The Best Armored Core Games to Play Before Fires of Rubicon Comes Out

Prepare for Armored Core 6: Fires of Rubicon with this guide to the best entries in the series! While FromSoftware is known for Souls-like games, the Armored Core franchise boasts a rich history of mech combat. This guide highlights the top titles to experience before diving into the latest installment.

The Armored Core Legacy

The Armored Core series, spanning decades and numerous titles (16 in total!), casts you as a mercenary piloting powerful mechs in a post-apocalyptic world. Your mission: complete contracts for various clients, earning funds for repairs and upgrades. Success hinges on skillful combat and strategic part selection. Failure? Well, that's game over.

The series is divided into distinct continuities: Armored Core 1 and 2 share a storyline, while Armored Core 3, 4, and 5 each have their own separate narratives. Armored Core 6: Fires of Rubicon (releasing August 25, 2023) will likely establish a new continuity.

To help you choose your starting point, we've compiled a list of the best Armored Core games to play before jumping into Armored Core 6: Fires of Rubicon. (Note: Specific game recommendations would go here, but were not provided in the original text.)