Daemon X Machina: Titanic Scion Review

When Daemon X Machina first launched back in 2019, it carved out a niche for itself: a flashy mech action game with anime flair, customizable robots, and plenty of high-speed combat. It wasn’t perfect, but it built a loyal following who stuck with it for the sense of style and the freedom to tinker with their Arsenals. Now, years later, Daemon X Machina: Titanic Scion has arrived, heralding itself as a sequel that expands everything; most notably with a fully open world. It’s ambitious, bigger in scope, and more technically polished. But does all that ambition pay off? I think so.

A Tale of Rebellion and Identity

Titanic Scion drops you back into a broken future where humanity is barely clinging on. You play as an “Outer,” a human altered by mysterious powers, and one of the Reclaimers who are essentially mercenaries fighting against the authoritarian regime known as Sovereign Axiom. Right out of the gate, you’re thrown into a prison break sequence, setting up a personal quest: rebuild your strength, rally allies, and rescue a comrade you were forced to abandon.

The story isn’t necessarily next level, but it is certainly serviceable, especially for the genre. It leans heavily on anime tropes—shadowy villains, fiery speeches about freedom, melodramatic rivalries—but it never quite digs too deep. Characters fall into familiar archetypes, and dialogue often feels like it’s there to push you along to the next mission rather than leave a lasting mark. It’s not bad, and for some players the campy tone is part of the charm. But if you’re hoping for narrative nuance or richly developed characters, this isn’t willing to give it to you.

The Big Shift: A Fully Open World

The biggest change from the first game is the move to a sprawling open world. In the original, missions were delivered in relatively contained arenas. Now you’re free to roam wide stretches of land and sky, flying your Arsenal across vast plains, enemy outposts, and ruined cities. On paper, it’s the evolution fans wanted: mech combat finally unshackled from confined boxes.

In practice, it’s a bit more uneven. There’s genuine thrill in launching into the air, scanning the horizon, and deciding whether to swoop down on a camp or hunt for loot caches. Early on, the freedom feels refreshing, especially compared to the mission-menu grind of the original. The problem is that the world doesn’t always give you much to chew on. Beyond enemy patrols, loot spots, and the occasional hidden stash, the environment can feel empty in certain locales. The scale is there, but the density isn’t, and after a while exploration settles into a rhythm that risks becoming background noise over what could have been a truly colossal scope.

That said, traversal itself is fun. The controls are more responsive this time, and whether you’re darting through the air, boosting along the ground, or hopping into a transformable vehicle, moving around never feels like a chore. It’s the activities that could use more variety, not the act of getting there.

Combat That Clicks

Combat was always the heart of Daemon X Machina, and in Titanic Scion that’s once again the case. Your Arsenal feels quicker, more agile, and more versatile than ever. Switching between weapons mid-flight, dashing through enemy fire, and unleashing a well-timed barrage has an immediate rush. The bosses, often towering mechanical beasts, are a highlight. When you’re locked in a fight that has you juggling shields, dodging laser arrays, and managing ammo across multiple weapons, it captures the kind of chaotic, kinetic energy mech fans crave.

Where things falter slightly is in the “feel” of impact. Lighter weapons are flashy but don’t always register the kind of punch you’d expect, while heavier cannons sometimes lack weight. The spectacle is still satisfying, but if you’re the type who wants every missile to rattle the controller with devastating force, Titanic Scion plays things lighter and faster rather than grounded and heavy. In my opinion a more enjoyable approach.

Customization Aplenty

Alongside combat, if there’s one area where the game shines without caveat, it’s customization. The Arsenal system is back, and it’s deeper than before. Every part of your mech—head, arms, legs, core—can be swapped out, tuned, and modded. Weapons come in a wide variety, from rifles and blades to heavy ordnance and shields. You can push builds toward speed, durability, or raw firepower, and there’s real satisfaction in tinkering until you’ve made something that feels truly yours.

The developers have also added a handy loadout system that lets you save multiple builds. This cuts down on frustration and encourages experimentation. Want a setup for fast recon and another for boss fights? Save them both and switch as needed. It makes the grind for new parts and loot actually rewarding, since every piece can potentially feed into a future build.

The Loop: Mission, Loot, Upgrade, Repeat

At its core, the game’s loop is straightforward: you take on missions, scrap enemies, loot parts, then head back to tweak your Arsenal before setting out again. It’s a loop that works if you’re into progression systems and gear-driven play. The reward structure nudges you to keep experimenting, and even when missions repeat in format (defend a point, destroy a convoy, take down a boss) the payoff is usually tied to how it feeds back into your mech’s evolution.

That said, repetition is unavoidable. After the honeymoon period of exploring the open world, many missions fall into familiar patterns. The lack of strong side content or narrative-driven quests means the grind can start to feel mechanical in the wrong way. The loop is addictive, but it doesn’t always mask the fact that you’re doing variations of the same thing over and over.

Actual resentation is one of Titanic Scion’s strengths. The anime-styled visuals are vibrant, if sometimes a little flat in environmental detail. Character designs lean into over-the-top archetypes, but they’re striking enough to leave an impression. The soundtrack blends heavy guitar riffs with electronic beats, setting the tone for high-intensity combat. It’s not subtle, but it matches the energy of the gameplay.

Truly Titanic

Daemon X Machina: Titanic Scion is a sequel that swings big. The open world, improved combat, and deeper customization all point to a game that wants to be more than just a mission-based arena fighter. And in many ways, it succeeds. Flying across vast landscapes, building your dream Arsenal, and tackling massive mechanical bosses is exhilarating. The sense of freedom is real, and the gear grind has a way of keeping you invested.

But some cracks do show the longer you play. The story is thin, the world feels sparse, and repetition creeps in sooner than it should. For every moment of adrenaline-fueled excitement, there’s another where you’re wishing the world had just a tad bit more life, or the missions a bit more variety.

On PS5, though, it’s easy to recommend if you’re a mech fan. It’s smoot, great looking, and more technically stable than the genre is used to. If you loved the first game, this is absolutely worth your time. If you’re new, it’s approachable enough to jump in, provided you’re okay with a grindy loop and a world that sometimes feels more stage than living place. For mech fans, the highs far outweigh the lows.