Capcom bring another episode of their long-running action platformer to PS2 in the form of Mega Man X8. Mankind is leaving war-torn earth to colonise the moon, and have constructed robotic reploids to help them do this. But the devilish Sigma, architect of the war that forced them to leave the planet in the first place, has altered the robots DNA to turn them into the enemies of mankind. Enter three characters, Mega Man, Axl and Zero, who the player must control and switch between to battle the mechanoids on the moon. Obviously the three characters have differing abilities: Mega Man has his patented charge shot, Axl can hover and has a spread shot capability, and Zero can double jump and specialises in close range attacks. Whereas Mega Mans last outing, Mega Man X7, was a 3D style platformer, in X8 Capcom have returned to a more traditional 2D gameplay plane, though the graphics are still 3D rendered. The style also takes some design cues from the more recent Viewtiful Joe games. As well as the dynamic of switching between the three characters to take advantage of their strengths, the team can also use weapons taken from defeated bosses as they work their way through the games levels in any order. Fusing RPG values with platform sensibilities, it is also possible to collect items and power-ups to help the characters progress through the game. In addition, the game boasts multiple endings and many hidden items.