Must Play
Still going strong, the Blue Bomber proves he’s got more.
Having recently played through the other 10 Mega Man games just before playing this for the first time, I write this review as a true fan of the series. Capcom brings the Blue Bomber into the modern era with crisp 2018-quality visuals, smooth and responsive controls, and a soundtrack that manages to carve out a few standout moments even against the series’ famously stacked back catalog. The new Double Gear system takes some getting used to, but once mastered it transforms combat into something genuinely fun, and it’s a nice touch that the bosses get to use it too. Those bosses are uniformly well-designed and memorable as well. The comic-style cutscenes aren’t quite my preference over full cinematics, but they’re well executed, and the voice acting is a massive step up from the unintentionally hilarious dialogue of entries like Mega Man 8. Add in multiple difficulty levels and a speedrun mode, and Mega Man 11 offers surprising replayability for a series that’s traditionally been a one-and-done experience, relying on a nostalgia itch to be scratched for future replays. All of these points make this a genuinely impressive return for the franchise.