Given that, while being a FromSoftware game, Armored Core 6 was never going to launch on the magnitude of something like Elden Ring, it is here with excellent reviews and strong early playercount stats.
However, once players begin the game, they discover that the very first boss is a harsh, hard wall that you are thrown into nearly right away. It’s the AH12 HC Helicopter, and for both new and seasoned Armored Core players, it’s proving to be a trial by fire.
One of the primary problems with the first boss is that it’s too early in the game to carefully design your mech for the battle. You are forced to use the loadout that is provided because this is the tutorial, which is solely concerned with mechanics. The mechanics are challenging. The best advice is to keep as much of your weight on the ground as you can. You should also balance your and the boss’ stagger gauges, making sure that his doesn’t drop with intermittent light firing. Utilize the surroundings as cover, and melee and attack boost for the best damage potential.
Despite being what amounts to a tutorial for the game, some claim that the boss fight is one of the hardest in FromSoftware history, a studio notorious for difficult boss fights. It is seen as a “weed out” for new players, particularly content creators who have been working extremely hard on stream to get through it despite wanting to play the newest, hottest game for their audiences.
However, there are additional, more difficult bosses in the game, such as Batleus, who appears much later:
The initial boss is taking players between 90 minutes and 5 hours to defeat, especially if they are new to the genre. Some are asking that it be toned down, but considering that it’s FromSoftware, that seems unlikely unless there is a major bug in it, which doesn’t seem to be the case.
It appears to be a challenging but essential crucible for the game. When that boss is defeated, it’s a huge relief and it gets you ready for the rest of the game, which will completely crush you. The idea is to not give up at this stage since, if you succeed and are satisfied with your achievement, you will probably enjoy the rest of the game. It’s possible that I won’t blame you if you give up in frustration, but it will probably be beneficial to keep trying.
