30XX Improves Immensely From Its Predecessor on Both PC and Nintendo Switch

During an age when Capcom kept Mega Man on ice, the indie world picked up the pace on delivering high octane run-and-gun platformers to the masses. One of the more notable of these outputs was 20XX.

A tongue-in-cheek reference to the in-game year the Mega Man games are set in, 20XX stood out from its influence by being a roguelite. This meant that players really had to get good to overcome the game’s many challenges.

It became a moderate success; those looking for a spiritual successor to Mega Man X had a lot to enjoy, especially with the game’s randomised levels and four unique playable characters.

So when it came time for a new sequel, developers Batterstaple Games kicked things up a notch with 30XX. After an early access period, 30XX has now been fully released on PC and Nintendo Switch.

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The story of 30XX sees the protagonists of the previous game, Nina and Ace, emerge from a thousand-year slumber to reclaim a world dominated by the advent of the Synthetic Mind. The opening level has Ace waking Nina from her sleep and features a brief run-in with the game’s villains.

Players are then transported to a hub level, where they can choose one of eight levels to tangle with a boss waiting for them at the end. Players can also choose to play as either the blaster-wielding Nina or the melee-focused Ace.

As a roguelite, each level layout is randomly assorted and filled with hazards and enemies out to get the player. From a robot junkyard to a digital landscape, each level is varied and can hide some neat bonuses and challenges for each run.

Those looking for a regular roguelite can stick to Standard Mode, while those who want a more traditional Mega Man experience can opt for the permadeath-free Mega Mode that features save points and Assist options.

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What makes 30XX even more compelling is that players can play together online or through local couch co-op. This makes the challenge a little more comparable, and it is great that players have different experiences as Nina or Ace.

When it comes to the pool of weapons and abilities, 30XX offers a ton of options that could make or break a run. Armour abilities allow players to jump up to four times, while additional weapons can have players summoning black holes or negating damage with special shields.

Bosses like the ape monk Zen Primus or the cowardly owl Hoot Omega will keep players on their toes, and it isn’t as easy as identifying the right weaknesses to finish the job. Depending on the players’ loadout, bosses can go down really easily.

Of course, that depends on the player’s luck of the draw with 30XX’s randomly generated upgrades. With Mega Mode allowing players to tackle a level over and over again, farming upgrades makes things a lot more bearable.

Gigamix

The PC-exclusive Community Mode lets players make a seemingly endless amount of customized levels made by 30XX’s PC community with the same level-design tools used by the developers.

This enables players to create individual levels, entire Metroidvania-style adventures or even speedrun trials in the same vein as Mario Maker. It is a fun addition to the game, but it is understandable that not every player will want to engage in this side of 30XX.

Those who want to purely enjoy the run-and-gun aspect of 30XX can stick to the Nintendo Switch version, which also allows for on-the-go co-op action. Hopefully, the other two characters from 20XX will be making their way to 30XX soon.

Overall, 30XX is a marked improvement over its predecessor, especially in regards to its graphics and tighter gameplay. Like any roguelite, once players get the right loadout, it can prove trivial in Mega Mode. But stick to Standard Mode and you’ll have a true challenge in your hands.