Mega Man X8

"One of the best Megaman games out there"

Now don't get me wrong it's not that the earlier games were bad or anything. The first 4 games were great. But X5 was a slight disapointment, but nothing major really. Then X6 came out which actually had a good story but didn't seem to have the Megaman flare that we all used to love. And when X7came out (which was just plain awful) I began to think that CAPCOM was starting to lose their touch and I began to lose interest in the X series. Then we fast forward to X8 ( bought it on a limb) greatly exceeded my expectations and got me back into the spirit of Megaman!

Story: 9/10

Now I've played many X games before and you of course always know the formula ( Play first level, Defeat 8 Mavericks, do last level, defeat Sigma) but the twist in this is that in this game, Sigma is in it, but he isn't actually the true mastermind this time, but I won't totally spoil anything for you. And it really opens a great depth in the story that I really noticed and I'm sure that you will too. And I'm sure that Megaman X fans will be impressed.

Controls/Gameplay: 9/10

The gameplay this time around is so much better! It is also much smarter. Unlike the awkward controls in X7. The controls are pretty much the same and are a pleasure to control now, but you've also got some new moves. Such as, the double attack (which is very cool) and the tag assists and co - op moves.

Characters: 9/10

Characters have also improved this time. Especially with their personalities.But of course the real important thing is how useful they are in gameplay. And I've got to say that they are all very useful! Every character has a special move to break barriers and the weapons from bosses are also pretty good. But what I noticed was that Axl was especially improved on. I mean in X7 he barely pulled his own weight with his slow speed and weak gunshots. But you will not see it here as he now has a rapid fire ability (much like Bass) that can shoot in 8 different directions and also has a much more controlled hovering move. Plus he's got about the best boss weapons of all 3 characters. He's ust great now! You might actually find it tough to choose which 2 characters you want to bring on each mission. Plus they also bring back an old villian favorite, that's right, vile.

Sound: 8/10

The sound in this game is sooooo much better than in X7 , which had a weird techno funk sound to it and questionable voice acting. But anyway , pretty much all the music in this game is very well done for each level in the game and for most cutscenes. All the sound effects are great and none of them are annoying. Plus the voice acting is a lot better! All the voices in my opinion are all very perfect for each character. X, Zero, Axl, Sigma, and most of the bosses all sound much cooler. I mean as long as they don't make another flame hyenard, it's all good. But the music isn't really that memorable.
Graphics: 8/10

The graphics in this game are definitely a step up from X7. No more lame cel shading or anything like that. Well I'll just start off by saying that all the backgrounds are simply beautiful and are a joy to play in. And the characters well I docked off a few points here because the characters designs are still a little rough around the edges but they're really fun to control. Just a minor thing really…

Overall:

You will easily be able to tell that CAPCOM actually put a lot of effort into this game unlike in X5-7. Pretty much everything in X8 is rock solid and will bring you back the Megaman that we all know and love. And bringing an old favorite like Vile really let's you know that Capcom has really been listening to the fans so that they could make the ultimate X game.

Buy or Rent:

If you are a fan of the series then you should definentily buy this, it will be a worthy addition to your collection. Although it will be slightly different from the older games it will still have the old flare that we fell in love with. If you are a newcomer then you should rent first, see if you like it, and then decide whether you want to keep it or not.

I hope I helped you make a decision. Until my next review…

Reviewer's Score: 9/10, Originally Posted: 09/26/05