The best controls in the series and a fun new game+ combined with the stage design of all time and an often obtuse as hell item game and a cliffhanger we’ve been on for nearly two decades. I personally do enjoy the game, and it was a great step after the last 2, debatably 3, but alas.

Also, someone at Capcom’s fixation on Judeo-Christian imagery and themes for the story is so damn funny. Naming an intro stage “Noah’s Park,” the demonic Sigma design, the final boss having an attack called “Paradise Lost” and resembling a seraph, an elevator to the heavens named “Jakob,” yeah man. X6 randomly having a Baphomet statue in its final stages’ backgrounds is really funny as is, but this is so funny, just some dev’s absurd fixation.

HUGE step up from X5, X6 and X7, but that's not saying much. Stage design was generally alright (besides Central White and Dynasty, those sucked). Bosses were still pretty braindead with weaknesses.

Character switching was implemented pretty well; I found that I switched between Zero and X (my two characters of choice) way more than I thought I would. On that note, while I did feel like Zero was weaker than he was in the PS1 games, upgraded X felt pretty strong.

It's neat that the navigators are actually helpful this time around, first time in the series where I actually wanted to hear from them.

The chip system was pretty cool, but backtracking for items and upgrades was still a slog, and they really needed to take it easy with some of those metal prices.

Overall, X8 is the very definition of a weak 7/10; not much about it is offensively bad, but it is merely the bare minimum of what could be considered "good". I'd almost go as far as to say that it's positively soulless! The game definitely doesn't approach the level of quality that X1, X2, or X4 had, but it was fun nonetheless.

(Played on PC via the X Legacy Collection)

X1
X2
X3
X4
X5
X6
X7
Xtreme
Xtreme 2

It's certainly impressive that the Mega Man franchise, let alone the X series didn't immediately go under following the absolute disaster that was Mega Man X7. If most other series had a game like that then they'd likely never see the light of day ever again as seen throughout time with games like Duke Nukem Forever or Sonic Free Riders, but as Capcom in the 2000s had a literal Gatling Gun with Mega Man games for ammo, they still saw LOTS of potential in it despite their huge mishap, as not only did the X series still receive new installments but new Mega Man sub-series were still created after this in the form of the Star Force series and the ZX duology. Anyway, as I just mentioned, the X series still powered on after X7 and that led to the release of Mega Man X8 for the PS2. Even though this came following X7 it's still clear that game had a hard impact on the X series, as even 19 years on (man this game is nearly as old as I am), X8 still stands as the latest mainline entry in the Mega Man X series, and it is kind of unfortunate because overall the game feels like some sort of apology for X7 as it's a MASSIVE step up from that game, removing pretty much every aspect of bullshit from that game while also bringing back fan-favorite mechanics from the first 4 X games. Also another minor thing is that I'm gonna try and change up my usual structure for longer reviews here by breaking up my points into smaller paragraphs as to not make it feel cluttered or anything, as previously I'd have very big paragraphs dedicated to each core aspect of the game I was reviewing (and depending on how satisfied I am with the final review then I might go and tweak my previous reviews to match this structure as well).

The first major change in X8 comes in the gameplay department. Rather than expanding upon the 3D mechanics introduced in X7, this game chooses to go back to the traditional sidescrolling that the X series has always been known for. It's a change that sounds like a bummer, but it was likely done with the best intentions due to how terribly X7 incorporated 3D mechanics into the Mega Man X formula, so anyone without a single digit IQ would know that sticking to what the series was used to was the much better decision overall. Furthermore, due to the 3D presentation in X8 the game plays with this a LOT when it comes to the level design by having instances where enemies and bosses will attack not only from the background but from the FOREGROUND as well, making it a very unique twist on the regular MMX formula as this is something that even X7 barely tried doing.

Anyway, going on from that is the controls, and I just have to say this, but WOW. Even Capcom must've known X7s controls/movement were trash, so gone are the garbage clunky controls from that game and in its place is arguably THE MOST precise controls and movement from the entire X series, at times they even feel a little too precise as the movements of the heroes feels SO GODDAMN FAST AND PRECISE. I'd even go as far as to say these are the BEST controls in any X game, even beating out the controls of the SNES games which I thought were already smooth enough, because MAN it's fun to zip around without any sort of weight to your character.

Going on from the controls, Axl's back alongside X & Zero and this game makes WAY more of an effort to give him his own identity here compared to X, as in X7 he shared a lot of Xs moves and they even shared the same set of special weapons for the most part. In X8 Axl has his own unique set of special weapons separate from X that come in the form of various separate firearms (while Xs special weapons are just enhancements to his X-Buster). Axl can blast at enemies while he hovers, his copy shot is actually useful and to further set him apart from X, he can continuously fire as long as the attack button is held, therefore giving you actual genuine reason to use him.

This brings me into the fact that X8 arguably as the most balanced set of playable characters in the entire X series, as each of their strengths and weaknesses are emphasized a LOT not just in the level design, but in the way they control too. Zero is as you'd expect: fast & powerful close-ranged attacks with his saber alongside a double jump to make platforming easier, but he has the shortest dash and he lacks any sort of projectile, while Axl is more utility focused due to the rapid fire properties on his weapons that can also be aimed up and down alongside his hover which grants extra air time (mandatory in getting some collectables too), but he can only shoot from a stand still & his individual shots do sub-par damage (however due to his rapid fire, the damage quickly stacks up), and lastly X strikes a middle-ground as he is also a projectile-oriented character, and while he can attack while moving, he can only fire straight ahead of him and so jumping is once again the key in aiming your shots (oh yeah, the sloppy lock-on from X7 has also been removed, HURRAY!).

Each character has their own actual reasons to use them & is something that actually leads to a little bit of a strategy element as the team mechanic returns from X7, and believe me, it is utilized HARD in X8 with the big gameplay-related change it brings to the table being that if one character loses all their health, it automatically switches over to the other character in your team, while in X7 you'd just lose a life if that happened, so fortunately it's cutting out an extremely pointless feature that most people would just bypass. However, coming into contact with insta-kill hazards such as spikes or bottomless pits will NOT force you to switch to the other character, so there is still some balancing involved with it. Furthermore, X8 also introduces the double attack, a move where both characters in your team work together to perform a screen nuke which obliterates all enemies on the screen and does hefty damage to bosses.

While being more of a nice to have feature overall, the game does actually reward you for landing the finishing blow on a boss with a double attack as it leads to a VERY hefty bonus in determining your ranking at the end of each stage. While in the previous 3 X games your rank would have actual effects on the game of varying function, here it's just a pure measurement of performance and contributes NOTHING to the overall experience. Overall, it's simple to understand doesn't have much of an effect on the game like ranks in the previous 3 games, a very solid implementation of the rank system if you ask me.

This leads me into the difficulty options for X8. Difficulty options have been present in the X series ever since X5 but in all of my reviews of the games that had them I completely forgot to ever mention them, so it's a good thing I've finally remembered about them in the game where they have the overall biggest impact on the experience. I'll go more in-depth on its specific implications at more appropriate stages in the review so I'll get the big factor out of the way here and that's that you can't fight the final boss if you play the game on easy difficulty, so even if you're a newcomer to X8 then I must recommend that you play it exclusively on normal or hard, as that's how you get access the final boss. Even the X Legacy Collection encourages it as the basic completion achievement for X8 requires that you do it on normal difficulty or higher, simply because that's how you get the final boss.

The parts system returns once again in X8 but it's received a MASSIVE overhaul, as they're FINALLY no longer tied to Reploid hostages, who have been scrapped for good from X8. THANK GOD for this change because trying to get all of those suckers in X6 and X7 did get pretty frustrating at times as if an enemy got to them then you weren't getting the goodies they were carrying unless you used save-scumming, so I'm glad they got rid of it here. Instead, parts are acquired through a shop, which while being something that the Classic series did before, is a first for the X series. And it's not just parts like a more powerful Buster/Saber or reduced damage intake, but also entirely new blades for Zero alongside items like Life Ups and E-Tanks that you would pick up on the field in the previous 9 X games. To even get these items from the shop, you must collect a currency known as metals that are located in each of the stages and also drop from enemies. The metals do come in varying quantities but it is still easy to rack up a good amount of them in respectable time, therefore making the shop system (and to an extent the entire part rework in X8) a very welcome addition IMO as it makes getting some of the items a lot more straightforward.

Going on from that, a rather strange new gameplay addition that X8 brings to the table is the expansion of the navigator system. This was a system that was just pure unbridled filler in the previous 3 games as Alia would just tell you meaningless stuff that you could easily figure out on your own, but the navigator system in X8... is actually rather well done and is ACTUALLY helpful for once. First things first, alongside Alia there's 2 new navigators in the form of Pallette and Layer. Pallettes information primarily revolves around the stages as she gives you hints as to where collectibles are, Layers information revolves around enemies as she gives you ideas and tips based on the bosses that you encounter throughout the game and Alia strikes a balance between giving you more basic tips for stages and enemies alike. At the start of each stage you can choose from one of the three navigators alongside the 2 hunters to make up your team, but alternatively you can choose to go in without any navigators assistance at all. As I mentioned earlier, these are actually helpful this time around and if you're a newcomer to X8 then I'd genuinely recommend actually paying attention to what they say, in particular Pallettes tips as without her then some of the items can feel rather cryptic. Furthermore the 3 navigators can even be unlocked as secret playable characters, but the way they fight matches that of the 3 hunters (Alias gameplay matches Xs, Layers gameplay matches Zeros and Pallettes gameplay matches Axls). Overall it's a mechanic they didn't need to expand upon but they did anyway, but the way they did it is actually genuinely well done.

The last major change to the gameplay is that getting game overs now functions as it did in the SNES X games, where getting a game over sends you all the way back to the start of the stage rather than back to the last checkpoint, so lives are now of actual importance this time around. On easy difficulty you have infinite lives, but on normal you have 2 by default with up to 3 more being purchasable in the shop and on hard you're locked to 3 lives with no way of getting more, and this, combined with the level design that I'll discuss next, results in X8 being one of the harder games in the X series in my honest opinion.

Speaking of that, X8 has some rather interesting level design when it comes to Mega Man X standards. Now this series is no stranger to having levels that entirely revolve around gimmicks, but X8 dials it up to 11 as pretty much every level has a specific gimmick tied to it. Booster Forest (Bamboo Pandamoniums stage) for instance has one of the funner gimmicks IMO as it revolves entirely around getting a Ride Armor through the stage by throwing in platforming challenges that do genuinely feel like a puzzle, and the game greatly rewards you for getting the Ride Armor through the stage by allowing you to get items alongside a much easier boss at the end. Troia Base has another fun gimmick as it involves a series of minigames that all revolve around beating the same kind of enemy, but each time they change it up so as to not make it feel repetitive or anything, & the game even rewards good performance in these mini games with collectibles and even a battle against Cut Man from the classic series if you get the best rank in every one of them, therefore making it my personal favorite level from X8 due to the way it plays with its gimmick, how it rewards you for your performance and even classic series fanservice if you manage to play REALLY well.

However due to X8s extremely varied level design there's also multiple instances where it isn't so great. The first instance is Dynasty (Gigabolt Man-O-Wars stage) where all that you do is chase Man-O-War with a Ride Chaser and nothing else, easily do-able in like 30 seconds so long as you can keep on top of him. This stage IMO feels like pure filler and this is further boosted by the fact that there aren't even any items to collect in the stage, and as far as I'm aware this is the ONLY Maverick stage in any of the X games to not have any items located in it. Then there's Central White (Avalanche Yetis stage) which is another Ride Chaser stage except this one goes on for WAY too long instead as alongside rather lengthy sections that involve platforming & blasting enemies there's also 2 midbosses who are more than capable of eating up your resources which is NOT good since you need both of your hunters active to get this stages items, both of which are located right at the very end of the stage). Additionally, the level designers seemed to have a thing or two for insta kill hazards as a few certain stages (Primrose, Troia Base, Inferno and Sigmas Palace) go ALL OUT with the spikes as you must make careful movements like wall jumps or air dashes to get across, but like with Gates Laboratory in X6, nailing down the movement timings in these sections provides a VERY BIG feeling of satisfaction, so at least I can say that about the level design, however this is why I also think X8 is among the hardest games in the X series (alongside X3 & X6), as having the game over system from the SNES X games alongside level design like this will surely put your movement skills to the absolute test.

This leads me into the item placement of X8, and at first glance it seems to be VERY convoluted, as X8 pretty much has every single trope associated with previous games item placements all in one package. You've got items that need charged special weapons, items that require Zeros double jump, items that require Axls copy shot, Armor capsules that only X can access etc. There are more than what I listed, so it's very understandable that you'd think it's convoluted. However, X8 has a new-game+ feature, a mechanic that was introduced in X7 that I also forgot to discuss in my review of that game. With this mode, all the items that you collected in your previous run of the game get carried over to a new save file, and X8 honestly feels like it was designed with the new-game+ in mind as trying to get every item in one single run will lead to a LOT of backtracking. I'm talking, people who complain about X3s backtracking would likely have a mental breakdown if they tried to get all of X8s items in one run. So my recommendation is to only go after the items you can get on a first run while backtracking for a few items and save the rest of them for a new-game+ run of the game. You'll have a LOT more fun if you approach X8 that way as by the end of the new-game+ run you should have pretty much every item in the game acquired. The stage that encapsulates this the best IMO is Inferno (Burn Roosters stage) as it has an armor capsule that only X can access, an item that requires Axl to copy a certain enemy, and an item that requires one of Zeros blades, and said weapon is unlocked from an item located in this very stage. If you're trying to get every item in X8 in one run then you'll have to backtrack here up to 3 times depending on the team you use for it, so that's part of why the new-game+ feature is so damn helpful in smoothly 100&'ing this game.

Going on from that is the items themselves in X8. I mentioned earlier that Life Ups and E-Tanks are now items that you buy in the in-game shop using metals, so alongside the traditional armor capsules, then what is there to collect? The answer to that question is that X8 introduces the brand new collectible, Rare Metals. Barring Dynasty, each stage has 2-3 Rare Metals located in each of them. Rare Metals enable brand new items to be acquired in the shop, INCLUDING E-Tanks so therefore you technically are still collecting them. Zeros new weapons are also tied to Rare Metals alongside other very helpful perks such as Shock Buffers and converting damage taken from enemy attacks into energy for your special weapons. Overall, despite some of the opinions surrounding them, I don't mind the Rare Metals and I think they spice up Mega Man Xs usual item formula in a unique way. A minor thing that I find amusing is that X8 gets rid of the EX Tank from X4-X7..... in the first game SINCE X4 where extra lives actually matter since game overs send you back to the stage select again regardless of where it happened at.

Then on the other end of the items are the special armors in this game, and X8 has far and away the most unique armor system in the entire X series. Basically, the way it works is that the first armor capsule you find, regardless of the stage you find it in will give you the Neutral Armor which while changing up Xs appearance significantly, doesn't actually enhance any of his abilities. That's because true to its name, the Neutral Armor acts as a template for the two new armors that X can find in this game, the Icarus Armor which gives it red highlights, and the Hermes Armor which gives it blue highlights. Not only does X immediately acquire the benefits of armor capsules in this game unlike in X5/X6, but X can also MIX & MATCH between the parts of the Icarus and Hermes armors to create an armor set that's most comfortable to use. However, the game still encourages using either of the full armors as that's the only way to use their Giga Attacks. Because of this, X8s armor system is EASILY my favorite armor system even if the armors themselves aren't my favorite (they're still a tonne of fun to use however). I'm happy they eventually did it here because it was understandably a feature that wasn't present in X5/X6 which also had multiple armors for X to collect. However that's not the end of the discussions about Xs armor, as after being absent from X7, the Ultimate Armor makes its triumphant return here with a brand new look and abilities to go along aside it. It still retains most of its core functions as its X4 counterpart like unlimited special weapon energy, Plasma Shots and the Nova Strike, but the latter of which is now tied to a cool-down gauge so it isn't as spammable. However the Nova Strike itself is WAY stronger than it was in X4-X6, as here it's pretty much an insta-kill on bosses, only leaving them with 1-4 units of health left for reasons I'll discuss when I get around to the bosses. The hover ability that it previously had has now been replaced with the Shoryuken, making its return from X2/Xtreme 2. Like in X5, you can even unlock the Ultimate Armor if you get every X-related item in the shop and start a new-game+ run, so that's pretty neat. Overall, a damn fun set of armors that X has at his disposal here alongside a fun system to boot, so what isn't there to love?

But X isn't alone with new abilities to play with in X8, as Zero & Axl both get their own unique armors to boot albeit only in palette swaps as opposed to new designs for both of them. Zeros black armor returns after being absent in X7, where it gives him a boost to his attack and speed but at the cost of reduced defense, and Axl gets the white armor which enhances his speed and allows him to hover while firing for an indefinite amount of time. Pretty neat abilities overall, but Black Zero is an absolute BEAST in combat if you can get around his reduced defenses and make full use of his increased attack. Additionally, as I alluded to numerous times throughout the review, Zero also has a plethora of new weapons to use rather than just his standard saber, with the more notable weapons being the D-Glaive, a returning weapon from X7 that gives Zero MUCH more range on his attacks and the Sigma Blade, a weapon that becomes available after beating the final boss which defeats pretty much every stage enemy in one hit, making it a VERY ideal tool for getting some of the Rare Metals in Troia Base. Overall, Zeros new weapons are a tonne of fun to use in X8, not just the aforementioned examples, but the other ones I didn't mention too, and like the armor customization, I'm surprised it took them this long to implement new weapons for Zero as well, but better late than never I suppose.

After that comes the plot of X8 which I don't wanna dwell on for too long as this review is already getting long and I haven't even discussed the bosses or presentation yet. First things first, X has his actual character back after the character assassination he underwent in X7 and I've NEVER been more happy to see him back to the determined yet pacifistic fighter he's always been and you can clearly see his determination in the way he speaks not only to Sigma, but to the returning Vile as well, with a new color scheme that makes no effort at all to hide the fact that he's a shout out to Boba Fett. While there's been no explanation as to how he came back, his character hasn't changed a BIT since X3 as he's still very much a glutton for chaos and to be a threat to the Maverick Hunters.

Zeros character also underwent some redemption from X7 as he, like X overall feels WAY more determined to the task at hand, so much so that it not only leads to Zeros awesome monologue at the end of the game, but it even stems into his dialogue with Layer, the latter of which CLEARLY shows signs of romantic interest to Zero while he doesn't buy it. You could say this is because he's still scarred after what happened with Iris, but it's still pretty humorous nonetheless. And then there's Axl and... well. He CERTAINLY speaks like an optimistic new hunter who wants to one day be among the leagues of X and Zero, but it works so well as that's the EXACT kind of character he has here. X has also fortunately warmed up to Axl in the time between X7 and this game as now he's a proper part of the Maverick Hunters and all 3 of them have a VERY good dynamic together. Overall, while not the most groundbreaking characterization in the world, it's still leaps and bounds better than X7s characterizations and further helps to make these guys feel like an actual proper team.

And then there's the story itself. It expands upon Axls copy abilities that were established in X7 as X8 shows that now an entirely new type of Reploids have been constructed with Axls copy ability, dubbed the "New Generation Reploids". These Reploids have the DNA of Sigma ingrained into them as a method of ensuring that they don't go Maverick, but the main antagonist of this game (spoiler alert: it isn't Sigma) reveals that because of this, the New Generation Reploids have the ability to go Maverick at will, which is actually a pretty unique way of expending on the reasons for Reploids going Maverick, as before this the most common causes were because of corruption via a virus, undying loyalty to individuals like Sigma/Gate or because of misinterpretations like the Repliforce. Because of the dangerous nature of these Reploids and countless Maverick incidents already, humans and other Reploids alike decide to book it and go the moon in hopes of living peacefully there, and to do this the Jakob Elevator is created. However while this going on a Maverick attack occurs at Noahs Park (real subtle with the Christianity elements there Capcom) and X, Zero & Axl head to the scene, where after disposing of the mechanoloid responsible for the attack they discover that the head of the project, Lumine has been kidnapped by Vile, and from there they deal with other Maverick activity while figuring out what Vile & Sigma want with Lumine. I won't spoil the rest of the plot as it is pretty interesting and I'd be here all day discussing it, but overall, despite simply being nothing groundbreaking on its own, it's VERY unique for Mega Man X standards.

That then links into the bosses of X8. In general, the bosses all have a new major gimmick attached to them known as their Overdrive State, where once you get them down to a certain amount of health (around 25% on normal and 50% on hard, while on easy they don't enter it at all. This is also why the Nova Strike doesn't immediately wipe their entire health bars) they gain i-frames and release their strongest attack on you. These attacks hit HARD, and in some cases they insta-kill you such as Bamboo Pandamoniums overdrive, but at the same time they're very telegraphed and you have more than enough time and space to dodge them. They're a neat addition overall and work VERY well with X8s bosses as not a single one of them feels cheap, chaotic or ear-grating with their voice clips. Burn Roosters fight in particular is significant as unlike pretty much every other boss in the X series, the stage doesn't immediately end once you beat him, but rather you have to go through an escape sequence by climbing up platforms while lava rises below you. Why this is the only fight to do it, I don't know, but it still helps in making him feel more unique than not just other fire bosses, but fellow fire bird Blaze Heatnix from X6, as both of them do have quite a few attacks that are similar to each other and even have similar weakness as well.

Additionally, like you could randomly encounter Bit & Byte in X3, you can randomly encounter Vile throughout the 8 Maverick stages where you must fight him until you eventually repel him with enough damage taken. Like with the Bit/Byte encounters in X3, X8 has rooms dedicated to Vile encounters, but even if you don't encounter him there'll still be something there to deal with before you can move forward such as in Primrose where you must dodge through blocks that move up and down or in Inferno where you get faced with a mook rush that you can use to gather up some metals for the shop. Vile himself is a pretty fun fight with the array of attacks that he uses, and there's even some instances where you WANT him to show up such as in Primrose, as the hazard that you have to deal with otherwise can be rather frustrating if your luck isn't great. You then encounter Vile again for the last time in the fortress stages where he not only has a new attack that's VERY fun to dodge, but he also finally uses a Ride Armor again and to even damage him you have to knock him off the Ride Armor and damage him while he's on his own, a VERY unique way to do a Vile fight if you ask me rather than just separating it into 2 phases like how X1 and X3 did it.

And then there's the final boss who is definitely one of the more unique final bosses as he attacks with an array of moves from the previous 8 Mavericks and even has their same weaknesses depending on the attacks that he uses. However his second phase just feels cheap as once you get his HP into overdrive range you're on a time limit. Fail to defeat him in time (I think it's around 30 seconds) and he hits you with an insta kill move. The game doesn't give you much indication that there's a time limit to this attack either so that's why I think it's rather cheap, and as he LOVES to make himself invincible on and off during this phase I make sure I have Ultimate Armor X on my team so I can one-tap him with the Nova Strike as that does alleviate a lot of the stress involved with it, but to unlock White Axl the legitimate way you have to land the finishing blow on him as Axl... which is easier said than done if anything.

Moving on from that I do want to take time to talk about X8s presentation, because it's actually really damn good. For starters, there's ACTUALLY GOOD ENGLISH VOICE ACTING in a Mega Man X game. CRAZY, I KNOW? Mark Gatha, Lucas Gilbertson and Jeffrey Watson all return from X Command Mission to provide the voices for their respective characters, and MAN do they do a good job at encapsulating their personalities. Mark absolutely nails down Xs determined yet compassionate personality, Lucas does a damn good job at showing the calm & colder personality of Zero and Jeffery encapsulates Axls nature as the younger rookie of the three. And then there's Roger Rhodes whose performance accurately matches Viles status as an Ax-Crazy Reploid who enjoys the thrill of violence and fighting the Maverick Hunters. Additionally, Dave Pettitt who voiced Epsilon in X Command Mission returns to X8 to provide a ridiculously hammy voice for Sigma, but man does he do it WELL, as X4 AND X7 both seemed to indicate that a hammy voice was in Sigmas nature, so while it was natural that the voice direction would gravitate more towards that same kind of nature, it's just done so much better here.

Performance-wise, I do at least know that the original PS2 version of X8 had some notable load times that were drastically cut down in the X Legacy Collection version of it, and this same version also seems to make the overall visuals/UI look more smooth which is always appreciated. However the X Legacy Collection uses the original PC version of X8 which is notable for removing the infinite metal glitch, which isn't too substantial outside of getting things like the playable navigators or the Sigma Blade which require a LOT of metals so there's unfortunately no way around grinding for metals if you want those items.

Lastly, as per Mega Man X fashion, X8 has a damn good OST. Personal shout outs from it go to Bamboo Pandamoniums theme, Burn Roosters theme, Avalanche Yetis theme and Sigmas theme. All in all, good tunes in a Mega Man X game, go figure.

In conclusion, Mega Man X8 is a MASSIVE step up from X7 in virtually every aspect, and felt like the beginning of a path to redemption for the X series following that game. The gameplay/movement is the best it's ever been, the level design is actually interesting and there's a LOT of content that'll keep you engaged for a while, although the level design can take a dip at times but not to the point where it'll ruin the game. However, the damage was likely already dealt by X7 as even today X8 still stands as the latest mainline entry in this series, and it is sad because X8 is genuinely a pretty solid platformer and therefore I definitely recommend this one to all Mega Man X fans, as you'd still be forgiven for skipping right over X7 and going straight to this game as well, there's actual fun to be found in the gameplay here. Anyhow with all 10 of the main MMX platformers reviewed on here I do have to admit that discussing all the major entries in this series was something I had a lot of fun doing even if few people actually read them and if I came off as being negative a few times in them (COUGH X7), and I'll certainly try to retain this long structure for reviews of different games later down the line, however this won't be the last time I'll be talking about Mega Man X, as there are still a few minor entries/spinoffs I'm yet to delve into, starting with one I mentioned a few times near the end of this very review, Mega Man X: Command Mission for the PS2/GameCube. That's a game I'm still in the midst of playing through as of the time of me typing this out (unfortunately I haven't had much time to play it recently as I wait for my GameCube adapter to come), so it'll be a while before I get around to reviewing that game, but I will just say that it's a Mega Man X game that ISN'T a platformer, so that's gonna be interesting to discuss.

Mega Man X8 decides to ditch the 3D gameplay of X7, and focus strictly on 2D Action.
Alongside that, it also has an in-game currency, allowing you to buy more life energy and other components to make your characters stronger, ditching the Heart Tanks from previous games.

Does it work?

My answer is a resounding YES!

Mega Man X8 not only is more faster-paced than its predecessor, but it's such a fun game to play! Not every stage is a winner, but I had fun with most of them, with their varied level design and fun gimmicks.

The story revolves around the rise of a new generation of Reploids, and the fact that all of them can transform to many more Reploids than Axl could, including Sigma!
I found the story of this game to, while not the greatest, to be much better than the last few games. What helps is the fact that this game's voice acting is much better than previously, and the dialogue feels very natural!

Coupled that with some nice graphics, and a good soundtrack, and you've got yourself one of the best games in the Mega Man X series.

It might not be my favourite, but it gets pretty close.

this one is a big step up from the last few games. some of the unique mechanics here (the combo system, mixing armor parts, Zero's weapons, Axl being in something besides X7) are really fun to work with.

the levels in this game are excessively gimmicky, however. the new currency and upgrade systems encourage you to replay the game a lot in order to collect everything and get better ranks, but it's hard to want to do so when the levels often don't let you play very naturally. if that makes any sense.

there are some other things i take issue with (collecting hidden items but then having to pay to use them for some reason, boss fights feeling slower because of the increased invincibility frames, etc.), but these are more negligible.

if this game had more standard levels, it would probably be the third-best, or even second-best, game in the X series. here's hoping X9 is just this but slightly better

Now this is much better. Mega Man X8 is a return to form after the critical failure that was X7, harkening back to its fundamental 2D routes after a failed execution of converting the popular sub-series into the third dimension, opting for a 2.5D approach to its gameplay. Everything has been given a makeover visually and physically character-wise, and it looks vastly better than what came beforehand. This is one of the more overlooked games in the series, but how does it hold up in 2023 standards? Pretty solid, honestly.

Let's start with the gameplay. What's great about marathoning these sorts of games is that I don't need to reiterate how the game functions when they remain consistent, but I will say that the Maverick Hunters feel so fast and snappy to control that it's genuinely refreshing. The swap mechanic returns after X7, and I've said before in my review that this feature alone makes X, Zero, and Axl feel like a fighting team, and X8 embodies this. Noah's Park, the opening stage, does an excellent job of introducing this mechanic in a 2D space while allowing the player to get a feel for each character. There are moments where character-swapping can be beneficial for situations like getting caught by an enemy and calling in the other character to destroy it with a push of a button. It's just those minor things that make a well-thought-out mechanic even better. X and Zero play identically to how they were in the PS1 games, but for Axl, they made some tweaks like removing the auto-lock on and activating the hover by pressing the jump button twice. Because of that, Axl became one of my favorite characters to use, and with Zero by his side, they were like an unstoppable duo. Bosses now have these desperation attacks whenever their health reaches close to zilch; it's a great way to keep the fights engaging while keeping the players on their toes, so I appreciate that they added a little something to spruce it up without the player exploiting them in designated areas or glitches as an advantage.

For completionists out there, there are these big triangles to collect, aka rare metals. Essentially they unlock certain items that can be obtained from the shop like upgrades and weapons exclusively for Zero. This is a perfect segue to talk about the shop itself, as metals are the only form of currency that can be purchased to buy health upgrades, retry chips, and the stuff I mentioned a sentence ago like Zero's D Glaive for example; this gives you so much range, and once you obtain it, it's over for the common enemies. Heart Tanks have been relegated to Life Up chips you can purchase, making it easier for everyone to have max health bars, so I appreciate that change. These metals are scattered everywhere, where on the ground, defeating enemies, or being rewarded by defeating them fast in certain rooms. There's a lot of shit to collect if you're going for 100%, so you'll be here for a little while.

While I appreciate the amount of stuff you can obtain and purchase, this leads to my major issue with Mega Man X8; it is marred with tedious grinding and can take a few hours to purchase everything. There is one practical way to grind for metals if you're playing it on the Legacy Collection as I did. Go to Metal Valley, pick Axl and another character you like, and keep dashing away from the giant robot until you reach the oil tank wall (where the Light capsule resides), stop there, switch to Ray Gun, and keep firing at the robot until you've collected enough metals. Like I said earlier, this should take about a few hours, and during that time, you might make a grip on your own. Most of the items are reasonably priced if you've bought every upgrade or weapon for the Maverick Hunters, but then come the unlockable characters. Alia, and the two new navigators, Layer and Palette can be unlocked via New Game+ depending on which navigator you used the most. They play identically to how X, Zero, and Axl feel to control and it's cool seeing them in action, but they require an obnoxious amount of metals to even unlock them, 40,000 to be more specific for each, 36,000 if you bought the metal discount from the shop. I was able to unlock them all and obtain 100%, but the few hours I spent out of my 12-hour playtime were spent on grinding. I also find the level design to be cheap at times. It's not X6 levels of cheapness, far from it (the levels are decently designed), there are a few areas in the game that I found either frustrating or nerve-wracking like the literal spike fest in the final levels where you have to be cautious of your jumps and air-dashing; Booster Forest (Bamboo Pandamonium's stage) has that aggravating rare metal placement where I have to flip-flop between getting on and off the ride armor just to press some switches; mess it up, and you have to start the stage all over again. But I think the worst level in the entire game in my opinion is Central White (Avalanche Yeti's stage); a ride chaser level with a length that feels like it goes on for an eternity. Checkpoints are scarce here meaning if you die on the second fight of the mid-boss, you start halfway again. This goes on for like 6-7 minutes if you don't die once and keep X alive to obtain the light capsule.

The story itself is alright for Mega Man X standards. A big step up from X7 that's for sure, but I wouldn't say it's well-written. Sigma returns (obviously) alongside the creator of the Jakob Project, Lumine. They try to do this thing where the big bad from seven consecutive games isn't the final boss this time and instead, it was another individual holding the reins, which I sensed coming from a mile away. Even with its antagonists, I just wish they would illustrate it better with who's controlling who and their motivations, but other than that, it's your typical Mega Man X story. I'm happy to say for the first time in an X game, it has decent English voice acting. Everyone in X8 carries with their performances and it makes the poorly written story tolerable to the ears. X, Zero, and Axl feel like they belong together as a team instead of being conflicted with each other like in X7, and I'm glad they shifted X's personality back to how he was pre-X7, claiming his titular spot once again with the other two at his presence.

The music in X8 is genuinely underrated. There's a whole lot of electric guitars in the soundtrack and I do quite like it. I'm just gonna skim through my favorites before I wrap things up. Vs. Vile is the best theme our familiar rival has, and it feels so tailor-made for a recurring sworn enemy like Vile. Central White (Avalance Yeti's Stage) has got to be my favorite ice-themed stage as that bass was slappin' so hard, perfect for something like a high-speed ride chaser level. Gateway is a beautiful song; it deviates from the electric guitars in favor of something melancholic and relaxing to the ears before our fellow Maverick Hunters take on the Mavericks once more till they reach their destination. Vs. Lumine - Second Form has got to be one of my favorite final boss themes from a Mega Man game; it's as if the lyrics from the Bible were replaced with electric guitars blaring in the background while our heroes take on one last battle.

Mega Man X8 is a huge step up from before and is one of the more overlooked Mega Man games, and of course I say this as this was the lowest-selling game in the franchise. Sadly, X7 tainted the legacy of the series due to the decline in quality not to mention the overabundance of games that Capcom released in the early to mid-2000s, which is a shame really. It is by no means my favorite, but as the last mainline game in the series so far, I think it ended on a good note. I hope that Capcom recognizes the potential of this franchise once again after the recent Legacy Collections have been financially doing well lately, and I hope we get an actual conclusion to the X series with X9 if that ever happens someday.

I get why people who are super into planning their routes and stuff through Mega Man games might not like X8 but it's going for something different than it's predecessors. Take the game for what it is and you'll find a genuinely great game with a lot to appreciate. I'm serious, this game is actually pretty awesome and is full of cool stuff. There were so many times I went "wow, what a smart idea," or "what a challenging section," or "this game is fucking cool!" X8 is different from the previous games but in a good way! I really enjoyed my time here and it's a damn shame that a title that tried so hard is stuck between the sticky tentacles of the previous two or three games. Go in with an open mind and you might find a new favorite.

é muito triste esse ser o último Mega Man X porque a Capcom estava cozinhando algo bom

nesse jogo X, depois de um dilema moral no X7, resolve que a solução é ser ultra fascista e agora além de lutar ele também é júri, juiz e executor. achei coerente pois acontece muito na vida real mesmo. mas o mais engraçado é que o gameplay corrobora com isso. enquanto no X5 seu rank aumentava por matar menos inimigos, no X8 quanto mais combos e mais robôs você destroçar melhor seu rank. coerente pra um jogo onde ser Maverick é questão de escolha e não de erro de programação, X agora tem menos justificativa moral ainda pra matar todos, mas continua matando igual.

Zero continua distante e emocionalmente indisponível pra todos, incluindo pra nova operadora que é gamadinha nele (Layer voce é ícone mas merece melhor...). Mas há um ar de melancolia aqui, ele na verdade pegou o manto do X no X7. ele não quer mais lutar, todo chefe tenta recrutar ele pro lado do Sigma e ele mal tem energia de responder de volta. ele pensa no seu fim inevitável e que deve continuar agindo até lá, mas qualquer indício de paixao e objetivo já sumiu dos olhos dele. esse homem vive em si mesmo.

Axl deixou de ser protagonista pra ser boneco moleque ele é ok

o ponto alto pra mim foi a inclusão de mais 2 operadoras com a Alia, a Layer e a Palette. elas servem pra guiar você pela fase com objetivos diferentes (A Alia é mais geral, a Layer foca em chefe e a Palette em ahad lugares escondidos) mas sinceramente você vai escolher a que mais gostou e ficar por isso. até porque a que mais gostou vai ser a primeira que você vai habilitar em um NG+. sim o jogo tem um NG+ visto que há um sistema de loja e upgrade permanente (que requer um grind danado de recursos no qual utilizei uma fita de cabelo pra prender meu controle e sai para almoçar) e é nele que você pode jogar com as 3 meninas. na verdade ela não são mais que skins dos personagens principais relacionados a elas (X, Zero e Axl respectivamente), mas me deixou tão contente que simplesmente terminei o jogo uma segunda vez e não podia ter sido mais legal

que aliás, ilustra um problema sério que eu tenho: parar de jogar jogos de mau humor, afeta terrivelmente minha impressão dos jogos. não estava aguentando as fases do X8, até porque escolhi umas complicadas de cara (a que gira e o autoscroller) então minha primeira impressão não foi favorável. mas rejogando eu percebo que a ideia de cada fase ser radicalmente diferente é bem divertida, e queria que eles fossem até mais malucos pois o jogo fica meio fraco quando tenta ser maluco e mega man x clássico ao mesmo tempo. que aliás, ele também consegue ser bem mega man x na sequência final de fases, sinceramente a minha preferida da série inteira e que redimiu o jogo inteiro pra mim. adorei todas as lutas de chefe , mesmo que algumas sejam bem fáceis

imagino que várias sensibilidades temáticas aqui estejam na série Zero, então fico cada vez mais ansiosa pra me adentrar nesse mundo o quanto antes. Lumine inicia um conceito interessante para a série, onde sua ascensão divindade é superar as maquinações de seus criadores e possuírem vontade própria (e cita como a nova era, a evolução dos Reploids), incluindo a vontade de ser mau ou de poder julgar as ações de Sigma como justificadas. Se eles continuassem depois desse, acho que teriam coisas muito interessantes pra dizer...

Mega Man X8 is a fascinating game, impressive and frustrating in equal measure, though not exactly for the reasons one would expect. Following directly after the dark era of the X series, and what I would consider to be the low point of the Mega Man franchise as a whole, X8 had a lot to carry on its shoulders alone. I’ll get the obvious out of the way first - relative to X6 and X7, X8 is essentially the second coming of Jesus Christ himself, but I don’t want to judge the game strictly through that comparative lens.

Starting off, X8 drops you right into the action with a tutorial stage that, in my humble opinion, is the second best opening act in the entire series right after the original X. There’s not a ton of wait time, the controls are sharp and instantly responsive, and it gradually introduces you to each of the three playable main characters in platforming segments that are tailored for their respective kits. The stage bosses and enemy design convey each character’s strengths and weaknesses, differences in range and power, and it properly demonstrates the new double attack mechanic in real-time. They even brought back the best X7 mechanic, being able to bring two characters into the field at once and switch between them at will, and you get a taste for how the flow of that will feel during the rest of the game. It’s an amazing introduction and it FEELS like Mega Man X again, something closer to the SNES trilogy, and it got me so incredibly pumped to get into the rest of the game. Unfortunately though, this is where X8 begins to really show its hand in a way I can only describe as an incredible foundation without the follow-through to nail the execution of any of its (many) great ideas.

Take the act of simply controlling one of the main characters, for instance. Simply moving around, dashing, wall-climbing, and lining up your shots hasn’t felt this good since X1-3. It’s super precise, satisfying, and everything I could every want out of a platformer, and they succeed in this ‘game feel’ with all three characters’ and their kits, priming you for how fun experimentation is going to be….only to never give you the chance to do so. The only stage in the entire game that’s played “straight” is the tutorial, with every following level playing around with some gimmick or stage concept that never give you the chance to…have fun with how fluid these characters’ movesets are. Most of the stages themselves are solid, with a handful of some strong highs, but I can’t help but be disappointed by this design choice. Everything in X8 feels very segmented and separated, and without a through-line with which the game’s ideas can flow, without that cohesive glue, X8 is just kinda left feeling like it has a bit of an identity crisis.

This design philosophy erodes into other areas of the game, too. There’s a shop akin to something in the later entries of MM classic, a hugely welcome addition, and heart tanks have been replaced by spending currency for permanent health upgrades (a change that I actually like). The problem arises when you realize that having an abundance of health doesn’t particularly matter outside of bosses because X8’s stage design is obsessed with spikes, bottomless pits, blocks that will crush you, and a bunch of other random shit that will kill you instantly. Especially the spikes, why are there so many spikes in this game man? Who did this? Why? For what purpose?

This is to say, of course, that you’re almost only ever in relatively little to no danger or immediate one-shot danger with little in-between. This leaves a lot of the upgrades feeling, once again, good in concept but lacking in execution.

Backtracking has never been something I’ve been particularly fond of within the X series but it’s always been ingrained within the DNA of the series and it’s something I’ve come to expect. Being able to switch characters on the fly could have and should have streamlined the secret-finding process, but instead the exact opposite - it lengthened the secret hunting process to new extremes. Certain characters are required for certain secrets meaning that there really is no “stage routing” like in the original X games as you’re almost guaranteed to have to play each stage at least twice at the absolute bare minimum, and that’s assuming you know exactly what to look for and don’t fail to do so. More realistically, especially without a guide, you’re going to be playing each stage anywhere from 4 to 5 times to accommodate for any failures and the simple act of sniffing the secrets out in the first place. This goes doubly so without a guide because essentially every secret in this game is vague as hell, stuff with multiple bullet points of very specific information you need to follow in the right order and using specific abilities on an empty spot in the corner of this one room type-beat. On one hand, it does encourage replay value to a degree, and I actually don’t think it was the designer’s intention for every run in X8 to be a ‘100% run’, but it always makes the X worms in my head go a little crazy if I don’t collect everything and regardless there’s definitely such a thing as too obscure.

And yet, despite it all and what it may sound like, I still somehow came out of X8 with a strikingly positive impression. The story and all of its religious motifs are pretty neat and I like how tonally distinct these elements are from the usual X fanfare (and the final bosses are metal as hell). It took all of these entires for a game in this series to finally ‘justify’ the end-game boss rush with a reason that makes sense in-game and that’s super cool. Banter between the navigators and the Maverick Hunters in between missions is really cool and finally gives me a sense that these guys are actually…working on a team, as a team, which is something I’ve always felt the X series has struggled to convey. While I did mention that secret hunting is tedious, the secrets themselves are really cool and do make the exploration process worth your time. More shop items and ways to customize the characters, and especially the new weapons that entirely change the way you approach the game. (and I’m personally really glad that some of these replace bonuses obtained from saved Reploids which has never been something I’ve enjoyed doing). X8 finally gets the armor system right, too, giving you two armor sets for X with completely mix-and-match sets that you can tailor to fit your playstyle (with bonus attributes if you choose to commit to the pieces in one set). This is perfect and a good example of proving that X8 has learned lessons from the design shortcomings of some of its predecessors.

Zero’s D-Glaive is the single most fun thing any 2D platformer has ever incorporated, it’s so ridiculous and it feels incredible to use. I want an entire game where I can exclusively use it, they finally made Zero cool as fuck again I’m so happy.

X8 is a good game, but it could have been even better than what we got. Missed potential but there are some really strong highs and it restored my good faith in what the X games are capable of doing when they’re firing on all cylinders. We need that X9….

(I don’t typically do ‘long-form’ reviews like this on this website but if this gets more than, like, 1 like lmao maybe I’ll continue the trend)

I don't know what happened, I went form feeling miserable while playing this game, to actually quite liking it towards the end. It may have been some form of Stockholm syndrome, but either way, it sure took a while for it to click with me. It doesn't live up to X1 or X4, but I still ended up with a deep appreciation for X8, even if it's quite flawed.

X8 has some die-hard fans, but it's hardly the incredible return to form that some make it out to be. It doesn't control nearly as well as the PS1 entries, and it's level design is easily some of the weakest in the entire series, filled with crappy gimmicks that greatly de-emphasise the movement based gameplay the X series is so well known for. No stage sinks as low as some of the worst in X6 and X7, but 90% of them are just mediocre. The interesting thing here is that X8 exhibits much more polish than those two. I can imagine how X6 could have been a great game had it not been so rushed, X8 seems to be as good as it could have been. It's simply had a good execution for poor concepts.

There are a lot of positives to X8, however. All three characters are very distinct and fun to use. There are also a ton of secret items scattered in all stages, and they all require you to use a specific character. The navigators help a great deal too, and give much needed personality to the cast.

Overall, it packs more variety than any other X game, and it has quite a bit of meat to sink your teeth into (I've heard some complain about Mega Man games being too short, so there you go). The combo system is kind of bare bones, but at least it makes stages more interesting when you try to go for a high score.

I will say, the game feels very lacking at the beginning. It takes a few upgrades and weapons for the game to get good, so I suspect that X8 is the kind of game that benefits from a New Game+, I'll have to find out some other time.

Above all I said, the most important thing about X8 is that it feels like it had a purpose of being made, the passion and love behind it shines bright beneath its flaws. It's easily the most unique X game for sure, and although it's quite divisive, anyone who likes the series would do good to check it out.

On it's own it's a solid Megaman X game but coming off the heels of X6 and X7 this feels like a Godsend.

First the Good, the game made many improvements on what X7 tried to do. Way better voice acting, the game does away with 3D platforming sections, Axl isn't just a worse X in terms of gameplay and feels more distinct and the subweapons for all 3 characters are solid I'd say though far from the series best. Also the mixing and matching of armor parts was a neat change in the formula (though I just used the entire Icarus set for the Giga attack for the rest of the game when I got it) and THANK GOD the bosses don't take 5 mins to kill each.

As for the Bad, this games one flaw lies in the level design. Almost none of it feels like Megaman X. Instead of having setpieces like in the previous X games, the setpieces here take up the entire level like running and then chasing the robot in Trilobyte's stage, the challenges in Optic Sunflowers stage or the 2 full driving levels that drag on and on and on are unbareable. When the stages don't have gimmicks that span the entire level the level design is just really bland like the frustrating amount of spikes in the final level or the boooooooooooring sidescrolling stages in Burn Rooster's level. Some other nitpicks would be that while the bosses are way less time-consuming than in X7, they do spend about half of the fight being invulnerable to any damage which can get frustrating. The music while better than X7 isn't on par with X1-6 imo. Lastly, the game starts off surprisingly difficult, but becomes bareable after you snowball with HP Upgrades after the first level or two.

Level design aside, the game is a solid return to form for Megaman X that not only makes improvements on X7 but occasionally on the entire series

Controls smooth as butter (though I personally prefer how the psx games control), fantastic boss design, and some of the best writing in the series (which isn't saying a lot but the final few cutscenes really left an impression on me) but mannnn I kinda actually didn't enjoy my time with this one as much as the others??? By the end of the game you're used to the bullshit but this has by far my least favourite stage design in the series, hitting you with spikes fucking everywhere and often before you have time to react because of how the camera works. Lumine's stage isn't even that bad because by then you're used to it all after having played gravity antonian's stage lord knows how many times but of all the games to drop the infinite lives that the psx games gave you they couldn't have chosen a worse one. It's objectively better than x6 and 7 but I'd genuinely rather revisit those games than play x8 again. Only giving it a higher rating because I can recognise it's a far better game and that final cutscene ending the game on such a good note.

First of all, I did not like how the characters controlled compared to the earlier X games.
The stages are either meh or complete ass. Dynasty, Inferno and Primrose especially stood out as very bad stages.
One stage that I did find cool however, was the elevator level.
Because of these stages I really appreciated the Retry chips.
I liked the many upgrades that were available with chips. However, it also meant that in order to be effective you would have to focus on one character because you get nowhere close enough chips to upgrade all three characters a reasonable amount.
The beginning is a little rough but as soon as you get armor the game becomes extremely easy. The Icarus body armor especially trivializes the game.
As for the bosses, they were alright. I found most of them somewhat interesting and unique.
Although, the final boss did kill me twice with some bullshit. First time he pushed me off the platform which was an instant kill and then in his last phase he just has an instant kill attack? Fucking stupid.

"Now it's time for X8, the worst 7/10 you'll ever play" - PKMudkipz.

Yeah, that's about how I'd describe it, even if my score is half a star higher.

Mega Man X8: Paradise Lost (It's the only Mega Man X game with a subtitle, so I'm bringing it up cuz I think it's interesting) is the return to form that came way too late for the franchise.

After X6 and X7 (and arguably X5 if you didn't like that game) besmirched the X series' reputation, X8 was made as a kind of apology for the past 3 to 4 years of failures.

To put it in perspective, X5 came out in 2000, X6 came out in 2001, then in 2003 we got X7, and this game only came a year after that in 2004. I cannot begin to fathom how exhausted the dev team for this series was, if they were the same ones making all of the games.

X8 though compared to X7 is like night and day. The control is quick and snappy, nothing feels sluggish or slow. 3D sections are limited to Ride Chaser stuff, which I will get back to later I really want to talk about those.

They also fixed problems I had with certain characters, for one, the voice acting is much better than X7. X doesn't sound like a literal robot anymore, and Axl's voice isn't the most grating noise on the planet.

They also worked to make Axl and X more distinct from one another gameplay wise. Axl has different weapons from X now, most of which don't seem to consume ammo. He can actually aim now, the auto aim from X7 is nowhere to be seen. He can also hold onto walls and rain fire onto enemies from there. His Copy Shot was also improved and it doesn't take an eternity to kill enemies with it, and the Copy Shot is actually more useful for item collection and upgrades.

This game transformed Axl from my least favorite X character to play as, into my favorite X character to play as because of his now diverse action set.

The others are also not slouches, Zero gets multiple weapons for usage in combat that you can unlock. My favorite is the D-Glaive because of its sheer range and how it makes his Rasetsusen technique (the one where he spins in midair) incredibly devastating.

X of course gets two sets of armor once again, but like in X7, you can utilize the individual parts right away without having to collect everything, giving you the individual benefits from the start. This also allows you to do the thing I brought up in my X5 review, being the mixing and matching of armor pieces for your preferred playstyle.

I primarily used the Icarus Armor because X's Giga Crush is incredibly helpful for taking down bosses, and his charged attack is just a massive fuck you laser, which rips enemies to shreds. I tried the Hermes Armor but the X Drive is considerably less efficient for me personally. Plus, the Icarus Armor gives X this nice red color, and red is my favorite color so it's just a bonus.

I can't really speak for the Special Weapons for this game, because since X6, I've just gotten so used to just using the buster (or rather the Nova Strike in that game) because from what I can tell, the Special Weapons in X6 and X7 kind of blow. The Buster/Axl's A-Bullets are all incredibly effective, and when it comes to Zero, the technique I mentioned earlier is easily the best, along with his regular combos.

I did try the Blast Launcher from Axl, and it was damn effective. Maybe I'll try Weakness order when I replay this game eventually.

The story was interesting if nothing else. The humans want to migrate to to the moon after having to deal with the multitude of Maverick Wars that have taken place, and this requires the use of a new generation of Reploids, all of which have the same copy ability as Axl.

At one point, the elevator, simply called the Jakob Elevator, and the beginning of much of the religious symbolism this game has, suffers a malfunction and one of the carts on it flies off and crashes. X is of course the first person on the scene, and calls for help, until suddenly Sigma exits the cart... and then suddenly a bunch of Sigmas exit. X is, reasonably, scared shitless until the Sigmas transform into regular reploids, with a purple haired pretty boy named Lumine appearing to explain the situation.

Lumine is the director the Jakob Project, and a New Gen Reploid like the others. They transformed into Sigma because his model is very durable, which sets off many red flags for me personally, but X ultimately just accepts it without pressing for more info.

Then while going through... Noah's Park... This shit writes itself. While going through Noah's Park to deal with Maverick Mechanaloids, the Maverick Hunters encounter a once again revived Vile, who looks incredibly like Boba Fett now, finally completing his design arc from X1 to now.

They treat Vile like he's a major recurring threat, but the last time he appeared was 5 games ago. Kind of makes me wonder why he wasn't in X5 honestly, Dynamo was kind of just there, and his reappearance in X6 didn't make much sense either. You could probably replace Dynamo with Vile in those games and it wouldn't really change much.

Anyways, Vile kidnaps Lumine, and then suddenly 8 New Gen Reploids go Maverick. This is apparently not supposed to be possible given how the New Gen Reploids are immune to the viruses that have turned others into Mavericks.

Over the course of the game however, it is figured out that Sigma's DNA is within all of the copy chips. Axl is luckily excluded due to being a prototype, but what this ultimately means is that all New Gen Reploids can go Maverick at will.

Technically I thought that that was kind of how it always was, with exception to like, X3 and X5, but it's whatever.

After all 8 Mavericks are defeated, the Hunters go to the Moon to confront Sigma who is clearly involved. Ultimately however, it turns out that Lumine was pulling the strings all along, and he eventually turns into a giant robotic archangel who must be destroyed.

The incident shakes X, but he is comforted by Zero who reassures him that they will always have to fight to defend everyone, thus ending X8's story.

Comparatively speaking, this is probably the best X story since X4 (the dub is really what hurts that game, from what I've heard the X4 story is considered relatively ok.) It brings up a lot of interesting questions concerning Axl and the New Gen Reploids, and slowly watching the characters piece together what's really going on is engaging.

Back onto the gameplay though, now I have some complaints.

Level Design in this game is only slightly better than X6. This game has almost the same level of spike obsessions as that one, and it is very egregious.

Once again, I have to admit that I hate spikes as a video game obstacle. They're just beginners traps that screw the player over for not already knowing the level design, and instead of actually being a genuine challenge for the player, they're little more than a fake difficulty spike.

The only levels that don't have spikes in them are the Ride Chaser levels... which have two realms of quality.

Central White is ok, if not a little annoying for the miniboss taking a lot of time, but Dynasty is easily the worst level in the game hands down.

It's the only part of the game that controls like ass, feels like you're flying through fucking Coruscant with the amount of sign posts and shit you'll be careening into, it's a fucking mess. The devs seem to know that too because they didn't lock any hidden items or anything behind the stage.

Other stages of note though go to Inferno, the worst regular level of the game, because not only does it have 3 separate autoscrolling segments that can result in instant death, but it is also littered with spikes.

Booster Forest also sucks because the process of unlocking shit in that level all relies on bringing the one ride armor the game gives you to the end of the stage. I hate when games lock items behind gimmick mechanics, so this part just pisses me off. Also has a fuck ton of spikes so that's a bonus.

And of course, the Final Level is also a spike obsessed mess that gets on my nerves, I'd be more willing to give it a pass for having spikes if it wasn't for two things. The fact that X6 ruined Spikes in Final Levels for me, and the fact that the Retry System in this game has been completely ruined.

Since at least X5 (or maybe X4, it's been a hot minute since I've played that one), when you would game over, the game would just let you start from your last checkpoint. This is kind of what mitigated the shittiness of the level/boss design from X6 to X7.

This is not the case in X8. If you run out of retries, you are forced to go back to the R&D Lab and pick the stage and start over. By default you only get 2 retries, and you have to buy more to get a max of 5, and if any of those bought ones go away, you have to buy them again. It just feels like an unnecessary and honestly dickish change given that the Level Design ain't that much improved from X6.

Then there's the Metal System. I'm mixed on this because while it fixes problems that were created by the X5-X7 era of Mega Man, it also just doesn't feel 100% like the best decision to make.

First of all, Heart Tanks no longer exist. You buy health upgrades for all of the characters in the R&D Lab. While I appreciate this feature, it could have just been simpler to keep the Heart Tanks but make it so that it raises the health of the entire party. That way the exploration for those upgrades would feel more earned. It's more of a minor complaint since the exploration for items is still there, but this is a solution for a problem that didn't need to exist in the first place.

Secondly, certain upgrades can only be found. This includes Zero's weapons and stuff. This isn't a bad thing, except in Booster Forest where almost all of that shit is locked behind utilizing the Ride Armor. Trying to get the items in Booster Forest is ten times more difficult than the Final Boss of the game, and not in a fun way. Even the smallest mistake will result in your run being restarted, and it fucking sucks.

Back onto the good side of things, I like the Double Attack, which allows the two characters (they kept that mechanic from X7) to do a massive attack on an enemy or boss for big damage. I actually like the Dual Character system in general in this game, as many of the problems it had from X7 have been mitigated. Here, if one of your characters dies, instead of losing a life, you are simply switched to the other character, and if you raise your Double Attack meter enough, the other character will be revived.

You also have a health system that works similarly to the Mother series, where it slowly goes down but can be recovered if you switch characters. It's honestly a very neat system.

All in all, Mega Man X8 couldn't make up for the failings of its predecessors, but here's hoping that maybe someday it will get the sequel it rightfully deserves.

This was definitely still the worst 8/10 I've ever played though.

X8 should have the reputation of a bad game. I don't care that X7 is technically a worse game, this game has some hideous fuckin stage design both first time through and on replays. The movement is actually pretty fun, but you get to enjoy it so little because of how gimmicky so many stages are and require you to move in certain ways. The Bamboo Pandemonium stage is one of the most freeform, but it requires Ride Armor to do most of the shit in it that I barely want to count it. The upgrade system also kinda sucks ass because of how expensive everything gets so you have to do tedious grinding shit to get all of your tools. Like fuck dude, why is so hard to just make a megaman game with better movement and fun boss fights? The tutorial stage is the only good part of this game.