No, You Won’t Have To Hold Your Controller Backwards In Order To Play ‘Armored Core VI’

This is not how you play 'Armored Core'.

Now that Armored Core VI will be released this August, new players are scouring the internet trying to catch up on the series. With one of the main points of interest being a strange way to hold a controller while playing the games.

This surfaced back in 2012 around the time of the release for Armored Core V. It was covered on Kotaku and I was quoted saying that this was an obvious joke.

I mean, it still is an obvious joke, but that hasn't stopped other places online making Armored Core themed hay out of it. They even linked the same Kotaku article with my quote explaining it's a joke, so there's that too.

Anyway, the whole joke around this is that the Armored Core games have historically had very complicated and difficult controls. With Armored Core V's controls being uniquely complex relative to earlier instalments in the series.

This is what the reverse grip joke was all about; to show that the only way to handle the game's insane controls was through some kind of unholy controller setup.

I explained then, as I am now, that no-one plays the Armored Core games this way. I mean, I have been playing the series since 1997 and have never needed to hold my controller backwards.

While it's still unclear whether the controls and camera have been remedied for Armored Core VI, the various interviews covering the game have shown that making the controls more accessible has been a clear priority for newer players.

However, the control issues that were common place in the older games were also down to how the camera and lock-on operated. So this won't be a straightforward fix, unless of course Armored Core VI opts for something like an orbit lock-on, which is something the new gameplay trailer hints at.

In any case, don't worry about having to hold your controller backwards to play Armored Core VI. It's very likely that the game will be playable for regular humans this time around.

Armored Core VI will be released for PlayStation 5, PlayStation 4, Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One and PC on August 25.

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