Daemon X Machina

Since the launch of Daemon X Machina, fans of mech games and anime alike have created a cult following of Marvelous Inc. and FIRST STUDIO’s love letter to mechs. The PC version of the game is just as much of a hit classic as it was on the Nintendo Switch, but the controls on PC make it easier to aim and allow for ideal key and mouse button bindings. Although the HORI Nintendo Switch Split Pad Pro allowed the most dedicated Daemon X Machina fans the optimal mech experience on the Switch, using your favorite mouse and a gaming keyboard makes this an even more ideal PC game. This classic mech tit...

A modern mech title that can easily be a gateway drug to hours of fast-paced action, there's nothing else quite like Daemon X Machina on Switch. While its story falls a bit short, it's still enjoyable and intriguing enough of a ride to keep up with even when confusing. It shines strongest in its amount of replayability and sheer mountain of additional content that can be unlocked. Daemon X Machina is a title that's hard to put down and is easy to get sucked in and just want to keep going further and see what other crazy things it has waiting around the corner. It's obvious that a ton of time a...

Daemon X Machina may very well be the best mech-based title ever. Unfortunately, it's far from the best game ever. The gameplay has seen major improvements throughout the development, and that's a commendable and important thing to see. However, it seems that this focus on refining the gameplay and the mechanics around each Arsenal seems to have caused the rest of the game to fall behind and ultimately act as a detriment more than a supporting piece of the overall game. Daemon X Machina won't be for everyone but cult fans of mech-based manga, anime, and video games should eat Daemon X Machina ...

A workaday mech combat game that looks spectacular in its busiest moments.

At the end of the day, Daemon X Machina doesn't live up to its full potential, and that's a shame because it has a lot going for it.

Mecha genre fans will find a lot to love in Daemon X Machina, but those hoping for more mainstream appeal might want to stay away. The game features an overabundance of options, mechanics, and customizations that will give it longevity, but only if you clear the initial hurdle set in front of you.

Multiple times in Daemon X Machina’s story characters said something along the lines of ‘what is going on,’ and that’s about the best way I can encapsulate my initial experience with the game. It’s an overwhelming experience, and while that may initially sound bad, things only get better the further you get.

Overall this title may not blow your socks off, but it’s definitely worth giving a go if you enjoy games of this genre. Whilst there are negatives I pointed out in this review, it is still a decent mech game and gives you a decent lengthy game of killing robots.

Despite that, the sum total of my experience with Daemon X Machina is positive. The combat is amazing, the game is bright and colorful, the framerate mostly holds up in either docked or handheld mode, and the hangar is great to tinker around in, checking out all the different configurations of my mech. That’s what I’m going to remember out of all of this, which is safe for me to say because most everything else in this game is pretty forgettable.

Like a mech without a pilot, Daemon X Machina is a beautiful shell with not enough to fill it. It’s a frustrating thing - simultaneously proving that there’s life in this old genre, but failing to inject much of interest beyond the base level. I was thrilled enough by the opportunity to truly micro-manage a mech for the first time in a while, but there just wasn’t enough to do with my creation once I was done tinkering.

The combat is a lot of fun and the visuals are dynamic and exciting, but repetitive missions and dire storytelling ruin what is otherwise a mechanically superior giant robot game.

If you do stick with Daemon X Machina, you’ll find a lengthy campaign that’s padded out with plenty of optional free missions. There are also co-op focused exploration missions that enable you to get valuable parts, and competitive multiplayer if you’re up for it. Overall, it’s quite the comprehensive package. Powering through it all will be a test for many, though. Daemon X Machina has many of the ingredients of a great mech combat game but the end result isn’t wholesome. It’s flat, lacking in flavour, and gets stale all too quickly.