Does playing older AC games ruin this gen AC games?

[Strider]

Title, kinda.

I'm really enjoying AC6, A LOT. It's made me want to give the series a go, but a lot of the veteran commentary states this generation is missing some of the core tenants of the series (e.g. customizability, difficulty, balance, radar, etc.).

If I go back and play the others, will I end up being kinda jaded with the new direction, or does it stand well enough on its own?

Ignorance is bliss, is what I guess I'm kinda saying.

[Kain]

If anything, it's the other way around. Specially if we are talking about those PS1 and early PS2 titles. They were rough af, specially without a second stick.

Masters of the Arena rocks though, even though it's a PS1 title and Last Raven might be the best AC in the series.

[Hikaru]

ACFA ♥♥♥♥♥ on this game in so many ways but I still enjoy AC6 more.

[Kain]

Originally posted by Hikaru:

ACFA ♥♥♥♥♥ on this game in so many ways but I still enjoy AC6 more.

That game and Last Raven did replayable playthroughs much better than this game.

[Somali Pirate Radio]

Originally posted by Strider:

Title, kinda.

I'm really enjoying AC6, A LOT. It's made me want to give the series a go, but a lot of the veteran commentary states this generation is missing some of the core tenants of the series (e.g. customizability, difficulty, balance, radar, etc.).

If I go back and play the others, will I end up being kinda jaded with the new direction, or does it stand well enough on its own?

Ignorance is bliss, is what I guess I'm kinda saying. :Emil:

It is hard to say. Some new ravens have indeed discovered they're disappointed with AC6 after experiencing more of the franchise. Others have decided that everything's awesome in it's own way, and just take them as they come.
...
And then some folks decided that everything in the past sucked and they wasted their time. I think they're jerkfaces, but I'm biased.

I personally feel like AC6 is actually designed to be an entry point for a whole new generation to discover the only franchise that has as much trouble counting to six as Street Fighter. Playing other ACs after AC6 might actually be the intended experience.



And for what it is worth, this isn't the first major outlier in the Armored Core formula. There's actually a good portion of the AC community that only cares about Armored Core 4/4 Answer because it was ALSO radically different, with an emphasis on speed and aerial mobility. (4 was also the first game where you're "a mercenary" instead of "a raven".)

[darthreaper151]

Those old heads are just a bunch of dried up no woman having men. Go experience the old ones man, just be ready some of the graphics are dated but they are all fun and unique

[Blackguard]

I recently played 1 and 3 again, and boy I can tell you I do not miss strafing with L1 and R1

[StoneofTriumph]

Probably not. I was playing AC Gen 1 as early as last week, and I've been having a real grand time.

In fact you'll probably have a better perspective, as you'll be able to have a clear-eyed view of the jank of earlier titles that some of the older vets may have chosen to forget.

[hoimingmissile]

Hell no, man. Go play those classics.

If I had to make an analogy, ACVI is like driving an automatic transmission and the old games are like stick shifts. You got way more granular control and were more immersed in the experience but it's not everybody's cup of tea. People in the know will tell you driving automatic is just missing something. Same deal with old AC versus this. ACVI is very simplified to make it more accessible.

[Strider]

Gonna give it a whirl, wish me luck with those R1 and R2 buttons. I've heard the name nineball a lot and a lot of sorrow to go with it, down the rabbit hole I go

[DirtyMick]

As a childhood AC player, I actually think it would be opposite. Playing this one will ruin the old ones for you. And just so you know, the older ones had terrible balance as well. There's always been OP weapons and useless weapons. The stagger system kind of really accentuates it though, or makes it feel even more off balance.

Playing this has made me think of dusting off the old ps2 and trying out some silent line again, but I know it will just kinda feel lame compared to this game.

[SoulReaperAxel]

i dont count ac6 as an armored core game, it missing alot from the orher ac games, daemaon x mechana is more ac like than this crap and the the old devs from the old acs were involed on daemon x mechana

[Prankman]

Nothing gets ruined, I think. Each generation of Armored Core is sort of like Monster Hunter in that they all have something unique to offer while still gaining QoL improvements as they go. It’s easy to say this game dumbed things down, but a lot of the alterations to heat, radar and movement had already begun in earnest by AC4. If anything, I think AC6 restored some of the depth by introducing stats like the EN Specialization and the new booster stats.

Yeah, balance is sort of borked, but outside of edge cases like the Zimmerman I think it’s actually not awful. Handguns and shotguns used to be memes with no niche and now are fantastic. Nothing inherent about the stagger system is any more busted than, say, the Heat system
In Last Raven A few balance patches are all it should take to easily make this the most balanced Armored Core game.

Overall though, they’re all fun and have something to offer so as long as you’re willing to put up with some janky controls there isn’t really a reason to not to try them.

[Blackmage]

Originally posted by Strider:

Gonna give it a whirl, wish me luck with those R1 and R2 buttons. I've heard the name nineball a lot and a lot of sorrow to go with it, down the rabbit hole I go

Good. They're good games.
Here is a pro tip nobody else seems to know about for some weird reason: pressing L2 and R2 at the same time will center you camera.

[Outsider]

Nope.
All AC games are good, except maybe for FA, which barely mediocre.

[MONSTERDROID]

Originally posted by Blackguard:

I recently played 1 and 3 again, and boy I can tell you I do not miss strafing with L1 and R1

Play Last Raven it has aiming with the right stick, you can probably move with the left stick as a result (& if you play any of the portable Armored Cores you can change the controls so on a PS Vita you can have right stick aiming & left stick movement).

Me personally I played Armored Core 3 on my PS2, then bought AC3:P, AC3:SL:P, & AC3:LR:P on my PS Vita & played them on there, the PSVita or an emulator are definitely the best ways to play the old games as you can customize the controls & use the left & right sticks for more modern controls.

I recently have been messing around with some of the old Armored Cores on my Ps Vita & on an emulator & I gotta say if FromSoft would just resell all the old games onto modern hardware with updated controls they would do way better imo, like being able to play the old games without the jank makes it way more fun. (Though I think they need to make the camera actually keep up with the turning speed if they remaster / remake them.)