30XX (PC) Early Access Preview

I feel compelled to start this review by saying I’m probably not 30XX‘s target audience. That’s not an indictment of the game, by any means. Despite some rough edges that are no doubt a product of its Early Access stage of development, I think it has a great deal to offer to that same target audience.

It’s certainly visually appealing, for one. Though, having peeked at the original game, the change in visual stylings from 20XX to 30XX may throw some players off. The soundtrack is also fun and thematically apt. I’m glad that it varies from level to level, so it doesn’t start to feel repetitive if (like me) you’re liable to die over, and over, and over again.

Where my frustration starts to creep in, and where I suspect I might not be the player that Batterystaple Games initially had in mind, is that narrative seems at best sporadically present. It’s not entirely clear what the connective tissue is between 20XX and 30XX, other than shared deuteragonists and (presumably) the passage of time.

Indeed, this may not be a priority for players drawn-in by the roguelike, procedurally generated gameplay. For my own experience, though, it struggles to hold my interest meaningfully enough to really be worth dying repeatedly.

That said, it’s to the game’s considerable credit that it comes equipped with both a standard mode and “mega mode.” The latter allows you to keep your loot and level progress on death, allowing for a lower barrier to entry for less experienced players, or players just wanting a different experience from the game overall. The co-op capacities of the game are fluid and enjoyable too, with the level map readily zooming in or out to allow you to keep track of your teammate. This allows you to continue progressing in a level even if your teammate dies, from what I’ve seen.

“Mega mode” has been especially valuable to me, particularly while the game remains in Early Access. There’s a heaviness to the controls that feels ill-matched with the fast and sensitive pace of platforming and combat that 30XX is clearly aiming for. I’m fully prepared to concede that this may be a deliberate weightiness, a purposeful nod to 30XX‘s genre predecessors.

If that’s the case, the heavy controls may be a non-issue and even a familiar comfort to players familiar with how it feels. My concern, though, is that this may start to feel a bit prohibitive to new potential fans. Especially if (and when) failure comes about not through player error, but through sensitive timing clashing with under-sensitive dash and jump controls.

In all fairness, though, the developers have been frank and honest about what this Early Access stage entails. There’s no reason at the time of writing not to believe that the controls may yet undergo additional polish to securely reach their end destination. Certainly, 30XX has style and creativity to spare in its level design, soundtrack, and variety of character (and enemy) movesets that I can see real potential to become truly enjoyable.

Again, I do ultimately think 30XX is best aimed at a player who’s not me. I’ll also maintain that roguelike, procedurally generated gameplay can and arguably should be married with meaningful narrative to motivate the player past their inevitable in-game deaths. All the same, it’s a positive sign that I’m able to see the fun for that target player, and I’m optimistic that the game can truly reach the potential it already promises.

A PC copy of 30XX was provided by Batterystaple Games for the purposes of this review.