When you see a show featuring giant robots, such as Transformers, Gundam, Evangelion or Power Rangers, I think I can safely say that there’s a little voice in your head whispering, ‘Wow, that’s cool’. Daemon X Machina: Titanic Scion makes that dream come true by offering tight gameplay and endless customisation options that will bring your dream of piloting a mech to (virtual) life.
Commencing launch sequence
Daemon X Machina: Titanic Scion, developed by Marvelous!, is the sequel to their 2019 game of the same name. Like its predecessor, it is an action game in which you play as a mercenary piloting a mech to protect the inhabitants of the Red Planet from monsters called Immortals and other external threats. It was developed by Kenichiro Tsukuda, who is famous for his work on the Armored Core series, and Shōji Kawamori, a renowned mech designer worked on Ghost in the Shell, Gundam and Transformers, to name but a few.
The game’s story is set on a planet where humans are fighting for survival, while the Outers (humanoids who have transcended humanity) live in orbit in their paradise, the Garden.
The two groups are in conflict with one another, and the prologue leaves you no time to breathe as you fight your way out of the Garden and crash-land on the red planet. Fortunately, you meet Toby and Forge, who are Reclaimers. The Reclaimers are a resistance group that oppresses the Outers and wants to give humanity its freedom back. You decide to join forces with them, taking on quests from the locals and the Reclaimers, and working to reduce the influence of the Outers on the surface. This won’t be as easy as it seems, though, because the Outers decide to send their most lethal fighting force: the Neun. Nine fighters optimised and modified to become the ultimate fighting force. And where you have been a member? As you can see, the story has layers that I won’t delve into; you have to discover them for yourself. But let’s take a look at the heart of the game: the mechs. Or should I say Arsenals?
Testing weapon systems
Combat plays an integral role in the structure of Daemon X Machina. Almost every main or side quest will have you roaming the lands in your arsenal, taking out corrupted monsters known as Immortals or enemy Arsenals. Your Arsenal is the most important tool for vanquishing your foes. It is also highly customisable. Each Arsenal can equip six weapons. Four of these are normal weapons, two for your left hand and two for your right, which you can switch between. These can be a variety of blades, swords, maces or guns. You can also shoulder-mount a weapon. I opted for a homing missile launcher. Last but not least is the auxiliary weapon. This is a pouch containing a variety of grenades or a support weapon. Choose the option that best suits the job at hand.
Your Arsenal’s body parts also impact your attack and defence values. Different arms, legs and chest pieces offer better stats and can also have perks that benefit traversal or combat.
Your builds can make a real difference in certain situations. For most of my gameplay, I opted for a physical build. I dual wielded a beam sword and a katana. I would throw grenades to stun the enemy and then unleash a flurry of blows. To complement this, I made a nimble Arsenal, prioritising movement speed over defence. However, during a boss fight against a Neun member, I switched to a slower, artillery-based mech to shoot my opponent from afar. I was impressed at how different my Arsenal felt after changing just two or three parts.
But it doesn’t stop there. Early in the story, You discover that your character can absorb Immortals after defeating them. This lets you fuse the DNA of your playable character to unlock special moves and even more powerful abilities. Customisation is key, so experiment with different builds to find your preferred fighting style. This world is yours for the taking. Do it in a way that feels best for you. And you can even look cool while flying around and slicing through enemies. You can paint the arsenal however you like. You can also apply decals and change the look of the armour pieces to match what you are wearing, instead of the stats. Be a menace on the battlefield — but do it in style!
Flight protocol: thrusters engaged
Now that we’ve covered the technical aspects, let’s discuss how the game feels. I really enjoyed zipping through zones, either flying or sprinting and leaving burning footprints behind. The arsenal moves seamlessly on and off the battlefield, and it quickly became my preferred method of travel. Even when the game gave me cars, a bike and even an alien horse to move around on, I always found myself going back to soaring around in my Arsenal. And that says a lot in an open-world game. The only time I lost my mind over a mount was when I docked my arsenal in an even bigger mech. What could be better than a giant robot? An even bigger robot!
That said, I have a couple of minor issues with the game. The first is the mission structure. I understand that a game about mechs and combat involves a lot of fighting, but most of the battles against minor enemies started to feel repetitive once I had found my preferred play style. Most of them were easy to handle, and the larger Immortals exacerbated this feeling. They sometimes just felt like bullet sponges to me. Ultimately, this made me change the game to its lowest difficulty. Not to make it easier, but to speed up the fights so I could see more of the story. Overall, though, I should mention that this wasn’t the case for the Neun fights or the battles in the Colosseum. They fulfilled all my Gundam fan wishes.
I should also mention that you can play this game online with up to three friends. Unfortunately, I wasn’t able to test this feature while writing this review. However, I have a feeling that having a friend by your side for the longer story mode fights could be a better experience.
Last but not least: I wanted to mention the story itself. I found it a bit confusing, and some plot points in this world didn’t really make sense to me. This may be because it is my first Daemon X Machina game. This didn’t impact my score at all. However, I think this could be an issue for other players, since it is the first time the series has come to Xbox and PlayStation consoles. That said, the game provides Star Wars-style text that scrolls by to clarify some plot details. I just hope that most players don’t skip it in order to get to the good part.
Conclusion
Daemon X Machina: Titanic Scion is a mech game that puts customisation at the forefront. It allows you to find your favourite way to play and ensures you look cool while doing so. Controlling the Arsenal is a joy, both in and out of combat. In fact, I decided to leave vehicles and mounts behind in favour of flying or sprinting towards battles. The story can be confusing at times, and battles may become repetitive, but the game really shines when you come face to face with another Arsenal. It makes you feel like a character straight out of Gundam.
If you want to pick up Daemon X Machina: Titanic Scion, it will be available on the Nintendo Switch 2, the PlayStation 5, the Xbox Series X/S and Steam from September 5th.
