Mega Man X8

"X has returned…and he’s brought Zero and Axel along with him!"

Oh yes, Megaman X. Capcom's legendary (well semi-legendary) Megaman franchise. My story: I've really been into the blue bomber ever since the beginning, as a small child I used to watch my cousin play Megaman games (like the original Megaman and Megaman Legends 1 & 2 for the Playstation) and occasionally he'd let ME have a go at it and man I had a blast! So really they were the first games I had ever played, and essentially is what introduced me to videogames.

So when Capcom started making the "X" series, I jumped right on it. (And I currently own the X Collection, containing X1-6). What I love in particular about “Megaman X” is that up until now, it has stuck with the ancient 2D style of gaming… but let's face it, Megaman X6 was when the series started going downhill. And then after the disaster known as X7 came, I was REALLY beginning lose faith in this series. But I was willing to give the series another chance to bounce back. Seriously how could they do ANY worse than X7? So I bought X8 practically when the day it came out and honestly wasn't expecting much but the results are quite… shocking. It seems that Capcom REALLY tried to make a good game this time. X4 is still my favorite in the series but X8 came in at a close second!

Gameplay: 9/10

Now this is where X7 really lost respect, because well, it didn't deserve any. The action was boring and repetitive. Running was ridiculously slow. And the newbie, Axel, was horrible to say the least. We thought that using twin guns for a change was going to be fun, but his shooting was extremely slow and weak.

But X8's game play is thankfully much more awesome. Thank god! Capcom decided to take away the 3D environments. Yep, MMX returns to it's 2D roots (just with 3D graphics). Most notably perhaps is the very fast/responsive actions you get here. As always Zero has a variety of elemental moves to execute with his trademark Z-saber. X has his standard X buster that can now charge up to 3 different levels. And, Axl has been especially improved on. His hovering is much more controlled and his guns shoot rapidly when on ground level (Much like Bass).

Something new to the series (that was introduced in X7) was the ability to switch between characters. Yes, it's still here, but now it's actually helpful. For example, if you are ever caught or clamped by an enemy you can call in the other character to break yourself free. Also, when your Attack Gauge is full you can use what is called a “Double-Attack” which is described as a “super-powerful combo”. It's when both character's appear on screen in a sort of matrix void and use their attacks to destroy things in your way. This visually cool and new ability is capable of doing serious damage to bosses and wiping all enemies off the screen. Which is very useful.

Graphics: 8.3/10

The graphics of X8 in itself is pretty good. Most of the special effects are nicely done, the boss explosions are looking better than ever. The enemies, for the most part are recycled from past games but look very nice. As for the stage environments, personally I found them to be very creative and lush. In a nutshell X8 returns with a very simple 3D graphics engine that is more cartoonish than before, but looks great all the same.

Some people aren't taken to the new character designs though (such as the thinner leg parts and such) but I personally love them! And I like zero's new hair. It's longer, thinner, and pointier. Looks awesome. The graphics for the character's themselves though is “meh” material. They're very basic and close up look like a bunch of blocks put together… but they at least look good during game play. Which is all that matters.
Megaman X8 also introduces a new style of cutscenes which is a combination of both an anime looking art style mixed in with 3D cg graphics. Which looks absolutely fantastic They even outdo the anime clips that X4 gave us. Which you will see from the very first scene of the game. Trust me you will love it.

Story: 8.5/10

Now Megaman X games have never really been known for their story... If anything were they were known for the cool classic / ancient gameplay and feel to them. But this Megaman is different. There actually IS a story this time that is fleshier and clearer than the previous games. In a nutshell, there is this new orbital elevator called the "Jacob" project which allows humans to migrate to the moon. The director of the project, Lumine, though is suddenly kidnapped by (an old villain favorite) Vile.

Not only that, but there are copies of Sigma running around thanks to a newly created DNA chip. (Gee? Wonder if he's coming back again?) Plus in X8 they put a lot more character dialogue in it. Pretty much after every mission there is a small scene of character's speaking to each other. It made the game flow very good. It a nutshell there is a lot of excitement in this storyline and the ending was quite surprising. I'm sure X fans will be impressed.

Sound/Music: 9/10

The sound in this game is excellent. All the effects sound great, fitting, and futuristic. And yes, the stupid, questionable voice acting of X7 is also nowhere to be found in this game. The voices this time around fit the characters perfectly. (I think that they're the same VA's from “Command Mission” but I'm not totally sure.) Anyways, X now sounds like a responsible leader who's been on “the force” too long. Zero sounds like a badass, and a bit more full of himself. And Axl sounds like a rookie, as it should be.

Now on to the music… It is really awesome. This is the best Megaman X soundtrack to date! You'd have to be crazy not to like it. Seriously just listen to the music that plays when you take control of the robots in the jungle stage. The awesome uplifting trademark guitar music is better than ever. It never gets repetitive or distracting either, it's flawless! 2 thumbs up!

Overall: 8/10

This is an excellent game and I think that it's definitely one that all should give a shot. It's a tad too easy and short but it's got great gameplay, a good story, nice environments and awesome music. Megaman fans rejoice!!!

Rent or Buy:

Simple. If you're new to the X series, definitely give this game a rent. You should be able to beat it VERY quickly. But be warned, after you've returned it you may find yourself wanting to come back and experience it again. If you ARE a fan, and have been waiting for the resurrection of the X series this is a must buy! Ultimately, the choice is yours.

Reviewer's Score: 8/10, Originally Posted: 01/04/06, Updated 05/27/08

Game Release: Mega Man X8 (US, 12/07/04)