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.
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.