The first Mega Man X was absolutely revolutionary. It was one of the best action games of its time, and goes down in history as a legendary SNES platformer. I don't envy being in Capcom's shoes at this point: where do you go from that? Well, you take what worked in the first game, give it a fancy new Cx 4 chip, and try a fun new spin on it!
In terms of gameplay, X2 is quite similar to its predecessor. The new Air Dash allows for more complex platforming, and is overall a good choice - the Air Dash allows for precision, while the Dash Jump is there for distance. The addition of the Ride Chaser is fun, albeit underutilized. And the fights with the X-Hunters add an unbearable tension to the entire experience; dueling them for Zero's parts was a great incentive to get the player involved.
Capcom also pulled out all the stops in terms of creativity. The special weapons are cool and unique (Crystal Hunter basically turns the game into a completely new experience), and the Maverick bosses themselves are just *chef's kiss* mwah. Fighting Wheel Gator in the mud pit, Morph Moth's two-phase battle, Magna Centipede hacking X's systems, Overdrive Ostrich interacting with the background - it's all so neat! The boss fights are slightly less solid and predictable than in X1 imo, but they're so bombastic and unique that it makes up for it.
Unfortunately, despite these improvements, I can't help but feel like some of the magic was lost. Things are improved, but they're not really changed. It almost feels like a DLC pack or an updated rerelease. Not to mention the story is much weaker, and thematically doesn't resonate as much with the player - saving Zero is cool, but it's not nearly as powerful as the desire to grow stronger present in X1's ludonarrative. The X-Hunters are boring antagonists, not nearly as compelling as Vile was; I didn't mind having Sigma return as the final boss, but it was definitely the start of a trend that would grow old fast.
X2 could have been the Majora's Mask or the Metroid Prime 2 to X1 - a new spin on an old classic, revamped and made a completely new and exciting experience. Instead, it feels like a safe bet. I think if they had pushed the envelope more of what a Mega Man X game can be, it would have been an innovative gamble. While avoiding the risk of it turning out bad, they also avoided the risk of it turning out really freaking good. It's a bit of a shame.
But otherwise, it's honestly a great game. X2 still stands out as one of the best action platformers on the SNES, and is a solid title in the Mega Man X series.
An Admirable Sequel
The first Mega Man X was absolutely revolutionary. It was one of the best action games of its time, and goes down in history as a legendary SNES platformer. I don't envy being in Capcom's shoes at this point: where do you go from that? Well, you take what worked in the first game, give it a fancy new Cx 4 chip, and try a fun new spin on it!
In terms of gameplay, X2 is quite similar to its predecessor. The new Air Dash allows for more complex platforming, and is overall a good choice - the Air Dash allows for precision, while the Dash Jump is there for distance. The addition of the Ride Chaser is fun, albeit underutilized. And the fights with the X-Hunters add an unbearable tension to the entire experience; dueling them for Zero's parts was a great incentive to get the player involved.
Capcom also pulled out all the stops in terms of creativity. The special weapons are cool and unique (Crystal Hunter basically turns the game into a completely new experience), and the Maverick bosses themselves are just *chef's kiss* mwah. Fighting Wheel Gator in the mud pit, Morph Moth's two-phase battle, Magna Centipede hacking X's systems, Overdrive Ostrich interacting with the background - it's all so neat! The boss fights are slightly less solid and predictable than in X1 imo, but they're so bombastic and unique that it makes up for it.
Unfortunately, despite these improvements, I can't help but feel like some of the magic was lost. Things are improved, but they're not really changed. It almost feels like a DLC pack or an updated rerelease. Not to mention the story is much weaker, and thematically doesn't resonate as much with the player - saving Zero is cool, but it's not nearly as powerful as the desire to grow stronger present in X1's ludonarrative. The X-Hunters are boring antagonists, not nearly as compelling as Vile was; I didn't mind having Sigma return as the final boss, but it was definitely the start of a trend that would grow old fast.
X2 could have been the Majora's Mask or the Metroid Prime 2 to X1 - a new spin on an old classic, revamped and made a completely new and exciting experience. Instead, it feels like a safe bet. I think if they had pushed the envelope more of what a Mega Man X game can be, it would have been an innovative gamble. While avoiding the risk of it turning out bad, they also avoided the risk of it turning out really freaking good. It's a bit of a shame.
But otherwise, it's honestly a great game. X2 still stands out as one of the best action platformers on the SNES, and is a solid title in the Mega Man X series.