"There's Armored Core drama": Asmongold blasts critics for saying Armored Core 6 has mediocre graphics, says gameplay is king

Popular Twitch streamer Zack "Asmongold" recently blasted critics of the upcoming FromSoftware game Armored Core 6: Fires of Rubicon, who think it lacks graphics for a next-gen game. The streamer, who has been singing the praises of Elden Ring and other games from the Japanese developer for a long time, was stunned when a clip criticized the graphics of the new Armored Core game.

As a popular content creator on Twitch who does not shy away from giving his opinions on video game-related news, Zack was pretty irked concerning the ongoing "drama" about some people not liking the graphics of Armored Core 6:

"There's Armored Core drama? I actually saw this, oh my god, oh bro I forgot all about that."

In a recent stream, he reacted to a clip that insinuated that the game needs an upgrade to the latest Unreal Engine 5 for better graphics. After expressing his disapproval, he pulled out a quote from the founder of Ferrari and vehemently stated that gameplay matters more than graphics:

"That's what really matters. Not the graphics, but the gameplay."

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"The design is a 10, and that's what really matters": Asmongold goes off on people criticizing Armored Core 6 for not having "good" graphics

Among the various content creators on Twitch, Asmongold was a staunch fan of Elden Ring and was elated when it bagged the Game of the Year Award in 2022. More famous for his MMO streams, he has frequently clashed with developers such as Blizzard, criticizing their actions as he sees fit.

With FromSoftware launching the much-awaited 16-addition to the Armored Core IP after a decade since its last game, a few gamers appear displeased with the graphics. The particular clip that Asmongold reacted to was from someone who thought that the game would benefit greatly by upgrading to the latest Unreal Engine for better graphics, with the critic stating:

"I feel like graphics are a huge part of a mech game compared to something like Elden Ring, and they gotta make that jump [to Unreal Engine 5] at some point."

The OTK co-founder, however, promptly replied to the point about mech games needing better graphics, saying:

"How do you know that, when was the last mech game that came out that had any popularity? They are defining what a mech game is. Mech games have been dead."

To make points about how graphics are not the end-all yardstick for judging games, Asmongold pulled up the top Twitch categories page. He showed how the most popular games, such as GTA V, Minecraft, and League of Legends, are not necessarily the best-looking games in terms of graphics but because of the stylized art that developers have used:

"Here, you guys want to have a little bit of fun, let's have some fun. This game [referring to GTA V] came out ten years ago, and the graphics suck. This game [League of Legends] has stylized graphics. This game [Valorant] has stylized graphics. These games [Teamfight Tactics, Fortnite] have stylized graphics... Overwatch has stylized graphics. DOTA 2, Minecraft, Lost Ark is Unreal Engine 3."

Timestamp 2:08:22

Without beating around the bush, Asmongold directly explained why FromSoftware games such as Armored Core 6 and games from the Soulsborne series also have stylized graphics that resonate with the players. That is why they have such a big fanbase. He also praised their game and art design, saying:

"The graphics in Armored Core 6, Bloodborne, and Elden Ring are stylized. They do not have extremely high fidelity. I think that the fidelity and detail of the graphics are 8.5. But the design is a 10, and that's what really matters."

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Fan Reactions to Asmongold's Clip

Here are some fan reactions to Asmongold's rant about Armored Core 6 and its graphics.

Fans reacting to the streamer's take (Image via Asmongold Clips/YouTube)

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Armored Core 6: Fires of Rubicon is slated to release on August 25, 2023, and the series' fans are quite excited as FromSoftware revives the mech genre. It's also supposed to live up to the "FromSoft" difficulty levels per the game designer's exclusive interview with Sportskeeda.