Mech games are a genre of video games that don’t come as frequently as they should, with the constant barrage of Gundams notwithstanding. That said, when there is a new mech game, it will usually be a great evolution for a beloved genre.
Such was the case with Daemon X Machina, a high-flying third-person mech game that was originally released on the Nintendo Switch. It was then ported to the PC and is now currently free on the Epic Games Store for a limited time.
Created by the producer of the original Armored Core games, Daemon X Machina has players customising their own robot known as an Arsenal, and take it out for missions with up to three other players.
Whether it is fighting against hordes of rival mechs or gigantic robotic monstrosities, players must be prepared to fight. If you are picking up the game for free on the Epic Games Store, here are some tricks to get you started.
Know Your Controls
If you are an old-school fan of Armored Core, it may be tempting to connect a spare controller to play Daemon X Machina. While it was made with the Switch in mind, playing with a controller is totally serviceable but we wouldn’t count out keyboard and mouse controls just yet.
With Daemon X Machina being much more fast-paced than its spiritual predecessor, a keyboard and mouse will provide much quicker camera controls and aiming. We also recommend rebinding the keys for boosting and weapon-switching to your mouse should you have the extra inputs.
Monster Hunter Flair
The best mindset we recommend for players to have when playing Daemon X Machina is to treat it like a mech-based Monster Hunter game. Just like Capcom’s phenomenal action game, players need to always loot rival arsenals and know their loadouts.
There will be a lot of trial and error for players to truly get the hang of the nitty gritty gameplay loop that Daemon X Machina offers. So we recommend using the Free Missions and replaying Story Missions as a way for players to hone their skills.
Get Used to Femtos
What makes Daemon X Machina’s fast-paced gameplay unique is the Femto system, a power-up that players can pick up on the field and use to either make a distracting clone of themselves, reduce damage, increase attack or increase speed.
With so many weapons in your disposal and a constant barrage of enemy fire, it can be pretty easy to forget that you have this extra battle resource. Speaking of being overwhelmed, there’s also the option to reduce the HUD elements on your screen, which can make things a lot more manageable.
Eating Ice Cream
This will sound weird but throughout the campaign of Daemon X Machina, your player character will be able to eat ice cream in between missions. It may seem a small and insignificant part of the game, but you should definitely keep this in mind.
Once players have eaten 20 ice creams and reach Rank C, a new secret shop will be made available for the player to purchase some rare upgrades for their Arsenal. It is such a missable part of the game, so we hope you set it as your first major goal in the game.
Claiming Free DLCs
It is easy enough to open up the Daemon X Machina page on the Epic Games Store and add it to your library. No hassle at all and once downloaded you can jump straight into the action. But that’s not all, and you could have a little more fun if you snoop around a bit.
