Daemon X Machina

While this shooter has some fun gameplay and great graphics, the action does grow a little tiresome after a short while. The first thing you'll notice about Daemon X Machina are the attractive visuals in this sci-fi action thriller. Especially since the Nintendo Switch is somewhat limited in power and performance compared to the other consoles, it really does look (and feel good) in your hand. It's a great-looking game, with attractive special effects showcasing the futuristic fighting among the war machines, but unfortunately, some of this is weakened when the system is docked on a big-screen TV.

Most of the battles involve aerial maneuvers, which are exciting, and surprisingly simple to control despite having three dimensions to play around with during combat. There's also some depth, especially when it comes to all the customization and loadout elements. For instance, dressing up your Arsenal with increasingly powerful weapons, and other upgrades is gratifying the first time you do it. Unfortunately, the "rinse and repeat" or "deja vu" experience is definitely there after about two hours of play, or so. That's unfortunate because it's a 15-hour game with similar missions, like "Destroy this," "Stop that," and so on. Better variety in gameplay and/or new story elements or plot twists would help matters here. That, and the enemy A.I. (artificial intelligence) isn't too challenging. The bosses are tougher to take down, but you don't need to rethink tactics or anything. Overall, Daemon X Machina is a fun game, but don't expect the thrill to last too long. It's accessible, easy on the eyes, and intense, but it's too bad the developers didn't add more variety to keep things fresh over the course of the campaign.