For years, it seemed as though Capcom had abandoned theMega Manfranchise, leading to canceled projects, petitions, and attempts by spiritual successors to take the blue bomber’s place. Finally, over eight years after the release ofMega Man 10, Capcom has finally given fansMega Man 11, a followup that is yet another solid entry in the long-running series.
WhereasMega Man 9and10were more concerned with paying homage to the classic games,Mega Man 11actually feels like a genuine step forward for the franchise in some ways. Its biggest addition is the Double Gear system, which expands Mega Man’s abilities quite significantly, allowing players to slow down time with the Speed Gear as well as amplify their attacks with the Power Gear. Slowing down time makes some of the trickier platforming sections much easier, whereas the Power Gear is essential for some of the game’s tougher boss battles.
The Double Gear systemmakesMega Man 11’s otherwise familiar gameplay feel somewhat fresh, though the Speed Gear’s implementation is somewhat disappointing. Until players purchase a specific upgrade for Mega Man, he also moves slow when using the Speed Gear, which almost defeats its purpose. The Power Gear is always useful, though charging shots and using the Power Gear simultaneously can be a bit cumbersome.
Besides the Double Gear system,Mega Man 11stands apart from its predecessors in another way. As we’ve seen in previous trailers,Mega Man 11sports ahand-drawn art style mixed with 3D graphics. The result is a stunning game that looks leagues ahead of the 8-bit style seen inMega Man9and10, enhanced by cleverly-themed stages and brightly colored visuals. The Bounce Man stage in particular really pops off the screen.
Like basically everyMega Mangame,Mega Man 11sees players face off againsteight Robot Masters, like Bounce Man, collecting new abilities after their defeat. As previously mentioned, abilities can be enhanced by the Power Gear, meaning they have more uses than in past games and so finally conquering a Robot Master is even more rewarding than before.
Longtime fans may not care thatMega Man 11is set up like everyMega Manthat came before it, but others may be disappointed at the lack of surprises. Players battle their way through fairly predictable stages, fight a boss, gain a new ability, and then repeat the process until they finally face off against the evil Dr. Wily. This may not bother nostalgia-minded gamers, but for some, theMega Manformula maybe starting to feel a little stale.
The same goes forMega Man 11’s story. The story is plain, boring, barebones, predictable, and ultimately pointless. Now, a game likeMega Mandoesn’t necessarily need a story, but the cut-scenes, as few as they may be, all run a little long when they don’t really add anything of substance to the experience. Anyone who has played any otherMega Manknows what to expect here, and while it flirts with going into some potentially interesting territory, it doesn’t fully commit to its more unique ideas, particularly as it pertains to the backstory of Dr. Wily.
The story isn’t the only issue inMega Man 11. There is a lack of replay value as well, with the game giving players little to do beyond just beating the stages. There are leaderboards and challenge levels, but the challenge levels recycle content from the main game with added restrictions. It would have been nice to see more unlockable content or more unique things to do after beating the story (which can be done in less than three hours) to give players more reasons to keep playing the blue bomber’s latest adventure.
One feature that actually does add some quality replay value inMega Man 11is the choice of different difficulty levels.Mega Man 11features ultra-difficult modes for truly hardcore players, but it also features a mode for newcomers that will allow just about anyone play through all of the stages. This makesMega Man 11more accessible to those who aren’t quite as skilled at old-school run-and-gun platforming while not sacrificing the high level of difficulty that hardcore fans likely expect from the experience.
Having said that, it seems like there is a happy medium missing in terms ofMega Man 11’s difficulty levels. During our time with the game, we had someone who had never played aMega Mangame before try it out, and they found the second-easiest difficulty mode too frustrating, but the difficulty level below that far too easy. It’s safe to assume other casual fans may feel the same way, so it seems like more tweaking needs to be done so that gamers of all skill levels can enjoyMega Man.
LongtimeMega Manenthusiasts may scoff at the idea of expanded difficulty options, but their inclusion doesn’t mean the game isn’t still aimed directly at the hardcore fans.Mega Man 11delivers an old-schoolMega Manexperience with some newer graphics and gameplay features to keep things feeling fresh, and while it falls just shy of its predecessors in some regards, it should still please fans and newcomers alike.
Mega Man 11launches on October 2 for PC, PS4, Switch, and Xbox One. Game Rant reviewed the game on the Nintendo Switch.
