Written by Anthony L. Cuaycong
Title: Mega Man 11
Developer: Capcom
Publisher: Capcom
Price: $29.99
Genre: Action
Also Available On: PS4, Steam, Switch, XB1
When noted videogame producer Keiji Inafune left Capcom at the turn of the decade, not a few quarters figured the Mega Man franchise, to whose success he contributed much, would grind to a virtual halt. And, for a while, those from the outside looking in were right; longtime developers in the company understood that the responsibility of taking on a successful intellectual property required following in giant footsteps. Only until Koji Oda of Resident Evil fame decided to do so last year did longtime followers entertain hope for a revival of the series.
To be sure, fans remained hesitant to predict a bright future despite Oda’s involvement in Mega Man 11. After all, the last two franchise titles were pretty much remakes of the same old, same old — rendered in eight-bit graphics and presenting facets familiar to those whose memories hark back to the Nintendo Entertainment System. From the vantage point of skeptics, the idea of continuing to dip on a 31-year-old well held limited appeal to a marketplace afforded near-infinite choices.
In this regard, the industry should rightly rejoice. Oda’s direction of Mega Man 11 effectively updates it while staying true to its roots. Featuring three-dimensional characters over two-dimensional backgrounds, it represents a remarkable melding of the retrospectively revered with the relatively revolutionary. Certainly, the polygonal graphics lend a distinct appeal to younger players and newcomers to the franchise alike. Meanwhile, the gameplay remains faithful to its source material as a side-scrolling action platformer that requires no small measure of strategy, patience, and timing from its practitioners.
Admittedly, Mega Man 11 is short on story, but manages to set up the premise well all the same. It begins with Drs. Thomas Light and Albert Wily, familiar series characters, in the early stages of their rivalry. Once close friends, they find themselves on opposite sides regarding the latter’s research on the Double Gear system, deemed dangerous by a committee of peers at the Robot Institute of Technology. They would grow further apart over time, with one continuing work on independent-thought robotics to help mankind and the other moved by jealousy to rule it.
Relative to other titles in the franchise, Mega Man 11 forks its narrative to focus on Dr. Wily’s theft of robots for use as test subjects for his Double Gear system. He turns them into Robot Masters, appearing in the game as eight end-level bosses. Meanwhile, Dr. Light uses the same technology on Mega Man, a lab assistant turned super robot, to combat the threat to the world. The installation of the prototype grants the title character two additional skills aside from traditional ones; the Speed and Power Gears slow down the action and enhance weapon effectiveness, respectively, until their specific meters are depleted, after which rest is necessary.
Parenthetically, the new feature makes Mega Man 11 both compelling and challenging. The game is less so in the Newcomer and Casual settings, the easiest of four, but those not familiar with the franchise’s exacting bent will appreciate their availability. In any case, rare are the players who won’t be frustrated and feel the need to lash out at one time or another; death can come swiftly and would, given the remarkable lack of checkpoints, often mean a level restart, requiring them to go through the same hurdles and overcome the same obstacles before advancing and, hopefully, getting through to the boss stage. Never mind that old reliable Rush is around to help on occasion, and especially during times when platforms seem too hard to reach alone.
No doubt, the urge to put down Mega Man 11 would be greater were its level design not carefully thought out. As it stands, there is method to the madness, with the game providing subtle and context clues as to who players will be up against and what weapons and tactics should serve them best. Depending on the difficulty setting, there are also items that can be picked up on the way; concomitantly, upgrades and power-ups are accorded Mega Man after a well-earned triumph and, with a visit to Dr. Light’s laboratory, even an unfortunate demise.
All told, Mega Man 11 is a superb addition to the franchise, offering novel concepts and updating old ones. Graphically and aurally, it pays homage to its roots, with its presentation standing out on the PlayStation 4. Even on the less-powerful Nintendo Switch, however, the visuals are colorful and vibrant, the soundtrack lively and apt for an actioner, and the voice acting a marked improvement from the old-school hysterics that littered previous releases. It’s the best from the series in recent memory, a decided improvement from its immediate past predecessor and a promise of better things to come.
THE GOOD
- Introduces new concepts, updating a venerable franchise
- Eschews eight-bit graphics for a more contemporary polygonal look
- Compelling and challenging, with four difficulty levels to choose from
THE BAD
- Can border on unfair, with the dearth of checkpoints adding to the difficulty
- Death and more death are required to progress
- The game’s length depends on the volume and extent of level repetitions
RATING: 9/10
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