Mega Man 11 is safe, which makes it feel old. While its predecessors are contextualized by their age, the same archaic choices feel tired in the series’s return. Why does it have instant-kill traps and a lives system when its modern additions neuter their effects? Why develop a character’s backstory when it does not meaningfully affect the narrative? Its levels may be larger and more complex, but its base mechanics have remained stagnate. Mega Man 11 is still enjoyable but is overshadowed by titles not trapped by their own legacy. It is a return to form but does nothing more.
