''Daemon X Machina'' is a

Mecha In science fiction, or mechs are giant robots or machines controlled by people, typically depicted as humanoid walking vehicles. The term was first used in Japanese (language), Japanese after shortening the English loanword or , but the mean ...

third-person shooter Third-person shooter (TPS) is a subgenre of 3D shooter games in which the gameplay consists primarily of shooting. It is closely related to first-person shooters, but with the player character visible on-screen during play. While 2D shoot 'em ...

action game An action game is a video game genre that emphasizes physical challenges, including hand–eye coordination and reaction-time. The genre includes a large variety of sub-genres, such as fighting games, beat 'em ups, shooter games, and platform gam ...

developed and published by Marvelous. It was originally released for the

Nintendo Switch The is a hybrid video game console developed by Nintendo and released worldwide in most regions on March 3, 2017. The console itself is a Tablet computer#Gaming tablet, tablet that can either be docking station, docked for use as a home video ...

on September 13, 2019 then later ported to

Microsoft Windows Windows is a group of several proprietary graphical operating system families developed and marketed by Microsoft. Each family caters to a certain sector of the computing industry. For example, Windows NT for consumers, Windows Server for serv ...

on February 13, 2020. ''

Armored Core is a third-person shooter mecha video game series developed by FromSoftware. The series centers on a silent protagonist who takes on work as a mercenary pilot in the far future, operating large robot combat units known as Armored Cores at the be ...

'' producer Kenichiro Tsukuda has stated that a sequel is in development.

Gameplay

In the game, the player controls a custom player character, who commands an Arsenal

mech In science fiction, or mechs are giant robots or machines controlled by people, typically depicted as humanoid walking vehicles. The term was first used in Japanese (language), Japanese after shortening the English loanword or , but the mean ...

and engages in battle with other mech enemies. The player avatar's stats, abilities, and appearance can be customized in the Hangar, which serves as the game's main hub. The Hangar is also the area where players create their custom Arsenal using body parts bought or collected throughout the game. It is also the place where players browse through different missions for both single player and online

cooperative multiplayer A cooperative (also known as co-operative, co-op, or coop) is "an autonomous association of persons united voluntarily to meet their common economic, social and cultural needs and aspirations through a jointly owned and democratically-control ...

Plot

After a moon collided with the Planet, it radiated a special energy that turned artificial intelligence against humanity. The Outers, a group of pilots who command mechs, gained special abilities after being afflicted by the mysterious energy. They act as humanity's protectors and guardians as the war with the Arms of Immortals (AIs) rages on.

Development

The game entered production around mid 2017. It was announced at

E3 2018 The Electronic Entertainment Expo 2018 (E3 2018) was the 24th E3, during which hardware manufacturers, software developers, and publishers from the video game industry presented new and upcoming products to the attendees, primarily retailers a ...

. Kenichiro Tsukuda, who produced the ''

'' series, served as the game's producer, while Yūsuke Kozaki provided character designs. A limited time special

demo Demo, usually short for demonstration, may refer to: Music and film *Demo (music), a song typically recorded for reference rather than release * ''Demo'' (Behind Crimson Eyes), a 2004 recording by the band Behind Crimson Eyes * ''Demo'' (Deafhea ...

was released on February 14, 2019. The game features a vibrant color palette, a choice made by the development team to ensure that the game could be visually appealing and unique. The team also injected a lot of

rock Rock most often refers to: * Rock (geology), a naturally occurring solid aggregate of minerals or mineraloids * Rock music, a genre of popular music Rock or Rocks may also refer to: Places United Kingdom * Rock, Caerphilly, a location in Wales ...

and

metal A metal (from Greek μέταλλον ''métallon'', "mine, quarry, metal") is a material that, when freshly prepared, polished, or fractured, shows a lustrous appearance, and conducts electricity and heat relatively well. Metals are typicall ...

elements into the game music, composed by several composers including

Junichi Nakatsuru is a Japanese video game composer and sound director employed at Bandai Namco Entertainment. He is best known for his work in the ''Soulcalibur'' series. Biography Growing up, Nakatsuru enjoyed music, playing around with instruments while lis ...

and Rio Hamamoto of

Bandai Namco also known as the Bandai Namco Group and generally Bandai Namco, is a Japanese multinational holding company, production enterprise and entertainment conglomerate headquartered in Minato, Tokyo, formed from the merger of Bandai and Namco on S ...

. It was released on September 13, 2019, published by Marvelous in Japan and

Nintendo is a Japanese Multinational corporation, multinational video game company headquartered in Kyoto, Japan. It develops video games and video game consoles. Nintendo was founded in 1889 as by craftsman Fusajiro Yamauchi and originally produce ...

worldwide. A port of ''Daemon X Machina'' for

was released on February 13, 2020. While this version does exclude some of the licensed downloadable content, it otherwise contains all other content released from the Nintendo Switch version. In December 2020 an update allowed for the transfer of saves between the Switch and Windows versions.

Reception and legacy

At launch, ''Daemon X Machina'' received "mixed or average reviews" according to

review aggregator A review aggregator is a system that collects reviews of products and services (such as films, books, video games, software, hardware, and cars). This system stores the reviews and uses them for purposes such as supporting a website where users ...

Metacritic Metacritic is a website that review aggregator, aggregates reviews of films, TV shows, music albums, video games and formerly, books. For each product, the scores from each review are averaged (a weighted arithmetic mean, weighted average). M ...

. The game has since improved through its post-launch content and updates. To help promote the release of ''Daemon X Machina'' on the Nintendo Switch,

Super Smash Bros. Ultimate ''Super Smash Bros. Ultimate'' is a 2018 crossover fighting video game developed by Bandai Namco Studios and Sora Ltd. and published by Nintendo for the Nintendo Switch. It is the fifth installment in the '' Super Smash Bros.'' series, succeed ...

hosted a special five-day limited event where players could obtain four spirits featuring characters with their mechs from the game.

Sales

''Daemon X Machina'' launched at #4 on the Japanese charts, and #19 on the U.K. physical charts. As of October 2019, the game has sold more than 42,217 physical copies in Japan. Marvelous has stated that ''Daemon X Machina'' has done "very well" on the Nintendo Switch.

References

External links

* {{Official website, https://daemonxmachina.nintendo.com/ 2019 video games Cooperative video games Video games about mecha Nintendo Switch games Post-apocalyptic video games Third-person shooters Video games developed in Japan Video games featuring protagonists of selectable gender Video games scored by Junichi Nakatsuru Unreal Engine games Action video games Nintendo games Windows games Marvelous (company) games Xseed Games games Multiplayer and single-player video games