RIG Riot Screenshot
Image: Sage Boatman

As a lifelong fan of the Armored Core series, RIG Riot practically leapt onto my wishlist the second it was announced. It might be a more low-fi indie production from a solo developer–the fantastically named Sage Boatman–but seeing the game in action, I knew that this developer understands how an Armored Core game should move. I got a chance to play a bit of it pre-release thanks to a kindly provided preview key, and I really think the world should know that the game is out now and very cool. There's a demo, too!

RIG Riot probably isn't going to replace Armored Core 6 as your high-speed mech game of choice, but it's not trying to. This isn't a blockbuster with a branching narrative. Yes, you've got a highly customizable mech that you build up using new parts scavenged or bought from the front line, but instead of a mission-based, story-driven campaign, you're going out on randomly generated sorties to one of five big (VERY big) locations within a colossal sci-fi megastructure.

The game's primary Mission mode has you completing simple objectives - take out this group of enemies, hack this comms relay, grab this item, etc.- with the level and aggression of enemies slowly increasing as you push further, although you also get an assortment of perks (in classic roguelike pick-3 style) as you complete jobs. Once you've filled your quota of giant robot violence, you can tap out and go home, cashing in all the rewards you collected along the way, or push your luck for greater riches.

But the mode that I've enjoyed most is the more aggressive Raid, which has the game constantly dialing up the heat no matter what you do, Risk of Rain style, forcing dangerous, aggressive play to dash in, complete the job, and keep upgrading while trying to keep ahead of the escalation. Once you get back after a mission, it's classic Armored Core stuff, albeit with the option to spend money on enhancing your town's mech support facility, giving you access to better store stock, crafting, and upgrade options.

Most importantly, despite this obviously being a lower-budget production, that Armored Core muscle memory immediately kicked in. I was dancing through the air, my lighter mech build effectively capable of full flight, weaving between barrages of missiles. Weapons are all heavily lock-on based, their accuracy based on your mech's arms and fire control systems. My only complaint is that I wish enemy wreckage would stick around longer, and that weapons sounded a bit punchier, but I was still having fun my entire time playing so far.

RIG Riot is out now for £17.75/$20, with a 10% launch discount running until September 28th. There's also a demo if you want to get a feel for it before diving in.