Gonna have to disagree. I actually played ancient city way back when on ps2. I’d have to say it was most similar to a modern doom (for the time) or a clunky quake. Dark, yes, but only dark. Otherwise, its hard to distinguish from any other fps style horror/adventure title.

Armored core, on the other hand, has the scale and the engagement that is much more in line with later souls releases. Kings Field has the tone, but Armored Core has literally everything else.