Mega Man meets roguelike action in this brutally hard 2D platformer - 30XX Quick Review

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SHOULD I PLAY 30XX?

If you’re a fan of the Mega Man series, 30XX is a game you won’t want to miss! It’s basically a roguelite version of Mega Man X, and that combination is just as amazing as it sounds. Even if you’re not big on Mega Man, there are plenty of other reasons to check this title out, like the gorgeous graphics, smooth controls, and insanely addictive gameplay loop. If that’s not enough to sell you on the game, it also has a level editor, couch co-op, and online gameplay.

30XX is the follow-up to another Mega Man-inspired game, 20XX, but you don’t have to play the original before you check this title out. I skipped 20XX, and I was able to dive into 30XX without any problems. Based on what I’ve seen, 30XX has improved on its predecessor in every way, so it’s a great jumping on point.

TIME PLAYED

I played around five hours of 30XX, which was more than enough time to get through the story, complete a full run, and start my adventure over again. Once I had the basics down, I was able to get through the game in under two hours. That sounds pretty short, but since levels are randomized, every playthrough feels unique. I was constantly finding new weapons and power-ups, so I got to approach levels and boss fights in several different ways. I didn’t spend a ton of time with the level creator, but I can definitely see myself wasting hours on content creation later on.

WHAT’S AWESOME ABOUT 30XX?

• Stunning visuals. 30XX is a fast-paced game, but sometimes, I wanted to pause the action so that I could admire the scenery. The vibrant pixel graphics are jaw-droppingly beautiful, and even though the levels are randomly generated, they consistently look amazing. While the colorful artwork is the star of the show, I was also really impressed by the animation. Movements are fluid, and every character has tons of personality.

• Crisp controls. 30XX is a tough, punishing game, but the fluid controls make its challenges a lot easier to handle. I played on Steam Deck, and I found button presses to be extremely responsive. When I screwed up, I knew the problem was my reaction time, not the game. It also helps that the controls are extremely intuitive. It took a while to master the mechanics, but I picked the basics up in no time. It’s been a long time since I played a Mega Man game, but sitting down with 30XX felt like coming home. 

• Tons of variety. 30XX has two playable characters, each with a distinct play style. Ace fights with swords, while Nina uses a charging blast weapon similar to Mega Man’s Mega Buster. Switching between characters dramatically alters the feel of the game, and unlocking new weapons and power-ups changes things even more. At one point, I unlocked a rapier-like weapon that let me rush through enemies and take them out from behind!

The Standard mode is packed with content, but there are additional gameplay modes that mix things up even more. When I wanted a break from randomized levels and permadeath, I could jump over to Mega Mode, which saved my progress and let me tackle levels in any order. There’s also an option to create and share custom levels, so the only real limit on 30XX’s potential is the imagination of its players.

• Custom content creation. 30XX wears its Mega Man inspiration on its sleeve, but it also takes a page from the Super Mario Maker playbook. The level editor is surprisingly detailed, and there are a ton of enemies and tiles to choose from. I didn’t always have the patience to design full levels, but thankfully, 30XX also let me create small level chunks that could be placed into full maps later on. Once a level is finished, it can be uploaded and shared with other players. The quality of the custom levels isn’t consistent, but I still loved seeing what other players had created.

WHAT SUCKS ABOUT 30XX?

•  Steep difficulty curve. 30XX’s tutorial is easy enough, but once it takes the training wheels off, it’s a brutally hard game. I was severely punished for every mistake I made, and since the game has perma-death, a single screw-up could send me back to square one. Roguelikes are one of my favorite genres, but I still found my first hour or so of gameplay to be pretty demoralizing.

If you’re willing to stick things out, the game does get easier. Dying meant losing my progress,  but I was gradually able to collect items that gave me permanent upgrades. The more I played, the more power-ups I unlocked, and those boosts ultimately got through the game. While the upgrades were a huge help, I also found it useful to switch over to Mega Mode so that I could figure out enemy attack patterns without worrying about perma-death.

I eventually conquered 30XX, but if I wasn’t playing it for review, I might have been scared off by its painfully hard gameplay. I wound up having a blast, but I know that some players won’t be up for its many challenges.

💬 Will you travel to the distant future in 30XX, or would you rather play games in the present? Tell us your thoughts in the comments!