Daemon X Machina: Titanic Scion Review – A Massive World, A Killer Core Loop

Daemon X Machina: Titanic Scion Review

I love an open-world buffet of a game. You get a huge map, tons of spots to explore, and new gear crammed into every corner. Daemon X Machina: Titanic Scion has all this and fast-paced mech suit combat. So you can imagine my excitement when I first fired up the game. And while it is a blast, there are some pacing issues to navigate along with that giant map. I also got re-acquainted with my old friend, the Arrow Comparison Engine.

To be clear, the literal red and green arrows are mercifully absent. But you do spend a non-zero amount of time carefully scrutinizing a series of gear drops for the right mix of red and blue writing. I can’t stand sitting around and choosing the perfect machine gun, but thankfully, Titanic Scion has a release valve of sorts. All your new gear can be shipped off to the hangar while you’re in the field. Save that choice for when you’re not directly in the middle of combat, you know? This solves one of the major pacing problems that plague most open-world games.

What A Load To Bear

On the other hand, the Switch 2 version did have me waiting around through loading screens with alarming frequency. Fast travel is somehow the biggest offender. You use these man-made byways to zip across the map. Convenient, right? The trouble is, you’re literally stuck in this gunmetal elevator until the world outside is loaded. Sometimes this took a full minute or so. Which feels crazy on a brand new console. I can’t speak to the other versions, and I don’t know if patches will sew this all up later. But man oh man, I saw a lot of loading screens in Titanic Scion.

If nothing else, travelling around the map itself is pretty breezy. You can fly, run, hop in a discarded vehicle, or even grab yourself a horse. New fast travel points are all over the place, and you get immediate access to everything you need. The map itself isn’t exactly empty, either. That is, it’s full of dangerous enemies and delicious items. So you’re never bored while zipping from place to place, which I really appreciate.

Speedy Flights and Nasty Fights

All of this is well and good, but the real meat of Titanic Scion is found in glorious battle. Movement feels fluid and responsive. Target lock is a little stiff by comparison. Switching weapons is perfectly intuitive, the weapon selection is pretty robust, and said selection is expertly balanced. Dodging and delivering damage is simple enough, though bosses and big groups give you more trouble. But like any great mech game, the real fight begins in the hangar.

Your combat loadout is, of course, absolutely critical to your success in battle. Why else would new gear be falling into your lap at all times? What better use could there be for all those supply stations scattered across the map? The whole game is bent towards this end, and with good reason. If your gear isn’t on point, you’re gonna start hitting progression roadblocks with increasing frequency. Again, having a hangar where you can send all your extra gear is extremely useful. Even if a new piece isn’t perfect for you right now, there’s a good chance you’ll need it badly soon.

Kitted Up and Combat Ready

You can also save multiple loadouts, which means that perfect setups for a dozen or so different common combat scenarios are always at your fingertips. Plus, if you’re feeling extra whimsical/bored, you can hit all your gear with a custom paint job. Point being, Titanic Scion is laser-focused on you looking and performing precisely how you need to at all times.

A good mech game has both intense, engaging combat, and a slightly insane narrative to hook you in the jaw and drag you along. Titanic Scion has all the hits. Class warfare, a hated outgroup with incredible powers, vague waftings of oppression, and a whole squad of gorgeous psychopaths. I was ready to commit when the prologue was a wall of text, of course. But a rogues’ gallery of murderous anime runway models pretty well sealed the deal. That’s how you know a story is going somewhere overly dramatic and hopelessly compelling.

Open-world sequels are a risky venture. Sometimes a winning formula can’t be transplanted into open spaces without consequences. But Titanic Scion manages the shift. Your time in this massive world is focused on that critical combat/custom/upgrade gameplay loop, so you never feel lost or shiftless. I could do with fewer load times, and the routine gear scrutiny does mess with the pacing. But once you’re actually out in the world, mixing it up, the game flows quite beautifully. I can’t get enough of that core loop, at least once it gets going. If you’re looking for an enormous mecha RPG with tons of customization and a captivating story, then Titanic Scion is exactly what you need.

***A Nintendo Switch 2 code was provided by the publisher***