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The game 30XX is one that shares a special classification with few others. Known as the ‘roguelite’ genre, this title fits right into the mold. It borrows elements from many games in the genre. And it does a pretty good job at making itself replayable. It pays tribute to other classic platformer titles. Developed by Batterystaple Games, this title may remind you of a particular classic.
30XX Gameplay
Basic movement from the game is what you’d expect from most in the platformer genre. One can choose to play with a keyboard and mouse. But even the game suggests that a controller would be better. While playing through the game, it was obvious. There’s no way I could get here without a controller. That being said, the layout of each level added to the difficulty. It took a substantial amount of patience, as the game 30XX makes it super easy to die.
Some areas required sticking to a wall until I could land on a platform below. In games I had played previously, I had to unlock the wall-stick ability before proceeding further. It was nice to see it as part of the character’s default abilities. This was important because I often had to slide down a wall to figure out where to go next. 30XX is a game that ensures that it is not easy to do.
Each world comes with its own set of enemies. And each has difficult environments to traverse. What works in one level does nothing to help in another. One boss battle reminded me of the ‘Snake’ from the old cellphone game of the same name. While it did have limited movement, it was not an easy task to take the monster on.
It was also nice to a set of different worlds. Each had a unique set of enemies. And no two creatures in the environments behaved the same.
Lacking in ‘Strength’
30XX is not a game that makes it easy for a player. Without power-ups, it is easy to get dead, real quick. Do not expect to survive your first encounter. I admit I was a little arrogant when I stepped up to the first boss. And as expected, it went fairly awful. I hardly did any damage, and I got no bonuses during that play-through.
All was not lost, though. Having gone through the level at least once gave me an edge. I knew how I needed to proceed. And I had a strategy. Getting new weapons required going into what’s called the ‘Glory Zone.’ Any player lucky enough to get far in the level would access it. In the first ‘zone,’ I acquired a spear that led me to a barrage attack. This worked well when I didn’t want to get close to enemies.
While the power-ups were cool, there is almost no explanation. For a good hour, I thought I was doing something wrong. You can acquire different ‘augments’ after each boss battle. And it seems they automatically equip. But the way the game lays out the table makes it confusing. I found myself wondering if I even had the buffs. Many play-throughs were required before I could see any improvement in movement or attack. And the ‘R&D’ aspect of the platformer was severely limited. Aside from mildly improving attack, health, and absorbing drops, there wasn’t much to be found.
File Under R for Rage
For anyone looking to relieve frustration, turn away now. 30XX is a game for those who don’t mind getting the hot button hit constantly. While the title could be enjoyable at times, I often found myself taking multiple breathers. It’s likely I hadn’t played for more than 10 or 15 minutes before simply quitting.
This is definitely a game for the most dedicated of roguelite fans. Players can enjoy two modes:
- Standard Mode – the ‘traditional’ way to play. Progress as far as you can without dying. This mode comes with permadeath, meaning a start from the very beginning upon each death.
- Mega Mode – keep your level progress and collectibles attained. The more you play, the more likely you are to succeed.
I also decided at one point to override my save in Mega Mode. After starting a new file, I also started with a different character. First, I played as Ace. And upon starting a new file, I was able to play as Nina. Even after repeatedly starting a new 30XX game, I was still playing as Nina. This struck me as extremely odd. The difference between the modes was that only standard would allow a player to choose either Nina or Ace.
Summary
30XX is guaranteed to entice platformer fans. While it can be frustrating at times, beating a level yields fair amounts of reward. That being said, it didn’t personally feel like enough when I finally completed a level. It definitely felt like there should have been more at the end of a successfully completed stage. Because the game is in Early Access, there is yet more work to be done. What I experienced is not the final product. Keep up to date on things regarding the title by wishlisting or following on Steam.