20XX Review

20XX is a roguelike action platformer developed by Batterystaple Games & Fire Hose Games and published by Batterystaple Games. The game is now available on Steam and thus, I am lucky enough to lay my hands and eyes on this title, and share my first impressions with you.

The game is inspired by Mega Man X series and the developer Chris King wanted to create an experience which will drag you through many charming levels while you are shooting enemies like a crazy person, solo or with friends. Did he manage that? Hell yes.

The story of the game is not that detailed and you don’t need it to be. Your mission is to kill enemies one after another and finally save the world. In between, there is nothing to tell about the story of the game. What you need is an experience filled with action, and 20XX gives you what you need.

The most charming part of the game is that it has random level feature, which means every time you start the game or die, you will be welcomed with a new level design. And it is not even repetitive. Every level is designed perfectly with obstacles to overcome, enemies to kill, bosses to fight and of course, platforms and gaps to jump over.

I can even say that 20XX has one of the best level designs I’ve seen so far, since they have various obstacles like laser beams, moving platforms and such, and the way they have been placed is just perfect. Everything feels right when it comes to the platformer side of 20XX. Right and extremely hard.

The other thing is that the game offers very weird upgrades like Dally, a cute companion and a great helper. Each time you die or beat the boss, you will return to HQ and spend your Soul Chips on upgrades which will make you more powerful for the upcoming levels and also will make your character unique.

When it comes to the gameplay, of course it is fast and furious. After a highly easy training, you will realize that the game is not actually that easy. 20XX is a hard game to beat, even in Normal difficulty mode. You will die often and this way, see many level designs. This is the only satisfying part of dying while playing 20XX.

In Normal difficulty, you will only have one life and your health bar can be filled with collectibles which will be dropped by the enemy. Your enemies will drop many things and you will find many things in the crates which will help you upgrade your armor, weapons and such. Your moves, also, can be upgraded and you can create unique combos.

The great thing is that you can absorb the ability of the boss you’ve killed. If you’ve played Mega Men before, you already know that. 20XX has the same feature. But, while using your power-ups, you must always think about the future. The game is not getting easier, on the contrary, it is getting harder and harder and bosses are getting almost impossible to kill. You will understand what I mean when the door closes behind you and you are all alone with a highly challenging boss in the room.

The art-style, on the other hand, is the most charming. When it combines with the soundtrack, they create a highly satisfying game to play. Visuals are just great and the bosses are well designed like most of the enemies.

I can easily say that 20XX feels like a great mixture of Mega Man X series and rogue-like elements and it provides a great experience for the ones who would like to enjoy and ever-changing gameplay. The only thing is that you may want to use a controller while playing the game for it is not meant to be played with a keyboard. Believe me, I’ve tried.

The game is now available for PC, PlayStation 4, Xbox One and Nintendo Switch. If you want to take a look at it, you can visit here.

20XX was reviewed using a Steam key provided by the publisher.