I tried holding my controller backwards in Armored Core 6 and was pleasantly surprised

Heard of the Armored Core reverse grip? Anyone who’s been a part of the Armored Core community for long will probably have at least a passing knowledge of the legendary playstyle. Supposedly, this grip is the optimal way to play, allowing players to more ergonomically utilise the full range of controls on a controller and achieve unparalleled speed and accuracy. But is it true?

Let’s quickly go over the Armored Core reverse grip, what it is, and if it’s even real. Spoiler, it’s probably not going to win you any matches of Arena or help you beat Balteus any time soon.

What is the reverse grip?

The reverse grip is a technique in which a player effectively holds their controller back to front and upside down. To pull it off, flip your controller upside down. Place your digits in the following setup.

• Index fingers on the right and left triggers.
• Middle fingers on the bumpers.
• Ring fingers on the D-pads.
• Pinkies on the analogue sticks.
• Thumbs braced on the controller grips

There are some variations for this grip style, but this is the typical layout. The basic idea is to fully cover all inputs simultaneously. By doing so, a player could theoretically control their AC with more skill and speed.

Should you use the Armored Core reverse grip technique for Armored Core 6?

I tried holding my controller in the fabled reverse grip for a run through of Armored Core 6 Fires of Rubicon, From Software’s newest entry into the series. I was pleasantly surprised to find that I instantly became unstoppable, beating the entire game on a flawless run in under ten minutes. If only.

Of course, the reverse grip is more a meme than a manifest mechanic. It stems from the early days of Armored Core. During the era of Armored Core 1, 2, 3 and the interim entries, controller layouts were confusingly odd. The camera controls, which allowed you to look around and actually aim, were tied to the controller’s left and right bumpers, rather than the analogue sticks. This made for a frustratingly difficult handling of player ACs in combat, especially in fast paced encounters like battles against Nine Ball.

The reverse grip idea sprung up as a result. While it might not have been quite so ludicrous at the time, later games mercifully adopted more sensible control schemes. Armored Core 6 is the modern evolution of this trend. Playable on mouse and keyboard as well as controller, Fires of Rubicon is thankfully easier than many of its predecessors to handle. You can also alter controller layouts, selecting the best controller settings for yourself much more easily. Luckily, you won’t need to seriously consider whipping out the reverse grip any time soon.