Highlights
- Armored Core 6: Fires of Rubicon offers a refreshing change from FromSoftware’s usual open-world RPGs, focusing on vehicular combat and linear missions.
- The gameplay of Armored Core 6 incorporates elements from the Souls series and Elden Ring, resulting in unique enemy designs and cinematic boss battles.
- The Moonlight Greatsword, a staple weapon in FromSoftware’s games, appears in Armored Core 6 with a new futuristic twist, offering powerful close-range slashes and long-range light waves when charged.
Armored Core 6: Fires of Rubicon offers fans a break from developer FromSoftware’s modern formula. Reviving one of the developer’s oldest and most revered franchises, the title’s vehicular combat and linear missions are a nice change of pace from the open-world RPGs that the developer has come to be known for. While Armored Core 6’s storytelling adheres to its traditional presentation, the title’s gameplay has been infused with elements from the Souls series and Elden Ring, resulting in uniquely Soulslike twists on enemy design and cinematic boss battles. However, one instance sees Armored Core 6 put its own twist on a classic Souls weapon, the Moonlight Greatsword, evolving it to fit into the frenetic and futuristic battlefields of Rubicon 3.
Armored Core 6: Fires of Rubicon is the first title in the Armored Core series in nearly a decade. Armored Core 6 takes the fan-favorite series to new heights, evolving previous titles’ exceptional gameplay and infusing it with modern controls. While the title still features enemies based on real-world technologies, Armored Core 6 boss designs mirror those found in the Souls series. Boasting massive sizes and otherworldly designs, these boss battles offer FromSoftware fans both new and old exhilarating combat setpieces. It only makes sense then that Armored Core 6 would feature one of the Souls series’ most popular weapons, albeit with a futuristic twist.
The Moonlight Greatsword is a FromSoftware Staple
FromSoftware’s modern lineup offers fans a chance to take on tough-as-nails story modes in a wide variety of fantasy settings. While each title offers something different, FromSoftware’s Soulsborne properties are tied together through hard-to-find items, characters, or locations. However, the Moonlight Greatsword, a mysterious and massive weapon, has directly appeared in almost every Soulsborne title. Across the Souls series, Bloodborne, and Elden Ring, variations of the Moonlight Greatsword have been featured.
FromSoftware’s Moonlight Greatsword actually dates all the way back to its very first title, 1994’s King’s Field, which was released exclusively in Japan for the PlayStation. Across each title in the extended King’s Field series, the Moonlight Greatsword plays a key role in defeating the main antagonist and is required in order to restore peace to the realm. The weapon also appeared in the very first Armored Core title, where it was renamed The LS-99-MOONLIGHT. The weapon boasts the best power, heaviest weight, and most balanced size ratio of any sword in the game.
How Armored Core 6 Puts a New Spin on the Moonlight Greatsword
Armored Core 6 features a unique twist on the Moonlight Greatsword, very different from its RPG counterparts. This version of the weapon, the IA-C01W2 MOONLIGHT, allows players to perform one or two powerful slashes at close range, but its true strength comes at a distance. When charged, the IA-C01W2 MOONLIGHT emits large waves of light, dealing significant damage to enemies caught in their path. This unique property is shared with Elden Ring‘s version of the weapon, the Dark Moon Greatsword, which features a skill that emits magical projectiles with heavy attacks.
Fans of Armored Core 6 can find its version of the IA-C01W2 MOONLIGHT during Chapter 4, Mission 34: Reach the Coral Convergence. When players reach the other end of a destroyed bridge, they can spot four enemies below, protecting a chest on a concrete slab. Defeating these enemies and opening the chest will reward players with the IA-C01W2 MOONLIGHT. However, fans must finish the mission in order to truly obtain the weapon. Fans of FromSoftware’s modern properties should do their best to obtain the IA-C01W2 MOONLIGHT during their first playthrough, as it could come in handy when facing Armored Core 6‘s New Game+ exclusive missions.
Armored Core 6 is available now for PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X|S.
