Review: Mega Man X Legacy Collection Volume 2
At a Glance
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How to Save and Pause:Each game in this collection features its own set of save slots, though none of them have an autosave feature. The player must choose to save their progress between levels. This can be a bit of an issue in X7, as the dialogues aren't set up normally. To pause any of the games, simply bring up your character's inventory screen by pressing ESC. Time needed per session:Plan to play for upwards of twenty minutes at a time, as the levels in these game are fairly large and can take more than ten minutes to complete.
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Does this game pose issues for Christian players?
 | Some players may have concerns The advanced robots in these games are intended to be seen as people, which implies that destroying them is supposed to be equivalent to an execution or murder. However, by this point in the series, it's fairly common knowledge that the evil robots were reprogrammed or otherwise manipulated by someone else. The villains also tend to be more insane and power hungry in this part of the series, which makes them much less sympathetic. |
Screenshots
![[view screenshot]](../images/screenshots/mega_man_x_legacy_collection_2_0.jpg)
![[view screenshot]](../images/screenshots/mega_man_x_legacy_collection_2_1.jpg)
![[view screenshot]](../images/screenshots/mega_man_x_legacy_collection_2_2.jpg)
Game Overview
If you don't count the spin off titles, the Mega Man X series lasted for eight games, and when Capcom decided to release them via their legacy collection series, they split these eight game into two volumes of four games each. Back when I reviewed the first volume, I wrote that this felt arbitrary - it didn't follow the systems the games were for, nor did it follow the storyline. But, after playing through this volume, I think I may have discovered why they were divided up like this.
The first four Mega Man X titles felt like an extension of the Mega Man Classic games. The stakes were higher, and now the player could search the stages to find hidden upgrades that made X stronger. X3 and X4 also allowed you to play as X's partner Zero. But despite the added drama and theatrics, these still felt like a Mega Man title as heart.
Mega Man X5 began a shift in the series' gameplay. Players read about a group known as the Maverick Hunters in the previous games, but they were never shown. From X5 onwards, we'd see the entire organization in action, with X and Zero becoming elite soldiers. This also means that they would now be shown taking orders from superior officers.
Several other gameplay and story changes were also made to reflect the Mega Man X's more fleshed out universe. X's ability to copy a Maverick's weapons and abilities was now explained through the use of Reploid "DNA", a sort of synthetic blueprint that could be gathered from parts of a broken or damaged Reploid. The strange properties of Reploid DNA became the cornerstone of the series' stories from here on out. In particular, Sigma's DNA (and its viral nature) becomes very important.
These later games also introduced the concept of rescuing innocent Reploids from the Maverick-controlled areas. Earlier on, the player only encountered an innocent bystander when the story required it, but now that Mavericks are shown violently taking over existing civilian and military installations, we're also shown how war affects everyone. Reploids who were not able to escape when the fighting began ended up trapped in the crossfire, and it's up to the player to find them and teleport them to safety. In X6 and X7, you really need to prioritize rescuing them, as they can be killed by nearby Mavericks. Worse, unlike the player, they won't respawn when killed.
Unfortunately, as interesting as all this world building could've been, the original plan was for X5 to be the series finale. All of the lingering plot threads are neatly tied up, and its ending was tailored to lead into the new Mega Man Zero franchise. Mega Man X's time in the spotlight was over, and a new world was going to be available for players to explore through a reincarnation of Zero.
This didn't happen. Instead, more games were released without input from the series' creator, and it doesn't take much to see that the new developers were struggling to find ways to keep the series alive. X6 experimented with ways to have stages affect each other, a new Nightmare virus was added to make rescuing Reploids more difficult, bizarre level designs made progressing frustrating, and there are even some bosses that are immune to normal attacks. X7 clumsily tried to shift the 2D gameplay into 3D (with very mixed results), made X unplayable for most of his own game, and shifted the focus onto a new character named Axl, whose whiney and bratty attitude proved more annoying than anything.
On the plus side, X8 fixed nearly all of these problems by returning to the traditional 2D gameplay, dropping the rescuing concept, letting the player play as X for the entire game, and giving Axl a much needed overhaul. X8's story also provides a satisfying conclusion to the series, even if it doesn't lead in to the Mega Man Zero line directly.
Looking at this collection as a whole, I have to admit that many gamers will only want this package for X5 and X8; the other two games clearly aren't up to the franchise's usual level of quality. Since you're going to be skipping half of the content, I'd suggest waiting for it to go on sale before picking it up.
The first four Mega Man X titles felt like an extension of the Mega Man Classic games. The stakes were higher, and now the player could search the stages to find hidden upgrades that made X stronger. X3 and X4 also allowed you to play as X's partner Zero. But despite the added drama and theatrics, these still felt like a Mega Man title as heart.
Mega Man X5 began a shift in the series' gameplay. Players read about a group known as the Maverick Hunters in the previous games, but they were never shown. From X5 onwards, we'd see the entire organization in action, with X and Zero becoming elite soldiers. This also means that they would now be shown taking orders from superior officers.
Several other gameplay and story changes were also made to reflect the Mega Man X's more fleshed out universe. X's ability to copy a Maverick's weapons and abilities was now explained through the use of Reploid "DNA", a sort of synthetic blueprint that could be gathered from parts of a broken or damaged Reploid. The strange properties of Reploid DNA became the cornerstone of the series' stories from here on out. In particular, Sigma's DNA (and its viral nature) becomes very important.
These later games also introduced the concept of rescuing innocent Reploids from the Maverick-controlled areas. Earlier on, the player only encountered an innocent bystander when the story required it, but now that Mavericks are shown violently taking over existing civilian and military installations, we're also shown how war affects everyone. Reploids who were not able to escape when the fighting began ended up trapped in the crossfire, and it's up to the player to find them and teleport them to safety. In X6 and X7, you really need to prioritize rescuing them, as they can be killed by nearby Mavericks. Worse, unlike the player, they won't respawn when killed.
Unfortunately, as interesting as all this world building could've been, the original plan was for X5 to be the series finale. All of the lingering plot threads are neatly tied up, and its ending was tailored to lead into the new Mega Man Zero franchise. Mega Man X's time in the spotlight was over, and a new world was going to be available for players to explore through a reincarnation of Zero.
This didn't happen. Instead, more games were released without input from the series' creator, and it doesn't take much to see that the new developers were struggling to find ways to keep the series alive. X6 experimented with ways to have stages affect each other, a new Nightmare virus was added to make rescuing Reploids more difficult, bizarre level designs made progressing frustrating, and there are even some bosses that are immune to normal attacks. X7 clumsily tried to shift the 2D gameplay into 3D (with very mixed results), made X unplayable for most of his own game, and shifted the focus onto a new character named Axl, whose whiney and bratty attitude proved more annoying than anything.
On the plus side, X8 fixed nearly all of these problems by returning to the traditional 2D gameplay, dropping the rescuing concept, letting the player play as X for the entire game, and giving Axl a much needed overhaul. X8's story also provides a satisfying conclusion to the series, even if it doesn't lead in to the Mega Man Zero line directly.
Looking at this collection as a whole, I have to admit that many gamers will only want this package for X5 and X8; the other two games clearly aren't up to the franchise's usual level of quality. Since you're going to be skipping half of the content, I'd suggest waiting for it to go on sale before picking it up.
Points of Interest
The rest of the Mega Man X series
Mega Man X4 left some plot threads unresolved. By the end of the game, X was worried that he may go Maverick at some point, and there were hints of something dark in Zero's past. Both of these plot points were addressed in X5, which, as stated earlier, was the original finale. The other three games invented a new arc out of whole cloth, which may or may not be worth it depending on the player.
Rookie Hunter Mode makes a return
The Mega Man X series is generally considered to be harder than usual, so when Capcom released Mega Man X Legacy Collection Volume 1, they added a new feature called "Rookie Hunter mode". This reduces the game's difficulty by making the player's characters take much less damage than normal - in some cases this even makes them completely invulnerable to many attacks. This feature returns in this collection, with an added bonus: several games in this half of the series experimented with having the bosses grow stronger as you played. This is disabled when Rookie Hunter mode is on.
MMX8 is everything a good X game should be
In X8, the player has a lot of freedom to play as they want. Not only are you allowed to choose which characters to send into a level, you also have your choice of Navigator and can purchase permanent upgrades for your favorite Hunters. It's also possible to unlock each of the Navigators as a playable character.
Like the other games, there are two armors for X, but this time you can mix and match their parts to fit your preferences and playstyle, and you can also start using them as soon as you find them instead of needing to collect an entire set first. Should players prefer Zero or Axl, they can search out hidden "rare metals" to unlock new weapons and abilities for them.
Lastly, on top of all this, completing the game grants you a New Game Plus option. If you choose this, you'll start a new game with all of the metals and purchased upgrades you discovered already unlocked. Even better: if you complete the game on Normal or Hard difficulty and upgraded X to 100% strength, you'll start the New Game Plus with his Ultimate Armor!
Like the other games, there are two armors for X, but this time you can mix and match their parts to fit your preferences and playstyle, and you can also start using them as soon as you find them instead of needing to collect an entire set first. Should players prefer Zero or Axl, they can search out hidden "rare metals" to unlock new weapons and abilities for them.
Lastly, on top of all this, completing the game grants you a New Game Plus option. If you choose this, you'll start a new game with all of the metals and purchased upgrades you discovered already unlocked. Even better: if you complete the game on Normal or Hard difficulty and upgraded X to 100% strength, you'll start the New Game Plus with his Ultimate Armor!
Fun extras
In addition to the four Mega Man X games, there is a music player and gallery option. The music player is just a way to listen to the songs from the included games; it's a nice way to let people preview the music without requiring the player to purchase the actual soundtracks, but doesn't really provide much more than that. On the other hand, the gallery showcases artwork and merchandise that was produced to promote, develop, or otherwise monetize the Mega Man X series.
Steam community features
Players who enjoy collecting Steam trading cards will be happy to know that this game has a set available. The rest of us will be interested in the 52 achievements that can be earned during gameplay. Most of the achievements revolve around completing unique objectives, many of which require skill and careful planning. Additionally, the majority of these achievements can be earned while Rookie Hunter mode is enabled, so you can take your time working on them.
Unfortunately, a handful of the achievements involve things that, thanks to shoddy level design or gameplay mechanics, just aren't fun or are nearly impossible to achieve.
Unfortunately, a handful of the achievements involve things that, thanks to shoddy level design or gameplay mechanics, just aren't fun or are nearly impossible to achieve.
The rescuing system was badly handled
X5 introduced the idea of rescuing Reploids who had been trapped in the main stages, and it worked fairly well. It was an optional thing, and some of the rescuees carried special parts that the player could collect and use to augment their character's abilities.
The problems with this system began with X6, which is when it became possible for enemies to kill these "hostages". If a Reploid holding a key item is killed, then it's lost forever. To make things worse, some of these parts are needed to reach X's hidden upgrade capsules - if you can't get the part, you can't get the armor either, and since some of the late game levels were clearly made with X's new armors in mind, this can really ruin the game.
X7 wasn't quite as cruel about this - its version of the parts system is more like currency. If a Reploid held a "chip", you could spend it on any type of upgrade you wanted, so missing someone wasn't a big deal. But, just like in X6, enemies still often appear on top of the Reploids you are to save or begin firing on them before they're even visible to the player, resulting in the unlucky Reploid's near instant death.
Amazingly enough, the developers actually included achievements for rescuing all of the lost Reploids. Short of memorizing every single level or outright cheating, I don't see how anyone could've managed this herculean feat.
The problems with this system began with X6, which is when it became possible for enemies to kill these "hostages". If a Reploid holding a key item is killed, then it's lost forever. To make things worse, some of these parts are needed to reach X's hidden upgrade capsules - if you can't get the part, you can't get the armor either, and since some of the late game levels were clearly made with X's new armors in mind, this can really ruin the game.
X7 wasn't quite as cruel about this - its version of the parts system is more like currency. If a Reploid held a "chip", you could spend it on any type of upgrade you wanted, so missing someone wasn't a big deal. But, just like in X6, enemies still often appear on top of the Reploids you are to save or begin firing on them before they're even visible to the player, resulting in the unlucky Reploid's near instant death.
Amazingly enough, the developers actually included achievements for rescuing all of the lost Reploids. Short of memorizing every single level or outright cheating, I don't see how anyone could've managed this herculean feat.
X6 has some fun control issues
X6 added ropes for X and Zero climb on. It's an odd little mechanic, as it doesn't really feel like it needs to be there. Also in X6, Zero gains new ways to use his Z-Saber when you clear levels - a feature that originated in X4 to compensate for his lack of a copy ability. To use his special techniques, you press directional controls along with the fire buttons. And I'm sure you can guess where this is going: the rope mechanic and some of his special abilities use the same controls, and since his attacks have priority over the ropes, attempting to grab or move along a rope can send Zero flying to his death. This clear oversight is one of many signs that X6 was rushed to market.
MMX7 suffers from growing pains
It's almost always risky for a series to change genres, and X7's attempt to move a normally 2D series into 3D provides a case study in what can go wrong. To begin with, the camera shifts between a fixed perspective and an orbiting 3D perspective depending on where the player is in a stage, and during the 3D sections, it may or may not be under the player's control. This often results in it showing the player where they've been rather than where they're going - a bit of an issue when there are enemies or deadly pits around.
But as annoying as the gameplay can be, the game's menus are worse: every yes/no dialogue defaults to "no". Games normally have these questions default to "yes", so not only are extra steps added to every option, the player needs to consciously react every time they do something like save their game, return to another menu, or resume playing. There's literally no excuse for experienced developers to screw this up.
Of course, to add insult to injury, Capcom released Mega Man Legends, a competent 3D Mega Man-spin off game, five years before X7 was released!
But as annoying as the gameplay can be, the game's menus are worse: every yes/no dialogue defaults to "no". Games normally have these questions default to "yes", so not only are extra steps added to every option, the player needs to consciously react every time they do something like save their game, return to another menu, or resume playing. There's literally no excuse for experienced developers to screw this up.
Of course, to add insult to injury, Capcom released Mega Man Legends, a competent 3D Mega Man-spin off game, five years before X7 was released!
Concerns and Issues
Reploid on reploid violence
Reploids are "Replicant Androids", meaning they are intelligent robots that were based on X's unique blueprints. The entire Mega Man X series involves these robots fighting among themselves for various reasons - sometimes they choose to rebel, othertimes their will gets overridden by a malevolent mind-controlling computer virus.
While these battles don't depict blood or organic gore of any kind, Reploids are self-aware and considered to be people, unlike "mechanicaloids" or normal robots. This means that killing a Reploid (or overriding their software) is effectively equal to killing a human. Like it or not, the heroes are explicitly executioners in this series.
While these battles don't depict blood or organic gore of any kind, Reploids are self-aware and considered to be people, unlike "mechanicaloids" or normal robots. This means that killing a Reploid (or overriding their software) is effectively equal to killing a human. Like it or not, the heroes are explicitly executioners in this series.
Mild language
The last few games involve a surprising amount of talking for "action" games. This can get a little tiresome when the scenes drag on, but the main issue here is that several characters do use mild language, such as "what the heck?!" or "damn it!".
Evil-looking backgrounds in X6
In X6, the last few levels show giant monster-like robots being assembled in the background. This looks menacing and in some games, it might even be foreshadowing, but the player will never actually see these monsters in action. In fact, there isn't even an explanation for their presence; they're just sort of there.
Regarding the final boss of X8...
X8 may well be the first video game I've reviewed to invoke the "angelic boss" cliché. If you're not familiar with this, allow me to explain. You've probably seen a movie where the villain transforms into some vile, inhuman monster at the climax. This helps dehumanize the villain and allows the hero to slay them without as many moral issues.
Video games, like X8, sometimes invert this and have the villain turn into an angelic or saint-like being, often complete with wings and a halo. This may be seen as an attack on Christianity or similar religions, but from what I've read, it's often a way to showcase the villain's hubris instead of their monstrosity. Since the villain views themselves as the ultimate force for good or a type of savior figure, they choose to take on a "good and noble" form when fighting for their ideals. By this point, the player is very aware that those ideals are evil, which makes the divine imagery a clearly blasphemous self-exaltation.
Video games, like X8, sometimes invert this and have the villain turn into an angelic or saint-like being, often complete with wings and a halo. This may be seen as an attack on Christianity or similar religions, but from what I've read, it's often a way to showcase the villain's hubris instead of their monstrosity. Since the villain views themselves as the ultimate force for good or a type of savior figure, they choose to take on a "good and noble" form when fighting for their ideals. By this point, the player is very aware that those ideals are evil, which makes the divine imagery a clearly blasphemous self-exaltation.