Daemon X Machina

A gorgeous throwback hampered by uninspired mission design and over-indulgent storytelling.

Nintendo Switch gets a mech game with depth in both combat and worldbuilding.

A stomping, stylish mech game that's classy and clumsy in equal measure.

Marvelous's mechfest looks beautiful and plays like a dream on PC, but it's held back by repetitive action.

An easy skip, even if you like mecha-infused action

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.

I wanted to like Daemon X Machina, but as I played, I kept wondering how much more fun it might have been if the developers had zeroed in on some of the more enjoyable elements instead of providing so many customization options and wrapping everything in such a convoluted story.

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.

If you’re a fan of the mech games of yesteryear, then Daemon X Machina is a nice trip down a road packed with nostalgia. Just don’t expect a trip without any potholes, sharp turns, or dead ends—because this adventure is absolutely loaded with them.

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.