Don't expect Armored Core 6 to be anywhere near as long as Elden Ring

According to previews of Armoured Core 6: Fires of Rubicon, the game is set to last roughly 50-60 hours with around 100 missions in total you'll have to complete. A nice, hefty runtime by all accounts, but not quite the same length as From Software's previous game Elden Ring.

Not that this is a bad thing, nor especially surprising given the history of Armored Core. the game has traditionally been quite linear in terms of missions structure, with longevity coming from S ranking missions, new game + playthroughs to unlock additional endings, and battles in the arena. So while the game is shorter according to coverage including fextralife's preview, you'll still have plenty to do once it launches late August.

This does welcome an interesting conversation on the popularity of From Software in recent years, and how a new wave of fans introduced to the develop via Elden Ring will receive the complex mecha action game. By all accounts it's got a lot of depth to it, and while the game has assuredly been altered by a post-Elden Ring developer to be more accommodating to the new player, it's still got a lot of that Armored Core funk to it.

One can only hope that the new wave From Software fan will strive for those S ranks, and go through the game multiple times in order to experience the game in its entirety. There's also PvP - which looks wild and a major time sink for the competitive-minded.

If players are able to do so, it looks like they'll be due a real treat. Previews have shown of sprawling missiosn and challenging fights, while our limited peeks at the story reveal an intriging and slightly depressing narrative we can't wait to dive into.

Are you excited about Armored Core 6? What do you think about that 50-60 estimate? Let us know below!