After just under 40 hours and having all but S-Ranked the mission list, I can say that this is overall a good game. A number of the beginner bosses (particularly the first) are designed to tilt you; but with a game specifically designed around NG+ mechanics and wanting you to revisit the same missions, this also brings an absolute sense of satisfaction by the time you've been able to revisit these once-difficult bosses.

Comparative to prior Armored Core titles, this one is simultaneously more *and* less challenging than its predecessors, depending on how you want to compare. No longer being able to drop below 0 credits in your bank is a massive sign of this, right alongside the convenient placement of resupply pods just before bosses and the ability to switch/tweak your AC loadout & reload at the latest checkpoint without a penalty other than your recent death. All of this is unheard of, yet makes this game objectively easier. However, this also led to a fundamental change in how levels have been designed. You /will/ be up against stronger foes and you /will/ get punished more severely for carelessness. Likewise, levels are also typically longer and are more likely to intermix stronger foes in with the weaker ones.

With these fundamental changes, also seems to take a step back from some of the more grand boss designs (with exception to the Strider at the start of the game). The majority of big & heavy bosses /do/ feel more akin to fighting an AC-translation of a Souls/Elden Ring boss. While this has drawn significant criticism, I think it fits in its own idiom. However, I'd be lying if I said I wasn't hoping for a return to these larger boss fights in the sequel to AC VI (assuming this follows the trend of its predecessors).

The game is gorgeous and extremely well-optimized. I understand FROM Soft is using an in-house engine, but other devs should really take note of this. I cannot stress enough just how well this title runs, even against older hardware.

The soundtrack is good, but also feels like a minor departure from the composition of prior titles. It feels a lot more action-BGM than it does a soundscape meant to actually convey the grand scale of what's going on. (Go listen to the AC 4/4A soundtracks in particular if you're curious what I mean.)

The difficulty scaling throughout the game still feels kind of wacky and a little /too/ up to RNG sometimes. As evidenced by the first mission or two, the game knows how to throw its punches effectively. But then there are a decent number of scenarios scattered about where you feel like it's almost too easy in comparison, and have been lulled into a false sense of security by the calm before the inevitable storm. The RNG bit is really only obvious when seeing drastically different outcomes from the same boss fight in back-to-back attempts. To some degree this is fine as it keeps you on your toes, but at the same time it makes it much more difficult to figure out how to effectively approach some fights.

The writing for the campaign is still well and true to what we've come to expect from the franchise. I recommend not skipping the voiceovers on your first time through each mission.

Overall, I'd give it an 8.5/10.

After just under 40 hours and having all but S-Ranked the mission list, I can say that this is overall a good game. A number of the beginner bosses (particularly the first) are designed to tilt you; but with a game specifically designed around NG+ mechanics and wanting you to revisit the same missions, this also brings an absolute sense of satisfaction by the time you've been able to revisit these once-difficult bosses. Comparative to prior Armored Core titles, this one is simultaneously more *and* less challenging than its predecessors, depending on how you want to compare. No longer being able to drop below 0 credits in your bank is a massive sign of this, right alongside the convenient placement of resupply pods just before bosses and the ability to switch/tweak your AC loadout & reload at the latest checkpoint without a penalty other than your recent death. All of this is unheard of, yet makes this game objectively easier. However, this also led to a fundamental change in how levels have been designed. You /will/ be up against stronger foes and you /will/ get punished more severely for carelessness. Likewise, levels are also typically longer and are more likely to intermix stronger foes in with the weaker ones. With these fundamental changes, also seems to take a step back from some of the more grand boss designs (with exception to the Strider at the start of the game). The majority of big & heavy bosses /do/ feel more akin to fighting an AC-translation of a Souls/Elden Ring boss. While this has drawn significant criticism, I think it fits in its own idiom. However, I'd be lying if I said I wasn't hoping for a return to these larger boss fights in the sequel to AC VI (assuming this follows the trend of its predecessors). The game is gorgeous and extremely well-optimized. I understand FROM Soft is using an in-house engine, but other devs should really take note of this. I cannot stress enough just how well this title runs, even against older hardware. The soundtrack is good, but also feels like a minor departure from the composition of prior titles. It feels a lot more action-BGM than it does a soundscape meant to actually convey the grand scale of what's going on. (Go listen to the AC 4/4A soundtracks in particular if you're curious what I mean.) The difficulty scaling throughout the game still feels kind of wacky and a little /too/ up to RNG sometimes. As evidenced by the first mission or two, the game knows how to throw its punches effectively. But then there are a decent number of scenarios scattered about where you feel like it's almost too easy in comparison, and have been lulled into a false sense of security by the calm before the inevitable storm. The RNG bit is really only obvious when seeing drastically different outcomes from the same boss fight in back-to-back attempts. To some degree this is fine as it keeps you on your toes, but at the same time it makes it much more difficult to figure out how to effectively approach some fights. The writing for the campaign is still well and true to what we've come to expect from the franchise. I recommend not skipping the voiceovers on your first time through each mission. Overall, I'd give it an 8.5/10.