Branching Paths: Daemon X Machina Titanic Scion has a card game and four other big changes for the mech sequel

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As the excitement of Summer Games Fest Game Days unfolded, I found myself immersed in the diverse offerings of IGN Live – an event specifically designed for a broader audience, brimming with demos, live shows, and much more. Hidden within one of these demo rooms was a cluster of PCs showcasing Marvelous’ upcoming sequel to Daemon X Machina, Titanic Scion. Whether or not this game falls squarely into the RPG category is up for debate, but given my personal interest in the original game and the appeal of customizing one’s own robot, it seems plausible that there might be some overlap between fans of RPGs and enthusiasts of robot-customization games.

Following approximately two hours of playtime, it’s clear that Scion surpasses its precursor in scope and grandeur. Here are five transformations within the game that left us astonished and delighted, points players ought to take note of during their gaming experience.

 

Large open zones





In the original Daemon X Machina game, it seemed like a spiritual successor to Armored Core, offering missions followed by level playthroughs. However, in Titanic Scion, there’s a similarity to Monster Hunter World where, once you choose a mission, you can venture into an expansive, multi-region setting. This environment not only hosts your mission target but also numerous other attractions, wandering colossal foes, and hidden surprises waiting to be uncovered.

In the demonstration, only a single biome, the Desert, was featured, and only a small section of it could be traversed, yet even this limited area was too vast to explore within the given time frame. To make navigation easier, you’ll find various fast travel spots to quickly move between locations. However, what truly stood out were the setup points where you could establish supply bases. These bases allowed for restocking ammunition and swapping gear in your arsenal without having to return to your main base. This enables you to concentrate on exploring without interruptions.

Switching to expansive, open-ended play areas seemed like the most significant shift from the initial game, and I’m really fond of this fresh perspective. Soaring through the skies, engaging enemies or colossal wandering bosses was exhilarating, and I’m eagerly anticipating discovering what additional biomes the complete game will introduce.

 

Weapon Masteries


In Titanic Scion, players can choose from various weapons to customize their arsenal. This array includes 10 distinct firearms, 8 melee weapons, shields, and gun arms. What sets it apart is that each type of weapon also has an associated Mastery Level, which can be elevated to enhance its specific attributes and unlock unique weapon abilities. While the maximum level and specific rewards are yet to be revealed, this seems like a fun feature for players who prefer using particular weapons consistently!

 

Increased Arsenal Customization (Transmog, hiding armor parts, more)


A standout feature in games such as Daemon X Machina lies in its ability for players to create their own awe-inspiring mechs reminiscent of popular anime characters. In the upcoming Titanic Scion, this customization takes a step further, enabling players to transform the components of their mech. This new feature allows you to blend the aesthetics of one set of equipment while maintaining the statistics of another. Unlike the original game, where the appearance of your Arsenal could only be altered entirely, Titanic Scion lets you modify each individual part, even switching them off completely.

Instead of controlling a towering mech like Gundam or Armored Core, you’ll find yourself in a suit reminiscent of Iron Man or Javelin from Anthem, but slightly enlarged for a more human-like scale. This size allows you to conceal parts of your weaponry, revealing only your character. However, the feet area appears to be on stilts, with the lower part of your character’s legs being integrated into the suit.

 

A Card game


Make room, Triple Triad and Gwent, for there’s a fresh card game minigame taking center stage – Overbullet. To be honest, I don’t have much information about its mechanics as the person I spoke to was rather secretive about it even acknowledging its existence… Despite discovering a few cards within the base itself.

Based on the info displayed on the screen, there are a total of 164 cards that players might discover. Out of these, I stumbled upon two specific ones – No.045 Grim Reaper AT and No. 117 Ekrixi (Vambrace). It appears that these cards could be depictions of Arsenal equipment. A quick look suggests we can gather some basic insights about the game.

  1. There will be different suits of cards
  2. The game will take place on a field, and not simply cards played from the hand against one another (like War or UNO, for example)
  3. Cards can have attack values or defense values. Not sure about having both

This revelation took me by surprise, since there was no prior hint about its incorporation. Being a seasoned Magic: The Gathering player, as well as one who enjoys other Trading Card Games, I’m eager to learn more about this game and hopefully receive information regarding multiplayer options online with friends!

 

A Mouse Cursor (and a ton of other PC improvements)


It’s been a while since I last played the original PC version of the game, but since I mostly played the Switch edition, I had forgotten how sparse the PC port was. For instance, it didn’t include a mouse cursor for navigation, which was quite surprising. However, upon revisiting Titanic Scion on PC, I found that it does indeed have a functional mouse cursor, along with an impressive array of customization options. To put it into perspective, the original game had only six adjustable gameplay settings; in contrast, Titanic Scion offers nearly 50! Furthermore, the new version features dedicated settings menus for cutscenes, accessibility, and online play, all of which were absent in the original release. In fact, the extensive PC settings of Titanic Scion are worth a separate write-up altogether.

 

On September 5, 2025, the game titled “Daemon X Machina: Titanic Scion” is scheduled for launch, which will be available for purchase on PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S, the upcoming Nintendo Switch 2, and through Steam.

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2025-06-18 22:56