| System: PlayStation 4, Switch, Xbox One, PC | Graphics: |
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| Publisher: Capcom | Sound: |
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| Year: 2018 | Difficulty: |
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| Genre: Action-platformer | Rating: |
7/10 |
I’m not dreaming, is that Rock holding the broom?
After neglecting the series for years (eight?), Capcom decided to make a statement for Mega Man’s thirtieth anniversary. The Mighty No. 9 (2016) debacle likely had something to do with it. It illustrates that game creation doesn’t merely depend on a substantial budget, good ideas, or marketing campaigns. It demonstrates the importance of artistic direction, and by that, I mean: direction, not an idol—someone in charge who knows when to say “no” when good ideas go off in all directions; and talent, you know, that mojo used to weave the atmosphere in which willing players will immure themselves (lovely journalist metaphor, that).
Graphically, Mega Man 11 opts for a cartoon style—cute, childish, but executed with taste (unlike Mega Man Powered Up, take that on the chin!). Whilst not quite in the same league as Cuphead, I still played through the game with a silly grin, admiring the background details and boss designs. And believe me, I’m a jaded old cynic who’s hard to impress. Even “miss window dressing” makes my heart flutter when she chirps an adorable “tada!” every time you purchase an item. It’s a miracle!
Moreover, the screen resolution appears wider, and with Mega Man taking up relatively little space, one gets the impression of better visibility and greater control. It seems the levels, often built vertically, exploit these new proportions.
The standout feature highlighted in this title is called Double Gear, a special ability that slows down time and/or increases our firepower for a few seconds. The first option, in particular, radically changes how one negotiates certain tricky sections (giving the illusion of skilful play!). Similarly, boss fights gain intensity, as they too benefit from Double Gear (a sort of rage mode, temporarily making them faster or stronger).
Regarding controls, excellent. I appreciate the dedicated Rush Coil button, or the one for sliding (optional), as well as comfort features like automatic weapon charging. Only problem: my unfortunate tendency to slide instead of jump (at the worst possible moment). This likely stems from my Xbox controller. Ah, in my day, the D-pad was more precise! I tried playing with keyboard, but the game doesn’t let you remap all keys (because I’m genuinely retro, I play with arrows, and being forced to use “R” to change weapons really gets my goat!). By the way, I found the menus excessive and unclear. I spent a good five minutes trying to figure out how to quit the game the first time! Before giving up and resorting to good old “Alt + F4”. Mega Man still struggles to find its footing on PC.
Furthermore, the game looks so visually polished that I’m even more disappointed by the forgettable music. Sadly, the series has been lacking in the musical department for some time, despite this being one of its major strengths in the past. I also regret the lack of “completeness”. Once finished, apart from the usual mini-challenge list and an additional difficulty level, there’s no incentive to replay; no new playable character, for instance (unlike Mega Man Powered Up—we’re even!). Now that I think of it, Bass and Proto Man are inexplicably absent…
Finally, despite inventive mechanics, the levels seemed particularly linear, requiring no hunting for hidden objects, as virtually all items are obtained through the shop. It’s an easy solution for rushed developers. Ah, in my day, one couldn’t conceive of a platform game without secret passages in every corner!
Suggested order:
Block Man > Impact Man > Bounce Man > Fuse Man > Tundra Man > Torch Man > Blast Man > Acid Man
Use the mega-buster against the first two bosses. I start with Block Man for his powerful weapon against mid-level bosses (especially Impact Man’s), then skip Acid Man (despite being vulnerable to Block Man’s weapon) because of those wretched spikes. The “anti-spike” item becomes available after falling victim to them five times, which should occur “naturally” well before entering the eighth level…
