With the impending release of Armored Core 6 on Aug. 24, it’s no surprise that many players have been getting into FromSoftware’s venerable mech-fighting series to prepare.
The only problem is—like with many game franchises that have been going since the 90s—there are enough sequels, reboots and expansions to make your head spin, and even getting them down in the proper order can be a daunting task in and of itself.
Worry not—this handy guide will break down every game, how and where you can play them, and, most crucially of all, whether you even should.
How to play Armored Core, Project Phantasma, and Master of Arena
The game that started it all: Armored Core, no number, no subtitle, no filler, all killer. It also kickstarted the series tradition of having standalone expansions released shortly after each mainline game, which will be grouped in with the numbered entry they’re tied to in this list for convenience. Notably, each of these expansions allows you to import save data from the main game, meaning that you won’t lose out on your lovingly handcrafted mech if you decide to brave them.
Unfortunately, that’s easier said than done, as Armored Core and its expansions were only released for the original PlayStation, albeit with a digital-only reissue on the PS3 as part of the ‘PSone Classics’ lineup, which may be your best shot at playing it legitimately. Otherwise, emulation might well be your only option, as is sadly the case for many classics of this era.
How to play Armored Core 2 and Another Age
2000’s Armored Core 2 and its expansion benefited greatly from the jump to PlayStation 2 in terms of graphics and gameplay, although the core (pun intended) premise and mission structure remained largely the same—which isn’t necessarily a bad thing, given FromSoftware’s “if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it” approach to game design. It also shifted away from the grittier post-apocalyptic setting to a more fantastical sci-fi one, marking the first of many such oscillations back and forth.
The PS2 still remains the only official way to play it, without so much as a rerelease later on, but Ubisoft did help out on the localized version, which is a nice piece of trivia you can use to seem knowledgeable at your next LAN party.
How to play Armored Core 3, Silent Line, Nexus, and Last Raven
Armored Core 3 marked the series’ first reboot and a switch back from sci-fi to post-apocalyptic. With their legendary work ethic, FromSoftware managed to slip in one more Armored Core into the PS2 generation, but this meant that the new lineup brought almost no significant gameplay changes, thus making this one to miss unless you’re a die-hard completionist.
It is worth noting that Last Raven, the final expansion, played with implementing a Dead Rising-style real-time mission timer but ultimately decided against it in favor of having it move forward as the story progressed instead. AC3, although originally released on the PS2, was ported to the PSP a few years later—so if you’ve still got one sitting around, now might be the time to blow the dust off it.
Related: Armored Core 6 countdown: Exact start time and date
How to play Armored Core 4 and For Answer
Armored Core 4—the first ‘modern’ game in the series, released for the PlayStation 3—served as another reboot, effectively invalidating every choice made by the previous games (which may have been for the best). Although Armored Core had historically been PlayStation exclusive, AC4 saw an Xbox 360 release as well in a series first. While this may give Xbox gamers a glimmer of hope, given the Series X|S’ widely touted backward compatibility capabilities, Armored Core 4 is one of the few games excluded from that list, locking it to its original hardware.
Despite being the first game helmed by Hidetaka Miyazaki, the mind behind many of FromSoftware’s most iconic and beloved titles, its lackluster visuals and often poor performance led to mixed reviews. Still, much like Lebron James’ NBA debut, it’s worth seeing where one of the greats got his start.
How to play Armored Core 5 and Verdict Day
Armored Core 5 broke the reboot trend, albeit briefly, and released as a direct sequel to AC4. Much like its predecessor, it also released for both the PS3 and Xbox 360 (and is similarly excluded from modern backward compatibility), but its gameplay took on a slower, more tactical pace that has led to it being one of the more divisive entries in the series—and more than likely one of the reasons Armored Core as a whole has been shelved for more than a decade.
Although it’s one of the more accessible entries in the series simply by virtue of being on more readily available hardware, Armored Core 6 looks to be returning to the twitchy gameplay of earlier entries and borrowing several elements from the Soulsborne games to enhance it, meaning that AC5 isn’t exactly an optimal choice if your goal is to prepare yourself for its sequel.
How to play Armored Core 6: Fires of Rubicon
The big one. From what we can tell, Armored Core 6 looks to be yet another reboot that marries both the science fiction and post-apocalypse concepts and infuses them with that characteristic bleakness and brutal challenge FromSoftware has picked up from a decade spent doing Dark Souls. The story has never been a primary concern for FromSoftware (with the possible exception of Elden Ring, but when you hire George R.R. Martin you want to use him), and Armored Core embodies this as well as any of their other games, with its lack of overarching plot lines between games or even real characters. While this may be disappointing for those used to meatier narratives, you certainly won’t be lost story-wise on your way into AC6—unless, of course, Miyazaki wants you to.
Luckily, you will soon be able to play AC6 on all modern consoles and PCs, even including last-gen hardware like the PS4 and Xbox One—no need to go rooting around on eBay or delving into your closet.
Related: Is Armored Core 6 on Xbox Game Pass?
If you’ve felt the need to brush up on your mech piloting skills before Armored Core 6 releases on August 24th, you now hold all the knowledge necessary to do so—just try not to get too mad at the Fragile fight when you get to AC4.
