Daemon X Machina Review: Superb Customization, Lifeless World
▼ Summary
– Daemon X Machina: Titanic Scion features extensive mech customization with individual parts, weapons, and visual personalization options.
– The game’s fusion system alters character appearance and unlocks new abilities, standing out as a particularly innovative feature.
– Open-world areas and interior levels are criticized for being visually bland and offering minimal rewarding exploration or activities.
– Combat feels listless with little impact, and side missions are shallow, often involving repetitive fetch quests or enemy encounters.
– Despite strong customization, the game’s story, characters, and overall execution feel half-baked, limiting its appeal to a broader audience.
Daemon X Machina: Titanic Scion delivers a deeply satisfying mecha customization experience that stands out in the crowded action RPG genre. Players who enjoy fine-tuning every aspect of their mechanical arsenal will find plenty to love here, with an impressive array of parts, weapons, and visual options that encourage creativity and personal expression. The fusion system, in particular, adds a layer of biological and mechanical evolution that feels both innovative and rewarding.
Where the game stumbles, however, is in its execution of nearly everything outside the hangar. The open-world environments, while expansive, feel barren and underutilized. Exploration is rarely rewarding, with repetitive interior designs and a lack of compelling side content. Missions often boil down to uninspired fetch quests or combat encounters that fail to leverage the game’s more interesting systems.
Combat itself can feel weightless and unsatisfying. Despite the wide variety of weapons and abilities available, many options feel impractical due to the game’s fast pace and lack of impact feedback. Heavier weapons, in particular, struggle to find their place in battles that favor speed over strategy.
The narrative does little to elevate the experience. While the premise of an Outer rebelling against their own kind to side with humanity has potential, the execution falls flat with one-dimensional characters and forgettable dialogue. Voice acting ranges from serviceable to grating, further undermining emotional engagement.
Still, for players who prioritize build diversity and cosmetic customization above all else, Titanic Scion offers a robust toolkit. The fusion mechanic alone, which alters your pilot’s appearance while unlocking new abilities, is a standout feature that encourages experimentation. Loot drops from enemies provide a steady stream of new gear to test, though the limited selection per encounter forces interesting trade-offs.
Accessibility options are commendable, with full HUD customization, colorblind support, and rebindable controls ensuring a more inclusive experience. Performance on PlayStation 5 is smooth, with quick load times and stable framerates even during intense battles.
Ultimately, Daemon X Machina: Titanic Scion is a game of highs and lows. Its customization systems are among the best in the genre, but they’re housed in a world that feels hollow and underdeveloped. If you can look past its shortcomings and focus on building the perfect mech, there’s fun to be had, especially with a free demo available to test before purchase. For everyone else, it may be a harder sell.
(Source: techradar)
