Completed using Mega Man X Legacy Collection 2 on Switch. Played on normal difficulty, and achieved a 100% save file, which involved finding all of the Rare Metals and hidden upgrades. Unlike with MMX1-4, I played this one almost exclusively in Rookie Hunter Mode; I did give it a genuine effort at first, but soon caved in and decided I wanted a more relaxed experience (I attribute this to the oddly restrictive continues system).
After the disappointment that was X5, its disastrous sequel X6, and the lousy excuse for a game X7 was trying to be (which I didn't even finish), I happy to report that Mega Man X8 was breath of fresh air, and a bona fide improvement over its three predecessors. I wouldn't go so far as to rate it as highly as X4, but it truly made an effort to get the series back on track and push it further.
Positives: First off, the opening stage is excellent, and effectively introduces everything the player needs to know. We have three playable characters: X, Zero, and Axl, each with their own strengths in combat as well as platforming. Only two of the three can be brought into a stage at a time, but you can swap between them at the press of a button, and even perform powerful double attacks. The navigation system also gets an overhaul, offering three different navigators, each with their own useful information, and it gives you the option to not only ignore individual transmissions, but also to turn them off completely. And best of all, the X series has finally caught up to the classic series with its own shop system, allowing you to buy handy items with Metals you've collected, or develop advanced gear by retrieving Rare Metals, which are in limited supply. On top of all these improvements, many of the irritating design choices from X5-6 have been reverted, leaving us with a game that feels fresh, not antiquated or afraid to innovate.
Negatives: Unfortunately, this game is far from perfect, I'm afraid. My initial impression was that the gimmicky stages were creative and even fun, but that was only because I unknowingly started with the better ones like Gravity Antonion and Optic Sunflower's stages. Once I got to the likes of Avalanche Yeti and Gigavolt Man-O-War's stages, I realized where the criticisms of this game were aimed at. The rest of the stages were, for better or worse, memorable, and they were certainly hard as well, what with the controls. They're certainly tight as any other MMX game, but everything just feels so FAST; you jump faster, fall faster and even slide down walls faster, and yet somehow dashing feels slow, making for some very demanding platforming. My last major criticism is aimed at the bosses; I will say that they're far more engaging than the last few entries', but they have these overwhelmingly long periods of invulnerability, and it's not always clear when you can hit them without your attack deflecting off. This was very frustrating in the late game, and I'm sure it would've driven me mad had I not played on Rookie Hunter Mode.
In summary, Mega Man X8 easily cleared the bar that had been steadily lowered to hell by X5-7, but it hardly feels like a satisfying conclusion to the series. For nearly every little thing I enjoyed about it, another small thing came along to detract from my experience further, making the game feel like a long match of tug-of-war. I'd surely recommend it to Mega Man fans disillusioned by X series' steep decline, but not to anyone else.
After the disappointment that was X5, its disastrous sequel X6, and the lousy excuse for a game X7 was trying to be (which I didn't even finish), I happy to report that Mega Man X8 was breath of fresh air, and a bona fide improvement over its three predecessors. I wouldn't go so far as to rate it as highly as X4, but it truly made an effort to get the series back on track and push it further.
Positives: First off, the opening stage is excellent, and effectively introduces everything the player needs to know. We have three playable characters: X, Zero, and Axl, each with their own strengths in combat as well as platforming. Only two of the three can be brought into a stage at a time, but you can swap between them at the press of a button, and even perform powerful double attacks. The navigation system also gets an overhaul, offering three different navigators, each with their own useful information, and it gives you the option to not only ignore individual transmissions, but also to turn them off completely. And best of all, the X series has finally caught up to the classic series with its own shop system, allowing you to buy handy items with Metals you've collected, or develop advanced gear by retrieving Rare Metals, which are in limited supply. On top of all these improvements, many of the irritating design choices from X5-6 have been reverted, leaving us with a game that feels fresh, not antiquated or afraid to innovate.
Negatives: Unfortunately, this game is far from perfect, I'm afraid. My initial impression was that the gimmicky stages were creative and even fun, but that was only because I unknowingly started with the better ones like Gravity Antonion and Optic Sunflower's stages. Once I got to the likes of Avalanche Yeti and Gigavolt Man-O-War's stages, I realized where the criticisms of this game were aimed at. The rest of the stages were, for better or worse, memorable, and they were certainly hard as well, what with the controls. They're certainly tight as any other MMX game, but everything just feels so FAST; you jump faster, fall faster and even slide down walls faster, and yet somehow dashing feels slow, making for some very demanding platforming. My last major criticism is aimed at the bosses; I will say that they're far more engaging than the last few entries', but they have these overwhelmingly long periods of invulnerability, and it's not always clear when you can hit them without your attack deflecting off. This was very frustrating in the late game, and I'm sure it would've driven me mad had I not played on Rookie Hunter Mode.
In summary, Mega Man X8 easily cleared the bar that had been steadily lowered to hell by X5-7, but it hardly feels like a satisfying conclusion to the series. For nearly every little thing I enjoyed about it, another small thing came along to detract from my experience further, making the game feel like a long match of tug-of-war. I'd surely recommend it to Mega Man fans disillusioned by X series' steep decline, but not to anyone else.