"First off, this game is a very big leap above Mega Man X3, in terms of gameplay and cosmetic changes, but one of the biggest greats is the fact that you can finally play the game in full with Zero! Yes, X's friend is a playable character, complete with his own arsenal and story line! This is one of the coolest things in this game, but not the only thing...

As for the gameplay itself: if you've played the previous X games, then you'll know what's going on here: X still has his X-Buster, so he shoots stuff. Simple. Playing as X is simply the same as the other games, but Zero is a totally different experience. Zero has lost his X-Buster in this game, so now he fights exclusively with his Beam Sabre. Also, since Zero no longer has the range X has, his game is a little more difficult, since he has to get close to enemies to kill them. However, if you're tired of the same old gameplay with X, give Zero a whirl. Continuing with gameplay, the game in itself is not too tough or too easy, instead balanced just right. The Maverick bosses aren't too hard to beat (provided you have the right weapons), but the later bosses do get pretty hard (especially Double and Sigma; play the game and see). The game is structured pretty much in the same way as the others: selectable stages, the effectiveness of the weapons on certain bosses, and X's ability to upgrade his armor with enhancements provided by the trusty Dr. Light's Weapon Capsules. Zero doesn't gain new weapons like X does; instead he learns new sword techniques and other special moves (including the super-useful Double Jump). Controls are easy to use and remember: you have a fire button, a jump button, and a dash button, as well as weapon select buttons and two technique buttons. (Note: I recommend a six-button pad like the Sidewinder for this game; I use one and have the controls set exactly like the Saturn version, giving me perfect control.) Also, there's no annoying momentum which I SPITE in many 3D games; you move and stop on a dime here.

Moving on to cosmetics...the game's graphics are excellent! The characters are very well animated and move extremely fluidly (I guess those hefty system requirements really did make a difference, eh?), and there's not ONE HINT of slowdown ANYWHERE!! The sprites for the characters are nice and big and have a really nice amount of detail to them, making the game almost look like a big interactive anime. Sounds are equally well done, with plenty of "BANG!" and "BOOM!" and lots of cool anime-ish robotic sounds. I especially like the little touches, like X and Zero landing from a jump with a "ka-clink" sound, and others like Zero's Beam Sabre letting out a loud "FWOOSH!!" when swung." Overall, Mega Man X4 is arguably the best release in the long, intermittent line of Mega Man for the PC. Highly recommended!