Screenshot: 30XX
Damn,
30XX is a great idea—I’m sorry I missed out on
20XX when it originally released. I’m already a huge fan of the classic
Mega Man game formula: choose the boss you want to fight, make it through the level themed after them, and defeat them to acquire their powers. It’s such a specific brand of gameplay, and I’ve been burnt many times by games like
Mighty No. 9. I didn’t play its predecessor
20XX, and I didn’t have high expectations going into
30XX, even though I really liked the concept. I’m pleasantly surprised with how
30XX is shaping up.
30XX is a side scrolling action platforming roguelike that can be played solo or cooperatively. Like its predecessor, it’s inspired by the
Mega Man and
Megan Man X series of games. You play as an android, awakened a thousand years after
20XX. You (and your partner) must fight through a world lost to the Synthetic Mind in an effort to save what’s left of humanity. That means lots of
Mega Man style action across procedurally generated levels—and that’s pretty rad.
Screenshot: 30XX
The mechanics are what you would expect from a
Mega Man X style game—and they’re great fun. You can jump, shoot (or slash), slide and dash. The enemies and bosses are also exactly what you would expect from a
Mega Man-style game, with each boss dropping a special, equippable ability when defeated. You can bring a friend along to play in co-op, with one person playing the Zero-like Ace with his sword and combo system, and the other playing as Nina with her
Mega Man style blaster.
There are two main ways you can play
30XX: either the traditional
Mega Man way in Mega Mode, which undoes many of the roguelike aspects like permadeath, and lets you choose which boss you want to face at which time. The Standard mode is the classic
20XX way to play, which means permadeath and newly generated levels each time you restart. Once back at HQ you can spend whatever currency you acquired to buy upgrades before going out on your next run.
Screenshot: 30XX
30XX is still in Early Access, and that means that it’s not exactly done yet—though it feels like a pretty complete game. According to the Steam Early Access section, the Early Access period will last about a year. There are currently six levels and six bosses, but two more bosses/stages are planned to be added, with finale levels added for a proper ending. There will also be more power-ups and items to find. While
30XX feels like a polished game despite its Early Access status, I would like to see more work done with the level generation. I’ve had some runs where the levels feel hand-crafted, and others where they’re obviously chunks of levels thrown together. Speaking of which, you can even edit those chunks to add to your own game.
Usually when I play an Early Access game for a preview, I tend to play only what’s required to get a decent impression. I found myself playing through the entirety of
30XX a few times, both in Standard and Mega Mode. While it’s not a perfect 1:1 facsimile to a
Mega Man game, it is surprisingly close. If you were to tell young me that there would be an endless
Mega Man game in the future, I wouldn’t have believed you. This one turns out to be pretty damn good. Time for me to get some time in
20XX until
30XX finishes development.
Screenshot: 30XX
30XX is available now in
Early Access on Steam
If you like the video game, tabletop, or other technology content that Third Coast Review has to offer, consider donating to our Patreon. We are the only publication in Chicago that regularly reviews video games, and we cover lots of local Chicago-based events and more. If you want to contribute to our coverage of Chicago’s video game scene (and more) please consider becoming a patron. Your support enables us to continue to provide this type of content and more. Patreon.com/3CR
You can also catch us streaming games we’re reviewing and staff favorites on our Twitch channel.