After playing the new Armored Core 6, I've learned the difference between "making you think and strategize" difficult and "getting punched in the dick because we can" difficult. AC6 definitely follows the latter, and I prefer the former.
Games that give you a difficult hurdle because of poor game design that require you to figure out a very niche solution to the problem are terrible and Devs should be kicked in the shins for it. Bosses and challenges in a game should make you think both creatively and strategically in order to get you to either think outside of the box, or push yourself in preparation of later challenges. They should also provide you with ample tools that satisfy the requirements of the challenge, but also require you to actually think critically in order to put them into play.
AC6 doesn't do that. The first mission (though easy, not sure what others are saying) forces you to satisfy the challenge with a specific mech and gives you zero alternatives. This is an unnecessary handicap the game forces on you and players who are incapable of piloting the mech properly or expertly are obviously going to have a hard time just beating the first boss. Let alone get an S-Rank when they go back to replay it.
Game spoiler but also further explanation. There's nothing specific to reveal anything game wise but I'm putting it in a bracket just in case.
Further, in order to complete the first Chapter, you need to defeat two bosses in one mission that require two entirely different weapon sets to defeat. Weapon sets you cannot switch between because the game doesn't let you and there is no switch point. You only get to update your mech when you die. Per the rules of the game, to achieve an S-Rank you're not allowed to die. So there's another forced hurdle. Add in the fact that the second boss you face, the main boss of the level, is leagues more difficult than anything you've faced before and can only be defeated with a specific weapon set that is available during your first run through. A weapon set that cannot be utilized by casual players due to both its complexity and piloting skill requirements.
This is the "getting punched in the dick because we can" difficulty, and it's fucking stupid.
