A demanding, atmospheric From Software first person action RPG. Firm controls, a dark world and imposing bosses. For patient fans who love rigor.
Your verdict
Category
Action RPG1 player16+
Description
The protagonist can possess his enemies' bodies to explore a futuristic Tokyo and defeat demons in this FromSoftware RPG. Published by Sega, released in Europe in April 2000. Action-RPG with body possession system, futuristic Tokyo invaded by demons, multiple bodies with distinct abilities. European version.
Maken X PAL is the only European release of Atlus's action game, one of the studio's most atypical projects outside the Megaten sub-series. Collector value comes from that Atlus singularity in the West at the time, from Sega Europe's modest print and from the Dreamcast version remaining the most stable and complete before the revised PS2 Shao port.
An underrated gem
FromSoftware again, but in a wholly different register: a frantic action game where you possess your enemies to push through a futuristic Tokyo, blade first. Its very Japanese style and raw pace baffled the West. For fans of stylish action and strange worlds, it's a singular gem worth digging up.
A questionable morality
Saving the world, sure, but the method gives pause: you leap from brain to brain, hijacking people's bodies to borrow their muscles and powers before darting off to the next host. It's politely called brainjacking and you go along with it without blinking, far too busy carving up evil to wonder whether the bodies you commandeer ever agreed to any of this.
Is Maken X still worth playing in 2026?
An FPS action title developed by Atlus, Maken X puts you in the role of a sacred blade able to possess other bodies. The fast pace, the strongly Japanese aesthetic and the branching structure tied to chosen hosts give the game a singular flavour. The gameplay feels rigid by today's standards, but the narrative boldness and the art direction make it a precious curiosity for anyone fond of late nineties Japanese experiments that did not always reach western audiences at the time.
