This game feels like a worst paced version of Mega Man 3, made worst by the X series structure, and admittedly how they handle the X hunters.
In terms of the things I care about a notable bit in these games, I think the mavericks themselves and their weapons are a bit less good than X1's, but I still like them overall I guess. The 2nd Armor is a bit better than the First Armor, but I kind of miss it's buster. Just give it this one's shoe functionality and I'd be happy. It's other effects like map searching or a screen wipe are a bit too situational for me to care about.
I think overall the stages are fine in the main section of the game, the only one I think that sucks for sure is Flame Stag's stage for the volcano section at the beginning of the level because it's too fast at times, and if it touches you, it's really hard to get away. It's honestly better to get insta-killed by it, but it doesn't even do that, it just takes 1/3 of the bar I think per hit. Otherwise the stage is fine, but that section especially sucks. I do like some of them tho, like Bubble Crab's is a race to the finish with a big robot fish, Overdrive Ostrich introduces the ride chasers and they're fun, minus the noise they make (they hurt my ears), and Morph Moth is delightfully unsettling.
I think the main game is fine, but I think the X Hunter Base levels, essentially Wily Castle stages, just suck 1 after another. Either because gimmicks in the stage themselves are just not fun like in Stage 1 with more climbing segments or in Stage 3 with it's jet platform you have to guide by jumping to switch it's direction, and it's just too finicky, or the bosses just aren't fun.
Violen is the same as his normal fight and it's annoying in both because of his stupid wrecking ball, Serges gets a different fight, and it's worse than his first fight. First one was just annoying because he was hard to hit, the second one is just bad because it takes that issue, and makes it a ton worse. And I'm not really that big of a fan of the Sigma fights... well more specifically the Sigma Virus phase, but it's just hard to keep up with how much the fight goes on rather than it just being outright bad. I think the only fight that I kind of like is Agile's fight. I like his first fight, and this second one is cool too, but more because it's a fun gimmick that can become a bit of a mess more than it being a hard but fun fight, especially going buster only in the latter.
I should probably mention why I think the game has worst pacing row quick, both for this review and to clarify some thoughts on MM3. I think MM3 is overall fine just considering the main game and the wily castle, but the Doc Robot stages reusing old stages to have rematch against the last game's bosses with a completely different set of weakness weapons was more a slog than actually fun. It just took a stab to the pacing, and made the game feel longer than it should be.
I think why this game's a bit worse about it is partly because of what it is compared to 3. MM3 is a relatively simple platformer with a random low point in the middle. This game intends to be more focused on collecting things throughout stages and completing a lot of it's hidden challenges if you want to get X to standing a chance more than just obtaining the weapons. From armor pieces to heart and e-tanks, to even finding some secret bosses. It's certainly not as straightforward I suppose.
I also think part of it just comes from how I like to play X games, I like to get everything I can in it so not only is there nothing left to scour the levels for once i'm done with them and I get a sense of completion out of the task, but I'm more ready for the challenges later to come. Because of the nature of this game's upgrades, it necessitates revisiting and exploring levels, similar to what MM7 and MM8 encouraged through hidden secrets in levels or through bolts. I think with that in mind, I like X1 because there isn't really much else to worry about in the main stages, and because of that, when I finish levels and I got the right stuff, it's pretty simple to head back and collect what I need with no skin off my back. It's a pretty leniant collection loop.
Doing this for X2 was a bit more of a hassle, partly on me, but also I think on the game. On me, well this is my first playthrough, of course it's gonna take a bit more time to figure out how the game works or where it hides stuff, and especially in nailing down a route, I don't really have it well planned out. But on the game itself, I think finding a good route is made a little inconvient based on the stipulations. There's plenty of collectibles that either require the airdash from the legs part, or a certain weapon like the speed burner with it's charged variation you only get from the buster upgrade. There's quite a few collectibles that are hidden with extra stipulations rather than just being in tricky spots, and considering the weakness order, it's a bit inconvient to play it like a standard mega man game in that regard.
My example is that I started with Wire Sponge, but I should've probably started with Overdrive Ostrich so I could have gotten the Leg parts so I could get some other stuff and generally improve my movement, but no I can't do that, I need wheel gator's weapon to even get it. In the weakness chain, overdrive ostrich would beat out wire sponge who would then beat out wheel gator, then I'd go back and get the upgrade. Until I do that, a lot of the games collectibles are locked off from me unless i'm super technical about my movement, which i'm not. But I didn't do that, I went Wire Sponge, Wheel Gator, then Overdrive Ostrich and went ahead and fought him with the buster only. Part of the blame is one me for the order, but no matter what, this was the one MM game i've played that's gotten me to break the weakness weapon chain, and not in a way I particularly like.
What complicates this a bit more is if you want to try and just complete the stages weakness to weakness while also trying to fight all the X-Hunter fights. Ignoring that some of them are just a pain in the ass to get to because they are just straight up hidden in the stages which makes sense as optional fights. If you're going for them, you gotta hope that they actually land on one of the 6 remaining stages after you unlock them. Either you try and knock them out early by going off route, hope they're there, or just keep leaving and revisiting levels to reset where they spawn at, especially if you want to face off against one in particular. That last one is just if you don't feel like fighting someone like serges or something. I get that tbf.
Y'know, i'm thinking on it now, and honestly while I do like fighting optional bosses because a secret fights are cool, considering I just don't like 2 out of the three fights, and I end up having to rematch them all anyways, I think it makes things worse in hindsight. I did a lot of work just to not end up fighting Zero at the end. Now, storywise, I think it makes more sense that X would want to save Zero and would end up going out of his way to get his parts back, it makes sense to the characters and the player, especially after X1, but also, I missed a really cool fight with Zero. It's not like I can easily go back either without doing a whole second playthrough, so I just didn't get to fight him. I mean granted, I already think the sigma fights after it are enough trouble normally, so having a tough fight prior be gone is probably easier at the end of the day, and it is cool to have him cut down a copy so effortlessly as he makes a flashy return, but I dunno man, I think the X-Hunters are just kind of busy work...
Trying to account for them in main stages and then deal with them in the latter half of the game just isn't that fun, and combine that with me thinking the collection order is a bit more tedious than normal, and me thinking the stages and bosses aren't that cool... yeah this game feels like a drag more times than not. Overall, not one of my favorites. Not very well paced, not as interesting as X1 in bosses or weapons, and the endgame just kind of tanks in quality. Fucked up... That being said, here's my boss ranking.
8. Wheel Gator
7. Morph Moth
6. Magna Centipede
5. Flame Stag
4. Crystal Snail
3. Wire Sponge
2. Bubble Crab
1. Overdrive Ostrich
In terms of the things I care about a notable bit in these games, I think the mavericks themselves and their weapons are a bit less good than X1's, but I still like them overall I guess. The 2nd Armor is a bit better than the First Armor, but I kind of miss it's buster. Just give it this one's shoe functionality and I'd be happy. It's other effects like map searching or a screen wipe are a bit too situational for me to care about.
I think overall the stages are fine in the main section of the game, the only one I think that sucks for sure is Flame Stag's stage for the volcano section at the beginning of the level because it's too fast at times, and if it touches you, it's really hard to get away. It's honestly better to get insta-killed by it, but it doesn't even do that, it just takes 1/3 of the bar I think per hit. Otherwise the stage is fine, but that section especially sucks. I do like some of them tho, like Bubble Crab's is a race to the finish with a big robot fish, Overdrive Ostrich introduces the ride chasers and they're fun, minus the noise they make (they hurt my ears), and Morph Moth is delightfully unsettling.
I think the main game is fine, but I think the X Hunter Base levels, essentially Wily Castle stages, just suck 1 after another. Either because gimmicks in the stage themselves are just not fun like in Stage 1 with more climbing segments or in Stage 3 with it's jet platform you have to guide by jumping to switch it's direction, and it's just too finicky, or the bosses just aren't fun.
Violen is the same as his normal fight and it's annoying in both because of his stupid wrecking ball, Serges gets a different fight, and it's worse than his first fight. First one was just annoying because he was hard to hit, the second one is just bad because it takes that issue, and makes it a ton worse. And I'm not really that big of a fan of the Sigma fights... well more specifically the Sigma Virus phase, but it's just hard to keep up with how much the fight goes on rather than it just being outright bad. I think the only fight that I kind of like is Agile's fight. I like his first fight, and this second one is cool too, but more because it's a fun gimmick that can become a bit of a mess more than it being a hard but fun fight, especially going buster only in the latter.
I should probably mention why I think the game has worst pacing row quick, both for this review and to clarify some thoughts on MM3. I think MM3 is overall fine just considering the main game and the wily castle, but the Doc Robot stages reusing old stages to have rematch against the last game's bosses with a completely different set of weakness weapons was more a slog than actually fun. It just took a stab to the pacing, and made the game feel longer than it should be.
I think why this game's a bit worse about it is partly because of what it is compared to 3. MM3 is a relatively simple platformer with a random low point in the middle. This game intends to be more focused on collecting things throughout stages and completing a lot of it's hidden challenges if you want to get X to standing a chance more than just obtaining the weapons. From armor pieces to heart and e-tanks, to even finding some secret bosses. It's certainly not as straightforward I suppose.
I also think part of it just comes from how I like to play X games, I like to get everything I can in it so not only is there nothing left to scour the levels for once i'm done with them and I get a sense of completion out of the task, but I'm more ready for the challenges later to come. Because of the nature of this game's upgrades, it necessitates revisiting and exploring levels, similar to what MM7 and MM8 encouraged through hidden secrets in levels or through bolts. I think with that in mind, I like X1 because there isn't really much else to worry about in the main stages, and because of that, when I finish levels and I got the right stuff, it's pretty simple to head back and collect what I need with no skin off my back. It's a pretty leniant collection loop.
Doing this for X2 was a bit more of a hassle, partly on me, but also I think on the game. On me, well this is my first playthrough, of course it's gonna take a bit more time to figure out how the game works or where it hides stuff, and especially in nailing down a route, I don't really have it well planned out. But on the game itself, I think finding a good route is made a little inconvient based on the stipulations. There's plenty of collectibles that either require the airdash from the legs part, or a certain weapon like the speed burner with it's charged variation you only get from the buster upgrade. There's quite a few collectibles that are hidden with extra stipulations rather than just being in tricky spots, and considering the weakness order, it's a bit inconvient to play it like a standard mega man game in that regard.
My example is that I started with Wire Sponge, but I should've probably started with Overdrive Ostrich so I could have gotten the Leg parts so I could get some other stuff and generally improve my movement, but no I can't do that, I need wheel gator's weapon to even get it. In the weakness chain, overdrive ostrich would beat out wire sponge who would then beat out wheel gator, then I'd go back and get the upgrade. Until I do that, a lot of the games collectibles are locked off from me unless i'm super technical about my movement, which i'm not. But I didn't do that, I went Wire Sponge, Wheel Gator, then Overdrive Ostrich and went ahead and fought him with the buster only. Part of the blame is one me for the order, but no matter what, this was the one MM game i've played that's gotten me to break the weakness weapon chain, and not in a way I particularly like.
What complicates this a bit more is if you want to try and just complete the stages weakness to weakness while also trying to fight all the X-Hunter fights. Ignoring that some of them are just a pain in the ass to get to because they are just straight up hidden in the stages which makes sense as optional fights. If you're going for them, you gotta hope that they actually land on one of the 6 remaining stages after you unlock them. Either you try and knock them out early by going off route, hope they're there, or just keep leaving and revisiting levels to reset where they spawn at, especially if you want to face off against one in particular. That last one is just if you don't feel like fighting someone like serges or something. I get that tbf.
Y'know, i'm thinking on it now, and honestly while I do like fighting optional bosses because a secret fights are cool, considering I just don't like 2 out of the three fights, and I end up having to rematch them all anyways, I think it makes things worse in hindsight. I did a lot of work just to not end up fighting Zero at the end. Now, storywise, I think it makes more sense that X would want to save Zero and would end up going out of his way to get his parts back, it makes sense to the characters and the player, especially after X1, but also, I missed a really cool fight with Zero. It's not like I can easily go back either without doing a whole second playthrough, so I just didn't get to fight him. I mean granted, I already think the sigma fights after it are enough trouble normally, so having a tough fight prior be gone is probably easier at the end of the day, and it is cool to have him cut down a copy so effortlessly as he makes a flashy return, but I dunno man, I think the X-Hunters are just kind of busy work...
Trying to account for them in main stages and then deal with them in the latter half of the game just isn't that fun, and combine that with me thinking the collection order is a bit more tedious than normal, and me thinking the stages and bosses aren't that cool... yeah this game feels like a drag more times than not. Overall, not one of my favorites. Not very well paced, not as interesting as X1 in bosses or weapons, and the endgame just kind of tanks in quality. Fucked up... That being said, here's my boss ranking.
8. Wheel Gator
7. Morph Moth
6. Magna Centipede
5. Flame Stag
4. Crystal Snail
3. Wire Sponge
2. Bubble Crab
1. Overdrive Ostrich