Box Art
Game: Megaman X7
First Released: July 17, 2003, Playstation 2
Developers: Capcom
Platforms: Playstation 2, PC
Rated: E, for Violence
First Released: July 17, 2003, Playstation 2
Developers: Capcom
Platforms: Playstation 2, PC
Rated: E, for Violence
How I Came To Play This Game
The First Boss
Unlike my story for the first six Megaman X games, the story on how I got this game isn't as exciting. I originally played this game on my brothers Playstation 2 and used his copy of the game. I beat it too. However, back then I didn't have a Playstation 2. Now I do, so I decided to quickly buy copies of Megaman X7 and Megaman X8 so that I could include them in my Megaman game marathon.
Story
After the Eurasia and Nightmare incidents that left the Earth's surface devastated, Reploids have worked diligently to clean up the world and make it habitable for humans once again, and is slowly recovering. However, Maverick crime is on a rise. The Maverick Hunters had weakened when X retired from the front lines to assume a support role and achieve more peaceful solutions. To take care of the rising crime, the group of vigilantes Red Alert was created under the command of Red. Initially they only fought against Mavericks, but one day the group changed and began acting strange. One of their key members, Axl, noticed he was being used and goes AWOL. Red sends a giant Mechaniloid to take him back, but it is stopped with the help of Zero and Axl is taken to the Maverick Hunters headquarters. Red contacts them and issues a challenge - he released some of the Mavericks Red Alert has in custody to various locations around the globe, challenging them to see who can defeat more with Axl as the prize. In the end, it is revealed that Sigma is behind the change of Red Alert, having been drawn to Red Alert after realizing Axl's power. Once again, the Hunters face Sigma and he is defeated. Later, Axl attempts to officially join the Maverick Hunters, even with X's disapproval.
Mavericks
Soldier Stonekong, Splash Warfly, Tornado Tonion, Vanishing Gungaroo, Flame Hyenard, Ride Boarski, Snipe Anteator, and Wind Crowrang.
Review
What do you know, the first Megaman X game to leap into the third dimension. According to the internet, this game is one of the worst in the series. I cans see why they would say that, but I don't think it deserves such a title. You must remember, that when a series jumps from 2D to 3D, there are almost always problems. This is because it has never been done before, and the game designers don't know how it should be. It's the disfunctional phase between the old and the new. Now let's get to the game. The graphics and sound effects are all good. Like in a lot of 3D games from 2D, you don't really care about the music because you're focusing too hard on the game to notice the music. For the most part the control is the same as the 2D games. However, there is one major difference. The game has a mix of 2D gameplay and 3D gameplay. In 2D mode, you are confined to moving in four directions, up, down, left, and right, like the older 2D games. In 3D mode you can walk around wherever you want and in some areas, change the camera angle at will. The enemies are not to hard, after a few tries you can figure out how to beat them. The greatest addition to this game is a new playable character, Axl. Now there are three heroes for you to pick fron. X isn't available to play from the start, but after rescuing enough reploids he will join in. Each character has his own unique fighting styles. A lot of people complain about the voice acting. i think while it is sub-standard, it isn't horrible. I would have chosen a different voice actor for Axl. All of the problems from Megaman X6 are fixed, but this game adds a new problem, a big one, control. Like I said, there wasn't a game like this before, so they didn't know a lot on how to make the control. It is really hard to infer where you're going to land when jumping or dashing, so you're most likely going to take a few hits by accident. It's also very annoying how when some enemies hit you with certain moves it makes them fall on they're back, then you have to wait for them to get back up before moving. I'm used to dashing qhile wall jumping to climb faster, but in this game, if you dash wall jump it will send you so far out from the wall it is better if you don't dash. When charging a shot, you can't fire it while landing. Landing cancels out anything that your doing if you release the button. There is also no clear way to climb walls in 3D. You would think that as long as you're pointing the analog stick toward the wall, he would climb it. But no, you have to point the stick excactly perpendicular to the wall or he slips off. This is the first Megaman game in this marathon that I didn't finish. The reason why is the final boss. This version of Sigma is the hardest yet. His first form is easy, but then it hits you hard with a giant robotic body. He has many moves that send orbs after you. He can also shoot lasers and fireballs. He even has a super punch attack that does a huge chunk of you're health bar. These projectiles aren't easy to dodge, you just have to get lucky. It doesn't help that the floor has been broken up into several small platforms where you could fall off. Many times, I almost beat him, but died simply because I fell off. there was another time I died because he punched me and even though the punch was over, simply touching the motionless fist counted as if he had punched me. My last try I had his health bar down the farthest and had to swith to Axl because X's health was too low and I was out of subtanks/ Axl wasn't as buffed up as X and Zero, so he still had the thing where he falls on his back from a powerful hit. Sigma dis his super punch and Axl fell on his back, but the momentum was strong enoough to make him slide of the ledge on his back and fall to his doom. with both mu sub tanks used up and no way to refill them, it was unfeasable to try again. Thje only way I could try again is to go back to the beginning of the previous level, fight Red, fight all of the bosses, then fight Sigma. That just takes so long. If only your sub tanks refilled upon dying. Maybey if I had two consecutive tries I could beat it, but the odds are stacked against me. And also, Sigma's final form has one and a half health bars. I feel that they should have picked either the sparse floating platforms or the larger health bar, not both. I decided that it was to flawed to be played and abandoned the save file. It's okay, I've beaten it before, so I have closure.
Releases
Megaman X7 was first released for the Playstation 2 in 2003. Then it was ported to the PC later that year.
My Rating
I give this game a 7/10. This game isn't insanely difficult like the game before it, but instead suffers from horrible control.