Watching a FromSoft dev nerd out about mechs in an Armored Core 6 theater was a highlight of Summer Game Fest

Armored Core 6: Fires of Rubicon
(Image credit: FromSoftware)

One of the best parts of this job is meeting passionate, creative people and listening to them gush about their craft. As is often the case, the in-person experience beats the virtual one here, and this makes the rush of summer gaming events an especially valuable source of face-to-face opportunities. 

I knew Bandai Namco and FromSoftware were bringing Armored Core 6 to Summer Game Fest 2023 in Los Angeles, so I was looking forward to getting a proper look at the hotly anticipated mech-action game – which I did, per my Armored Core 6 preview. The show was presented by producer Yasunori Ogura, who's worked on the series for some time now, and whose enthusiasm for mechs I found infectious in-person, even through a translator. 

Stage setter

Armored Core 6: Fires of Rubicon

(Image credit: From Software)

As I'm shepherded into a dimly-lit theater wallpapered with faux pipes and rivets and crimson alarms, and an endearing stage emulating the guts of some alien machine, I begin to suspect that somebody around here likes mechs. There's a corniness to the act that you get used to after attending enough of these things, but there's no denying the commitment to the bit. These press events are explicitly set up to sell journalists on products which become the subjects of reporting that ultimately conveys details and impressions to readers, but there is some real fun and humanity to be found in them if you meet the right people and keep your head on straight. 

Ogura, I think, was the right person for this presentation. I don't know how to put it – which is a shame, because it's my job, so here goes nothing I guess – but he strikes me as a man who owns some Gunpla. There's something in the way he evangelizes the superiority of mechs that makes him sound like a CEO or general in a Mobile Suit Gundam anime, and frankly it's great. 

The target genre for Armored Core 6, Ogura explains, is of course "mech-action." After all, it's "an action game in which you play with your own personal mech." Naturally, a key component of the game's foundational design philosophy is therefore "mech-likeness." An extension of this is "three-dimensional, large-scale map design that allows for the dynamic traversal action unique to mechs." 

This verbiage comes up, I don't know, a thousand times in the presentation and gameplay walkthrough. Here are some of my favorite snippets of mech propaganda:

  • "Explore vast, intricate levels with the unparalleled mobility of mechs"
  • "Experience a level of freedom of movement and exploration only possible in a mech game"
  • "Players may traverse this stage using the mobility that is unique to mechs"
  • "This is the experience of a mech-action game that cannot be reproduced with a human character"
  • "Assembly and battle design focuses on tactics and applies the freedom and dynamism unique to mechs"
  • "The player can move freely in all directions utilizing the mobility of the mech"
  • "Players can use a dynamic 3-dimensional maneuver that takes advantage of the unique capabilities of the mech"

This is a mech game. Did that come across? This is a mech game! 

I unironically love this nerdy shit, and I'll take it over the hammy, E3-standard multiplayer comms any day. Ogura stopped just short of encouraging me to shed my fleshy bonds and give myself over to the borg, embracing the virtual salvation unique to mechs. Good thing, too, because I'd honestly have to seriously consider the offer.  


Check out 10 of the best FromSoftware games you should die with today

Austin Wood
Senior writer

Austin has been a game journalist for 12 years, having freelanced for the likes of PC Gamer, Eurogamer, IGN, Sports Illustrated, and more while finishing his journalism degree. He's been with GamesRadar+ since 2019. They've yet to realize his position is a cover for his career-spanning Destiny column, and he's kept the ruse going with a lot of news and the occasional feature, all while playing as many roguelikes as possible.

Read more
Alsynes attacks an enemy with a laser halberd in Mecha Break's Mashmak mode
"For mechas, this will be a breakthrough": Mecha Break impresses across its chaotic 6v6 action and revamped Mashmak extraction mode
Elden Ring Nightreign
Elden Ring Nightreign feels like a modded version of FromSoftware's best game ever – and after 3 hours, I only wanted to play more
Screenshots of extraction shooter Arc Raiders
"With Arc Raiders, we wanted to lean into some of the contemporary conversations around robots and AI": Embark Studios talk creating an extraction shooter with bite
Shooting robots in FPS Metal Eden
Metal Eden is the Doom and Mirror's Edge mashup I didn't know I needed – and after playing just two levels, it's now my most-anticipated shooter of 2025
Big in 2025: Bionic Bay
“Atmosphere is more important than aesthetics”: Bionic Bay is a biomech platformer that’ll grip you from the get-go
Exploring and fighting in Blades of Fire
Blades of Fire plays like a lost Xbox 360-era mashup between God of War and Soulslikes, and it's coming from the studio behind Metroid Dread
Latest in Action Rpg
AI Limit
"AI is not as effective as it might appear": Dev of AI-focused Soulslike RPG says they didn't use any AI-generated content and it can't match "genuine creativity"
The First Berserker: Khazan protagonist
The First Berserker: Khazan isn't even out yet, but the new Soulslike RPG already has over 1,300 94% positive reviews on Steam from early buyers
Lies of P art showing P walking in a snowy forest
Lies of P director loves FromSoftware and respects the Soulslike tag, but says "I'm really serious, I'm not lying, I'm very truthful, our focus is to create our own style of game"
Lies of P Overture art of P
Lies of P director says Overture DLC is at least 15 to 20 hours long for "experienced" players, packing tons of bosses and ideas the devs couldn't fit at launch
Monster Hunter Wilds screenshot showing a hunter battling a congalala
If you missed the last one, the new Monster Hunter Wilds event quest is another way to stock up on rare ingredients before the big update drops next week
Monster Hunter Wilds
Monster Hunter Wilds' first major update rights its greatest wrong by adding a proper Palico cooking animation, and it's letting you change Alma's glasses
Latest in Features
Naoe kills a target with a black and white filter over the camera highlighting the red of blood spray in Assassin's Creed Shadows, with an On The Radar orange frame
Assassin's Creed Shadows "has a little bit of Tarantino flavor", but its real secret ingredient is intrigue: "It's almost like you're watching an episode of Shogun"
Helldivers 2 Borderline Justice Warbond helldiver using hoverpack to shoot down with hunting rifle
Talking points from the Game Developers Conference 2025 and how they could impact the future of gaming
Flexispot E7 Plus with plant, monitor, soundbar, and controller on top next to white wall lighting.
Gaming desks vs regular desks: which surface should you buy?
Google Pixel 9a smartphones on a beige background
One Google Pixel 9a feature could make it a better gaming phone than most budget mainstream models
Yasuke and Naoe ready to fight on the Assassin's Creed Shadows On The Radar thumbnail
On The Radar: Assassin's Creed Shadows coverage hub
Captain Planet #1
Captain Planet is back after 33 years with a "sexy" makeover and a message that's as important as ever: "Reality has gotten a lot less subtle"