Post by Buster Cannon on Nov 4, 2016 15:42:56 GMT -5
Continuing the series on reworking the first Legends game, we focus this installment on gameplay. Unlike the first article, this one will go more into detail on specific instances that can be reworked.
Most of the ruin design in Mega Man Legends is solid, but there’s one glaring Achilles heel. In Clozer Ruins, there’s an instance where a dirt wall blocks your path. Unlike other breakable walls in the series, this one isn’t optional. Unless you already had the Powered Buster, Active Buster, or Grand Grenade equipped, Volnutt has to climb his way out of the ruins and switch weapons. This isn’t good game design, as it forces you to backtrack your way out of the ruin without any real reason.
This is made doubly problematic due to the boss that you fight when you do clear that area. The trio of Karumuna Bash that you fight are very mobile and require you to constantly be on your feet. The three aforementioned weapons have the side effect of nailing your feet to the ground when you fire. It’s as if the game sets the player up for failure by having them pick a less than optimal sidearm for this fight. A proper remake would simply get rid of the wall entire
A proper remake would simply get rid of the wall entirely, giving the player the freedom to use the weapon of their choosing as they explore Clozer.
Kattelox Island is vast and interconnected, and I think it could benefit from a limited expansion. For example, there’s a little more they could do with the existing above-ground locales. Buildings like the Bank and Stripe Burger don’t have much of a purpose. Why not add additional sidequests in order to make them more involved? Give us the ability to enter houses a la MML2. Make the power plant do…something. Little touches like this would only add to the island’s charm.
Likewise, I’d like to see a bit of expansion in the ruins. I really like the Metroidvania style of the main network, and a few extra branching paths would go a long way. These extra areas could have hidden entrances, not unlike Downtown’s sewer. This would double as a way to better move around the island as you dig for more goodies. A little extra to do goes a long way in stretching the enjoyment of the game.
For those that don’t know, there’s character that was initially supposed to be a rival to Megaman. His name is Artillery. He’s a digger/researcher that was initially supposed to be a rival to MM, as well as one after Roll’s affections. Unfortunately, he’s reduced to a background character in the final game. In a proper remake, I’d like to fix this in two big ways. The first would be making him FAR more involved with the main story than he actually is. While his role is slightly different than yours (favors researching over digging), a friendly rivalry could still be integrated with Volnutt’s mission.
The other major change I’d make is to have Artillery as a fully playable character. MoTB has shown that they can make different characters work in the Legends engine, so why not Art. While he’s not an armed digger like Megaman, he does carry a sidearm, which gives him something to defend himself with while underground. Give him unique weapon upgrades to make his gameplay genuinely fun and challenging. He’s a researcher, so there’s plenty of room for sidequests that involve collecting information on Kattelox’s mysteries as well. Players would have fun exploring Kattelox all over again from a different perspective; witnessing Volnutt’s exploits from a second-hand POV while having adventures of his own. Something like this would go a long way in breathing new life into the game.
This concludes the gameplay installment of the remake series. Tune in next time where we discuss tweaks to Volnutt’s weaponry! As always, comments are appreciated!
Tearing Down the Wall
Most of the ruin design in Mega Man Legends is solid, but there’s one glaring Achilles heel. In Clozer Ruins, there’s an instance where a dirt wall blocks your path. Unlike other breakable walls in the series, this one isn’t optional. Unless you already had the Powered Buster, Active Buster, or Grand Grenade equipped, Volnutt has to climb his way out of the ruins and switch weapons. This isn’t good game design, as it forces you to backtrack your way out of the ruin without any real reason.
This is made doubly problematic due to the boss that you fight when you do clear that area. The trio of Karumuna Bash that you fight are very mobile and require you to constantly be on your feet. The three aforementioned weapons have the side effect of nailing your feet to the ground when you fire. It’s as if the game sets the player up for failure by having them pick a less than optimal sidearm for this fight. A proper remake would simply get rid of the wall entire
A proper remake would simply get rid of the wall entirely, giving the player the freedom to use the weapon of their choosing as they explore Clozer.
Further Exploration
Kattelox Island is vast and interconnected, and I think it could benefit from a limited expansion. For example, there’s a little more they could do with the existing above-ground locales. Buildings like the Bank and Stripe Burger don’t have much of a purpose. Why not add additional sidequests in order to make them more involved? Give us the ability to enter houses a la MML2. Make the power plant do…something. Little touches like this would only add to the island’s charm.
Likewise, I’d like to see a bit of expansion in the ruins. I really like the Metroidvania style of the main network, and a few extra branching paths would go a long way. These extra areas could have hidden entrances, not unlike Downtown’s sewer. This would double as a way to better move around the island as you dig for more goodies. A little extra to do goes a long way in stretching the enjoyment of the game.
Art Appreciation
For those that don’t know, there’s character that was initially supposed to be a rival to Megaman. His name is Artillery. He’s a digger/researcher that was initially supposed to be a rival to MM, as well as one after Roll’s affections. Unfortunately, he’s reduced to a background character in the final game. In a proper remake, I’d like to fix this in two big ways. The first would be making him FAR more involved with the main story than he actually is. While his role is slightly different than yours (favors researching over digging), a friendly rivalry could still be integrated with Volnutt’s mission.
The other major change I’d make is to have Artillery as a fully playable character. MoTB has shown that they can make different characters work in the Legends engine, so why not Art. While he’s not an armed digger like Megaman, he does carry a sidearm, which gives him something to defend himself with while underground. Give him unique weapon upgrades to make his gameplay genuinely fun and challenging. He’s a researcher, so there’s plenty of room for sidequests that involve collecting information on Kattelox’s mysteries as well. Players would have fun exploring Kattelox all over again from a different perspective; witnessing Volnutt’s exploits from a second-hand POV while having adventures of his own. Something like this would go a long way in breathing new life into the game.
This concludes the gameplay installment of the remake series. Tune in next time where we discuss tweaks to Volnutt’s weaponry! As always, comments are appreciated!
