Better Than Expected
The game arrived in excellent condition, with case, art book, poster, and DLC download code (can't confirm if it's already been redeemed). I am very pleased with this website's service. Anyways, Mighty No. 9 is better than I expected. It functions similarly to a Mega Man game, except for its defining mechanic, which is the ability to absorb enemy robots' energy after weakening them by dashing into them, which gives temporary power-ups. The controls are very responsive, and speeding through the levels with the dash feels very good. Like Mega Man, the first 8 levels after the tutorial can be played in any order. Each levels' boss gives Beck, the protagonist, a special weapon that is strong against another boss. The game lets you know which weapon is strong against which boss via an "Advice" tab in the level menu. If "Advice" doesn't appear when you select a level, you don't have that boss's weakness. The game's music and character designs are nice and appealing. 3 extra difficulties are unlocked after beating the game once. My first run was quite difficult, as I struggled with the controls and level design, but I decided to do Hard mode for some reason, and I actually had a better time with it, as I had gotten better with the game's mechanics and controls. I'm not saying you need to do Hard mode to appreciate it, that's just how it was for me. In fact, it seems the more I play it, the more I enjoy it. That said, the game does have several glaring technical issues weighing it down. For starters, the game's framerate lags occasionally, especially when the Battalion upgrade is used, though it seems to run fine most of the time. The few bits of random lag are not at game breaker levels, but it can be quite annoying. Allegedly, the lag is worst in the Wii U version. The cutscenes feel lifeless, as the characters barely move, and their mouths don't move at all. The load times are also fairly long, and they happen every time you die, which can mount frustration while you wait to try again. All that said though, I suppose if you go in with low expectations like I did, if you can look past the above issues, and if you weren't involved with this game's admittedly embarrassing Kickstarter campaign, you might have a good time with Mighty No 9. Also, there are rumors going around that the Wii U version can brick the console. I can assure you, they are false.
Reviewed by: (Verified Buyer) Robert Gyngard from Bonne Terre on 1/20/2019
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