Daemon X Machina: Titanic Scion Review

It’s undeniable that mechs are cool. From Gundam to Armored Core, I’ll take any media that features these colossal robots that I can get my hands on, which is why I was so excited to try out Daemon X Machina: Titanic Scion on PlayStation 5. Developed by Marvelous, this open-world, anime-esque mech title certainly ticks all the right boxes for me on paper, but how does it play?

Taking on the role of an Outer (evolved humans with innate abilities), your custom character is an ace mech pilot who breaks free from the other Outers after escaping a genetic experiment. Branded as a traitor, you’ll flee their base of operations in space and join up with a human resistance group on a nearby planet.

Having never played the Nintendo Switch and PC exclusive DAEMON X MACHINA, I was unsure what to expect with Titanic Scion. The first thing that stood out to me in regards to the story is that it’s just not all that engaging, there are some interesting premises here and there, but they peter out relatively quickly. A serious lack of character development and overuse of sci-fi tropes make this a largely forgettable tale.

Equally as underwhelming are the visuals. Whilst Titanic Scion looks fine in motion, stand still long enough and you’ll notice low-resolution textures, generic character designs, and much more. It doesn’t look like a current-gen videogame in the slightest, with the drab, lifeless open-world areas being the biggest culprits. It’s not all bad, though: the flashy animations and effects during battles give it that distinct over-the-top anime feel, and the majority of the mech suit designs look great!

On a more positive note, the audio design is fantastic. Everything from the weightiness of your mech suit as it stomps around the world to the guitar-heavy metal tracks that kick in when combat begins all sounds very satisfying. Titanic Scion is also fully voiced, with even the custom protagonist having their own lines! Not something you get all that often, and though the voice acting isn’t stellar, the cast does a good enough job with the uninspired script.

Much of the focus of Titanic Scion is around your mech suit (or Arsenal, as it’s known in-game). The sheer amount of customisation on offer is impressive, from modifying various portions of the armour to kitting it out with some serious firepower. The end results often make Tony Stark look like he’s made his Iron Man armour from tins found in his cupboards and scrap from the local tip. That is to say, they look really cool.

Customising your Arsenal isn’t just about the aesthetics, as each part will determine what type of build you’re playing as. Heavier armour pieces will result in a slower-moving character but with a big boost to defence, with lighter armour contrasting that, allowing you to zip around the battlefield at insane speeds.

The combat itself is relatively simplistic, but I can’t deny that it’s a whole lot of frantic fun. The opening hours aren’t too complex, with a few melee and ranged weapons to choose from, but this helped me to get to grips with the basics of combat. It’s when the game begins to open up more, and you gain the ability to experiment with your Arsenal’s build that things really get going. There’s a huge assortment of weaponry available — from laser rifles to knives, cannons, and beyond — with four being equippable at any one time. The constant moving and attacking is exciting, especially when up against a horde of foes or any of the great boss battles.

This all sounds good, and it is! But gameplay is unfortunately bogged down by a dull open-world and a repetitive, checklist-like mission structure. Whilst flying around the world is a joy, there just isn’t that much to see. There are the occasional hidden areas that are worth exploring, but, for the most part, it just isn’t an interesting enough map that made me want to explore.

Titanic Scion feels most akin to a typical looter-shooter, with a steady stream of new upgrades and weapons that will have you jumping in and out of the menus constantly. Good news for those who like to tinker with their builds, sure, but those who want to spend all their time fighting and roaming around may be frustrated by this.

Although the story isn’t anything to be impressed by, and the graphical prowess is rather underwhelming, I nevertheless enjoyed Daemon X Machina: Titanic Scion. Combat is enjoyable, traversal is a breeze, and the amount of customisation had me constantly altering my Arsenal. It’s just a shame the repetitive missions and barren environments let down the otherwise fun moment-to-moment gameplay.