If you’re a fan of the MegaMan series, or games like it, you will definitely want to check out 30XX. This fast paced, futuristic, action/platformer makes me feel like I’m a kid again, playing MegaMan X for the first time.
30XX takes place 1,000 years later than it’s predecessor, 20XX (2018), and plays pretty much the same. You can play co-op with a friend, which was really fun and helpful at times. The two characters you play as are pretty much MegaMan and Zero from MegaMan X (but totally not them, shh). These characters are known as Ace and Nina. If you don’t have a friend to play with, you can join online multiplayer or play alone, which is just as fun.
In order to beat each level, you will need to blast through all of the enemies in your way and defeat the final boss. There are two modes to choose from when you start the game. You can choose standard mode, which I would call hard mode. You lose all of your progress when you die in standard mode, and the levels are chosen randomly for you. If you choose mega mode it’s a little easier, and you can go at your own pace. You won’t lose your upgrades in mega mode. Instead, you will be teleported back to the hub where you can purchase more upgrades. You can also choose which level you want to play in this mode.
The cool thing about 30XX is that each time you play a level they are randomly generated. The bosses stay the same, but everything in between will change slightly each time you play it. This keeps the gameplay fresh and makes the levels a little more challenging to master. If that’s not enough for you, you can also check out the community mode from the main menu and play all kinds of different levels created by the 30XX community. There is a ton of variety when it comes to levels and gameplay, so it’s hard to get bored.
30XX also lets you customize the difficulty settings and controls for each player. You can lower enemy health, lower how much damage you take, and adjust the game’s clock speed. These will come in handy if you are having trouble getting through specific areas or a tough boss.
Gameplay wise, 30XX is just like MegaMan X. You can jump off walls, slide through narrow passageways, shoot, and charge your weapon to kill enemies. I pretty much ran through each area as quickly as I could, then took my time with the bosses. I’ve always loved MegaMan X, but I was never super great at it when it came to the bosses. The chameleon guy was always my favorite though.
30XX isn’t just fun to play, it also has awesome music and updated retro graphics. It’s a very smooth game over all, besides the general difficulty. I didn’t notice any lagging or freezing, even when there were numerous enemies on the screen. Each area has its own theme and music, which is nice if you’re stuck on a difficult level and need a change of scenery.
Overall, 30XX is a fun game with a lot of variety to offer when it comes to level design, enemies, and power-ups. You can choose the best mode for you, or join in on the community fun and play random levels to your heart’s content. If you’re a fan of action platformers, or you’re a fan of MegaMan X, 30XX is great game for people of all skill levels and ages.
