The world of Mega Man is insanely big, with 3 different universes and a bunch of characters and plot points that would make excellent story arcs. When Mega Man X: Command Mission was announced, fans of the X series were happy. X has a deeper plot than the rest of the universe and would seem to be ideal for an RPG. Instead what we have is a paint-by-numbers RPG that tilts heavily on the easy side. The game starts out with a cut-scene of Mega Man and friends invading an island where reploid activity has been reported. Once the scene is over and Mega Man is separated from his cohorts, the game begins and you can immediately see where this game is going when the screen fades to a title screen of Chapter 1 (Paper Mario this game is not). The game is setup as 10 Chapters, each being a level with one main path (it does branch off to various dead ends where you get items for the various side-quests) that goes straight to the boss. Throughout each of these level, you'll notice 2 things: #1 - The graphics are very good. The game uses cel-shading to give the characters an anime look which works really well here. This is especially evident during the cut-scenes, which are done very well. as well as the stills which there is a lot of. Unfortunately there is something that happens a lot more often that the cut-scenes and stills combined... #2 - ...battles. There is an overwhelming amount of random battles in this games. You take 2 steps and battle. You take 4 steps and then another battle. You try to run from them by dashing and all you've done is covered more ground before another battle in the same amount of time. HIGHLY annoying because it ruins the flow of a game that needs to flow better. Once the main game is over, you're able to complete some side quests and try an get some extras (like movies and songs) or collectibles (think Smash Bros. trophies). These little things try vainly to extend a game that can be beaten in 15 hours more or less (which is the second problem with this game, length). When this game first came out, it was $40 and deserved a lower because a $40 game should not be done in 15 hours. At it's current price of $20, Mega Man X: Command Mission is a lot better looking now because you're getting what you paid for, a budget RPG. For mega Man fans, this game has what you're looking for. For everyone else, I'd suggest getting any of the holy GC RPG's (Tales of Symphonia/Skies of Arcadia/Baten Kaitos). If you've beaten them already, then go for this game. Rating: Thumb in the middle, leaning up
Other Helpful Reviews for RockMan X Command Mission
A MegaMan X RPG? You're kidding me! That's awesome!! That was my first reaction to the announcement of this game and made it one of my most anticipated games of 2004. I am a vehement MegaMan fan, and this game could not ... Read Full Review
For some one who hasn't played many Mega Man games and for someone who enjoys a good RPG, I was surprised how good of a game this was. From the beginning I could almost predict what would happen next, but I didn't mind i... Read Full Review
