Mega Man 11 Review – Written by Jose Vega
Purchased product for review.
It has been eight years since Mega Man had his last adventure and that was a return to form. Since then, the franchise went into hibernation as Capcom shifted their focus onto other games while leaving Mega Man in the dust. Despite that, it would continue to live on in other media like the Archie comics and in various compilations that Capcom would create. Fans wanted a new Mega Man game. Mighty No. 9, meant to be the spiritual successor to the series was a massive dud. But then on December of last year, Capcom announced that a new entry in the series would come to celebrate the franchise’s 30th anniversary. It would come to be known as Mega Man 11. After eight years, does this game deserve the honor of being part of a long-lasting franchise?
Let us start with the game’s presentation and it follows a 2.5D style. Basically it’s a 2D game but has 3D elements that affect other areas like the enviroments and characters. This was first seen in Street Fighter IV back in 2009. Capcom did well in keeping the game grounded in 2D while giving everything else a needed facelift. In addition, this game has voice acting and unlike Mega Man 8, it is much improved. All the voice actors did a good job and this game has both English and Japanese voices. For those that prefer one or the other, there you go. Music is really well done and many of the songs are real good like the main theme. It looks and feels like a Mega Man game and with it, a return to form for the series. I also like how Mega Man looks in the game. It’s the same Blue Bomber we always know but Capcom updated his look and it’s just perfect. He does have a similar look to how Mega was in Smash Bros. 4 but hey, it’s good for me.
As for gameplay, if you’ve played any Mega Man game then you will feel right at home. It’s easy to pick up and get into and you can modify them at anytime. Even something like the slide can be set with a button and it makes the game better. Mega Man 11 also has multiple difficulties. The harder the difficulty, the more challenging the game is with Superhero being the hardest. Like in previous entries, Mega can collect screws that can be exchanged for items and parts. It offers players an incentive to stock up and acquire parts and is a necessity especially in harder difficulties. The bosses are challenging but since they do follow the Mega Man formula, finding the right weakness helps alleviate things. Fortunately every weapon that you get in the game is useful in one way or another. Also this game has the option of letting you use the right analog to switch weapons on the fly. Nifty. They also do get dangerous due to one of the game’s new features.
One of the biggest additions to the game is the Double Gear System. This gives Mega Man 2 different enhancements. Power Gear boosts his strength and his charge shot can be either 2 blasts or a full power shot. Power Gear also enhances special weapons though. Speed Gear slows everything around Mega Man allowing him to either use the time to take down an enemy or escape a dangerous situation. Each of them offers something new and thankfully it isn’t broken. There is a cool down that occurs after use so using it wisely is your best option.
Speaking of which, the game’s plot has Mega Man trying to stop Dr. Wily yet again. This time around, Wily has a new tool at his disposal: the Double Gear System. After using it to obtain eight new Robot Masters, Mega takes it upon himself to stop him and save the captured robots. The plot also delves into both Light and Wily and how their differing views and ideals drove them to follow different paths. It’s pretty nice and I like it. It helps add more to the game and the lore.
Mega Man 11 is not a long game. If you plan on beating the game normally, it’ll take you 2 to 3 hours to complete. Skilled players can complete it in under 2 hours. Replay value is high with the multiple difficulties and the game has other modes. The game has challenges, giving players a chance to test their skills in various modes. Leaderboards are also here too so any challenges you complete, you can share it with others around the world. Achievements are also in the game and trying to get them all will require players to pour a lot more time into it. Some are harder than others but still. The Switch version of Mega Man 11 has Amiibo support and using a Mega Man amiibo can provide you nifty items but you’re only limited to once a day.
For a lot of good that Mega Man 11 has, there are some faults. Length being one of them but I will give it a pass because this game is released at $30. If it were a full priced $60 game then that would be another story. Also the game is challenging. It isn’t an easy game but it’s not hard either. Having multiple difficulties is nice for players to choose but even with that, the level design can throw people off. Some levels can have a lot of bottomless pits where one mistake and you will lose a lot of progress. It can be really upsetting. Also the hardest difficulty, Superhero, will really test players and it doesn’t help that you don’t get any life or weapon capsules. Not even extra lives. It is a true test for players and anyone who beats it should feel rewarded. Despite the negatives, the game is fun and a return to form for the blue bomber.
After 8 years, Mega Man is back once more and this time he’s here to stay. Mega Man 11 is everything you would expect from a game in the series and then some. A fresh coat of paint with 2.5D graphics, familiar gameplay with new additions such as the Double Gear system, good music, replay value and a fair amount of challenge. There are some issues but it shouldn’t dissuade anyone. It’s as if Capcom realized they screwed up and decided to make amends to all they drove away with this and it worked. I hope that this will lead to more down the line and hopefully a return for the Blue Bomber.
I give Mega Man 11 an 8.5 out of 10. It is a must-buy and a fun game to enjoy.
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