Daemon X Machina

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.

All in all, Daemon x Machina is about the best that one can hope for from an Armored Core fill-in. It isn't quite as good as the highs of the tragically sleeping franchise, but it's on par with the average. If you like mecha, customization, and blowing up stuff, and you have a tolerance for the learning curve of the controls, then Daemon x Machina will keep you happy. At the end of the day, you get to pilot a giant robot and slash up enemies with a giant lightsaber, and who doesn't love that?

The missed potential of the story and minor issues with mech-vs-mech combat and multiplayer loadouts make Daemon X Machina fall just short of its potential, but the foundation is strong. As a total package, it’s on the verge of greatness; it just needed a little more time in the shop tinkering.

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. Once you do though, there’s quite a bit here to enjoy even if it isn’t wholly new or unique beyond its style.

There’s much to applaud about Daemon X Machina. The third-person mech action game delivers an experience unlike any other on Nintendo Switch, thanks to the striking mech designs and red-drenched world merging with combat that can readily thrill in the game’s many large-scale encounters. However, shortcomings such as the convoluted plot and repetition let it down – holding it back from reaching the brilliance that Marvelous nearly achieved.

It’s a fun romp, and while I can’t even call it the best science fiction action game released on the Switch in the last month (that honor would go to the excellent Astral Chain), it’s a well made, surprisingly engaging, fun game with great production values, and a surprising amount of engaging content. By definition, given its genre and aesthetic, Daemon X Machina is not a game that will appeal to everyone, but I am surprised at just how accomplished and polished it is.

Daemon X Machina is a strange hybrid. From a critical perspective, it's one that seems like it needed more time baking before it could be called truly finished. There are a lot of annoying elements that add up over time, and the combat really should have more variety and difficulty.

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 up.

Daemon X Machina goes beyond the expectations of a mech game with the Outer playing an integral part in tactics and combat. The other Outers you encounter are varied, unique, and have great personalities that shine through their voice acting. Combat is crisp, fast, and beautiful, accented by the stellar rock and metal soundtrack. The customization is phenomenal and the overall experience screams “just one more mission.” With the only downside being its lack of tutorials and occasionally bothersome menu, this is a game still easy to learn, fun to master, and an absolutely intense thrill to play.

There may be some rough edges, but for anyone looking for some fast-paced mobile suit action and who don’t mind a repetitive grind, Daemon X Machina is a big mech with cheese that’s worth sinking your teeth into.

DAEMON X MACHINA is a good stepping stone for a Switch exclusive that could make for an intriguing mecha game. Its bright colors and animation style renders your character beautifully into each scene and the combat system feels good. It almost isn’t a terrible game for someone who wants the aesthetic of mecha in a game that’s easy to play. However, it’s lack of fulfilling story or risk and reward in missions made for a lackluster gameplay experience for seasoned players.

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.

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.

I kept waiting for Daemon X Machina to pull the curtain back and reveal some sophistication in its gameplay, or some narrative twist that might make the uninspired combat worth slogging through. Those things never arrive. While the game ostensibly scratches the itch for players who have longed for something like Armored Core on the Switch, it’s a model that feels out of step with recent innovations in the sphere of action games. There are better worlds to save than this benighted future.

Daemon X Machina can really look visually stunning and sound amazing. But when playing the game, I just can't shake a feeling of disappointment. Daemon X Machina can be beautiful and ugly, and only the biggest mech fans will be able to look past the less flattering half of the game's visage. Great music and a great sense of style can't mask the fact that this game feels either boring or frustrating to play.

The biggest problem is the game just doesn’t offer enough variety. I’d have gladly traded 10 missions for 3 more Colossal Immortal fights. About a third of the way in things started to click, but for the last few hours I was more than ready to see the plot conclude. Fans of Armored Core should look past my concerns, and give the game a go. People who want to take the controls of a mech and shred a bunch of underpowered foes will have a good time. The general public should probably give it some extra thought.

The action-packed gameplay in Daemon X Machina makes it worth checking out for any mech game enthusiast. As long as you don't expect the game world to offer any sort of engaging plot or characters, you're sure to have a fun time.

Daemon X Machina might not be Nintendo’s most high-profile title of 2019, but I really enjoyed what it brought to the table. Mixing in nostalgia from the early Armored Core days and mixing it with over-the-top anime style action is a truly great combination. I wish the performance and aesthetic was a little better, but every other facet of its presentation really makes up for it. If you are like me and have fond memories of losing hours in classic Armored Core games this is the next best thing.

At its core Daemon X Machina is a solid mech action game that controls well and gives the player a generous helping of customisation options. Its mission structure can get repetitive, and its plot is so difficult to grasp it may as well be soaked in grease, but as long as you’re willing to put up with these and get through its initially bewildering array of gauges and icons you should have a good time with it.

Daemon X Machina is a fun and frenetic mecha game with a hell of a lot going on. It occasionally gets too busy for its own good, but competently out-Anthems Anthem in terms of gameplay.

Considering the dearth of Mech games, Daemon X Machina is bound to get anyone's attention. Rather than allow itself to serve as mere niche fulfilment, this rises above through a solid balance between accessibility and depth. With just a little effort, you can make the battlefield your own, cutting through countless enemies like… *sigh* a hot knife through butter. The variety of armaments, armours, and skillsets allow veterans to create a thoroughly customized experience. Of course, they'll have to deal with a rough frame-rate, as well as a dreadful last boss.

If you’re looking for a game with a fun story, an engaging premise, and focus on Mechs, Daemon X Machina offers a great experience. Both visually and audibly striking, the game impresses in a lot of ways, though towards the end it can grow tiresome.

Mechanically, Daemon X Machina has some very solid foundations, so if you threw out the story but keep the combat and customisation a sequel could work very well. Whether that will happen though we have our doubts, as we resume the long, unhopeful, wait for the definitive giant robot game. 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.

With a striking cel-shaded visual style and Kenichiro Tsukuda from the Armored Core series at the helm, we envisioned that Daemon X Machina would be a solid return to form for the once-beloved mech shooter genre, but sadly things here just didn't live up to our expectations. We found that missions felt stale due to repetitive objectives and we struggled to feel engaged within the central story due to our lifeless protagonist and an over-dependence on text boxes.

Daemon X Machina sets the bar for robot action games. The addictive mecha fighting is almost flawless, but it's complemented by so many other incredible parts to the game. There's a rich, unique world filled with incredible and memorable characters, endless and addictive customisation, gorgeous visuals and a jaw-dropping soundtrack. Daemon X Machina rarely stumbles, and even when it did, I still couldn't help but be impressed by this amazing new experience.

Daemon X Machina is a great mech action game that’s comparable in quality to the best entries in the franchise it’s heavily inspired by. I love the detailed customization and the wide variety of builds available at player’s fingertips, I just wish the team had a couple more months in development to create a fantastic final act to their story. Thankfully the game still has legs to move with a rich catalogue of optional missions to experience during a daily commute or a relaxing evening with friends online.

Overall, Daemon X Machina is a wonderful new IP and you wouldn’t go wrong picking it up, especially if you’re a fan of mech titles. Though it’s a little slow to start, and there are definitely things it could do better, once it picks up you’ll find high-octane action, a diverse cast of characters, and a story full of intrigue and depth. There’s nothing quite like it on the Switch that I’ve seen thus far, but I’m hoping Daemon X Machina will pave the way for more.

When it’s great, Daemon X Machina is a fast and frenetic mech action game with deep customisation options and a killer artistic direction that sets it apart from the rest. But when it’s not, it’s repetitive mission structure, nonsensical story and facile combat stop it from being the best it could be.

This side of the game is wonderful, and the ability to salvage parts from fallen mechs and use those to augment your own robotic symbiotic counterpart is a brilliant touch. As is the ability to purchase new weapons or research upgrades. Like your avatar’s customisation, changing the look of your mech is time well spent – especially when paired with the stylised and excellent visuals put to full use throughout the many real-time cut-scenes and the countless action-packed encounters. The only problem being that missions and mechanics only rarely rise up to this level.

Daemon X Machina satisfied my mech cravings in all the best ways. Optimising my battle bot for particularly difficult excursions left me feeling completely in control of nailing the perfect build. While the story and its characters grated on me to no end, I came for mechs and MARVELOUS! has delivered precisely that with aplomb. If you go in expecting a compelling story and characters, you'll be left woefully unsatisfied, but when good mech games are the equivalent of a gaming unicorn, it's hard to pass up the opportunity to grease the gears and take to the skies once again.

Daemon X Machina tiene un planteamiento atractivo, con una ejecución técnica y artística llamativa, una historia bastante cuidada y un apartado audiovisual de tono manganime muy convincente. Sin embargo, falla en lo básico: la jugabilidad, con una propuesta shooter demasiado simple, poco variada, de misiones poco inspiradas que se vuelven monótonas en muy poco tiempo. Sólo interesante si en cuanto a temática (mechas japoneses) te llama la atención, porque por todo lo demás es un videojuego bastante regular.

Daemon X Machina no busca gustar a quienes no lo entiendan o aprecien, busca cautivar a los locos que seguíamos añorando el regreso de Armored Core o de Zone of the Enders y creo, de la mano de Marvelous First Studio con el apoyo de Nintendo, se nos ha entregado un producto sumamente digno que creo, no merece ni de cerca todo el desprecio que la mayoría de la crítica internacional ha descargado sobre él.

Se ve potencial en las primeras horas de Daemon × Machina. Tiene un algo interesante; es divertido de esa forma desprejuiciada y un poco insustancial que a veces tan bien le sienta a un videojuego. Las misiones son directas y, aun siendo siempre más o menos lo mismo, trabajan la variedad con un toque de honestidad o inocencia que funciona bien, incluso cuando es predecible, como en la obvia misión de infiltración en la que te mueves fuera del mecha.

Daemon X Machina cumple con su cometido pero deja de ser divertido después rato, sobre todo por lo repetitivo de las misiones y lo segmentado que se siente el juego al estar dividido de una manera muy rígida Este juego funciona bien como carta de presentación de una franquicia que se atreve a revivir un género que no ha sido tan abordado. Tal vez con el tiempo veamos una secuela que ha corregido las fallas de esta entrega, por ejemplo, la mala implementación de la cámara y la dependencia del jugador al control de la misma para seguir avanzando.

Al final nos encontramos con una experiencia que llama y atrapa durante las primeras horas, a pesar de que ahí ya empiezan a vérsele unas costuras que acaban por deshacerse conforme más jugamos. Es un juego capaz de dejarnos boquiabiertos por la espectacularidad y belleza de ciertos momentos, pero también es un juego con el que hemos bostezado mientras un robot da un espadazo con una espada láser tras esquivar una oleada de misiles.

En el fondo, Daemon x Machina no hace nada rematadamente mal, pero es en su indolencia jugable y en su diseño llano donde pierde opciones de destacar como esperábamos.

Die Geschichte wird beim drögen Durchklicken krampfhaft konstruierter Konflikte erzählt und die Charakterentwicklung ist ein ebenso überflüssiges Anhängsel wie die kooperativen Bosskämpfe. Schade, aber Armored-Core-Produzent Kenichiro Tsukuda hat hier ein richtig gutes Fundament geschaffen – darauf aber nur ein kahles Betongerippe gestellt.

Jusqu’au bout, on est surpris d’apprécier un jeu qu’on n’espérait plus, assemblé de bric et de broc grâce à ses propres épaves laissées à l’abandon. Retapé de toute part comme une bagnole tunée, Daemon X Machina n’est pas uniquement un jeu sur les robots, mais plutôt sur le fait d’aimer les robots.

Daemon X Machina est un jeu frustrant. Parce qu’il y a de nombreuses choses qu’il fait plutôt bien, et parce qu’il sait comment faire plaisir aux fans de mechas, son cœur de cible. Mais le titre de Marvelous se prend les pieds dans une narration vite insupportable et des phases de combat inégales, où les contrôles hyper satisfaisants sont rattrapés par quelques imprécisions de gameplay et surtout la mollesse des sensations de tir.

Plutôt aguicheuse sur le papier, la proposition de Marvelous ne comblera pas, hélas, les attentes des amateurs de mechas et d'échauffourées aériennes. Répétitif et clairement pas au point techniquement, Daemon x Machina pêche également par une narration éclatée et un trop plein d'éléments futiles qui viennent gâcher la pureté de l'expérience. Heureusement, l'ensemble reste assez agréable à jouer, avec un Arsenal qui se plie à nos moindres volontés. Il y avait de la matière mais c'est à Marvelous maintenant d'améliorer sa formule si le studio souhaite prolonger avec un nouvel épisode.

Não possui um enredo consistente e os objectivos de algumas missões não convencem mas os combates e a adrenalina de estudar algumas estratégias extra fazem com que Daemon X Machina seja um jogo obrigatório para quem adora personalizar veículos de combate e goste de jogar de forma cooperativa contra hordas de inimigos ou titãs gigantescos.

Ci siamo approcciati a Daemon X Machina con un atteggiamento scettico, figlio di una demo con non pochi problemi tecnici e della relativa inesperienza del team di sviluppo con il genere e, invece, ci siamo ritrovati dinanzi ad uno sparatutto in terza persona irrinunciabile per gli amanti dei mech tra i possessori di Switch, e buono anche per tutti gli altri.

Daemon x Machina entra in una nicchia stretta e vuota di competizione con personalità e strategia, riuscendo a creare una trama non banale e iniettando steroidi action in quello che alla fine rimane un arcade mech con tanti numeri da studiare e con i quali divertirsi. Se è vero che l'interfaccia dei menù poteva essere meno macchinosa e caotica, la personalizzazione del mech regala soddisfazioni, così come prendere il pad in mano e accelerare danzando in aria o in terra, dando fuoco alle polveri o in scontri all'arma bianca.

Daemon X Machina ci mette un po’ a ingranare, ma si qualifica istantaneamente come un acquisto imprescindibile se amate i robot giapponesi e sognate ogni notte il ritorno di Armored Core. Qualche piccola incertezza tecnica e la ripetitività di fondo che questa tipologia di gioco porta inevitabilmente in dote viene mitigata dalle robuste opzioni di personalizzazione e da una direzione artistica davvero azzeccata. L’unico dubbio riguarda l’aspetto multigiocatore, che al momento rappresenta la spina dorsale di un end game un po’ fiacco.

Daemon X Machina propone una visione moderna del genere mech, più veloce, dinamica, esplosiva, fortemente votata alla personalizzazione, estetica e ludica. Nonostante sia appesantito da una certa ripetitività (accentuata dal bisogno di ripetere le missioni più volte per racimolare parti di equipaggiamento e crediti) e sebbene possegga alcuni limiti tecnici, Daemon X Machina rappresenta comunque un esponente di tutto rispetto dei mech game, capace di saziare la fame degli appassionati di robottoni e mazzate.

Daemon X Machina – это игра для определённой аудитории. Как адаптация известной манги или аниме, она покажется чуждым непонятным зверем для непосвящённых, однако наверняка предложит что-то любопытное поклонникам жанра про человекоподобных роботов. Я не могу настоятельно рекомендовать её к прохождению, зато обязательно советую попробовать свежую демоверсию, которая доступна каждому, и которая примерно даст понять, что предлагает полноценная версия.

De multiplayer modi voegen mogelijk een toffe dimensie aan de game toe, maar met al zijn tekortkomingen is Daemon X Machina onderaan de streep slechts matig te noemen. Het ontbreekt de game echt aan details op diverse vlakken, wat uiteindelijk op gaat breken. De actie van het vechten met mechs wordt op een gegeven moment echt intens en dat zorgt voor toffe gameplay. De diepgang komt nu vooral door dit element en het feit dat je talloze opties voor aanpassingen en wapens hebt. Helaas is dat niet genoeg voor een goedlopende machine.

Daemon X Machina je titul ako zo starých čias a hrateľnosť má zakotvenú v minulých generáciách. Nie je to márny pokus, lebo na súčasný herný systém prináša novú akčnú taktickú hru pre milovníkov robotov, apokalyptických bojov a najmä systém kratších misií je ako šitý pre Switch a hranie v pohybe. V tom smere je Daemon X Machina dobrá exkluzivita – no nesadne každému, niektoré momenty sú frustrujúce a svet v konečnom zúčtovaní nie je taký bohatý. Koncept funguje a určite si zaslúži ďalší rozvoj.