Banished from the Order of Scientists, Dr. Wily finally gets his revenge. The research that had earned him opprobrium in front of his colleagues will allow him to take control of eight powerful robots supposed to work in the service of humanity. His goal: to turn them against those who humiliated him when he was only a young researcher. This is the starting point of this eleventh episode of Megaman, which is based on a formula that has long been classified as a historical heritage of humanity: these eight robots converted into a killing machine must be eliminated in the order the player wishes. But determined in a timely manner, the chosen order can greatly facilitate things, since the weapon obtained by defeating one of these bosses can prove to be particularly effective against one of his colleagues. Finally, this, everyone already knows, knowing that, before arriving at this end-of-level duel, you have to go through a route that is not really easy. But, again, connoisseurs know what to expect: behind his little face and his big round eyes, each enemy is always more vicious, not hesitating to attack when you least expect it. The levels themselves are no exception and overflow with equally devious traps, between the slippery floors, the wall of flame that pursues the hero, or even the bouncing surfaces, each zone presents itself as a real test of patience and skill. skill; and there is no need to dwell on the usual precipices and sharp spikes at the origin of so many tragedies since the 1980s.
BLUES FOR BLUES
You also have to keep in mind that this is an old-school Megaman: that is to say, no wall bouncing or dash, strictly speaking, even if the slide can occasionally serve as it. The newcomers are therefore likely to spend the first few hours difficult and to chain the Game Over. Fortunately, the Capcom team was able to show generosity by offering several levels of difficulty. If the Beginner mode is really aimed at the most casual players, the Easy mode already puts average players to the test by leaving a greater margin of error thanks to the five lives granted, compared to three for the Normal mode. . Besides the adjustable difficulty level, Megaman 11 also includes new mechanics that should help the player out of particularly perilous situations. Indeed, it is possible to trigger at any time one of the two powers that are the Speed Gear and the Power Gear. The first slows down the action while the second doubles the firepower. In the most critical moments, when the character's energy falls below a certain threshold, you can even call on Double Gear which combines these two effects. However, keep in mind that the use of these two skills is limited, and their prolonged activation leads to overheating, which makes them unavailable for a few moments. That's why, even if they are very practical, the Speed Gear and Power Gear still do not transform the game into a walk in the park; this should reassure experienced players. It is also possible to acquire help items as well as various skills at Dr. Light's laboratory. We find, for example, a chip that accelerates the reloading of Gear, health or energy reserves for secondary weapons or even a bonus that makes it possible to avoid a fatal fall. So, even if the game can be discouraging, it may be enough to be well equipped to overcome the obstacle that poses so many problems.
THE RECIPE FOR SUCCESS
This eleventh classic Megaman is not content to enrich the game system, since it abandons the pixelated 2D still in use in episodes 9 and 10 for graphics made of polygons. The result, all in roundness and colors, does not necessarily lack charm, especially since the whole is very clean, thanks to a cartoon-like texture which makes everything very smooth and to the animation of an irreproachable fluidity. . But we can still regret that the game does not display more details and animations in the sets, resulting in a fairly bland rendering most of the time. And for the thirtieth anniversary of the saga, we would have liked a real fireworks display on that side. Fortunately, the levels compensate for this weakness by a more than respectable length and by their variety. Especially since they each rely on a different idea of playability, which makes it possible to renew the sensations. If that's not enough, a Challenge mode allows them to be replayed under new conditions: by encouraging the player to limit the number of jumps or shots or by imposing a timer. It is then possible to share your scores online in the rankings in order to shine in front of the whole world or more simply to find a source of motivation to surpass yourself. In the end, if we can be choosy in the face of a few weaknesses, it would come more from the comparison with the many clones generated by the indie scene, which have sometimes taken up the formula with great talent. On the other hand, in absolute terms, Megaman 11 remains a very solid action / platform game.
