I wasnt inititally sold on the mission structure of armored core 6. It seemed rigid and archaic to me. And I guess that was just my prejudice. But what did it do that I think sets it apart? I think in partitioning it by sizes ranging from a bite-size 5 minute mission to as substantial as a 3 course meal it gave them a lot of flexibility and allowed for a diverse range of flavors of levels.

It wasnt a long level but the level where you are sent to kill this nameless AC and then it turns out to be a student AC pilot. It was a harsh awakening to the ruthless nature of Rubicon and to your own entanglement in the cycle of violence. You cant opt out of killing the student pilot. I mean you could stop playing the game... but you dont, the same way a mercenary is stuck.

It also made room for standalone missions not necessarily integrated into the main storyline. It gave greater context to levels beyond go from point a to b. Objectives could shift mid mission. Sometimes youd be presented with a morally ambiguous choice. Narrative and level were married in interesting ways. Each level seemed to have a mechanical, contextual or narrative gimmick/element. And above all else it leaned into living out the fantasy of being a hired merc piloting this flying tank of death and destruction.