Mega Man X: Command Mission

"A Good Simple RPG For People Who Like RPG's and MegaMan X Games"

Intro
MegaMan X Command Mission is Capcom's first MegaMan X RPG title. It has elements that make RPG's great, but it does not go into a lot of depth, which can be both good and bad. It is good because of its simplicity, but its bad because RPG enthusiasts will shy away from this game for its lack of comprehensive depth.

GamePlay--8/10
MegaMan X Command Mission has the basic RPG elements. It has the usual exp level up system, hit points (Life Energy in this game), magic points (Weapon Energy in this game), and stats such as Power and Defense. The interesting thing about this game is that it has Square-Enix's Final Fantasy X's tagging out character in the middle of battle without losing a turn and another aspect from Final Fantasy X which is the lack of a "ATB system". Instead, it follows along the line of Final Fantasy X with the use of a bar at the bottom right of the screen that shows you who's turn it is to attack.

Controls--10/10
The controls in this game is very simple. MegaMan X fans will be surprised that the dash button is the triangle button in this game. Other than this minor irregularity, the button layout is very simple and easy for any gamer to get used to. The controls are also very responsive.

Graphics--10/10
Although many people might argue that the cel-shading is not so great, I believe that it is very well done. It suits the MegaMan X environment well and there are very little "jaggies". The graphics are very colorful and vibrant which also adds to the overall feel of the game. The graphics in the cinematics are very similar to MegaMan X7's cel shaded, pseudo anime style cutscenes. There are very nicely done.

Replay Value--8/10
The replay value of this game is not very high. But there are a few nice things to do. After you complete the game once, you watch the credits and then save your file. Next to your save file, it will then say "CLEAR" indicating that you have beaten the game at least once. Once you load up that file, you can go back to previously beaten levels to explore and get items and equipment that you may have skipped over on your initial play. In MegaMan X Commamd Mission, you can also do things such as collecting different colors for X's "cape", collect action figures, and beat the infamous nine optional bosses (which is quite a challenge to do, but the rewards are great). A great thing about this game is that in the PS2 version, there is a "key item" in the game that you find. This "key item" unlocks a playable demo of the upcoming MegaMan X8. The demo is quite hard and will take some time getting used to (even for the MegaMan X fans).

Story--7/10
This is where the game loses some points. The simple story detracts some people from this game. The game is in the same usual style of a MegaMan X game. Go on a "Chapter", do the puzzles and various tasks, and then beat a boss at the end. There are 10 chapters in total. On the final chapter, you fight the bosses that you've encountered and beaten (like MegaMan X games usually do) and after that you beat the last boss.

Overall (not an average)--9/10
Although some people may disagree, I believe that this game is a definite buy especially if you're into the MegaMan X series and like RPG's. There will be times when you may get lost in the game (very unlikely though) and get frustrated (again...unlikely), but those are extremely minor things and chances are, you won't be troubled for too long. If you don't really like the MegaMan X series and just want an RPG, give this game at least a rental and if you like it, buy the game. Besides, it's only $39.99 right now, which is a not-so-high price for an RPG.

Reviewer's Score: 9/10, Originally Posted: 10/12/04