing Fires of Rubicon?
No. It’s cool if you want to get familiar with the history of this legendary series and try some of the older games for which you’ll need retro consoles mostly or some way of (legal) emulation, but as Armored Core VI Fires of Rubicon is actually another reboot, you won’t need to catch up with the previous titles.
Playing the old Armored Core games will help you better understand the vibe these titles have and appreciate more how far FromSoftware has come since the last time they worked on this franchise.
Armored Core 6 Fires of Rubicon is finally out! Find out how to unlock more parts for your mechs and learn how the FCS works.
