30XX is an excellent action platformer game, and an excellent roguelike that's a straight improvement from the original in every way. Gorgeous pixel art graphics, new and rebalanced mechanics, a bigger set of features that differentiates the two characters, and the gameplay is just as tight and solid as it's always been. The level themes are interesting and fun both visually and mechanically, and the music is just as great. Each boss at the end is beautifully designed and fun to master, and defeating them rewards you with a similarly beautiful new ability. Between dashing, jumping, and shooting, everything plays exactly as you'd want it to, and this all just adds up to some delightful core gameplay that'll satisfy those looking for a real challenge.

While it does have clear MMX inspiration, it may be misleading to correlate the game and its philosophy to Mega Man X. It certainly has the same tight, reliable, controls and buttery smooth jump and shoot action, but even in Mega Mode (a static mode which removes permadeath and random runs in favor of a more traditional stage select and save file system), there's a greater "controlled chaos" that isn't present in its inspiration. In the end, 30XX isn't just about jumping and shooting - you'll be picking up all kinds of gear and upgrades over the course of a run to enhance your stats and get the firepower needed to tear apart bosses. The classic "power chase" of extreme stat-boosting items and crazy abilities that is present in other roguelikes is very much present here and deeply enjoyable, and is also encouraged through some more swamping design in the later half of the game, so if you don't enjoy that sort of thing, then its resemblance to Mega Man X otherwise won't be enough for you. It is arguably a roguelike firstly, and an action platformer secondly.

If you're willing to engage with it on its own terms, however, you'll find an excellent game for fans of action platformers and Mega Man who don't mind a little roguelike flavor in the mix. Though uncompromising in ways, it's satisfying, fluid, genuinely endlessly replayable, and just as well-designed as it gets.

Easily one of the best monster catchers I'd ever played. The game, in many ways, meaningfully iterates on long-standing issues people have had with Pokemon's systems. Yet at the same time, it is never truly content with mere "iteration" and embraces its own identity as a monster-catcher, with mechanically rich systems, a unique cast of creatures with a fun guiding design philosophy, and some very charming, earthy writing.

Your initial traversal in the open world feels a little awkward because of the stamina bar, but it doesn't take long before it's alleviated. The world is fun to explore, with lots of little secrets hidden in nooks and crannies. The battle system is nicely fleshed-out, and rewards you for a true understanding of its workings - it's good at discouraging complacency in the face of various challenges. The music is also utterly fantastic, with a host of pleasant field themes that suit the atmosphere- the highlight being the various battle themes, which are complimented by some great vocals. The narrative is simple, and focuses more on the characters and themes, which are very feel-good and earnestly depicted. I had a real feeling of fulfillment by the time I finished the game, and had grown thoroughly attached to my partner of choice.

For the price, the content is staggering. I think the game will take you roughly 20-30 hours to finish the main story, but there's plenty of diversions. Aside from filling out the bestiary, there's a lengthy (if somewhat grindy) postgame with new questlines and bosses - and though these aren't as substantial as the static designed quests, the postgame board gives you randomly generated quests, which both let you more easily take in the material to do things like go "shiny hunting", and also serve as incentive to check out everything the game has had to offer, such as collecting and leveling up all the monster tapes.

There's a few little QOL issues but nothing that bothers me too much - my personal biggest issue is that the sticker system, while astoundingly flexible, proves to be too flexible for its own good in the late game - by that point it doesn't take much work at all to start making builds that literally automatically oneshot bosses for you - it isn't hard to figure out that sort of thing on your own, either, so while you can just Not Use Them, I think it wouldn't hurt to take a look at balance on that end.

All in all, an excellent time and probably one of the best monster catchers I'd played to date.

An improvement on the original in every way possible. The game oozes polish, love and care all the way through. Gameplay has gone through a number of improvements to suit the chaos and give the characters more options - better defining itself as a mixture between high speed platforming and breakneck combat. Boss battles are as exciting as ever, and the levels are tons of fun to go through, with many unique gimmicks and pathways. Even the story mode, despite actually being longer than in the first game, is far better paced and is better at respecting the player's patience, on top of just generally having better written dialogue and dynamics. The one area lacking in polish is the voicework - not the voice actors themselves, which are fantastic across the board - but the audio editing and mixing still sounds a little like everyone's using different mics, and speaking at different volumes. Minor, but noticeable nonetheless.

This time around in the art department, Tyson Tan lends his distinctive art style and designwork to Freedom Planet's cast and world, and there's never been a better fit- it's clear they want to use his work to help define the visual identity of the series. This general design style combined with excellent spritework and beautiful environments has definitely given the series the firm, appealing look it deserves. Overall, Freedom Planet 2 just reeks of "we figured it out" energy across the board- this is a good thing. The first game felt 80% there - but this game feels like it has properly realized how to establish its identity as something truly unique and remarkable in its own right. Everything feels more purposeful, planned, and adds up to one of the most fulfilling gaming experiences I've played in a minute.

TL;DR - Sonic + Mega Man Zero for people who wear thigh highs and it fucking kicks.