Developer: Capcom Publisher: Capcom Release: 10/14/03 Genre: Action
I have played many bad games in the 30+ years I’ve been gaming. And Mega Man X7 is legitimately one of the worst. After the bad reception to the sixth game Capcom took their time to try and reinvent the series. As much as I would like to say they were successful I cannot. From top to bottom Mega Man X7 is a failure. There are few redeeming qualities in Mega Man X7 and even the most diehard Mega Man fans should stay far away.
The various wars against Maverick reploids have taken their toll on Mega Man X. Seeking a new way to find peace he retires from active duty. Various maverick hunting groups emerge in the wake of his retirement with Red Alert being the most prestigious. Unfortunately their methods are incredibly violent, leading their youngest member Axl to leave. Their leader Red refuses to accept this and goes as far as declaring war on the Maverick Hunters to get him back.
Looking back it is honestly a miracle that we received four 2d Mega Man titles on the original PlayStation. Now granted two of those were at the end of the system’s life but I digress. It was inevitable that it would have to make the jump to 3d like many classic series before it. Unfortunately Mega Man X7 is a victim of the same growing pains that plagued Castlevania and Contra. The game uses a mix of side-scrolling 2d and free roaming 3d and both have serious problems. Had they stuck to one viewpoint and polished it the game could have been decent. But it would still have glaring flaws that most cannot ignore.
Both Axl and Zero are initially the only playable characters. Before entering a level you pick two characters and can switch at any time. Since both have separate life bars and abilities it adds a strategic element to the action. Probably the game’s greatest asset is the great lengths Capcom went to make them distinct. Zero has lost his X-Buster but can reflect enemy projectiles. His double jump also returns but honestly outside of that he pales next to Axl and X.
Axl is the most interesting of the trio. Axl cannot double jump like Zero but he can hover for a few seconds. His gun cannot be charged but he possesses a more interesting ability. The copy shot lets you take on the appearance and abilities of certain enemies for a brief period. Copying enemies is crucial to rescue many reploids throughout the levels. Unfortunately outside of that it doesn’t see much use. X becomes available once you have rescued 64 reploids or destroyed the eight main bosses. He remains largely unchanged from prior games. Unfortunately by the time you gain X he is underpowered; the upgrade system from X5 & 6 returns however you must use the parts immediately and they can’t be changed.
While Mega Man X7 is 3d it uses a combination of both 2d side-scrolling and full 3d levels. The 2d segments are similar to Klonoa. The camera shifts frequently while you move on a linear path. It can be very cinematic and in these moments the game will remind you of past installments. While it lacks the precision and tight platforming of its predecessors it is at least enjoyable. There aren’t as many secrets but it at least feels solid.
Anytime the game shifts to 3d it completely dies in a fire. The biggest offender is the atrocious camera. You have no means of camera control and are at its mercy. The game frequently leaves you with a sub optimal view which leads to cheap deaths. Most of the 3d segments are in tight corridors or wide open arenas. Both are wonky as you deal with offscreen enemies and badly placed platforms. The auto targeting frequently doesn’t work which leaves X and Axl helpless. Zero has to get in close and will often suffer damage. That one flaw makes these sections an absolute chore to trudge through.
What makes these flaws so much worse is that they ruin the few times the level designers try to be adventurous. Hopping from plane to plane in Wing Crowrang’s stage should be thrilling but instead is a nightmare. The Cyber field is a confusing mess of platforms and walls that are hard to see because of the camera. Once you flip gravity the controls are reversed and it completely ruins the stage. The horrible bike controls in Ride Boarski’s short level are more of a hassle than they should be. I could keep going but I’ll stop as I’m getting angry just typing this out.
It should come as no surprise that this is one of the most difficult games in the series. The game is incredibly stingy with energy capsules. Most of your healing will come from saving captured reploids. The camera chooses to shift at the worst possible moments and causes cheap deaths. Checkpoints are badly placed; don’t be surprised if you start each level from the beginning after most deaths. The difficulty should come from careful design, not a creaky system of flaws. And I have not even gotten to the boss mavericks yet.
Boss battles are the highlight of any Mega Man game. Yet in Mega Man X7 not only are they disappointing they are frustrating. If you do not have their weakness prepare to spend ten minutes or more whittling down their massive life bars. And even then these battles can still take a long time. Some of these fights are among the worst I have encountered in my entire gaming history. Flame Hyenard is a combination of mechanics that do not work and on top of that he features some of the most annoying and repetitive voice clips. Snipe Anteater is……I won’t even go into it. God this game makes me so mad!
Mega Man X7 is visually inconsistent and a bit amateurish. The character models are cel shaded and simple in design but translate well in 3d. The levels are creative in their design and while the texturing work can be ugly at times it is still solid. Once again though the stupid camera rears its head. It chooses the worst moments to do extreme close-ups and weird framing of the action. This also has to be the least interesting series of mavericks even with the slight bits of characterization given. While the soundtrack is pretty good the voice acting is terrible. Capcom has never gotten that aspect of the series right and this veers close to Mega Man 8 levels of bad.
In Closing
It pains me to say it but Mega Man X7 is a truly awful game. The developers had their hearts in the right place but it fails on every level. While Mega Man X6 was badly designed it still had the core of the series to fall back on. X7 barely has any of that, leaving it as a blemish on an otherwise excellent series.
