Armored Core VI: Fires of Rubicon is one of my favourite games of the last several years. Yep, you read that right. It’s fun to control, the feedback loop is addicting, and the upgrade system is incredibly entertaining. It looks really nice, and the basic story is surprisingly good. However…
For how much you will be looking at menus during a 15 to 20-hour playthrough, the text is garbage and completely unreadable. That might be a bit harsh, because the style From Software used in this title isn’t horrendous. It’s just the choice to use that small of a font completely ruins any fun that can be gleaned from customizing your mech. And that’s the main point of the game! It gets even worse when you start a mission, as the heads-up displays are also uncomfortably tiny. Whenever my commander or enemy mechs would say something on the screen, I’d be forced to squint, and that’s just not fun at all.
It’s not like Armored Core VI is the only culprit here, because many other Japanese developers have also fallen into this trap. For example, Square Enix’s Final Fantasy pixel remasters and Nintendo’s Fire Emblem: Three Houses both let people down in that regard. Some of these studios are the unfortunate poster boys of failing to meet the requirement for good accessibility in video games.
Now, this could be a whole other can of worms about the region’s resistance to adapt to the different sensibilities that have spread worldwide by now. But that’s a story for another day, and if I’m honest, it’s not worth complaining about within the same article as a great game like Armored Core VI: Fire of Rubicon. Their gameplay and innovation trends are usually top-tier, but why can’t approachability be the same? It just doesn’t make sense.
Across different forum posts, people have complained about the title’s lack of readability, so now you know I’m not the only one saying this. Oh, and if you think those developers mentioned above haven’t learned from their lessons — no, it’s quite the opposite. Yeah, just a few months ago, in a Nintendo Direct, Mario & Luigi Brothership was announced, featuring big and bold text that’s super accessible for every player. Then, Square Enix released Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth earlier in 2024, and while it’s not a massive improvement, you can still tell what you’re looking at. From Software should definitely try to their best to learn from these examples to prevent future troubles. Somewhat worryingly, though, is the existence of a mod for PC that increases the font size.
It just goes to show that ease of use matters to a wide range of people, not just those with disabilities. So, while I enjoyed my time with Armored Core VI: Fires Of Rubicon, it also annoyed me at various points. I just wish these developers would learn from their mistakes and pay attention for once.
