Hard Lock vs. Soft Lock in Armored Core 6: Which one should you be using?

Armored Core 6 can be a very punishing experience if you have not been able to properly grasp some of the various combat mechanics the title offers. Two such mechanics are the Hard Lock and the Soft Lock feature, which will make or break your efforts against some of the toughest bosses in the game.

With the first tutorial boss itself being an incredible challenge, many in the community are not entirely able to put a finger on how to go about the fight and how they should be juggling between the mechanics.

FromSoftware games have historically never held the player’s hands, and that fact remains true for Armored Core 6 as well.

Hence today’s guide will go over everything you need to know about the Hard Lock and Soft Lock system along with which one you should be using and when.

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What is Soft Lock in Armored Core 6?

Soft Lock (Image via Armored Core 6)

Soft Lock is your mech’s auto-targeting system, which will automatically highlight nearby enemies in your vision and let your attack track them. However, one of the drawbacks of the Soft Lock feature is when you are fighting against an enemy that moves around a lot.

If the enemy goes out of vision, then the attack won’t track them, and you will have to manually move the camera to spot them again.

While it’s not difficult to pull off with a mouse and keyboard, those enjoying the game on a controller on the PlayStation and Xbox consoles will find it incredibly hard to keep up.

However, Soft Lock is amazing when there are multiple targets in your vicinity, and you need to maneuver around enemies when surrounded. However, you have a much higher chance of missing your Assault Boost melee or Boost Kick as it will not be locking onto just one particular target.

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What is Hard Lock in Armored Core 6?

Hard Lock in Armored Core 6 is done by pressing the R3 button, after which your mech automatically locks onto the nearest enemy. It’s the perfect tool for taking out isolated targets and tracking enemies who are fast and often like to dip and dive out of vision.

Hard Lock will keep the camera on them, and you will also be able to effectively land Assault Boost melee and Boost Kicks as well. Hard Lock is also called Target Assist or Lock On in Armored Core 6, and while it’s great against isolated targets, you will not have a good time with it if you need to maneuver around multiple enemies.

There are moments in the game when you will be ambushed, and in these instances, using the Soft Lock mode will be more beneficial.

Hard Lock (Image via Armored Core 6)

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Should you use Soft Lock or Hard Lock in Armored Core 6?

Soft Lock or Hard Lock usage will be something that will depend on your preference, your mech loadout, as well as the situation you are in. However, it’s recommended that you strive to strike a balance between the two.

While there will be many situations in the game asking you to use just the Soft Lock, boss fights are better fought with the Target Assist on. This will help you stay locked onto the target and not make you miss those all-important Boost Kicks.

However, veterans of the series might want to constantly switch between the two options but rely more on Soft Lock as it will allow them more mobility.