It's been a long time, but X8 brings back the glory of the franchise.
It seemed like the series had died and Megaman X7, the first PS2 X game, did little to make it look like Megaman X was headed anywhere except the recycling bin. But then came Megaman X: Command Mission, which added a new dimension to the previously established gameplay and now comes X8 and we're finally back into the glory days of X.
X8, subtitled "Paradise Lost", once again involves several Mavericks and this time they're after the Jacob Project, an elevator that goes all the way to the moon. But wait, the Mavericks are all New Generation Reploids, said to be completely virus free. How could this be?
In addition to X and Zero, we once again have Axl, who has become more useful (if not less cocky) since X7. Also present are three different navigators: Alia, Pallette and Layer. Alia was introduced back in X5, where players found her advice more irksome than helpful. Now the navigators actually give some good advice. Based on which one you pick, you can get different hints. For example, Pallette is good at spotting where secrets are hidden and Layer can clue you in to the weaknesses of the boss characters. If you still don't like them, you can choose not to have a navigator at all. Best of all, the navigators are also unlockable extra characters.
Gameplay is done in a tag team mode. You select two hunters and can flip between them. Since each of the hunters has different weapons and abilities, you can try out various combos. Plus there's the added value of the Double Team, where both hunters unleash a Matrix Bullet time style barrage on an array of smaller enemies or, more likely, a boss character. Who knew Vs. game gimmicks could be success in a Megaman game?
So, Megaman fans rejoice! X8 bring back the glory of the old and the gloss of the new!