Hey now everybody, hope you're all doing well, and welcome to my review and discussion of Mega Man 11! This franchise has been around for over thirty years now, and for a lot of people it's their favorite of all time. I've been playing Mega Man for as long as I can remember, and I'm so excited to finally have a new entry for the main series. Believe it or not, it's been eight years since Mega Man 10, so I'd say we were long overdue. After reading some reviews from major publications like, IGN, and Gamespot, I was a little worried that this might be a letdown, due to the low scores they gave it. But now that I've finished the game I'm happy to say that this did not disappoint. I don't know why I take those sites seriously anyway, because their reviews are always terrible, but I digress. This game got pretty much everything right, and was a joy to experience. So sit back, relax, and let me tell you all about it.
Mega Man 11 is an action platforming game developed by Capcom, and is part of the main series that originated in 1987 for Nintendo Entertainment System. The last game in this series was released eight years ago, and it looked like we would never get another one. Luckily, Capcom had the good sense to bring the Blue Bomber back for an all new adventure for modern consoles, and it's one you wont want to miss. They stayed true to the original formula, not straying away from makes these games so great to begin with, while adding a little something extra that makes it stand out. If you've played other classic Mega Man games than you should feel right at home when you pick this one up. It's just as challenging as previous entries, but there are four difficulty settings to accommodate all skill levels so no one is left out.
The first thing you might notice is the new art style that's been used. Capcom went with a highly detailed, almost cartoony look that really makes the game pop. All of the characters, enemies, bosses, and levels look incredible, with bright vibrant colors. As I was making my way through the game's various stages I couldn't help but stop and look at all the gorgeous backgrounds, and the adorable enemy robots. The art style they went with totally works, and this might be the best looking Mega Man ever made. Not only did they nail the look of the game, but they got the controls right too. A big part of the series is the platforming, and that was sometimes frustrating in the older titles. In this one everything feels super smooth and responsive, allowing you to have complete control of your character, and that's good because there are some tough sections to get through.
Just like every other classic Mega Man game you get to choose from eight different levels at the beginning, and once you get to the end of a level you must do battle with the Robot Master that awaits you there. I really enjoyed fighting these bosses, and even though they were tough, it was just the right amount of challenge. Beating them might take you a few tries, but once you learn their attack patterns you shouldn't have too much trouble. Of course there's the "correct" order to beat them in, exploiting each ones weakness to a particular weapon, but I suggest going in blind for your first playthrough. Once you defeat a boss you acquire a new weapon for your arsenal. Since each boss is weak against a certain weapon, you should experiment with whatever ones you have to gain the upper hand.
At the beginning of the game you start off with your standard blaster, and the Rush Coil that lets you spring up into the air. The various weapons you get from taking down bosses are not only fun to try out, but every one of them has a practical use. I found myself actually using them much more than I did in previous games. Some are handy for taking out tricky enemies, and some even help you with difficult platforming sections. These new weapons can make getting through levels much easier, and certain ones can make defeating the boss a breeze. When you unlock a new weapon the game lets you try it out in a practice screen to get a feel for how it works, which is a great idea. Mega Man 11 probably has the best weapons of any Mega Man game, and you can cycle through them by pressing left trigger, or right trigger, without having to go to the pause menu.
Something that is brand new to the series, that really makes this one stand out from previous entries, is the Double Gear System. In addition to the standard abilities, like charging your blaster, and sliding, you also start the game with this new mechanic. By pressing L you activate the Power Gear that makes Mega Man's weapon much stronger. After you activate this a gauge starts to fill, and once it does you need to let it cool down before using it again, but don't worry, it only takes a few seconds. This not only works on the standard arm cannon, but it also works with every new weapon you acquire, giving you loads of options for taking down enemies. So now when you get a brand new gun to try out it also has a second function by activating the Power Gear. But that's not all.
The second aspect of the Double Gear System is the Speed Gear. By pressing R you turn on the Speed Gear slowing down time all around you. This is incredibly useful for certain platforming sections, especially if you're a little rusty with Mega Man games. Just like the Power Gear it only lasts so long, then you need to let it cool down. You can use this in all sorts of creative ways, and this made some of the boss battles a little more forgiving. I ended up using this one much more than the Power Gear, but both are very handy tools to have, and there's no penalty for using them so don't be afraid to turn them on whenever you want. This Double Gear System is a great idea, and added another layer to the tried and true system that's been around for thirty years.
Dr. Light's store is back this time around, with all sorts of upgrades, and power ups to unlock as you go. You collect bolts from defeating enemies, and this is used as currency for purchasing what you want from the store. I think that about covers everything. My only complaint about the game is that it's not very long. You get the eight Robot Masters, then Dr. Wily's end game stages, and that's it. But even though I finished it once, I can't wait to go back through it again. This has been the most fun I've had with one of these games in a very long time. As someone who grew up playing this series I'm so happy to see it come back like this, and if you're a newcomer I think it's a great starting point. The quality of this game really surprised me, and I hope Capcom will continue to make more in the future. I'm going to give Mega Man 11 a grade of...…………………….
A -
Thank you for reading my review of Mega Man 11, I hope you enjoyed it!
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