Support NeoGAF

[Draugoth]

Thanks to Gematsu

First details and screenshots for a a new Armored Core game have reportedly surfaced via a consumer survey, according to a post by ResetEra user Red Liquorice.

The survey included a description, screenshots, and two short gameplay videos—one of a boss fight and one of a snowy area. The screenshots and videos were ID-watermarked, but the user was able to obscure the watermarks on the screenshots and shared them publicly.

“That’s all there was—four pages of four images,” Red Liquorice said. “The two videos I couldn’t save, no idea how even.”

The description featured in the survey is as follows:

About
Melange, an unknown substance that could dramatically advance human society. In the past, this substance caused a cosmic catastrophe on planet Bashtar that engulfed the surrounding star systems, and eventually its very existence was lost. Decades later, the Melange reaction was confirmed again on planet Bashtar. In search of the unknown substance that should have been lost, various speculations begin to swirl. Various parties are getting involved; The government, corporations, cultists, and unknown mercenaries… The protagonist is one of them.
The game is a TPS (third-person shooter) mecha action title that lets you move around an overwhelmingly scaled map that represents a unique sci-fi world with dynamic mech action. You will face strong enemies and fierce battles both long and short range using guns and blades.
Key Features

• The Sci-Fi World Created by Hidetaka Miyazaki – FromSoftware‘s unique and deep sci-fi worldview and multi-layered story. Set on the planet Bashtar, a sci-fi world devastated by a planet-wide disaster, with an overwhelming sense of scale that only mecha can provide.
• A Vast Field that Represents a Multi-Layered World – In a massive and three-dimensional map, you can feel the scale of the mecha universe. A wide variety of maps offer an array of challenging enemies and carefully crafted situations that are worth taking on again and again.
• Feel the Tension, in Long and Short Range Battles – This game offers not only long-range combat with guns, but also short-range combat elements such as blade and shield, that add a sense of urgency to gameplay. Decide between defensive tactics during tense and challenging battles against powerful enemies.
• Three-Dimensional, Dynamic Action – The game’s dynamic, three-dimensional movement is something no human can imitate. You can move freely around the vast map with the unique mobility of a mech.
• High Degree of Freedom in Customization – Reconfigure body parts and weapons in order to upgrade your mech. With a high level of customization, you can build a mech to suit your play style; from a build that focusses on close-range combat and mobility, or a build that emphasizes firepower to wipe out swarms of enemies at once.

Red Liquorice shared the following additional impressions of the footage:

The boss fight seemed very Souls in terms of speed and style. It looked like an industrial-looking brown room, the player started afar, locked on firing guns, then closed in and attacked; melee and the speed / movement all seemed very familiar Souls style. [If I recall correctly] the boss had a domed head and was bigger than the player, but not huge. If I had to guess, I’d say this was like an Asylum or Taurus Demon style early boss, obviously total speculation there, but it didn’t seem grandiose or particularly impressive as an encounter. Boss had a life bar on screen (at the top of the screen [if I recall correctly])—very simple, but it was more red LED-styled, futuristic as you might expect—angular edges on the life bars rather than straight rectangle.
The second video didn’t seem to include any combat, just moving towards this big wall or gate in the snowy area, following either other players or enemies ahead of the player, relatively small in the distance, but they had circular ‘target’ effects on them—perhaps not a target, but just identifying them other mechs. The snow reminded me of the Capcom mech game from a while back, just because of the snow.

As for the title of the game, Red Liquorice said, “The survey listed a choice of titles for the game, so I guess that hasn’t been decided on yet. Most of them were Armored Core: [Something], including just ‘Armored Core‘ and both Armored Core 6, Armored Core VI, and other subtitles I can’t remember—some of the choices didn’t include Armored Core in the name at all.”

 

[Dr_Salt]

Melange? Are they ripping off dune or what lol

 

[lh032]

Now the real question.

Will it be PS5 exclusive only?

 

[Maiden Voyage]

Hoping for 2023 release. Hopefully that’s not too optimistic.

 

[Con-Z-epT]

Sounds and looks good. Now give me a trailer for confirmation!

 

[FunkMiller]

Miyazaki game set in the Dune universe confirmed?

 

[STARSBarry]

God I love the opening for these games...

Although I haven't really been able to get into one fully since the PS2 era.

 

[Alexios]

Is there an AC game that feels like piloting massive walking (or hovering, or wheeled or flying or whatever options) war machines or similar rather than a janky third person shooter where the character is a clunky robot and relies on massive amounts of auto aim while you just dodge like mad?

Other than the customization which in and of itself doesn't really save it I never understood what people saw in it since the PS1 days and looking at footage of the later entries it seems they didn't deviate from that initial formula, just became a bit less clunky/doubled down on flight. PS1 vs PS3:


If they actually tried to make it feel more simy like say, the first couple of Gungriffon games or MechWarrior, that'd totally be my jam, but I doubt they're gonna do that as apparently the series has fans and these games are pretty far from the style they like. Maybe go for ZOE or Gundam style?

 

[DarkestHour]

So many of us have been waiting ages for this day to finally come.

 

[Aion002]

Now the real question.

Will it be PS5 exclusive only?

Why would it?

The last AC games are available on 360, PS3 and PC.

Anyway...

 

[Alexios]

and pc.

Er, no.

 

[Cert.in.Death]

A challenge to all GAF forumites: sift out the hype for a new FromSoft game from the hype for a new AC game.

I don’t know if it’s genuinely possible.

 

[Juza]

It's Armored Core and I don't see the "SoUls-LIkE" things here lol

 

[Sosokrates]

I'll be more interested if it uses the latest tech.

 

[Kokoloko85]

Next gen only please

 

[Aion002]

Er, no.

Yeah.... My mistake.

 

[MiguelItUp]

I'm fucking ALL in. I loved Armored Core so much, though I missed out on a lot of the sequels. This already sounds incredible, haha.

 

[ChuckeRearmed]

I already sense Dark Soul vibes but with robots. No rolls though.

 

[thelurkinghorror]

what I really want is Chromehounds 2… but a new AC is not bad at all

 

[f~N_CH_1:3:3:3_SushiBoat]

Starlord_finally.gif

Light with double sawas boosting all up in dat ass!!!

Stoked.

 

[ranmafan]

Finally, been waiting for more info on this. It’s been way too long for us to wait on a new armored core.

And yeah that melange thing, they are going to have to change that name for sure once those in charge of Dune see that.

 

[Sub_Level]

First off, hell yes.

Second off, can folks please stop comparing every videogame to dark souls. There's maybe some developer overlap but come on lol AC has been around since '97.

 

[reksveks]

Would people care if this was an exclusive either way?

 

[MiguelItUp]

First off, hell yes.

Second off, can folks please stop comparing every videogame to dark souls. There's maybe some developer overlap but come on lol AC has been around since '97.

I think that people see Miyazaki's name and kneejerk, haha.

But there are also survey details lingering around comparing it to Souls as well, so, hey alright, haha. I guess we'll see. I'm just stoked about a new AC TBH.

 

[Kuranghi]

Light with double sawas boosting all up in dat ass!!!

Stoked.

I can tell you're a big fan because I understood barely any of this sentence.

I am also hyped though because I love big robots.

 

[sojuwarrior]

hopefully next-gen ONLY!

 

[Lt.Calley]

cant see shit captain

 

[Kuranghi]

cant see shit captain

Thats part of the immersion they are going for in the game, its set in snowy areas this overlay is meant to capture the feeling of having a loosely-knitted wooly hat pulled down over your face (for warmth).

 

[Spaceman292]

Melange? Are they ripping off dune or what lol

It would be cool for them to rip off something other than Berserk

 

[YukiOnna]

Thank christ it's real. That's all I care about.

First off, hell yes.

Second off, can folks please stop comparing every videogame to dark souls. There's maybe some developer overlap but come on lol AC has been around since '97.

It's getting really annoying. Armored Core is just being Armored Core, lol.

 

[Beer Baelly]

 

[DevilMayFlyForAWhiteGuy]

Wish there was a HD collection or backwards compatibility to try the older ones out, but this definitely has my interest. I’d like to see something other than Souls games from From after Elden Ring.

 

[Salmon Snake]

I loved Armored Core PS1 demo, but that's my only experience with the series.

Eager to see FromSoftware making something different. But my testicles are telling you guys that BB2 is in the making and it's Miyazaki's.

 

[Con-Z-epT]

Salmon Snake having extraterestial testicals confirmed!

 

[Fbh]

I'm curious about this one.

I remember trying one of the Ps3 ones many years ago and it didn't really click with me. Have been wanting to give the franchise another chance as I usually like mechs, but no title seems to be available on modern platforms.

 

[stranno]

Wish there was a HD collection or backwards compatibility to try the older ones out, but this definitely has my interest. I’d like to see something other than Souls games from From after Elden Ring.

You can try the remastered version of Metal Wolf Chaos, released two or three years ago. MWC is basically the Armored Core of Team Otogi, which was the only studio inside From Software with some experience with XBOX, that's why they ended developing that really weird title.

XD is a bit lacking regarding to the graphical effects, compared to XBOX, and sound was a bit broken the last time I played.

 

[Dr_Salt]

Why is that only one random dude in the whole world got this survey? And why are they straight up ripping off dune? Shit sounds fake af the more you think about it.

 

[DevilMayFlyForAWhiteGuy]

You can try the remastered version of Metal Wolf Chaos, released two or three years ago. MWC is basically the Armored Core of Team Otogi, which was the only studio inside From Software with some experience with XBOX, that's why they ended developing that really weird title.

XD is a bit lacking regarding to the graphical effects, compared to XBOX, and sound was a bit broken the last time I played.

Actually I have that game, I got all the way to some level with a bridge and stopped playing. It was pretty good, but I didn’t know if it was more or less similar to Armored Core.

Speaking of Otogi, how are those games? I’m a fan of Souls games, and action games like Ninja Gaiden and DMC in general. I think Otogi would be up my alley, but I’m not sure if it would seem a bit primitive gameplays wise compared to those other games. Also they’re on Xbox, but twice the price OG Xbox games are usually…

 

[N1tr0sOx1d3]

Do these screenshots come with windscreen wipers? What am I missing?

 

[stranno]

Actually I have that game, I got all the way to some level with a bridge and stopped playing. It was pretty good, but I didn’t know if it was more or less similar to Armored Core.

Speaking of Otogi, how are those games? I’m a fan of Souls games, and action games like Ninja Gaiden and DMC in general. I think Otogi would be up my alley, but I’m not sure if it would seem a bit primitive gameplays wise compared to those other games. Also they’re on Xbox, but twice the price OG Xbox games are usually…

Oh yeah, the bridge level can be a pita the first time you play.

Never played an Otogi game, tbh, but it is the same team that developed MWC. It's probably easier than Ninja Gaiden

 

[Sub_Level]

Do these screenshots come with windscreen wipers? What am I missing?

3rd sentence in the OP lul

 

[Shits_McGiggles]

So this one guy somehow received a consumer survey for an unannounced Armored Core? How do people even get selected for these consumer surveys, and why don’t these kind of leaks happen more often?

 

[Naked Lunch]

One of my favorite franchises. Been far too long since Verdict Day.
The series still has so much potential.
Had no idea there even was a new entry in the works.

Hoping its 60fps - the last couple were a choppy mess.

 

[Calling 911 Melts Beams]

those scanlines be looking thicc tho

 

[WitchHunter]

I have fixed one of the images. Now, the details are clearly visible. Someone with AI knowledge can sharpen it some more somehow.