Feb 18

Feb 18 Early Access Review | 30XX

The biggest appeal of games in the style of Mega Man is the relatively low barrier-to-entry. The games themselves can be challenging in their own unique ways, but the core gameplay - move, shoot, dash if you’re feeling frisky - can be mastered by anyone. Once you learn to time your jumps and what weapon is best for the job, nothing outside of a spike pit can stop you. I think that’s why 30XX - a Mega Man-like Roguelite - succeeds; challenge and accessibility are two sides of the same coin, and both are being handled very well here.

Arriving on Steam Early Access on the 17th of February, 30XX is the sequel to Batterystaple Games’ previous roguelike, 20XX. The previous game was a solid love letter to the Mega Man X games of the past, and 30XX wants to be that and more. The full release will have a level maker, so enthusiastic fans will have all the content they could ever ask for if the game does well. Based on what I’ve played in my preview build, I can’t imagine fans of the genre not losing themselves in Batterystaple’s colourful new adventure.

30XX has a sense of familiarity once you begin your first run. You choose between Nina and her N-Buster, which can be rapidly fired or charged by holding the button, or Ace, who can use his A-Saber to quickly slash through nearby enemies or charge up for a more powerful attack. Mega Man veterans will feel right at home, and I(someone who’s absolutely not a veteran at anything) was able to get the hang of the gameplay within the first few runs. ‘If it ain’t broke-’ comes to mind, but to 30XX’s credit, the gameplay is as solid as it needs to be, which is saying something considering even Capcom doesn’t have the best history of nailing the feel of the Blue Bomber.

A Mega Man influenced rouge-lite looking more retro than modern Mega Man is some snake-eating-its-own-tail-time-is-a-flat-circle stuff right there.

I was a little wary when I first discovered the game was a Rogue-lite where every death would send me back to the beginning with an incremental currency that I could use to better upgrade myself and try again. However, despite my trepidation, the system works almost too well. As you move through the gorgeously designed levels, you can upgrade your health, armour, and energy, scrounging up whatever special weapons you’re lucky enough to find. The strange thing is you’re more than capable before those first few upgrades even get rolling. While that does mean you often feel a bit overpowered it also makes things all the more crushing when you die on a very good run and find yourself back at the start with just your Buster or Blade.

Even so, as soon as I found myself bounced back to the starting area, I was loading back into the game just as fast. I wanted to play again as soon as possible; to hear the bubbly chiptune music again and see just how far I could get before I got absolutely destroyed by a single stray energy blast. The game even encourages you to decide just how difficult you want your journey to be; there are a variety of options for making the game harder, like making spikes and pits lethal, or making the levels longer(which is much worse than it already sounds). Layering on more challenges means more upgrade materials, so even the most timid of players are encouraged to play with the sliders and find the difficulty that’s right for them.

Mega Man style platforming and insta-kill pits They go together like oil and water but we love them anyway.

30XX has a lot you may have seen before, especially anyone who’s been Maverick hunting since they were children, but it still holds its own with a memorable soundtrack and enthralling ‘just one more run’ gameplay. Rogue-lites are a unique beast, definitely not for everyone, but 30XX is entering Early Access with a solid foundation, one that could only get better and better as development continues. As a lover of rogue-lites and roguelikes alike, I can’t wait to see what those changes will be going forward.