I feel like very few people truly enjoyed the original Daemon X Machina, released back in 2019, besides myself and my colleague Kyle Nicol. Even if it was too similar to Armored Core (it was created by the same person behind a ton of that franchise’s titles), I fell for its amazing presentation and gameplay loop. I wanted more from the series, and I finally got what I wanted… sort of. Daemon X Machina: Titanic Scion was one of my most anticipated games of 2025, and I have a lot of good things to say about it, but you also need to take into account that it is very different from its predecessor. And that might actually be for the best.

Instead of a level-based action title featuring gigantic mechs, Titanic Scion opted for an open-ish world structure, letting you freely explore a handful of barren maps, whilst completing either story-related missions or sidequests given to you by NPCs. You don’t ride Gundam-sized monstrosities; you now wield flying suits of armor, not unlike a mixture between Iron Man and the suits from the now-defunct Anthem. This allows for faster-paced exploration, combat, a tighter level design… but of course, it might detract you from the fact it is very different from what the original game had to offer.

To be fair, I understand the decision behind this radical shift. I loved Daemon X Machina, but the game wasn’t exactly well-received by all of my peers. Making a game about giant mechs fighting each other with heavy metal on the background will always result in unfair comparisons to Armored Core, especially after From Software decided to revive it in 2023. Armored Core VI was, indeed, better than Daemon X Machina, so making a sequel in the same vein would be an immediate losing game. Now, making a game about overpowered suits of armor wielding a bagillion weapons and swords, fighting mechanical kaiju? That’s a bit more novel. Setting and plot-wise, Daemon X Machina: Titanic Scion feels fresh, with a lot more room for creativity and even character development.

That’s not to say I found the story to be outstanding, but for one, I actually ended up caring about it. The highlight of it all is the great emphasis on memorable characters, be it the (voiced) protagonist, his allies, or the over-the-top villains, who acted not unlike the FOXHOUND unit from Metal Gear Solid. The story was full of some confusing terminology, but everything was well-exposed by different kinds of characters throughout the game’s entire run. And to be fair, even if you end up not caring about it… let’s face it, you’re not going to play Daemon X Machina: Titanic Scion for its story. You want to suit up in a flying armor and shoot the hell out of everything that moves. Thankfully, the game does a great job at that.

Even if the original Daemon X Machina wasn’t exactly slow-paced, Titanic Scion ups the freaking ante. This is an adrenaline-pumped bullet fest that improves upon its predecessor in every single way. It’s faster, it’s more nimble, it gives you access to a wider variety of weapons (from a mere pistol to a claymore), and it’s also easier to pick up and play. Granted, it’s not the perfect control scheme, as you will need to get used to the game’s many, MANY mechanics. But thankfully, there are tons of ways to hone your skills before jumping into a story-based fight, be it in a simulator, an easier mission, or just by venturing the overworld and hunting down some mutated kaiju. Yep, you read that right. You don’t simply attack other robots, but also gigantic, bio-mechanical monsters that would make Horizon: Zero Dawn blush.

Furthermore, movement has been vastly improved. You’re not a bulky mech, you’re a nimble suit of armor, so flying around with your suit is easy, intuitive, and above all, fun. One of my biggest gripes with the first game was its clunky flight system, and the lack of maneuverability given to the player. In Titanic Scion, you can change altitude with the press of a button, freely fly around as if your name was Tony Stark, and even lock onto enemies in order to constantly chase them around, no matter the altitude in question. Once again, it’s a control scheme that requires a bit of practice at first, but once you master it, you’ll be flying around like nobody’s business.

A standard session is comprised of the following gameplay loop: pick a mission, venture onto the surface, defeat enemies, reach the objective marker, defeat even more enemies, collect loot (Monster Hunter-style), complete the mission, return back to base, invest your resources in new equipment for your suit of armor. It’s a gameplay loop that might sound redundant amongst other games out there, but it simply works due to how fun fighting and exploring is. Each weapon has its own strengths and weaknesses, meaning that you’ll never have a completely overpowered build. You might want to specialize in rifles, but some enemies are only weak to lasers. Some of them might be too fast and avoid bullets with ease, meaning that you’ll also need to carry around a sword or two whenever a close-quarters fight ends up being the best solution.

I loved going back to my homebase to tinker with my suit. Not only does the game give you an impressive amount of freedom to edit your loadout and looks, complete with fully customizable color palettes and decals for every single individual limb, but the soundtrack inside of it was downright amazing. I got hooked right away on its uplifting, but ultra-heavy riffs. As a matter of fact, the entire soundtrack was outstanding. Just like the first Daemon X Machina, it was mainly comprised of heavy guitar riffs, the occasional solo, tons of blast beats, and even a bit of djent.

Is there anything that the original Daemon X Machina did better than Titanic Scion? If I had to pick one thing, I think I’d go with the art style. That’s not to say that Titanic Scion is ugly (far from it, it’s still great), but the original game had an incredible usage of colors and oversaturated lighting effects, something no other game has attempted ever since. Titanic Scion felt a bit less memorable in this regard, but it more than made up for a slightly less colorful palette with great suit and enemy designs, as well as a buttery smooth performance, at least on PC.

Oddly enough, the fact it runs on Unreal Engine 4, not 5, ended up being a blessing in disguise in this regard. It’s almost a given that games running on Unreal 5 will be shipped with some kind of performance issue, be it on PC or console, so the choice for an older but more stable engine was really smart. Considering how most of the characters are modelled in an anime art style, realism wasn’t exactly a necessity. I did encounter a framerate issue or two, but they were always happening during an elevator scene, which is how Titanic Scion masks its loading screens.

Daemon X Machina: Titanic Scion feels more like a completely different franchise when compared to its predecessor, given how different it is both visually and mechanically, but don’t think that’s a bad thing. By not trying to simply be “Armored Core in everything but name”, it now boasts an identity of its own, with an amazing combat system, world to explore, an addictive gameplay loop, and even a half decent story worth giving a crap about. Once you get used to its many features and intricacies (you might want to say it suffers from feature creep), you won’t put the controller down any time soon. Not even after the credits stop rolling.

Graphics: 8.5 It might not have an art style as gorgeous as the original Daemon X Machina, but it’s more detailed, and still really colorful and memorable. Character models are clearly not as detailed as the suits of armor they pilot, but I’ve definitely seen worse. Furthermore, the performance is smooth as butter.	Gameplay: 8.0 Gone are the big clunky mechs; we’re playing as Iron Man-esque suits this time around. This results in a faster, more agile, more reflexes-based combat system. The open world is vast, and the game’s many mechanics might feel overwhelming at first, but you will get used to them after a while. The same can be applied to the initially odd control scheme. It all just clicks after a few hours.
Sound: 8.5 I expected a lot less from the voice acting. Even in English, it’s actually quite decent. That being said, the real star of the show is, once again, the metal-infused soundtrack. The home base track has been living rent-free in my head for weeks.	Fun Factor: 9.5 It’s very different from the first Daemon X Machina, but I think it was a smart idea. By not trying to be an Armored Core clone, the game has managed to carve an identity of its own, with an actually engaging story, interesting open world, and a gameplay loop that becomes addictive after you get used to its many features and intricacies.
Final Verdict: 9.0

Daemon X Machina: Titanic Scion is available now on PS5, Xbox Series S/X, Switch 2 and PC.

Reviewed on Intel i7-12700H, 16GB RAM, RTX 3060 6GB.

A copy of Daemon X Machina: Titanic Scion was provided by the publisher.