Mega Man 11
There’s been an eight-year gap between the releases of Mega Man 10 and Mega Man 11. Capcom hasn’t been lazy during this time, though, and it’s used it to make one of the best games in the series.
For the most part, Mega Man 11 is business as usual. There are still eight bosses to beat, eight weapons to collect and utilise, as well as the usual attacks to master – like Mega Man’s charge shot and his ability to perform a useful powerslide. Oh, and Capcom’s hero still hasn’t learned to duck under bullets!
The biggest mechanical change to Mega Man is the introduction of the new Double Gear system, which massively alters how you tackle each of Mega Man 11’s levels. By far the most useful of these new skills is the Speed Gear, which slows time down, making it easier for Mega Man to either avoid certain hazards or shoot enemies in a specific location. While the Speed Gear essentially manipulates Mega Man’s surroundings, the Power Gear does what you think it would – delivers powerfully charged shots that can
make short work of opponents. Additionally, when Mega Man’s health reaches a critical point he can activate both gears at once to deliver a monstrously powerful shot (although he’s severely weakened afterwards).
While the gear mechanics make Capcom’s new game sound incredibly easy, that’s not the case at all. They quickly expend energy whenever they’re used, so you can’t easily romp your way through stages on maximum charge and plenty of thought needs to be used to work out where you’ll gain the most benefit from them. Purists will argue that they make the game too easy, but we still found
Mega Man 11 to be more than challenging (although the bosses do feel a little easier than past games).
While it doesn’t quite match the brilliance of reinventions like Sonic Mania, Mega
Man 11 remains a fantastic return to form and a fitting way to celebrate the franchise’s recent 30th anniversary.