The main character of the branch Mega Man Zero – an android named Zero. It is first encountered during the Mega Man X cycle. Z1 events begin one hundred years after X6. A certain scientist Ciel, together with a whole group of partisans, is trying to fight against the evil government of Neo Arcadia. In order to somehow resist the army of enemies, she decides to find the legendary robot Zero, so that he helps them fight.
The plot of the game is unobtrusive, but can please some unexpected twists, especially in the finale.
As in previous games in the series, Zero’s gameplay is built on the principles of a platform game. The main character is able to jump, make jerks and climb walls short jumps. Around this, many level trials are built. Given the location of the enemies, any delay or incorrect calculation results in a fall into the abyss or on the spikes.
The main character knows how to shoot, but unlike the original concept, the Zero sub-series motivates more often to fight at close range. Zero’s lightsaber is much more powerful than blaster salvos.
It is worth considering that when attacking in close combat, it is easy to miss an enemy attack and lose some of your health, so you should always be very careful here. Of course, you can try to play exclusively with a blaster, which is clearly less effective than the sword, but the gameplay is designed specifically for close combat, and the risk in this case is very well rewarded with powerful damage to the enemy.
In Z2, the main character is available with additional weapons, such as a shield and a kind of whip. The latter will be useful at least to overcome some obstacles. At first, the combination of a blaster with a sword may seem the most optimal, but each game has its own additional weapon, which can be combined with each other more effectively.
Different types of equipment and improvements appear in Z2 and Z3. For example, in the second part, Zero can open various amplifications, and in the third – equip a helmet that automatically charges weapons.
The most interesting appears at the end of the quadrology, when the player will be able to grab the enemy weapons and attack them. All this creates depth and diversity in the gameplay, which is simply necessary if you pass these games in a row.
An important part of any game in the Mega Man universe is bosses. To defeat the main enemy, you need to study his behavior and adapt to it. Even if you guessed the algorithm of actions, the moments when the opponent is open to attack can be very small. At the same time, you always run the risk of getting a retaliatory strike if you incorrectly calculate the time and are late even for a hundredth of a second.
In the usual mode with limited reserves of lives and continuations, every victory over such a powerful opponent causes a storm of positive emotions. Even in a lightweight version with autosave, the final boss in Z1 is a lot of trouble and at first it seems just invincible.
Destroying opponents, the main character does not receive the skills of the enemy, unlike the original games. Instead, special items that can be equipped can fall from some opponents. For example, in Z1, after defeating one of the first bosses, they are given an electrical module that can shock and slow down the enemy, and a little later the fire module opens, causing additional elemental damage. The subsequent parts of the Z series have their own unique items and special conditions for their receipt.
Another difference from the main Mega Man line is the assistant system. They need to be collected at locations and equipped in the necessary slots before the mission on special devices. Each creature has certain skills. The first saves during a fall into the abyss, the second heals, and the third increases the chances of falling useful objects from enemies and so on.
In some situations, these characters will help to keep your nerves, so you need to approach the expenditure of modules wisely. To pass the final level in Z1 without doctors is extremely difficult.
At the end of each level, the game counts points and gives an average rank, taking into account previous results. Each part has its own nuances associated with this. For example, in Z1 for a high rank a special room opens with bonus items, and in Z2 and Z3 bosses will use more dangerous movements, but after Zero defeats them, he will receive a valuable reward. Of course, maintaining a high rank is not easy, but interesting.
