Mega Man has seen a successful resurgence in recent years. With Keiji Inafune leaving Capcom and Mega Man Legends 3 and Mega Man Universe being canceled, fans thought that the blue bomber had seen his last chance to shine.
Capcom on the other hand went back to its roots and announced Mega Man 9 which went back to the old style of Mega Man games, much to the approval of fans. More games have been announced and released since that time and the newest entry: Mega Man 11 looks to innovate the franchise even further.
Take On Dr. Wily Once Again In Mega Man 11
Mega Man 11 takes us back into the universe of Mega Man, shedding more light into the background between Dr. Wily and Dr. Light. Of course, the story of Mega Man 11 isn’t what you really play Mega Man for and it wont really turn heads here, but its presentation has come a long way. Fully-voiced characters and some nice cutscene animations add a lot to a game where story isn’t the main focus.
As far as gameplay goes, Mega Man 11 is just what you would expect. Platforming is still the main key aspect, but this time he has better gadgets to help him out.
The core mechanics remain the same. You start off by selecting one of the eight bosses you wish to fight. After defeating those bosses you acquire their weapons and are able to use them against other bosses. The trick to Mega Man is finding out the bosses weaknesses and which boss is the easiest to beat with your starter blaster.
Mega Man 11 Boss Battles
This has been the staple of the Mega Man franchise since the first title released back on the NES. This time around the bosses are a little more harder to distinguish between which bosses are weak against which weapon. Bosses include Bounce Man, Rock Man, and Explosion Man. The bosses this time give away a lot less about what weapon they are weak against compared to past titles in the franchise.
The level design is exceptional. Bounce Man’s level is made up of entirely of bouncing balls keeping you in a constant jumping state, making it harder to to time those precise jumps. Those families with Mega Man will be ready to accept traps and unfair enemy placements that we are used to in the franchise or at least that we complain about every time we play these types of games.
The Dual Gear System Makes Things A Bit To Easy
I should mention that Mega Man 11 is perhaps the easiest of the Mega Man titles that I’ve played. Though I found myself in screaming at the TV due to what I considered to be cheap instances I found out that the tools given to me made the game that much easier.
The big update that Mega Man 11 is the Dual Gear system. This system allows you to slow down time for a few seconds or double the damage you do by powering you up. This system is great fun to use, but it also makes Mega Man 11 easier then I would have expected.
Slowing down time makes dodging enemy attacks a breeze, and it also allowed me to lay waste to them by powering up my attacks. Slowing down time also makes platforming simple, and in some cases is required to get past some of the obstacles in your way.
Of course, you can’t use it infinitely. A meter will build up that will indicate how much time you have left to use the Dual Gear system. You must also be careful how long each Dual Gear used because it can overheat leaving you without the system at a pivotal time.
I also feel that without the Dual Gear system the jumping in Mega Man 11 would frustrate even the most veteran players. For a platformer the jumping needs to be pinpoint and accurate. In Mega Man 11 it isn’t. The biggest problem I found is the input lag from when I push the jump button to when Mega Man jumps.
Equipping Different Chips Changes How Mega Man Plays
At first, it’s not really noticeable but when when you have to execute the most pinpoint jumps – most of the time Mega Man would just run off the side rather then jumping. I died more times because of input lag then anything else in Mega Man 11. There were even times where I swear I landed on a platform but Mega Man would just slide of the side essentially missing the jump.
Mega Man this time around requires chips that he equips that give him unique abilities. These chips are acquired in various ways throughout the game and can really change the way Mega Man plays. Tired of holding down the shoot button to power up your attack? There’s a chip that lets you do that, along with various other debilitates that Mega Man can use.
Along with the new 3D graphics, which by the way are wonderful and charming, the music is exactly what you would expect from a Mega Man game. It’s not the franchises best but it works.
Outside of the main campaign, players can choose to participate in various challenges against other players in leaderboards. These challenges range from completing a level with as few jumps as possible to completing a mission without loosing a life. There are plenty of challenges to take on but most of them are really for the most hardcore players.
Mega Man 11 is another great addition to the Mega Man franchise. It wont move mountains but then again it doesn’t need to. The inclusion of the Dual Gear System is a unique addition, despite making the game a lot easier then it should normally be. Mega Man 11 is another great addition for franchise fans and is also the best entry point for newcomers.
Mega Man 11 releases on October 2nd, 2018 for PlayStation 4, Nintendo Switch, Xbox One, and PC
Mega Man 11 review code provided by Capcom