Just as Mega Man tries to leave to stop Wily, Light stops him and explains what the Double Gear System is and what it's capable of. He then warns Mega Man that if Wily really has perfected it, the latter won't stand a chance, but Mega Man responds, still refusing to let Wily get away. Realizing that Mega Man won't be stopped, Light reveals that he kept and repaired the prototype Double Gear System that Wily used to own. After briefly warning Mega Man of its potential danger (with Mega Man accepting the risk), Light installs the Double Gear into Mega Man after several days so he can stand a chance against Wily's new army.
After defeating 4 Robot Masters, Light explains to Mega Man that the Double Gear system was partly responsible for him and Wily falling out. Light believed that if robots were given the power to think for themselves, they could be true partners with humans. Wily, however, stated that even robots who think independently would be mere tools to humans, but by giving them power and speed boosts, then humans would finally respect robots for what they are and any robot could be a hero with the Double Gear System installed. However, when the committee chose Light over Wily, the latter stormed off never forgiving his old friend for not even giving him a chance.
Back in the present, Light ponders about his decisions back then, and muses if he had shown him there was a way to work together instead of telling him that he was wrong, they might still have been friends. He even admits that the Double Gear System can be used for good if used properly, and then gives Mega Man the Rush Jet modification for Rush (Mega Man's robotic pet dog) with Mega Man then setting off to defeat the remaining Robot Masters.
After defeating all 8 Robot Masters, Auto attempts to locate Wily. At first, it seemed as if Wily disappeared, when suddenly the lab's signal was intercepted, and Wily himself appeared on the screen. Angered that Mega Man defeated the Robot Masters and was using his Double Gear System, Wily beckons Mega Man to come to his Gear Fortress so he can deal with him on his own. Mega Man heads out to stop Wily.
After traversing the fortress, Mega Man confronts Wily in his new Wily Machine and the two battle. In the end, Mega Man is victorious, causing Wily to resort to "Plan B", which was simply to kneel and beg for mercy. The "plan" fails when Mega Man doesn't fall for it, but Wily then mocks him, believing his loss wasn't caused by Mega Man, but rather the Double Gear System, which was his own technology, proclaiming himself as the better genius. Suddenly, Light walks in. Light asks Wily to look at Mega Man and explains that Mega Man holds tremendous power, but is intelligent enough to use it wisely; in a way, he is Light and Wily's ideas combined. Light asks Wily to atone for his crimes and be friends with him again, as before, so they could make other amazing ideas become reality, just like Mega Man. Wily refuses, stating his plans have only begun, and then escapes. Light fears he and Wily may never be able to work together again. As the fortress begins to collapse, Auto arrives, telling Light he had finished doing what he asked of him. With that, the three of them escape the collapsing fortress.
Back at the lab, it's revealed that Light and Auto were at the Gear Fortress to find parts in order to rebuild the Robot Masters. Auto uses Mega Man's Double Gear System to carry the Robot Masters to the repair room, so they can be sent back to their owners.
Gameplay
Mega Man 11 retains the gameplay style of the classic Mega Man series of games, and features a 2.5D graphics style with 3D polygonal characters and 2D environments. Players control Mega Man in an attempt to stop Dr. Wily from using the Double Gear system that he invented many years before when he was at Robot University. Players travel through eight linear stages, which can be chosen in any way the player sees fit, and have to face Doctor Wily's newest Robot Masters, including Block Man, Fuse Man, Blast Man, Acid Man, Tundra Man, Torch Man, Impact Man, and Bounce Man.
Mega Man can perform classic moves such as the chargeable Mega Buster and slide, as well as obtain new weapons by defeating Robot Master bosses at the end of each level. Unique to this game is the Double Gear system, which grants Mega Man two additional abilities: the Speed Gear and Power Gear. The Speed Gear lets Mega Man slow down time, allowing him to dodge attacks, while the Power Gear increases the attack power of Mega Man's weaponry; both of these will overheat if Mega Man uses them too much. When Mega Man's health is critically low, he can activate both gears to perform a powerful charge shot which can only be used once and leaves Mega Man weakened afterward.
The game has additional features including Time Trials, Missions, Global Leaderboards, a character gallery and more. The game also features difficulty settings, last seen in Mega Man 10, expanding upon them for a total of four: Newcomer, Casual, Normal, and Superhero. The Nintendo Switch version has Amiibo support, which can be used to unlock in-game items.
Reception
Mega Man 11 was met with positive reviews by critics. IGN gave it a 7.5/10 rating saying "It's not revolutionary, but Mega Man 11 feels almost like a classic Mega Man game, and is a good foundation for the next 10 games" while GameSpot gave it a 7/10 rating praising the game for its "great sub-bosses and intense robot master fights, some new stage gimmicks being a lot of fun and endearing personality of the series coming through in the visual and character design", while criticizing the stages for being "far too long and having some questionable elements, the difficulty spikes throughout levels leading to frustrating setbacks and the Double Gear System never seeming quite as useful as you want it to be". Nintendo Life gave it a 9/10 rating, writing that "Mega Man 11 is an excellent resurgence for the Blue Bomber, imbuing the tried-and-true classic gameplay with modern touches and new ideas that expand on existing concepts in interesting ways."
Sales
During its first week on sale in Japan, the physical Nintendo Switch version of Mega Man 11 sold 14,650 copies, while the physical PlayStation 4 version sold 12,052 copies. As of February 2019, the game has sold 870,000 copies worldwide.
Accolades
The game was nominated for "Best Action Game" at The Game Awards 2018, for "Original Light Mix Score, Franchise" at the National Academy of Video Game Trade Reviewers Awards, and for the G.A.N.G. / MAGFEST People's Choice Award at the 2019 G.A.N.G. Awards.
