Daemon x Machina: Titanic Scion Review

Released in September 2019, Daemon x Machina was a Nintendo Switch-exclusive that saw players suit up in a highly customizable mech known as an ‘Arsenal.’ Despite some solid story and gameplay concepts, Daemon x Machina received a very mixed critical reception upon its 2019 launch. But six years later, developer Marvelous is ready to give its Sci-Fi mech shooter series another go.

Set for release on September 5, 2025, Daemon x Machina: Titanic Scion takes the original’s gameplay formula back to the drawing board. Mechanics have been refined, a bevy of new features have been added, and on the whole, Daemon x Machina: Titanic Scion is a marked improvement over its 2019 predecessor. But there are still some things preventing it from taking full flight.

Daemon x Machina: Titanic Scion’s Story Isn’t Quite Neon Genesis Evangelion

While Daemon x Machina: Titanic Scion is technically a sequel to the 2019 original, its story takes place hundreds of years after the first game. So, though the factions have the same names, their roles in the narrative are completely different.

The core of Daemon x Machina: Titantic Scion‘s story revolves around a never-ending war between two factions: the Reclaimers and the Outers. While the Reclaimers are the last bastion of humanity stuck fighting on a dying planet, the Outers are a genetically-modified race of super-humans that live in orbit on a series of high-tech space stations.

Players take on the role of an Outer, though they’re quickly stripped of their rank and forced to flee the faction’s base. Naturally, they end up joining the Reclaimers, and the bulk of the game’s story sees them gaining the faction’s trust by eliminating members of the Neun, an elite group of Outer soldiers.

Generally speaking, Daemon x Machina: Titanic Scion‘s story is an enjoyable one. There’s some surprising depth given to its sizable cast of memorable characters, and some fun twists and turns sprinkled throughout the game build a strong sense of forward momentum. That said, not all of Titanic Scion‘s story twists land quite as hard as they should, with some late-game reveals feeling far too convoluted and rushed to hold proper narrative weight.

The way Daemon x Machina: Titanic Scion‘s story is delivered is also a bit of a mixed bag. While the game’s voice cast are giving their all to the game’s somewhat bombastic plot, the performances are let down consistently by some unpolished facial animations and lip-syncing. Cutscenes also frequently mar the game’s performances, with lengthy pauses coming between most lines of dialogue, which can lead to jarring line deliveries, such as when a character suddenly screams at the top of their lungs in response to a very neutral-sounding question.

Performances aren’t given much support in gameplay either. The player-character, and both AI allies and enemies all have a habit of shouting the same voicelines repeatedly during combat. While hearing a villain howl the name of their special move just before they unleash it gives Daemon x Machina: Titanic Scion a lively anime-like quality, it’s a little grating to hear “Come on!” shrieked every time the player uses a melee attack.

Daemon x Machina: Titanic Scion is (Almost) The Iron Man Simulator We’ve Been Waiting For

While its story, characters, and performances offer a serviceable backdrop, it’s Daemon x Machina: Titanic Scion‘s gameplay that really takes center stage. The first game’s building-size mechs have been exchanged for much smaller, exosuit-like Arsenals. And while that might disappoint fans of traditional mech games like Armored Core, it’s a huge boon for those desperately wishing BioWare’s Anthem was still alive – and was much better.

Titanic Scion gives players the ability to take flight with just a double-tap of a button almost anywhere, any time, and it feels incredibly satisfying thanks to some fluid animations and punchy audio design. However, flying in one of Titanic Scion‘s many underground facilities or cave networks can turn a satisfying mechanic into a suddenly grueling test of patience in a matter of seconds.

But flying is just one small part of Daemon x Machina: Titanic Scion‘s moment-to-moment gameplay. As an action game first and foremost, Titanic Scion has combat encounters around every corner. While these encounters often boil down to blasting away at opponents from a distance while strafing in the air and occasionally dodging, they’re kept engaging throughout the game’s runtime thanks to Daemon x Machina: Titanic Scion‘s remarkably deep suite of customization features.

There are four primary weapon types in Daemon x Machina: Titanic Scion, those being Firearms, Melee, Special, and Shield. Each of these categories has a plethora of unique weapon types. Firearms, for instance, include Assault Rifles, Shotguns, Handguns, Miniguns, Snipers, Bazookas, and a bevy of laser-based counterparts. All of these weapons feel very different to use, giving combat a ton of variety.

Melee weapons are given equal depth, and a ‘Flinch’ system that allows players to stagger enemies and deliver a powerful blow not only incentivizes players to use them, but encourages players to engage more actively in combat in general.

Daemon x Machina: Titanic Scion‘s suite of customization features goes far beyond the player’s choice of primary weapon, however. Players also have an assortment of shoulder-mounted weapons to choose from, including cannons, missiles, and railguns, as well as auxiliary equipment like various types of grenade.

And, of course, there’s the Arsenal itself. Helmets, Cuirasses, left and right Vambraces, and Greaves can all be mixed-and-matched freely, with each piece having its own list of stats that greatly impacts the Arsenal’s performance. All of these individual pieces, and most weapons, can also be upgraded with attachments that provide a range of stat bonuses.

On top of all that, there’s Daemon x Machina: Titanic Scion‘s Mutation system. Defeating hulking ‘Immortal’ monsters will reward the player with Mutant Factors. These can be exchanged for unique weapon abilities and passive buffs.

It’s a complex, interweaving ecosystem, but one that acts as the crux of Daemon x Machina: Titanic Scion‘s gameplay loop. Players are constantly encouraged to experiment with new weapons and build variations, and, thanks to a loot system that forces the player to choose just one item to take from a downed enemy, each and every piece of gear taken from the battlefield feels like it has a purpose, leading to a consistently rewarding core loop.

This satisfying core loop is at its best during Daemon x Machina: Titanic Scion‘s many boss fights. A good portion of Titanic Scion‘s runtime is dedicated to fighting the aforementioned Neun, each of whom boast over-the-top anime-inspired visual designs and Metal Gear Solid-like gameplay gimmicks, such as turning invisible mid-fight, commandeering nearby turrets, and controlling Immortals. These challenging and varied boss battles offer climactic skill-checks that encourage the player to experiment with new playstyles and keep engaging with its progression systems.

Daemon x Machina: Titanic Scion’s World Is Packed to the Brim

In another key departure from the 2019 original, Daemon x Machina: Titanic Scion features three open-world biomes, and each one is packed to the brim with optional content. Along with patrolling enemies, hidden weapon caches, mining spots that produce valuable resources, and extremely challenging overworld bosses, Titanic Scion‘s open-area biomes feature Sovereign Axiom Facilities, a range of underground dungeons that temporarily turn the game into a sort of extraction shooter. These dungeons can be fun, but their claustrophobic hallways feel opposed to Titanic Scion‘s fast-paced movement and combat mechanics.

Between bouts of open-world exploration, players can return to the Reclaimer Base, which acts as the game’s hub area, and an incredibly useful one at that. From just one central console, players can forge weapons and gear, customize their loadouts, accept missions (both main and optional), and customize their Arsenal’s cosmetics.

This latter feature is exceptionally robust, with players being able to manually customize each limb of their Arsenal with their own color scheme and decals. A transmog feature is also available from the get-go, letting players retain the look of a certain piece of armor while enjoying the stats of another.

This Reclaimer Base hub is also home to two of Daemon x Machina: Titanic Scion‘s best side activities: Overbullet and the Coliseum. Overbullet may not be as strong as other built-in card games like The Witcher 3‘s Gwent or Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth‘s Queen’s Blood, but it’s a thoroughly enjoyable change of pace. And while Titanic Scion‘s Coliseum essentially just offers more of the same combat encounters, the formidable set of 1v1 fights distills the best aspects of the game’s mechanics into bite-sized bursts of intense action.

Daemon x Machina: Titanic Scion‘s main story can be wrapped up in about 10 hours, but there’s no shortage of optional content for players to engage in. And a good amount of that optional content is genuinely worth experiencing, at least for those enjoying that core loop.

Daemon x Machina: Titanic Scion’s Nintendo Switch 2 Port Needed More Time in the Hangar

It felt only right to play Daemon x Machina: Titanic Scion on Nintendo Switch 2, but unfortunately, it’s far from the best way to play the game. Starting with the good, Titanic Scion doesn’t drain the Switch 2’s battery as much as some other high-intensity experiences. Character models also look pretty good across the board.

On the flip side, environments in Daemon x Machina: Titanic Scion look rather ugly, with textures appearing very flat and blurry on the Nintendo Switch 2. These shortcomings are only made worse in motion, with even the most distinct character and enemy models being easily lost against the murky backdrop of most environments when the player flies or sprints through an area. Many enemy projectiles are also virtually invisible on the Nintendo Switch 2’s screen due to their small size and unrefined textures, which can lead to some frustrating deaths.

FPS dips are also commonplace in Daemon x Machina: Titanic Scion‘s Nintendo Switch 2 version, especially during battles against larger enemies, where the camera is also acting erratically. Load times aren’t terribly long, but they quickly become noticeable due to the game’s reliance on fast travel between open-world biomes and the hub area. And finally, Titanic Scion did crash to the home-screen a few times, often when starting the Switch 2 back up from its standby mode.

But one major highlight of Titanic Scion‘s presentation that the game’s performance on Nintendo Switch 2 can’t take away from is its thrilling soundtrack. Made by the Bandai Namco Studio Sound Team, Titanic Scion‘s score enhances every single second of combat, narrative, and even menu browsing, with its techno-infused metal music giving the game a truly vibrant feel.

Just like the Arsenals the game revolves around, Daemon x Machina: Titanic Scion has a very strong core, but one that frequently comes under attack. The central loop of finding new gear and experimenting with new builds and playstyles remains satisfying long after the credits roll, and there’s a plethora of engaging side content for players who want the most bang for their buck. However, Titanic Scion‘s performance on the Nintendo Switch 2 and some clunky narrative choices often hold it back from reaching its full potential.

Daemon X Machina: Titanic Scion

Reviewed on Nintendo Switch 2

7/10

Released

September 5, 2025

ESRB

Teen / Blood, Drug Reference, Language, Mild Suggestive Themes, Violence

Developer(s)

Marvelous

Publisher(s)

Marvelous

Pros & Cons

• Strong gameplay loop that encourages experimentation
• Great customization features
• A ton of side content

• Performance and textures are rough on Switch 2
• Voice performances let down by animations
• Underground exploration can be a chore

Daemon x Machina: Titanic Scion is available now for PC, PS5, Nintendo Switch 2, and Xbox Series X/S. Game Rant was provided a Switch 2 code for this review.