Daemon X Machina did absolutely nothing for me when it was revealed at E3 2018.
And I didn’t even bother trying the Prototype demo that came out earlier this year.
But as a fan of mechs and games like Zone of the Enders, something about Daemon X Machina
made me want to give it a fair shake, so I jumped at the opportunity to review it with
a completely open mind.
And I came away at least a little surprised.
Daemon X Machina takes place after an event known as the MoonFall, where a piece of the
moon was dislodged and fell toward the planet.
This caused an apocalypse event where the entire region became near uninhabitable.
However, a new resource known as Femto was discovered that led major technological developments.
It also marked the emergence of the Immortals, mechanical beings that have the ability to
corrupt A.I. and turn them against humanity.
Now mercenary companies under the guidance of an organization known as the Orbital Link
fight against the Immortals in order to both put a stop to them and preserve a tenuous
balance between nations.
That may seem like a simple enough story to follow, but it’s an absolute mess.
You play as a rookie who has just awoken and are carried from one campaign mission to the
next with a shifting cast from each of the different mercenary companies.
And I felt utterly confused at every turn as the game presented character after character
and terms which they barely explained.
There’s a history here that could be interesting.
But I was barely able to follow it as I struggled to piece together what everyone was talking
about.
Make no mistake that parts of this story can be entertaining with some slightly amusing
interactions, but the cast is just too big with over twenty different mercenaries introduced
very quickly.
When major story beats happened, Daemon X Machina was desperate for me to feel something
for the pilots, but it never clicked.
I didn’t spend enough time with any one character to really care outside a few of
the more distinct personalities.
It never got better either, even as I approached the endgame.
But all that story can be skipped allowing you to get right into the action.
And it’s here where Daemon X Machina can really shine.
Players pilot mechs called Arsenals which can be fully customized to their liking.
That’s limited to just their color early on, but as missions are completed, new loot
is acquired which can take the form of Arsenal parts for the head, arms, body, and legs,
or as different weapons ranging from assault rifles, swords, sniper rifles, bazookas, flamethrowers,
and missiles.
All these parts can be mixed and matched to create an Arsenal that’s truly your own
whether it favors speed, defense, or a mix of the two.
The weapons I chose really did affect how I went about certain missions.
I found a style I preferred after some experimentation that served me well throughout most of the
game.
So let’s focus on gameplay a bit before diving completely into the customization.
Once a mission is chosen, the player and any allies are taken to the battlefield where
the objective will be laid out.
It usually comes down to defeating all the enemies but there is the occasional curveball
where players have to defend key points or even do a semi-stealth mission out of the
Arsenal.
The game knows where to focus its strengths but the variety helps it from growing too
monotonous.
That being said, fighting wave after wave of corrupted A.I. units is fun for a while
but quickly grows tiresome.
They just never offered that much of a challenge, even at high numbers.
Instead, they’re more of a way to get ammunition for the weapons you brought to the mission.
Immortal Arsenals, known as Strais, are a little more exciting as destroying them will
allow you to loot the remains for new parts or weapons.
It was great earning those rewards, but the Strais never offered up much of a challenge.
No, the challenge, and the best part of Daemon X Machina’s missions, came from facing off
against another mercenary pilot or giant boss.
Because they can take so much punishment, you have to think on your feet.
Suddenly the amount of ammunition you use is a bigger deal as is managing your health.
It’s a stark contrast to dullness of fighting the usual enemies whose designs rarely changed
throughout the game.
Fighting them grew old extremely quickly.
But fighting other mercenaries at least forced me to pay attention as they would zip all
around the maps.
It often led me to lose track of them and actually rely on my radar to find their new
location.
Finding the right weapon amongst the selection I brought to whittle down their health was
fun, especially when I discovered something particularly effective.
The fact that your Arsenal can hold a weapon in each hand plus a shoulder mount and a support
item in addition to two more swappable weapons held in pylons made me feel prepared for each
fight.
I didn’t really need these normally, but they became essential against other pilots.
Not only that, but you could loot them as well, making the reward that much better.
Likewise the bosses were a treat to fight almost across the board, being both physically
imposing while also having unique attributes, such as jumping around an area or digging
underground.
It forced me to focus on exposing their weak points in order to cause massive damage and
take them down that much quicker.
While some could be annoying, there was always this grand feeling that shone through.
Both showed how Daemon X Machina could feel fast and intense with responsive controls.
There’s a lock-on that can be improved with different heads as well that made lining up
shots easier though keeping them in your sights while they zip around is part of the challenge.
You never have to exactly strategize but figuring out where to hit something and with what helped
justify all the different weapons.
These two types of fights made the game come alive, and it seems the developers at Marvelous
knew this as the exclusive online multiplayer missions all focused on them whether it’s
beefier versions of the bosses or against 4 other mercenaries.
The connection was consistent with only the enemy mechs blinking out for a few frames
due to their speed.
It was a surprisingly fun addition tackling these enemies with friends.
And it didn’t hurt that I could earn new equipment and decals for the single player.
It’s all tied together well as a kind of bonus that you can work toward with friends.
But the side and story missions have to be done alone.
It feels like a slight missed opportunity, but at least it’s possible to grind for
better equipment with friends.
Money is also earned from every type of mission which ties back into the customization as
it can be spent to strengthen your Arsenal further.
There’s a Shop where equipment can be bought and sold and the Factory where existing equipment
can be used to develop even better pieces though it takes a single mission to complete
the process.
The Factory also ties into Attachments which can be installed in your parts and weapons
for stat bonuses.
Finally, your character can be upgraded as well to improve their abilities both in and
out of the Arsenal though this does have the effect of making you look less human.
It’s a lot to keep track of, and it can be overwhelming at times, but the cycle of
going out on missions for better equipment so you can handle bigger threats did remind
me of Monster Hunter early on.
There are even the aforementioned side missions to grind with extra objectives that could
potentially net you more rewards.
And yet, something was missing.
Unlike the massive creatures that you hunt in Capcom’s series, Daemon X Machina’s
aren’t quite as interesting.
The Immortals are faceless and the corrupted A.I.s are pushovers so the reason I wanted
better gear was just to get through it faster.
I was bored until a boss or another rival mercenary showed up.
Without those, the game felt basic and too easy.
Graphically, Daemon X Machina may not be the most technically impressive game, but the
style is striking on plenty of occasions.
The shading on the characters’ faces give it a darker anime look and while most of the
locations can look typically apocalyptic there are a few that stand out with their harsh
color contrasts.
And despite everything happening with hordes of enemies, your allies, and constant explosions,
I found it to be a smooth experience.
The sound design is solid with each voice actor carrying the load on whether I cared
about their character or not.
The sounds of battle worked well, especially the sword as it crunched through the A.I.
drones.
It made each hit feel satisfying.
The music was almost always bombastic rock anthems that emphasized the action though
there were a few softer pieces that appropriately changed the mood.
It’s good, but I’m not sure I’ll remember many after this playthrough.
Daemon X Machina is an average game with moments that show the potential of the concept.
It could very well find a cult status as customizing my mech was fun, and there’s a lot of personality
that can be put into your Arsenal.
But it’s let down by the overwhelming amount of basic missions and a near-incoherent story.
I would pay attention anytime there was another mercenary to fight or boss to take down, but
otherwise I felt like I was in a rut after only a few hours.
Considering the story’s 15 hour length, that’s way too quick to get bored of the
basic gameplay.
I did enjoy it more than the previews led me to believe, but in the end I felt Mixed.
There are some great action elements to enjoy here and fun multiplayer that highlights its
best moments.
If you’re a massive mech fan who doesn’t mind a ton of anime tropes in the form of
characters, this could be right down your alley.
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