FromSoftware's next game, Armored Core 6, is more focused on single-player and boss fights are "the highlight"

FromSoftware is following Elden Ring up with Armored Core 6: Fires of Rubicon, a return to the mech action series it hasn't touched in a decade, and it's primarily a single-player affair built around the kind of boss battles you'd expect from the studio.

Studio president and Souls director Hidetaka Miyazaki joined Armored Core 6 director Masaru Yamamura in an interview with IGN to discuss the scope and nature of its latest mech fight. Both designers repeatedly insist that Armored Core 6 won't be a sci-fi take on the Soulslike formula that FromSoftware is known for, and Yamamura is quick to stress that while the game will have a multiplayer versus mode, the focus is more on the solo experience. 

"The main focus in AC6 – on the story mode at least – is having that story develop and play out," Yamamura says. "We've concentrated on single-player for the story mode." 

Armored Core 6 will use a mission-based structure for its story mode, much like the previous games in the series, Yamamura added. So while it will feature some hefty environments, it's not a seamless open-world game.  

Yamamura also shared some good news for newcomers to the series, a group that likely includes most modern Soulsborne fans: Armored Core 6 is a totally distinct story with no direct links to previous games, making it a fine jumping on point. 

While Armored Core 6 will play very differently compared to the Soulsborne games, it does retain some FromSoftware hallmarks, including big-ol' boss fights. "Boss battles are the highlight of the game in this title,” Yamamura told IGN. "The essence of the battles, in which the player reads the enemy's moves and then plays games with them, is of course provided, as is typical of FromSoftware. In this title, both the enemy and your own machine are aggressive and violent in their attacks. 

"We are developing the game so that players can enjoy the dynamic and intense boss battles that only mechas can offer, along with the unique aspects of AC, such as how to assemble the right parts to take on the strongest enemies." 

Those boss fights will use a posture break mechanic that may sound similar to fans of Sekiro, though Yamamura says it plays out differently in Armored Core 6: by relentlessly attacking enemies with your mech's melee and ranged equipment, you can break their posture and deal a huge chunk of damage. 

Choosing the right equipment for the job is a big part of Armored Core 6, too, to the point that boss fights basically start in the garage, so to speak. "You are tuning these parts and you're tuning the weapons and tuning your mech to suit your play style, changing parameters, changing the performance of various parts to suit the way you want to approach each mission in each battle," Yamamura adds. 

In the same interview, Miyazaki explained that FromSoftware makes brutal, depressing games because that's how they like it.