Thursday, September 20, 2012

Rockman Xover Hands-On Impressions


No, I'm not at the Tokyo Game Show. But Rockman Corner contributor Andreas Asimakis is and he had the chance to take Rockman Xover for a testdrive. How does the game stack up to all the controversy? Well, I'll say this: Andreas doesn't sugar coat it. Read on for a portion of his review (brace yourself for some Not So Safe For Work language).



"Gameplay goes something like this: You go straight. Always straight, all the time. Notice how in all those promotional screenies that there doesn't appear to be any sort of directional buttons. Yeah, that's because you don't need them. Xover just walks in a straight line. You know, kind of like when Limbo-y gets brain-jacked by one those head-crab like maggots. Only instead of it being a puzzle-ly gimmick, it's just sheer fucking laziness that is more frustrating and counterproductive as all hell. So what can you if you can't control the feathered boa wearing hero? Well, he can jump for one. And he can shoot."

Ouch. What about those boss fights we've been seeing a lot of? Any good? Decent, at least?

"…the 'Boss Fight', if you even care to call it that. Oh my, just when you thought it couldn't get any worse.  Storm Eagle is the big baddie of the demo's stage, hailing all the way from Mega Man X and wondering A) How the fuck did I end up here? and B) My cameo in X6 was probably a better career choice than this shit show.

So what's Capcom's solution to boss fights when you can't control your main character? Change the game entirely into a turn-based RPG, of course. Basically its set up so you can't lose, ever. What is supposed to be a methodical, reactive, skill-based boss encounter, is reduced to a standoff between two overdressed pieces of metal shooting each other in the fucking face. That's it. They just stand there and eat each others bullets. Another meter builds up during the 'fight', deploying Street Fighter-like mechanics wherein whenever you land a hit or are struck by your opponent it fills up, allowing you to use your charged shot. Yeah, remember that perpetual charging thing I mentioned earlier, that kind of goes out the window for no conceivable reason."

Yikes.

There's a lot more to be said. A lot more. Head over to Games Abyss for the full read!

42 comments:

  1. Could it be... Mega Man Battle Chip Challenge 2!?

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  2. Bout what I expected. No Effort at all.

    ib4 people defending Capcom and blaming me for being disappointed.

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  3. So it's just as bad as it looks.

    The big 25th anniversary game is absolutely terrible.

    ...if only I weren't allergic to milk, then I could down a whole carton of ice cream and weep for the rest of the day.

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  4. Off-Topic: While I was browsing the Capcom Unity Forums, I've spotted this one post about this awesome Mettaur Plush toy that this dude & his friend had created.

    http://www.capcom-unity.com/mega_man/go/thread/view/7461/29383995/mettaur-plush-toy

    Considering that plush toys that are based off of characters from the Mega Man series are a rarity, let alone good ones, I was smothered with the aura of cuteness that this toy was giving off.

    On-Topic: I'm an idiot for having expectations :(

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  5. Let me be the first to say this:

    Zerker, eat [redacted].

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  6. Was I the only one who found the review boring?

    Probably 'cause I'm not butthurt about Legends 3 or Universe enough to "appreciate" it.

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  7. Megaman X-Over: MineCart Levels: The Game.

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  8. Say it ain't so!
    I hope this can still be saved. Surely there must be some redeeming qualities.

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  9. Yikes, so our worst fears have been comfirmed. This game is awful.

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  10. I'd like to know more about the boss fight really, there's no way it literally came down to just mashing the shoot button until you win. And what is this about actually not being able to die? I see an HP bar, does it not do anything or what?

    I can't tell what's embellishment and what's truth in this article, guess i'll wait for someone else to review it before making a decision.

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  11. I knew it was gonna be bad when X2 sprites were being reused and treated as a base for this 'new hero'....

    Correct me if I'm wrong here and I'm gonna go vent for a second and allow the X fangirl out for just a minute.

    What the fuck, Capcom. I mean, Legends 2, Universe, Rockman Online. Yet somehow this shitstorm is given green light? Granted, I know RMOnline isn't TECHNICALLY your fault in full but I refuse to believe you didn't have a fucking hand in it.

    I'm really, REALLY sick and tired of my favorite of the Rock Mans being used as a damn costume or a base. I mean, first Zero in MVC3 gets X as a COSTUME and now he's being raped and ripped apart and simply turned into this shitstorm of laziness called Over-1.

    I roleplayed on AOL in a MM/MMX based club called "WAS" (War Against Sigma) and granted, we were all kids and this was AOL 4.0 through to 6.0... Nobody could draw (well, I could, and a few friends but nothing worthy of making custom sprites from scratch yet) and the best we COULD do was take a Zero or X sprite (or sometimes Bass or MM from 7) and rework it into an OC. Ok, you turned Zero blue, gave him a mouthgaurd and put Blast Hornet's wings on him (that was actually an OC from a friend of mine..).. Ok, back then it was acceptable, we were fucking kids.

    This is Capcom. This is OFFICIAL Capcom. Every other new Rockman / Mega Man game that's come along that's been a starter for a new splinter off the series, we get new sprites, new animations. Because we have new characters!

    THIS IS A NEW CHARACTER! HE SHOULD GET NEW SPRITES ALL HIS OWN. Not be the bastard child from X and an iPad! ARG!

    I mean, I knew it was going to be bad once I saw the stills but... God... Capcom, just, sell the rights to Mega Man / Rockman to Bandai or Nintendo already and be done with it...... I can't bare to see you killing him like this anymore....

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  12. The Sonic the Hedgehog series got "Sonic Generations" for it's 20th anniversary.

    The Legend of Zelda series got "The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword" for it's 25th anniversary.

    The Kingdom Hearts series got "Kingdom Hearts 3D: Dream Drop Distance" for it's 10th anniversary.

    The Metal Gear series is getting "Metal Gear Solid: Ground Zeroes" for it's 25th anniversary.

    And all the Mega Man series is getting is this...

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  13. Amazing. Even worse than I expected. How is that even possible?
    -ud

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  14. They've basically confirmed what everybody already knew. I'm not surprised in the least that this game turned out to be garbage. I swear, this has to be the worse 25th Anniversary in any franchise, ever.

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  15. Perplexing. I can't find another word. Legends 3 didn't meet criteria - let's read that optimistically as "it was not good enough" - but this is THE anniversary game ?

    Does not compute.

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  16. Zerker's a troll. No one in their straight mind would come here and whine about people being butthurt about Legends 3, Universe and RMOnline's cancellation without even acknowledging the undertone regarding them all. It would be impossible to come here and miss all that has developed ever since last year.

    Legends 3 was met with a somewhat big and very vocal shitstorm from both those who've been Legends fans for a long time ago and those who were looking forward to a new and different Mega Man game. Capcom did nothing but fuel the fire with their statements.

    Universe was Inafune's pet project that tried to catter to a further westernization of the Classic series, and was met with very negative reviews on both it's art direction and gameplay at the time. Quickly cancelled after a news drought, despite statements from PR agents saying it was going through changes.

    RMOnline was both a victim of cashing in to a demographic that is not the franchise's AND handing all development of a game to a company that was both unfamilar with the franchise AND was going through internal crisis in its structure. One signifies missing the point just to try a new demographic, God knows why they would do this, the other can only mean unwillingness from Capcom themselves to work on the franchise.

    Xover is pretty much the same, but with a huge accentuation on reusing assets: this can only mean that Xover was only thought of a few months ago and that there is no will from COJ to develop something meaningful (and thus, requiring more money to be injected into) for the franchise, despite that it will turn 25 this year.

    You could understand that the Legends series is a niche within a niche...but yeah, Zerker's pretty much a troll setting off a flame bait.

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  17. @MusashiAA: Well, I dunno about "aiming at a new demographic = always bad news". RMO would've at least been accompanied by two other projects that would've been closer to MM's normal target audience, if that makes any sense.

    Xover has no backups and no excuses.

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  18. Hey, September 20, 2012 4:40 PM Anonymous.....

    Refresh my memory from last year, What did Metroid get for its 25th Anniversary?

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  19. Yeah no surprise over here....the game is exactly like we thought it would be...just garbage. In fact, it seems it´s suckier than the pokeman sagas.

    The best advice is to not give even a single cent to crapcom for this piece of mediocrity. Maybe download its "rom". Like I´m gonna do with resident evil 6.

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  20. @MegaNerdX

    Getting nothing is better than getting garbage like this after three cancellations in a row.

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  21. Hey MegaNerdX

    I'm aware of what Metroid got for its anniversary, absolutely nothing.

    That said, I have to say I think Metroid still got a better anniversary than Megaman.

    If this is the alternative, I personally would prefer nothing at all.

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  22. @MegaNerdX: Other M's failure wasn't followed by an avalanche of awful; plus, it seems like Nintendo is still treating it better than Capcom does MM.

    I hope you weren't trying to pull a "you have no right to be angry because this isn't a unique case".

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  23. This is all very sketchy. They name the game Rockman Xover, they make it for iOS(iPhones, iPods, etc.) and it's complete garbage(at least from what we've seen and heard). Could it actually be that Capcom is done with Rockman? I don't know, that's the vibe I'm getting from all this.

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  24. @RADIX: Other M wasn't cancelled, and it is a decent game. (Unlike other games like Superman 64 and Bomberman Act Zero)

    I wonder if we are looking at one of 2012's top 10 worst games of the year?

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  25. @MegaNerdX: May we also point out that Metroid had the big steaming crap known as Other M shortly before which killed the character of Samus completely, caused doubt in the future of the franchise itself, and completely failed to meet expectations?

    Plus let's remember that in 2009 Metroid Prime Trilogy came out. Other than a new game, the only rereleases they could possibly do for the anniversary are Zero Mission, II, Super, Hunters, Pinball, and Fusion, and based on how Mario's went, people wouldn't accept a simple compilation of those, and Metroid doesn't have extra shit like a TV show and challenge rooms to add in like Kirby.

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  26. Good for this guy. Glad he said what needed to be said. I'm sure it's a unanimous review lol. If it comes to Android, I'll probably play it...but probably won't enjoy it. Thanks, Capcom!

    As for people hating on Metroid: Other M like the Anonymous above...lol, wow. And I thought Mega Man fans were picky as shit about their games! I'm sorry, but Other M was a good game. Killed Samus as a character? How about gave the woman more emotional depth aside from a drab badass, hardened, I am woman hear me roar front. Didn't make her any less of the awesome character she still is. She is still a badass as well.

    Lol, steaming pile of crap? Caused doubt about the future of the franchise? Unbelievable.

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  27. I love how almost everyone here is so desperate to not talk about Xover that they've begun talking about Metroid instead.

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  28. I don't know that was so perplexing, the biased view of this "review" or the foul mouthed way to say it all.

    Then again, if this would get cancelled, you would all still be mad lol.

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  29. @Zerker: The only reason people are mentioning Metroid is because SOMEBODY is trying to justify Xover by comparing Megaman's 25th with Metroid's.

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  30. Mega Rock is right. It still can be saved. You know, it's not released yet. Maybe Capcom will change it's mind, and redesing the game to be able to control "Over-1". (Argh, this name is the worst name ever.) But if it's not gonna happen, then don't worry guys.

    MegaPhilX is most likely going to save the 25th anniversary, yet not with an official Mega Man game, but with a Fan Game, MegaMan Unlimited (MM10 before the official Capcom game).
    There are some ROM hackers too who are trying to finish their hacks for the 25th anniversary, like me.
    Also, MM8 is getting a Famicom remake by the creator of Rockman 7 FC.
    And I think Chrono X's 4th demo will be finished for the anniversary too!

    So... You will get your Mega Man franchises, yet not from Capcom, but from us, fans. Someone must save the anniversary afterall.

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  31. @MegaMac

    If you understood the elements that made Metroid so great, you would also recognize that Other M had absolutely none of those qualities. On top of that, Other M had no redeeming qualities of its own except maybe having nice graphics.

    I could go on forever about how bad Other M is, but let me paraphrase:

    Gameplay: Metroid is about exploration and discovery. Essential qualities would be atmosphere, freedom, and sense of progression. Other M is incredibly linear and recycles practically 90%+ of its powers from Super Metroid. Most of the enemies are recycled. The three sectors are incredibly generic and small in number(fire, jungle, ice). And while the action/cinematic stuff is nice, those elements do not add depth to the player (please do not bother defending derp Sense Move).

    Music: What music? A generic piano title theme?

    Story: The past Metroid games were about atmosphere. Their objectives were clear and simple, yet monumental in scale. They were done through show, not tell. Other M is a pathetic joke of a conspiracy told through hours of droning monologue full of obvious details the players can easily observe on their own. The plot is full of contradictions and nonsensical decisions. Rather than listing all these fallacies, let me just summarize how bad the story is by saying that you accomplish almost NOTHING as Samus, the Deleter is suddenly forgotten about, and for SOME reason, after all that transpires, Samus still works with the Galactic Federation in Fusion.

    It seems everyone thinks Other M's quality hinges on Samus's characterization, when in truth there are so many other faults to why Other M is such a terrible game, both standalone but also especially as a Metroid title. If you think this deserves to bear the Metroid name, I'm sorry, but you really shouldn't call yourself a fan of Metroid.

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  32. Zerker... SHUT UP!

    Why are you so desperate to like this? There's no gameplay, the graphics are no good, the story makes no sense. The only halfway decent part of it is the music, but lord knows that can't carry a game along. It might as well be some cheap, no-budget flash game. This piece of automated trash is NOT worthy of the 25th anniversary name.

    Oh, and as for anyone who wants to defend Other M, this review logically displays everything that's wrong with the story, and it goes on to show the gameplay flaws at the end too: http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/lb_i.php?lb_id=13373815860B43920100&i_id=13373815860I43921400&p=1

    And even still with all it's horrendous flaws, I'm still inclined to say that Other M is a better game than Xover will be, simply by virtue of the fact that it's an actual GAME and not a self-playing 2d rail shooter!

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  33. @Zerker: There's only so much we can say about this piece of shit :P

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  34. @September 21, 2012 1:46 AM Anon: Depends on the reason given for its cancellation.

    And "biased", well...they cancelled three good projects and left us with an iPhone game where you just mash on-screen buttons. Kinda hard not to be a bit upset.

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  35. ...This sounds even worse than what the video displayed.

    Well done Capcom. Bravo, bravo. I am so happy to see that the franchise's fucking bronze anniversary, which should be widely celebrated ESPECIALLY considering how much success the franchise has brought this company in the past, degraded to this. Hell, the iOS port of X1 sounds ten times better than this even with its bad controls. I mean, this game just basically took an element that MADE the games in the first place, and downgraded it to this kind of gameplay. The games are supposed to be about challenges with a learning curve that encourages you to keep practicing until you can beat them all. This obviously doesn't have that.

    I didn't wanted to lose hope so soon for the franchise, but I think I'm ready to throw in the towel. This, along with those prior cancelled games, just shows how lazy Capcom has become with MM since the departure of Inafune. I can't hope for anything even slightly good after all this.

    With any luck, given Capcom's cancelling history, hopefully this thing will also be cancelled so that people can be spared from the horror of this game. But unfortunately for us all, this doesn't seem likely.

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  36. @Soultrigger

    So, from what I can gather, just because it took a different direction than what Metroid is used to (sans spin-offs), it immediately makes it awful and not worth a damn. I believe that's a major problem with the Mega Man franchise as well. It's an unhealthy way to view games. Metroid Other M was a nice game and while it may not have made the franchise soar to new and groundbreaking heights, it was a worthy addition. Sure, it may have had its bugs and its story was rather average, it at least took some initiative. On the contrary, I feel a true fan should cherish any addition to a favored franchise. Although to be quite frank, I don't consider Xover to be an official game of any sort. It's a shoddy cellphone social app.

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  37. @MegaMac

    Did you even read my first paragraph? I immediately started off saying that Other M has about NO redeeming qualities of its own. Just because it had a big budget to mask its qualities, does not mean it magically passes as a "nice" game. Initiative? I could say the same thing about X7, which is nowhere near the quality of the first 4 X games. The reason X7 is not acceptable is simply because, despite a great concept/premise, X7 had terrible execution.

    I might as well add this because you simply think Other M suffers from mediocrity when it is in fact far below it, if not insultingly bad:
    Do you know why people like the original portrayal of Samus? Not only did it celebrate strong, independent women (which is quite rare in Japanese video games), but her sex and backstory was also almost completely irrelevant to the plot/game, allowing players to project themselves into Samus and thus become immersed in the game's atmosphere. It's pretty much the same thing that makes Link appealing as a character too. Now in Other M, you are watching stupid things happen to a stupid, submissive character who can't seem to take control of the situation and do something herself despite all the power she wields.

    I would also like to point out you showed nothing substantial to even defend Other M other than simply stating "I thought it was okay". Just because YOU think it's okay does not mean IT is okay. There are plenty, and I mean PLENTY, of reviews/articles/videos complaining about the many aspects of the game. Most of the starred reviews on GameFaqs are below 5 (which, btw, is out of 10 and even mediocre games fair about 7). There are polls asking what is the most HATED aspect of Other M. I was playing an MMO where a bunch of people in a lobby cried in disgust about how bad Other M is. People KNOW this game sucks. So do yourself a favor and either admit it sucks or realize that you are disagreeing with the majority (and by majority, I don't mean blind casual gamers).

    To accept an atrocity as an addition to the franchise is approving of the quality of said game. That's something a fanboy does. Not only does Other M forgets its roots entirely, it craps all over it with inconsistencies while adding virtually nothing aside from a mediocre action game to make up for it.

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  38. @Soultrigger

    Metroid Other M has divided but positive reviews and was scored 79 both at metacritic and GameRankings.

    Sure, the game has its ups and down, but the story was rich and goes into Samus's character.

    I played Other M and loved it. I don't get why people like you hate this game. It was a worthy addition to the Metroid series and I hope Nintendo makes another Metroid game for the Wii U. So No, I won't admit the game Other M sucks or other crap, It is a very good game, so deal with it.

    Also, Project X Zone localizaion is possible.

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  39. @Musashi the Master

    You not understanding why Other M is a bad game is also not understanding why the rest of the Metroids were so good. The "I liked the game" is also pointless as I've pointed out already. Metacritic? Based off professional reviews? I pointed to numerous negative reviews to show that the opinion that Other M is a bad game is backed by MANY people. To use the Metacritic as the end-all-be-all is a horrible way to base your judgment (And here I thought legitimate gamers knew to use those with a grain of salt...)

    And to refute your argument that "it gave Samus a character": it gave Samus an incredibly BAD character, which is in no way automatically better than "no character". And in fact, Samus DID have an established character: the character we got in Fusion, which was in fact good. And even without Fusion, you can judge Samus by her past deeds and choice to work alone as a bounty hounter. That speaks mountains with barely any exposition needed.

    So yes, I can deal with you liking the game because I can't choose your opinion for you, nor do I care that you like crap. What I can't deal with is people like you trying to convince others Other M is a good game while leaving terrible arguments like "Professionals said it was good, so it must be good!" or "a bad character is better than no character!" (which clearly shows you have not done your research on the debate).

    I really don't want to drag on this Other M derailment. But I refuse to leave it on an ignorant note. If you want to defend Other M, use more than just "imo". Otherwise, keep your opinions to yourself if you can't bother to add credibility to it.

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  40. @Musashi the Master: You are a god damn obvious fanboy/troll.

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