Daemon X Machina: Titanic Scion Review — A Transformative Sequel

I’ve never been a fan of mechs—whether in anime or video games, the genre has rarely clicked for me. Exceptions like Gurren Lagann and TitanFall stand out, but they’re outliers in a sea of giant robots that typically leave me feeling cold. When Daemon X Machina launched in 2019, I was drawn in by its distinct art style and bombastic, rocking soundtrack, enough to buy it on day one. I desperately wanted to love it, but the clunky controls and combat ultimately held me back, leaving me disappointed after just a handful of hours. Enter, Daemon X Machina: Titanic Scion.

When it was unveiled during the Nintendo Switch 2 Direct in April, I immediately recognized the familiar art style and electrifying music, yet something felt different. Sleek, agile power suits had replaced the hulking, cumbersome Arsenals of the first game, and the combat looked faster and flashier—almost the opposite of what I’d played years ago. My skepticism persisted, but after sinking a little under 30 hours into the game on Nintendo Switch 2, I can confidently say it’s a night-and-day improvement.

Marvelous has taken feedback to heart, expanding the game into a sprawling open-world action RPG that feels far removed from the original’s mission-based, third-person shooter roots. Despite some persistent technical hiccups on the Nintendo Switch 2, Daemon X Machina: Titanic Scion is a must-play this year, delivering on the promise the first game hinted at but never fully realized. And yes, this game is fully on the cartridge; no Game Key Card required.

Developer & Publisher // Marvelous
Platforms // Nintendo Switch 2, Xbox Series X, PS5, PC
MSRP // $69.99
Release Date // September 5, 2025
Reviewed On // Nintendo Switch 2

Presentation — Visually Unstable

Titanic Scion retains the striking art style that defined its predecessor, but it’s been polished to a new sheen. Character designs are sharper and more detailed, and the smaller, streamlined Arsenals still exude coolness. The character creator is a highlight, offering a wealth of options that kept me tinkering for over an hour. The Afro-centric choices, in particular, are impressively executed, though I found myself wishing for more clothing and body type variety to round out the customization.

Cutscenes are crisp and beautifully animated, but the open-world gameplay dips in resolution and texture quality on Nintendo Switch 2. Pop-in is also quite evident, with some objects and textures not fully loading in time, which can break immersion. The resolution could certainly be higher, especially in docked mode, but overall, it’s a decent-looking game with vibrant colors that shine in the right moments.

Performance isn’t a strong point. The game runs at a locked 30fps (frames-per-second) on the Nintendo Switch 2, but in handheld mode, it feels surprisingly smoother with much better frame pacing. However, docked play seems to bring many more issues. It’s noticeably 30fps with occasional hitches. Worse, I encountered an annoying flickering defect that persisted on two different displays. It wasn’t constant, but it cropped up during intense gameplay, hindering the experience. Load times are also much longer than I would expect for the hardware. Hopefully, Marvelous can patch some of these issues soon, as they detract from an otherwise solid presentation.

Accessibility & Audio — An Auditory Treat

Daemon X Machina: Titanic Scion‘s accessibility isn’t the best or worst I’ve seen. It has options like color correction for colorblind players and descriptive subtitles that detail audio cues and environmental sounds. There are also extensive camera and controller settings, including full button mapping, allowing you to tweak sensitivity, invert axes, or remap controls entirely to fit your playstyle or needs.

But where the presentation truly shines is the soundtrack. The metal-techno fusion that won me over in the first game returns with even greater intensity. The title track, a reimagined version of the original’s main theme, is so captivating that I often linger on the home menu to soak it in. Dynamic tracks swell during boss fights and exploration, perfectly matching the game’s high-energy action. Despite some technical rough edges, Titanic Scion is a feast for the eyes and ears.

Narrative & Characters — A Tale of Resistance

Set centuries after the first game, Daemon X Machina: Titanic Scion kicks off with a tense escape from the Garden, a defense satellite orbiting the Blue Planet. You and your friend Nerve are Outers—humans altered by a mysterious red energy source—fleeing a regime where your kind now dominate from above, leaving humans to suffer on the surface. The Sovereign Axiom, a militaristic ruling power, looms large as the antagonist. After facing impossible odds, you barely make it out alive, but Nerve is left in the Garden surrounded by enemies.

After falling to the surface, you’re rescued by Forge, an Arsenal mechanic, and his son, Toby, who never removes his helmet. You’re introduced to a world plagued by Immortals—organic-mechanical beasts terrorizing humanity. Forge introduces you to the Reclaimers, a resistance group fighting the Axiom, where you join as a mercenary to fund Arsenal repairs and pursue your mission to return to the Garden and rescue Nerve.

As an Outer, you’re met with suspicion and fear, adding layers to the story. The cast is diverse and engaging: Forge and his son offer comic relief against the initially stoic and callous protagonist, who softens over time through heartfelt interactions and revelations. Angel, the Reclaimers’ acting commander, sees your potential and becomes a steadfast ally, while Ash despises all Outers, creating instant tension that evolves into reluctant respect.

Narrative & Characters (Continued) — Voice Acting & Villains

The Japanese voice acting and cutscenes elevate the narrative, with expressive animations bringing emotional depth to key moments as indicated in my video above. The English dub is okay at best, but I’m also biased in this regard as I usually prefer the original language. Each story mission pulls you deeper into the world, building investment through twists and character arcs. Scattered lore and logs also exist, fleshing out the world past the narrative.

The Neun, the powerful villain group that serves as elite enforcers for the Axiom, are a highlight. Whenever they appear, their enigmatic personalities and mysterious past with the protagonist make them memorable antagonists who shine in boss encounters and cutscenes. Overall, Daemon X Machina: Titanic Scion weaves a surprisingly engaging tale that balances high-stakes action with some nice character moments. It’s not a highlight, but it doesn’t hinder the experience.

The Open World — A Vast and Varied Playground

I went into Titanic Scion expecting a linear sequel, but its open-world shift was a delightful shock. The desert biome dominates the early game, lacking initial variety but compensated by striking features like jagged mountains, swirling Femto tornadoes, and eerie tentacles in the skybox.

As you progress, the world opens up to more diverse biomes, including a dense jungle teeming with overgrown ruins and hidden dangers. Random weather changes add dynamism to the experience. Rain and fog obscure vision, forcing cautious navigation and heightening tension during ambushes. These elements make exploration feel alive and unpredictable.

The world teems with different foes, from Immortals to Axiom soldiers to bandit-like Strays. Some random bosses echo Xenoblade Chronicles in their overwhelming early-game power, encouraging return visits once powered up. Chests and defeated enemies yield consumables, weapons, armor, currency, and more. You can scan your vicinity to find the loot hidden in the world. The open-world map unfolds through byways, enabling fast travel across its expansive landscapes.

The Open World (Continued) — So Many Ways to Traverse

Traversal is a blast, with options to run, boost slide, or fly through the world, though these drain your stamina and Femto gauges. Breaking Femto crystals refills the latter, and pausing boosts recovers the former. Marvelous seems to have thrown in every wild idea they had, and I love it. Even if some feel unnecessary, they add charm. Although it’s a mech game, they have Halo Warthog-style vehicles scattered across the map that you can drive. They’re speedy, control well, and are just overall fun to take for a spin. Even weirder is that they added rideable horse-like Immortals in the world. Seeing a power suit galloping across the desert is absurd, but awesome even if it’s not essential.

Later in the game, you unlock a motorcycle that becomes a go-to traversal method. Spawnable at any outpost, it’s incredibly fast and agile, zipping through biomes with ease. But its real trick is transforming into a powerful rail gun for devastating ranged blasts. The only downside is that it comes with a massive cooldown, so missing a shot leaves you wide open. Overall, it’s a playground that rewards exploration, with something to do tucked into every corner.

The Fort & Missions — Your Base of Operations

The Fort is the Reclaimers’ base of operations and your hub to take a break from the open world. It houses a shop for gear, a hangar for Arsenal customization, a lab for Outer modifications, and a quirky ice cream shop offering temporary buffs like increased speed or stamina regeneration. The ice cream selection screen is very out of character for a game that’s usually going for a serious tone, but it works as a nice contrast. The poppy Vocaloid shop music is also very catchy and will earworm its way into your brain if you spend too much time there.

Missions in Daemon X Machina: Titanic Scion vary widely, with side missions often leaning fetch-questy—gathering resources, escorting NPCs, or clearing enemy camps. However, some do a great job of encouraging experimentation by requiring specific weapons or armor types to start. This pushes you to try new builds instead of sticking to one comfortable setup, turning potential tedium into opportunities to test mechanics like fast and agile melee or heavyweight armor builds. The open world’s fluid traversal makes them enjoyable, as zipping across dunes or jungles to complete objectives rarely feels like a chore.

Story missions shine with dynamic moments, like a thrilling rail-based turret chase that breaks the pace from the normal mission structure, or stealthy infiltration sequences that demand careful planning. They advance the plot while integrating seamlessly with the open world, often unlocking new areas or abilities. Overall, the mission design keeps the game fresh, blending routine tasks with high-octane set pieces.

Coliseum & Overbullet — Side Activities That Shine

The Coliseum can be found at the Fort and offers thrilling 1v1 duels where players battle diverse Arsenals to climb the ranks. Each fight tests strategy and reflexes, with unique opponent loadouts keeping matches fresh. Mastering your Arsenal is key to becoming the top pilot in this competitive, rewarding mode, and progressing unlocks rare gear and lots of currency.

But the real surprise is Overbullet, a strategic card game that provides a welcome breather from the mech action. You collect cards throughout the game inspired directly from weapons, armor, and characters in Titanic Scion. You have a deck of 15 cards and battle NPCs in round-based duels. The goal? Deal the most damage per round to win five rounds and claim victory. Cards feature attack, defense, or both, reminiscent of something like Yu-Gi-Oh! The cards are also divided into three elements: sun, moon, and star.

Many cards have effects triggered by conditions, like drawing extra cards after play or boosting stats if three cards of the same element are on the field. It’s surprisingly challenging, with NPC opponents scaling in difficulty, forcing smart synergies. For a side mode, it shakes up the pacing with cerebral gameplay, offering hours of content, though it may not be as deep as Gwent from The Witcher 3.

Arsenals & Outers — Customization to the Core

Customization lies at Titanic Scion’s heart, letting you craft an Arsenal and Outer to match your playstyle—be it a nimble swordsman or a lumbering sniper. Arsenals wield main weapons in each hand, a shoulder weapon, an auxiliary like a grenade, and two swappable backup weapons.

Armor comes in five pieces—Helm, Cuirass, Left Vambrace, Right Vambrace, and Greaves—with mix-and-match options and visual overrides to prioritize aesthetics without sacrificing stats. Weapons and armor feature varied stats with clear letter grades, making it easy to identify standout gear. Even five copies of the same weapon can have distinct stat profiles, encouraging experimentation and making all pickups worthy of inspection.

For example, you may pick up 2 of the same laser swords, but one may do more base damage while the other can close in on your enemies from farther away. There are also attachments that add extra boosts to weapons and armor, such as longer first strike distance or extra base damage.

Arsenals & Outers (Continued) — Power or Humanity?

The Fusion system allows Outers to merge with Immortals, adopting their Genes for new skills at the cost of their humanity. With more fusions, your body becomes grotesque and unrecognizable. Treatment to restore humanity grows exponentially more expensive with each addition, adding a risk-reward layer: do you push for power or preserve your form? If you don’t care about aesthetics, it’s not much of a trade-off off so I do wish there was a gameplay-centric defect to make the choice tougher. Skills include powerful active attacks tied to weapons, passive boosts, and general actions like Auto-dodge for temporary automatic evasion.

The build crafting system is deep enough to reward tinkering and is simple enough to avoid being overwhelming. Whether you’re fine-tuning stats or chasing a killer look, Daemon X Machina: Titanic Scion empowers creativity, with fusions adding some weight to your choices.

Combat — A Bombastic Improvement

When I first dove into Titanic Scion, the combat felt daunting. My Arsenal overshot targets, melee swings missed wildly, and the lock-on seemed off. I felt like it may be a repeat of how I felt with the original game’s clunky controls. I slowly started to realize that it was user error, and with persistence, it clicked, revealing a system leagues beyond its predecessor.

Melee options like knives, tachi, and lances cater to fast, combo-heavy playstyles, while greatswords and maces deliver slow, crushing blows that demand precision. Ranged weapons include laser and assault rifles, machine guns, shotguns, and more. Pair that with shoulder weapons like powerful cannons or add support with helpful recovery equipment. My go-to is a lance-plus-shotgun combo with laser and assault rifle backups, balancing devastating close-range with versatility for mid-range encounters.

A key mechanic is that you can stun enemies, which allows you to grab them. From there, you can use your weapons to inflict devastating damage or fling them into other enemies to kill two birds with one stone. Hurling crates with different status effects is also a viable option, turning the environment into a weapon.

Combat Cont’d — Bosses & Companions

Bosses are a show stealer in Titanic Scion, serving as highlights with unique abilities and fighting styles that demand adaptation. Each Neun battle feels distinct, featuring unique mechanics such as one member who clones himself and remains invulnerable until his copies are defeated, and another who turns invisible, blending into the environment to launch attacks from unexpected angles.

I thought I could blaze through on Hard difficulty, but I got humbled quickly, switching back to Normal after repeated failures. Even then, most bosses required multiple retries. Some forced me to overhaul my build entirely, swapping my agile melee-focused build to defense-heavy ranged builds to exploit weaknesses. Targeting weak points (physical damage for organics and lasers for armored) and ripping off armor or hard shells are key to victory. They’re punishing yet rewarding with emphasis on strategy over button-mashing.

Story missions often include up to two AI companions, who provide fire support but can get downed easily in some scenarios. You may need to frequently revive them as they are helpful in distracting enemies. Open-world enemy variety expands later, but starts limited. Compared to the first game’s stiffness, Daemon X Machina: Titanic Scion‘s combat sings. It’s not instantly gratifying, but patience is key. With a little time, the evolution becomes clear, and it is a standout strength.

Conclusion — A Masterclass in Mecha Mayhem

Daemon X Machina: Titanic Scion soars past its predecessor with a greatly enhanced scope and scale, featuring a vast open world, robust customization, and polished combat that create an exhilarating action RPG. The narrative captivates with themes of rebellion and character growth, complemented by a stellar metal-techno soundtrack. Visuals can impress but suffer from resolution dips and pop-in. The Nintendo Switch 2 version shines in handheld mode yet falters while docked with more hitches and flickering. Overall, it’s a triumphant sequel that transforms a mediocre predecessor into a triumph, winning me over with its ambition and becoming one of 2025’s biggest surprises.

*A review code of Daemon X Machina: Titanic Scion was provided by Marvelous

Final Score: 8.5/10

Pros:

• Dramatic improvements over the original
• Engaging open world
• Deep customization & build crafting
• Great soundtrack
• Awesome character and world design
• Intense boss battles
• Rich side activities

Cons:

• Technical and performance issues on Nintendo Switch 2
• Enemy variety lacking
• Fetch-questy side missions
• Controls take some getting used to