I bought 30XX following the 1.0 release. I've had heard about the game for a long time, and I originally thought it was "simply" a Megaman-inspired game, and wanted something chill to play on the TV. I was actually pleasantly surprised when I saw it was an Action Roguelike. It shows the devs put a lot of effort into this game. The art style is good, the music is great, and a lot of work was put in the animations. Unfortunately though, the fun falls short, and the gameplay in itself is just poor.
The randomly-generated levels feel uninspired and repetitive. The way the chunks are designed and assembled doesn't reward any exploration effort, especially since the Nuts (one of the in-game currency) are so rare.
The hub, where you can buy permanent upgrades and select players/game modes, feels like a glorified menu, and there are multiple tiny things that are just frustrating. Why do I have to walk up to each shop/options? Why can't I just press B to close a buy menu?
While the small fights during the levels don't really feel noticeable, the various bosses look and feel alright. They sometimes have weird patterns that you can't dodge or prevent (a bit of inspiration from the Dark Souls series wouldn't hurt in that regard). But once again the game design makes each battle a chore. Not only can't you shoot up or down, which is understandable since you get pickups that improve your arsenal and abilities, but the hitboxes are inconsistent. Sometimes janky, sometimes too precise, you can't really develop a movement flow, and you're sometimes stuck looking at an enemy dead in the eyes without being able to hit them.
So all in all, despite the fact that its art and music is great, and a lot of love has been put into it, 30XX is not a game I can recommend. It's not a good roguelike, it's not a good platformer, it just falls short of everything and doesn't have that little something that could make it a worthwhile purchase. I had to ask for a refund, for I knew I wouldn't want to bash my head against this title after a few runs.
And I mean let's be honest. For the same price, why play this when you can play Dead Cells or Spelunky? Or if you're willing to spend a little more, get Rogue Legacy 2 or Hades. You'll get much more for your money, whether it be in terms of gameplay, mechanics, items, lore, or plain and simple fun.
The randomly-generated levels feel uninspired and repetitive. The way the chunks are designed and assembled doesn't reward any exploration effort, especially since the Nuts (one of the in-game currency) are so rare.
The hub, where you can buy permanent upgrades and select players/game modes, feels like a glorified menu, and there are multiple tiny things that are just frustrating. Why do I have to walk up to each shop/options? Why can't I just press B to close a buy menu?
While the small fights during the levels don't really feel noticeable, the various bosses look and feel alright. They sometimes have weird patterns that you can't dodge or prevent (a bit of inspiration from the Dark Souls series wouldn't hurt in that regard). But once again the game design makes each battle a chore. Not only can't you shoot up or down, which is understandable since you get pickups that improve your arsenal and abilities, but the hitboxes are inconsistent. Sometimes janky, sometimes too precise, you can't really develop a movement flow, and you're sometimes stuck looking at an enemy dead in the eyes without being able to hit them.
So all in all, despite the fact that its art and music is great, and a lot of love has been put into it, 30XX is not a game I can recommend. It's not a good roguelike, it's not a good platformer, it just falls short of everything and doesn't have that little something that could make it a worthwhile purchase. I had to ask for a refund, for I knew I wouldn't want to bash my head against this title after a few runs.
And I mean let's be honest. For the same price, why play this when you can play Dead Cells or Spelunky? Or if you're willing to spend a little more, get Rogue Legacy 2 or Hades. You'll get much more for your money, whether it be in terms of gameplay, mechanics, items, lore, or plain and simple fun.