I never thought this was a bad game per se, just very low budget, and very sobering to a young X series fan who had a much higher impression of the series. The vehicle stage for instance is just a closed loop that repeats until you finish your objective. SO disappointing. Another example: the final boss suddenly has you fighting in outer space with no explanation.

Given what they had to work with the bosses are actually quite varied and creative. Also the game design is deceptively smart in some respects- running speed is absurdly slow so you don't run into whatever you're trying to shoot, and while jumping Zero swings his blade on an X axis instead of a Y, making it easier to connect attacks in a 3D space.

The idea of an X game where X is not at the forefront is so highly intriguing to me that I wish it was done in a better game or remade. It's clear that Axl was meant to be stand-in for X if not replace him altogether. His armor design is less simplistic than X's and therefore looks like the more natural partner to be paired with Zero. Although it's not clear what Axl's armor design is actually supposed to say about him. ("Let's add racing stripes." "Okay.")

It's also apparent in retrospect that you're meant to toggle between Zero and Axl liberally as the situation calls for it, but that isn't how I actually played the game and I imagine I am not the only one. Usually I tried to stick to one character throughout the entire stage. Maybe the game ought to have had it so saber and buster attacks were available at the same time and have your onscreen character automatically switch to reflect whatever you were using that instant. But then again, maybe that would've still been broken albeit for a different set of reasons.

Anyway I did actually beat the game so that's something, at least.