Megaman 11 Review (PS4)

It's that time again.  Time to take up your arm cannon, blast some robots, and once again challenge the series that won't die.  This is Megaman 11.

Megaman 11 is the next entry in a series that is easily one of my favorite ever.  Some games are better than other, but they're all robot-blasting fun for the most part.  So, how does this one stack up?  Let's dive in and find out.

Megaman is back to whup some robot ass.

At its base, it's the same Megaman action you've played many times before.  A little shooting here, a little platforming there, you know the drill.  Pick a level, make your way through it, whup the ass of the boss and steal his weapon, then move on to whup somebody else's ass.  As mentioned before, it's largely the same, right down to the difficulty.

Some puzzles are so easy, they'll put Megaman to sleep...

...while others will leave him scared and confused.

You may have guessed, but this game is as relentless as an angry pit bull.  There are beatings and rape waiting for you on every level.  A lot of the challenge comes from sucker punches, like falling into spikes you can't see until you hit them or an enemy stunning you, causing you to get killed by a forest fire or fall into a bottomless pit.  The challenge is further boosted by extremely long levels, terrible checkpoints, and random fuckshit.  It's fair for the most part, though.

Beware of bullshit.

If you take a single hit, the fire will catch up and instantly kill you.

The bosses, on the other hands, are easy by comparison.  You can beat them if you have two or three lives when you meet them (one to get slaughtered while you learn their pattern and another to hand their ass to them).  They're all perfectly beatable as your first pick, even if their levels aren't.

There are eight new asses to kick here.

The game's main gimmick is the new twin gear system, which enables you to briefly boost your speed (by slowing everything else down) or attack power.  This can be useful in tricky situations (like those stone grinder puzzles in Block Man's level).  This system can even affect your special weapon, changing how they shoot.  You can use it from the onset, when you want, as often as the cooldown period will let you.

If Dr. Light's explanation of the Double Gear system doesn't cut it for you...

...you can try it out for yourself in a tutorial.

If you're having trouble, you can always stop off at Dr. Light's Lab to give yourself an extra boost.  You can buy lives, E tanks, parts, and more.  The more hardcore players will probably laugh at such a thing, but newcomers and scrubs alike will be happy it's there.

The shop has useful items for those who are struggling.

Well, onto the little stuff.  The graphics are quite flashy.  It seems to be an update of Megaman 8's graphics, with crisp and cute look throughout.  There are big, flashy explosions that make it seem like Michael Bay had a hand in making this game.  Megaman's appearance (not just his color) changes when using different weapons.  You can also stun enemies with shields, leading to a mildly funny stun animation.  

Special weapons give Megaman the ability to strut down the catwalk as well as new powers.

Even enemies with shields aren't safe from a good ol' charged shot.

The music is among the weakest in the entire Megaman franchise.  In particular, the boss theme blows.  The music isn't terrible or bad compared to other games.  It just isn't up to Megaman standards.  It's still a head-rocking good time, just not as memorable or MP3-worthy as other Megaman soundtracks.  On another note, Megaman voice is irritating when he gets killed.  Seriously, he sounds like Edward Elric having an orgasm.  Just...ugh!

Other stuff includes a challenge mode and a gallery.  Most of the challenges involve going through the main level under differing circumstances.  The gallery is basically an enemy encyclopedia, allowing you to view the enemies in all their cuteness without taking an ass-whuppin'.  It also lets you view the bosses and listen to they lines they spout.  It's all...cute.  Also, it's small, but you now have the ability to leave any level at anytime, even if you haven't beaten the boss.  You won't lose any bolts you've collected or flush lives down the toilet when you want to leave, so feel free quit away.

The Gallery offers a safe look at the enemies, as well as a light description.

Challenges offer new ways to tackle the levels, among other things.

Megaman 11 is neat addition to the Megaman lineup.  It's the same shooting and platforming you know and love, with more flash.  I did like the long levels, but the checkpointing could have been better.  The Double Gear system adds to the formula without changing it.  The music may not be up to par with the rest of the series, but it's still good in it's own right.