September 5th, 2025, is a day I’m eagerly looking forward to as Marvelous USA’s follow-up to Deamon X Machina is making its way to current-gen consoles. There’s something about piloting mechs that just resonates with me, and is probably why I spent way too long playing Armored Core VI: The Fires of Rubicon.
While I couldn’t play the original title thanks to it being exclusive to the Nintendo Switch on release and not having access to a PC when it was eventually ported to Windows, I’m glad that Marvelous decided to take on a multi-platform approach to its upcoming title, making it accessible to a wider audience this time around. That approach seems justified by what is shaping up to be a solid effort based on previews and trailers.
Titanic Scion appears to blend a solid gameplay loop with an engaging story, stylish combat, great visuals, and a soundtrack that I might just add to my work playlist if it turns out as good as it seems. But all of these are standard fare in modern games that have the potential to truly stand out from the crowd.
So what makes Titanic Scion a title that has me so eager to dive into? Well, the answer’s quite simple. It seems like it’s going to be fun to play. Although its open world could be considered generic by modern standards, I’d say it’s what’s in that world that truly counts. Allow me to elaborate.
Me(ch) Against The World
Your player character is left to their own devices on an alien planet after the game’s introduction, and what a planet it is. It may seem that it’s just a desolate wasteland, but from what I’ve seen so far, there’s a lot to do as you explore it. There are secrets to ease out and NPCs to assist as you earn a name for yourself, not just because you’re a skilled Arsenal operator (as the mechs are called in this universe) but because you earn every bit of goodwill that comes your way.
If that’s not engaging enough, there’s also the fact that you need to be careful about what you loot from the ruined mechs of your enemies. You could choose between useful items that could be of immediate use in combat situations, or pick up stuff that you can take back to your base to develop your mech and give it much-needed advantages against harder challenges later down the line.
That’s a choice that could be hard to make in the heat of battle, as your enemies are not going to wait around while you make up your mind. And as somebody who abhors hoarding items that I loot in the field, I’m quite interested to see if this approach can lead to an inventory with less clutter and more utility over time.
Factor in mutations, or Fusions as the game calls them, that you can tack on to your character, and the early beginnings of a wide variety of builds begin to take shape, leading me to hope that respeccing is as quick and seamless as it is in some recent releases, Wuchang: Fallen Feathers being an example.
And while many of you may swear by bringing your buddies along to the fight in co-op multiplayer sessions, I prefer to operate as a lone wolf, taking on my foes with just my brains and brawn to help.
However, I’d say that there’s something to like about asynchronous multiplayer, as it makes the game’s desolate world feel lived in every time I come across evidence that there are other mercenaries out there facing down the same challenges, perhaps with methods that are vastly different from my own.
From what I’ve seen of the original title, Titanic Scion looks like it’s building on its gameplay loop in ways that could make it a great addition to my library of current-gen games.
An Outer Looking In
While I wouldn’t recommend seeing the opening sequence from any previews or even trying to find out more about it if you’re interested in playing the game, know that it’s a great setup for what comes after. I watched it so you didn’t have to.
Your character, Nova, is an Outer, a human who was born with the ability to control Arsenals, or mechs, thanks to events that happened in the past. You are thrust right into the conflict between the Axioms, who serve as the Outer Government’s military arm, and the Reclaimers, a resistance group determined to end the Axioms’ tyranny.
While the Reclaimers are hesitant to trust you right off the bat, proving yourself to them and earning that trust is likely to be a crucial part of Nova’s adventures. The Axioms seem like a cool bunch despite the fact that they seem antagonistic in nature.
What’s special about this narrative is that each member of these groups brings something cool to the table aside from distinct personalities. There’s a guy wielding a lightsaber, for instance, and I can’t wait to take him on and perhaps channel my inner Obi-Wan as I hopefully take the high ground and bring him down if he chooses to take me on.
I’m hoping that the story lets me make choices between the two factions, and that those choices influence how things play out later down the line. Maybe I could try to bring them together and take on the real enemy: a tyrannical government that looks down on those it governs.
The potential for thematic influences like resisting oppression and perhaps a struggle to retain Nova’s humanity, the more they use their Arsenal, could very well be a feather in Marvelous’ cap if it plays its cards right in Titanic Scion.
Raging Against the Machines
Of course, a great combat system is what would really pull the experience in Titanic Scion together into a cohesive whole. And from what I’ve been able to see, the game brings sleek, stylish, and seamless moves to the field. Nova has a lot of options while in the field, the Heavy Armor mechanic being chief among them.
While your Arsenal is lighter and potentially more mobile, the Heavy Armor is a giant mech you can call down once you fill up a bar, allowing for a sort of ultimate attack that can devastate your enemies as long as you’re strategic about its use.
There’s also the Particle Weapon system that I see as a sort of stance mechanic, allowing you to switch between Assault Mode, Guard Mode, and Wing Mode. If I’m guessing correctly, that would mean switching between them on the fly based on whether you want to attack, block/parry, or dodge out of the way of an attack.
I’m fairly certain that Nova can use weapons picked up from bosses, too, although there might be a tough choice between picking up the weapon or a useful upgrade that seems too good to pass on.
If that’s the case, it could also mean that New Game Plus could be on the table, as it would be a sensible addition, allowing you to collect items you missed out on in your first run. The original game was sorely lacking post-game content, and Marvelous might be looking to fix that mistake with this one.
The bosses are another part of why I can’t wait to dive into the fray, with designs that are outlandish yet deadly. They look like quite the challenge, although I suspect they aren’t going to measure up to the ones I’ve taken down in Armored Core. However, with everything else on offer, I’m still going to be right there trying to take them down when the game hits the shelves.
The Right Beats For A Deadly Dance
That brings me to the final part of why I’m quite enthusiastic about Deamon X Machina: Titanic Scion, which is its soundtrack. My love for electric guitars and heavy metal extends to my video games.
The metal-themed soundtrack on offer in Titanic Scion seems to be right up there with many action games, a genre that had me firmly in its grip thanks to their combat and soundtrack. It’s the perfect fit considering the game’s premise, and I’d like to think that it’s playing inside my Arsenal’s helmet, letting me indulge a Tony Stark fantasy that continues to make me grin whenever I think about it.
Measured Optimism
While it’s certainly tempting to throw caution to the wind and state outright that Deamon X Machina: Titanic Scion is going to knock it out of the park, I’ve been bitten by awesome-looking video games before. I won’t stop talking about how much I wanted to enjoy MindsEye after my positive initial impressions.
But despite myself, the allure of a game involving mechs has me counting the days to Titanic Scion’s release. Although The FIres of Rubicon has set a very high standard for me, I do believe that Marvelous’s attempt to build on a successful pilot outing (pun intended) could come close to the highs of that particular experience.
I’m hoping that the vast planet we get to explore has enough in it to make this one of my favorite titles this year. It does have enough to stand out with its open world and cool stories. And at the end of it all, that’s what matters the most.
Note: The views expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily represent the views of, and should not be attributed to, GamingBolt as an organization.
