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Nowadays, it is rare to see developers nail down a good co-op mode. We either get one with a lot of limitations that only allows us to do a few types of quests, or one where only the host can make meaningful progress, leaving other party members behind. Fortunately, there is one game that has hit that sweet spot of making one of the greatest co-op formulas that works without a hitch and lets everyone enjoy every single feature in the game. I’m talking about Daemon X Machina: Titanic Scion, which has the most seamless co-op mode we’ve seen in years.
One For All, and All For One
In truth, I was already excited about Daemon X Machina: Titanic Scion, way before jumping into its demo and playing a bit of co-op with some friends. However, when I did the latter, I realized that this system was a hidden gem waiting to be unearthed, especially with how well it works and how seamless it is compared to other games that try to add co-op functions.
Without saying names, we all know that a few modern titles have been lacking in the multiplayer area. Some allow you to join your friends for story missions, but if you do, you get nothing back in your world. A few others don’t even unlock a proper co-op mode until you complete the main quest, and by that time, you’ve played solo for countless hours, so nothing really encourages co-op play anymore. But then comes Daemon X Machina: Titanic Scion, bringing an excellent co-op mode, which I’m actually surprised wasn’t advertised more because it is one of the highlights of this sequel.
Instead of gatekeeping everything and everyone, Daemon X Machina: Titanic Scion allows you to experience all aspects of the game as soon as you finish the tutorial. Once you arrive at your base and do a test fight against an NPC, the world opens for you and your friends with zero boundaries and just one or two minor restrictions that are minuscule compared to everything that this mode is offering you.
To give you an idea, the first main story quest of the game kicks off as soon as you unlock co-op, alongside other features. You can invite a player straight away and complete that quest and many more together. And guess what? Everyone keeps their progress regardless of who is hosting the session. This is just in main story terms, however, because everything else is up for grabs for every player in the session.
The Right Formula
As I kept playing the demo with one of my best friends and then with my wife, I quickly noticed just how polished this system was. We went to do a few main story quests together, at least the ones available in the demo, and then we tested a few things. All of us engaged enemies in different parts of the map, and we didn’t get a warning of being too far from each other. Then, we pushed a bit further and flew in opposite directions; the game never warned us about that. We also tried fighting different enemies, including that one giant mecha buried in the sand. And guess what? Smooth as butter. No lag, no rubberbanding, nothing. As smooth as a FEMTO particle entering an Arsenal.
After that, we noticed how each of our characters appeared in cutscenes, not only the host’s. Everyone was playing through the game’s main story with their mercenary and Arsenal suit. Yes, the host is still the one in charge of picking the dialogue options, just like how it works in Baldur’s Gate 3, where the character who speaks is the one who picks, but in the end, it was my character at the center of the stage, and not someone else’s. Later, we decided to delve into a few caves and looted enemies and chests, and discovered we all had personal loot, from materials to weapons, and even armor pieces. All items were there for anyone to grab without limitations.
Then, it hit me, “This is the greatest co-op mode we’ve had for an action game in years.” What really surprises me, though, is that the promotional material didn’t delve much into it, but I can see why. The surprise of discovering these details made me even more excited for Daemon X Machina: Titanic Scion. Initially, I thought I would be playing alone and would have to wait until I finished the game to play with my wife or other friends. But now, I am eager to bring other mercenaries along for this ride, which we’ll all be able to experience from start to finish without any of the annoying restrictions we’ve seen in other titles.
