Mega Man X8

"What, Capcom actually put a lot of effort into this game?"

And boy does it show. Capcom's last few Megaman X games(most notably X6 and X7) weren't that good compared to other MMX titles. Now, some of you are probably wondering, "Hey BK, what about X5? That sucked." Well technically, it was a good MMX game all around. Great music, gameplay, and even unique elements to the series, so it only came down to personal preference on that one. And it had closure, can't beat that.

X6 and 7 seemed more like games to tide people over and still make money off of, as X6 was very difficult, kind of deceiving and somewhat unsettling(it did get a few things right though). X7 while not a terrible game, wasn't the usual X game, and did a lot of things wrong. And the worst crime against MMX fans committed in X7 was that Capcom crapified X, by making him an unlockable and toned his power down some(he isn't even worth being an unlockable character). And don't get me started on the inexcusable slowdown, redundant voice clips and questionable voice acting. But enough of that.

X8 is what X7 should've been. The usual X type of game we all know and love, for a new generation. X8 is a near perfect X game, and dare I say, is much better than X4?!

In X8, a new generation of reploids have taken up work for building a haven for Earth's inhabitants called the Jakob project. Well, Sigma's back, and he's trying to remove humans from existance, and rebuild the world into his vision. Sigma also seemed to have corrupted many reploids into a false sense of righteousness in his plight, which obviously isn't right. So, the maverick hunters have to stop these reploids from causing harm and destruction, and make sure that Sigma doesn't come back. Again.

Graphics:4.5/5

In my opinion, this is the most beautiful Megaman X game, ever. Screw the 2D bias, this is the most graphically proficient X game yet. I'll start with some of the cutscenes. At a glance, they actually look as if they're 2D anime style similar to X4, BUT THEY'RE NOT!!! They're very well done in 3D, animations, effects, everything. And some of the levels look very well done. There is some slowdown in at least one level, but it's not to a crawl like some parts of X7, and is temporary. The character models are also presented well, and don't look cartoony, but neither too high tech. For the most part, you'll be treated to classic Megaman X gameplay in a "2D" sidescrolling perspective, with 3D graphics. And the way the 3D world/perspective is seamlessly presented in the 2D way during gameplay, really compliments the game well. A big pat on the back is in order here.

Sounds:4/5

The sounds in this game are very acceptable. The tracks in levels are nice to listen to and contain metal, as well as techno styles, but unfortunately are more of the background kind this time around, than the high energy style of past games. They still sound very good though, and the sound effects will be familiar to X7 players in good quality. The voice acting has also been done well, as X, Axl, and Zero sound closer to their personailities in my opinion. X doesn't sound quiet like a meek college nerd anymore, Axl sounds more like the typical rebel gunslinger that still has a lot to learn, and Zero is more like the valley boy girls would want to spend time with on the beach, or surf with. They're much better to listen to than the voices from X7. The same can't be said for bosses though. While the voice acting isn't too bad, most of them sound too "similar". But, overall it's pretty good and you shouldn't be too frustrated hearing it.

Gameplay:5/5

This is how future X games should play. When you first start out(after you're done with the intro level), you'll have 8 mavericks to pummel. You can choose between X, Axl and Zero and then a partner from the same group. X can do the usual air dash and charge blasts, Zero can double jump and use multiple melee weapons, and Axl can shoot in all directions, hover around and copycat enemy abilities with his copy shot. All the characters have unique abilities to be obtained from bosses. Axl has new guns to use, X has the usual boss style weapons, and Zero has sword techniques. You can also upgrade your characters in the R&D lab, by buying them life, weapon, and other upgrades, some being unique to a character. Oh, did I mention that you have a currency system to buy all this now? You find different kinds of metals in many levels, and get big rewards from bosses.

Speaking of the R&D lab, this is where you'll prepare for your next mission. You can buy all kinds of items, like life bottles to restore energy, items to protect you from hazardous terrain, and even extra lives. As you progress through the game and fufill certain conditions, more items will be available to buy in the lab(the difficulty also affects what items are available at the start). New to the series is navigators, which serve as guides throughout the level. You have three to choose from(Pallette, Alia, and Layer), and all of them are pretty useful. Pallette helps to find you hidden routes, Layer gives you strategies on enemies, and Alia does a little bit of both. If you don't want help, you can also go solo. Aside from the tag ability from X7 included in the game, you can also do the double attack, which is an attack that allows your team to dish out a cool assualt on the affected enemies. This must be done when your charge gauge is full(which trust me, doesn't get full often), and then your attack must connect on an enemy to work. You can't abuse this attack either, so you have to rely on your skills for the most part to deal with your enemies.

Speaking of skill this game is...hard. Very hard. If you expect to go in guns a blazin' and come out alive, you'll be in for a rude awakening. Even with the multiple difficulties, none of them affect the gameplay difficulty significantly, so even on easy, you'll be frustrated at times(as some levels require trial and error). But, there's still fun to be had, and bosses provide a bit of challenge and surprise, while still being easy enough once you get the proper upgrades/strategy down. And of course, it wouldn't be good without extras. There's still X's armor parts to find(8 parts this time around, and you can choose which ones to use), armors for Axl and Zero, and other extras I won't spill the beans on.

Overall: 8/10
Like I said, this is the best X game yet. Challenging, graphically awesome, and variable experiences...this game is worth more than a rental. If you see this game, I recommend you buy it, and forget renting it. You can beat this game in a rent, but most likely not experience the entire game in 1 rent. And if you don't like hard games, you'll be spending many a rental. So I suggest you buy this, and encourage Capcom to keep putting this kind of effort into their Megaman games.

Reviewer's Score: 8/10, Originally Posted: 01/12/05