The Epic Games Store continues to offer free games week by week, refreshing every Thursday at 10:00am CT. This practice has spread the store to many people who sign up to gain access to the wide variety of free games. Epic is slowly building up its storefront's game library and features to keep enticed gamers around as customers. Whether this strategy will bear fruit is unclear, but what is clear is that it's a very consumer-friendly practice. Those willing to sign up have been rewarded with a new game every week, and the rewards seem to be getting better and better. After the physics puzzle game Relicta concludes its free period on January 27, Daemon X Machina will release on the Epic Store, and it will be free until February 3.
This is quite a surprise for those keeping up with the game. Daemon X Machina was originally released for the Nintendo Switch in September 2019, and later received a PC Port via Steam in February 2020. The Epic Games Store is finally receiving this game just under two years later, even though it was not expected to release on other storefronts. This also makes the game one of the most recent titles in Epic's free game program. Daemon X Machina is normally at full $60 USD price when not on sale and only half off on sale, so a chance to get the superior PC port for free is one mecha enthusiasts should not pass up. This is doubly true now that both a sequel to it and a new game in the Armored Core series it was following up are both apparently on their way.
What Is Daemon X Machina?
Daemon X Machina is a fast-paced mech action game developed by Marvelous, and is essentially a spiritual successor to FromSoftware's Armored Core series. There is a story involving the remnants of humanity trying to survive against corrupted AIs while mercenary groups compete against each other for money and resources, but this story is widely agreed to be the game’s weakest aspect. It shares this weakness with Armored Core, but DXM unfortunately shoves a lot more of it at the player.
Those who can get beyond the weak story are greeted with a worthy successor to FromSoftware’s old mech series, as customization runs so deep that players can pick up parts and weapons mid-battle in a manner reminiscent of New Gundam Breaker. Even the pilot now has customization options with gameplay ramifications, giving players unparalleled freedom to tinker with their build. The mission-based gameplay makes that fine-tuning worth it, as players can find themselves squaring off against anything from a skyscraper-sized nightmare machine covered with guns to a crack squad of human-piloted mecha.
It’s fortunate that online multiplayer is another inheritance from Armored Core, and co-op is available for certain missions. If collaboration isn’t to one’s taste, then competing to reach the top of the leaderboards might be, with the option to fight other players in duels or in two-on-two matches. To top all of this off, Daemon X Machina supports cross-saving between Switch and Steam, and crossplay between Steam and Epic Store copies. If a player is passionate enough about mechs to learn Daemon X Machina’s many intricacies, then they may find a new comfort game to come back to time and time again.
Daemon X Machina Might As Well Be An Armored Core Spin-Off
Daemon X Machina's similarities to Armored Core run deep thanks to a few key individuals who’ve worked on both IPs. Producer Kenichiro Tsukuda has a history with Armored Core, and served as a producer for several entries back in FromSoftware's early days. Kenichiro produced for Armored Core 2, Armored Core 3, and Silent Line: Armored Core, and worked on concept design for Armored Core: Nexus. He left FromSoftware soon after that title released in 2004, but the sheer number of similarities between Armored Core and Daemon X Machina indicate he has harbored a love for the mecha series even after all these years.
Another important name on the project team is the prolific anime producer, writer, and artist Shoji Kawamori. He is best known as the creator of the Macross anime series and the Diaclone toy line that led to the Transformers franchise. Shoji made mecha designs for a number of Armored Core games, and did the same for Daemon X Machina. While these men do not have core design roles, their influence can be felt throughout the project. With both franchises seemingly continuing, now feels like the perfect time to catch up on both. Mecha fans with gaming PCs should pick up their free Daemon X Machina copy when it becomes available on January 27.
Daemon X Machina is available now on PC and Nintendo Switch.