The exceptional Armored Core 6: Fires of Rubicon is easy to purchase and play on PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X, or PC. Every other game in the series? Not so much. Most of the previous 15 Armored Core games aren’t available on digital storefronts or backward-compatible on modern systems. That is, until March, when the very first Armored Core and its two expansion games for the PlayStation were made available for digital purchase, and for free for PlayStation Plus Premium subscribers on PS4 and PS5.
Though it’s nearly 30 years old, Armored Core holds up incredibly well. Despite its odd control setup, it’s easy to see how the series’ high-speed mecha gameplay inspired such a devoted fan base. The bright, retro polygonal graphics look pristine on modern high-definition televisions, and customizing your Armored Core is still the absorbing heart of the experience. It’s also a chance to see the wild ideas FromSoftware was cooking up decades ago, like the new game plus mode you could only access by going into debt.
This was called “Human PLUS,” and it tied into the game’s dystopian sci-fi story. Completing missions earned players credits, but a chunk of their payment was always taken out to cover repairs and ammo for their Armored Core. Earning money meant buying better parts, but failing a mission meant losing money. Going into debt by at least 50,000 credits would trigger Human PLUS, restarting the game while upgrading the player’s character by meshing them cybernetically with their Armored Core. Sure, you lost some of your humanity, but you improved your shoulder-mounted weapon performance in the process.
These upgrades were quite significant, and made it easier for players to complete the game. Even better, when you bought the sequels Project Phantasma and Master of Arena, you could import your save and bring along your arsenal and your Human PLUS upgrades into what were considered tougher games. Or at least you could on the original PlayStation. Currently, the versions in the PlayStation Plus Classics Catalog cannot import game saves from one another.
According to Forbes, the developer of these ports, Implicit Conversions, appears to be aware of the issue and will hopefully provide a patch in the future. Some special parts that should only have been accessible in Project Phantasma via the save import feature were found in the game’s shop, meaning the developer must have been aware that these parts wouldn’t have otherwise been accessible. However, not all of these special parts are for sale, and there’s still no way to get the Human PLUS upgrades in that game or Master of Arena.
While I hope a patch makes it possible to import saves in the future, Armored Core is still absolutely worth playing for any curious PlayStation Plus subscribers. Here’s hoping we get the other 12 games in the franchise a little sooner.
