Lately, Capcom has been on a trend of reviving old series and, without going down the remake treatment, has given them a much-needed coat of paint that makes every single one of these entries feel worth experiencing even decades later. The latest titles to get this treatment are all of the Star Force games, packed into Mega Man Star Force Legacy Collection. After going through some of my favorites, the ones I end up completing back in the day, and a couple I never got to play, I can say that Capcom has done an excellent job at revitalizing this series, even if some of its bigger flaws remain.
The Life of Geo Stelar
Mega Man fans have been craving new adventures alongside the Blue Bomber, and while that’s still a bit far away, Mega Man Star Force Legacy Collection is more than enough to satiate once EM Wave hunger.
This huge collection brings together the classic Star Force trilogy, totaling seven games due to their different versions, and gives each and every one a facelift that still maintains that old, classical feeling while adding gameplay features that make it stand out as one of the best remastered collections Capcom has launched.
In terms of story, you take the role of our initially withdrawn protagonist, Geo Stelar. He is struggling with his father’s disappearance, and out of the blue, gets drawn into an interstellar conflict involving viruses, making friendships, and collecting cards.
Now, while the plot might be old news to many, the truth is that I still believe Star Force as a whole has an excellent narrative due to how it touches upon difficult topics for the protagonist without realizing it. Yet, that doesn’t mean it is without its issues, as, despite all the trilogy being terrific, it also has a few points that drag the whole thing down, mainly Zerker x Ninja and Zerker x Saurian.
After finally getting to play my favorite entries across the whole trilogy, I now see just how weak Star Force 2 was in terms of narrative and even gameplay. It felt as if it tried to do everything that its predecessor did with little to no changes, and ended up feeling flat in many ways that, sadly, a remaster won’t be able to fix, and that’s fine. I still appreciate the modern additions and several QoL features that actually let me breeze through these entries.
Fortunately, these are the only two games of the collection that feel a bit weak because Star Force and Star Force 3 are the pinnacle of the package. The former is an excellent introduction to Geo Stelar and his friends, and has this EM Wave of nostalgia that hits you as you become Mega Man for the first time. And then Star Force 3 knocks everything out of the park by bringing the best gameplay elements and a compelling narrative that wraps this trilogy up in a satisfying way.
In the end, Mega Man Star Force Legacy Collection is packed with nostalgia and several stories worth experiencing from start to finish. However, keep in mind that, at least in my opinion, Star Force 2 has the weakest titles in the trilogy and might undermine the pacing its predecessor established. Fortunately, there are many ways to rush through these particular games, which, for better or worse, I’m glad are there.
One Card at a Time
When it comes to its gameplay, Mega Man Star Force Legacy Collection is a card-battler, where you pick your folder before a fight, choose your cards, and use them to defeat viruses. Once your gauge fills up, you pick more cards, and the game throws you into this mix of real-time battle with card strategizing that was one of the most unique combat systems at the time, and one I think still aged well despite how old these games might feel for some.
On top of many cards being available from the get-go, and a UI that feels much easier to understand now, I also appreciate how many QoL additions the collection brings to mitigate some of the aspects of the series that didn’t age so well.
Take encounter rates in Star Force 2, for instance. To this day, people still have nightmares about how bloated the game felt with random encounters, which, paired with an underwhelming story, made these sequels frustrating to many. Thankfully, you can now configure the encounter rate, how many rewards you earn, and even the overall difficulty, making some of the toughest encounters a walk in the park for our Blue Bomber.
Also, while some people might not like the changes to some UI aspects and character portraits, I liked them all, as it made all games feel more modern, but without missing that old-school look that we all grew up with. And speaking of old-school things, there are also several new things for fans to see, from art to models, and many more that true Mega Man gamers will appreciate.
And while I didn’t dive deep into some of its online modes, as I prefer to stick to the single-player RPG experience, it is great to see just how expansive the online features feel, making this collection one of the most packed Capcom has launched in years, and one I hope serves as a standard for future remasters.
Reviving a Classic Trilogy
Ultimately, Mega Man Star Force Legacy Collection still has its high and lows, but it now feels as if it has more of the former than the latter. Despite some of my complaints with Star Force 2, all of them are easy to ignore now, thanks to its QoL features and certain functions that allow you to skip some of the most tedious parts, but still experience the meaty parts of the trilogy.
Even if these games didn’t get a full-blown remake treatment, which we know Capcom would easily nail, I’m glad these remasters let me finally experience some of the most forgotten and often criticized Mega Man games. With a modern look and a fresh coat of paint, Geo Stelar’s story feels amazing to experience, and I’m sure many will come around to love one of the Blue Bomber’s most underrated adventures.
Mega Man Star Force Legacy Collection (PC Reviewed)
Mega Man Star Force Legacy Collection is a stellar collection of some of Mega Man's often-forgotten adventures that, despite some shortcomings, feels excellent to play with modern QoL features and other additions.
Pros
- Excellent QoL additions
- Several UI improvements
Cons
- Some of the games didn't age well
