Mighty No. 9
by Mikhail
Mar 18, 2018 |
1
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9
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Genres:
ActionGraphics:
3DLabels:
Futuristic Setting , Platformer , RobotsPlatforms:
Publishers:
Deep Silver Strap in your boots and blasters and play as Beck in Mighty No. 9 and endeavor to bring back the peace in a world of rampaging robots. Plow through hordes of enemies using your blasters and steal their abilities to make it your own. Fight your fellow Mighty No. robots and save the day! Play Now Similar Games Played
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Summary
We honestly don’t know what to make out of Mighty No. 9. Released last in mid-2016 across all platforms, it was once a Kickstarter project led by some of the people responsible for Mega Man. With that said, the game is currently one of PlayStation Plus’ offerings for March 2018, alongside Bloodborne, Ratchet & Clank, and Claire. So yes, you could safely say that it’s another loaded month for PlayStation Plus users.
However, let’s first address the elephant in the room: the game is highly-touted as the spiritual successor for Mega Man, and it greatly aspires to be as successful and provide the same experience as the legendary franchise. The bar is set high and so the question is: does it live up to its so-called predecessor? Let’s find out if Mighty No. 9 is mighty enough to warrant a playthrough.
Plotline
As soon as you start the game, you will immediately be treated to a curtain-raising cutscene that orients you of the setting. In an unnamed year in a distant future, the world heavily relies on robots, bringing in a world of peace and prosperity. If you’ve watched other sci-fi movies, you know where this is headed: a cyber attack led to robots around the world to be infected by a virus. This in turn caused them to go on a rampage and bring the violence outside the Battle Coliseum and into the city streets.
Our protagonist is of course, Mighty No. 9 or Beck, the 9th robot in the Mighty Numbers, a team of popular robot siblings who take part in fights in the Battle Coliseum. Somehow, Beck hasn’t been infected by a virus, so it’s up to him to save the day. It’s a pretty standard story, but it would have been a solid foundation if it were not for the gaffes in the writing. For example, it’s hilarious that the professor who programmed Beck was astonished when the robot absorbed enemy abilities. Why would he be expressing a great deal of surprise when he was the one who created him in the first place? It’s like baking a chocolate cake and ending up being shocked that the cake tasted like chocolate. The writing feels off even in the latter parts of the story, and it greatly affects experience.
Gameplay
Thankfully though, the plot isn’t Mighty No. 9’s main asset: it’s the gameplay. If you’ve played any Mega Man game before, you will be on familiar territory. The side-scrolling action platformer aspect of Mighty No. 9 aspect perfectly captures the experience the old classic provides. Thing is though, the game stays faithful to the elements of the old without incorporating anything noteworthy. Levels look like they were designed in the early 2000s and are relatively straightforward ordeals. However, there are some that do provide a certain degree of excitement. For example, the part where you jump on cars is pretty challenging.
The levels are littered with enemy units and plowing through them can be difficult. However, you can make everything bearable by absorbing enemy abilities which temporarily strengthen Beck. The same can be said with the boss fights: whenever you beat another Mighty No., you’ll be able to use their abilities. This is an interesting gameplay mechanic, but it falls short of being interesting. Although they provide another dimension to the overall experience, they feel unnecessary and only a few of them, like the Cryosphere blaster taken from Mighty No. 2, feel useful. Instances wherein you’re required to use them are sparse, making it feel like you can survive the game using only the standard blaster.
For a side-scroller, Mighty No. 9 has a steep learning curve. The lack of tutorials and even a short explanation of the gameplay elements makes the journey feel more arduous. Absorbing enemy abilities are never fully put on the spotlight, and you’re left to figure things out. It’s questionable as to why the developers left them out.
Beating the boss fights is close to impossible, especially in the early levels. The build up to the first boss fight is a breeze, but once you encounter it, the difficulty exponentially increases without warning. By “difficult” we don’t mean that the boss is smart or anything, it’s just that some of its attacks are impossible to dodge. There’s a dash mechanic in the game and you’re supposed to use it to avoid its attacks, but then again, it hasn’t been explained at all. Plus, bosses move predictably and with a set pattern, making fights a little monotonous and boring.
Community
Mighty No. 9 is a single player experience with no multiplayer element at all. If you do end up liking the game however, it has a dedicated subreddit.
Graphics/Sound
Although Mighty No. 9’s art style is fairly decent, the graphics and textures are underwhelming. Instead of looking something like it was made in 2016, the game looks more like an early 2000s release. The shoddy voice acting doesn’t help either. In terms of presentation, the game feels lifeless and it just doesn’t have much to go on.
Conclusion
Overall, Mighty No. 9 is far from being a “spiritual successor” to Mega Man. A sequel, which may never come, might be needed to redeem it. Nevertheless, the title provides a little taste of decent platforming action and hey, if you’re a PlayStation Plus user, it’s free. Give it a shot if you’re up for a challenge.
Mighty No. 9 Blog
New Game Added: Mighty No. 9
by Mikhail
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