I Just Played Megaman 11

Megaman 11 was released last September 6, 2018 and maybe I'm glad I didn't get the failed Mighty No. 9. but in a sense, Mighty No. 9 did save the Megaman franchise huh? The game itself isn't really much, it would be like a low-budget fun game like the Dragon Quest Heroes series. Now, it's time to consider the game itself to what it really is. It was meant to celebrate the franchise' long-run while not so many Megaman games were released, right?

The story itself introduces the double gear system. I was expecting some grand final battle but there was none. Until now, Capcom has never released an official word. Neither did its former employee Keiji Inafune. So, that's where I get disappointed is that the game itself is not a grand finale but rather some "just another entry". However, it does show the difference between Dr. Light and Dr. Wily. Dr. Wily has been way too focused on his selfish ambitions while Dr. Light isn't. I'm just thinking that Dr. Wily's status as your typical stupid genius type of villain is once again established.

I do feel the game is kind of lacking without Protoman and Bass involved in the plot. Then again I did enjoy Megaman 6 even if Protoman was just a cameo. The gameplay itself can be frustrating and fun. The challenges in Blockman's stage can require very fast fingers. The most frustrating challenge is trying to get pass the firewall on Torchman's stage with very fast fingers. Some weapons are fun to use while that acid weapon is more frustrating than fun due to very limited mobility.

How does the game stand for me? Personally, it's a fun game (though play Newcomer first if you haven't played Megaman for a long time due to the frustrating stage designs) and with the price I bought it - I shouldn't expect much. It had the typical eight-stage format though you can buy your equipment via Dr. Light's lab. The game returns the charged shot and slide system - something Megaman 9 and 10 had removed for a reason. The game manages to try and challenge you with difficult obstacles yet mercifully gives you good controls. It's almost like why I could enjoy Megaman X6 - a game I consider to be unfairly maligned. The game has some rather ridiculous designs but having the limited gear system (such as speed increase) and easier controls makes the game much less frustrating than it looks.

Though I also do want to talk about my disappointment with the plot. For example, I think the Double Gear system could've been used to explore the infinite potential that would lead to the Megaman X series. For instance, what if Dr. Light would later refine the Double Gear when he created Megaman X and his power-ups? What if he decided to depower the speed gear for a very valid reason? What if he decided to use the power gear in every new buster upgrade that the hero Megaman X gets? It should have been a perfect opportunity to try and link the 100 years apart timeline between Classic Megaman and Megaman X. Sigh, WTF Capcom. But otherwise, I'd still play the game. But again, I'm more of a fan of Megaman X than Classic Megaman any day!