PAX East Spotlight: 30XX

Batterystaple Games is back! 30XX, the sequel to my beloved 20XX, returns to the same co-op megaroguelike formula with several dramatic improvements.

First up is the new art style. 30XX features a high quality pixel art style that is absolutely lovely to look at. It's notable that Batterystaple chose to embrace a pixel art style for the sequel, which is fairly rare for a video game sequel: usually games move away from pixel art in later renditions, as opposed to adopting it in a later entry. The new art style is largely in thanks to art director Glauber Kotaki (Rogue Legacy, Duelyst, and Chasm) and Fabian Jastremski, who joined forces to make a vibrant and highly detailed world. The game simply looks amazing.

The gameplay is still fast and furious. Defeated bosses still drop unique powers. As expected, 30XX introduces new powers for players to explore. Our heroes from 20XX, Nina and Ace, return to the scene in 30XX. Both characters still have unique play styles, with Nina using ranged attacks and Ace using more melee inspired moves.

While the characters may be familiar, how they progress is a bit different. This time, Nina can fuse multiple boss weapons together. For example, Nina can start with the Crystal Wave, which shoots out a horizontal line that will freeze enemies in its path (turning them into platforms). You can later get the Aiming Gear, which allows you to shoot in 8 directions. Combine them both, and now you can shoot freezing shots in 8 different directions. Ace has a new technique system. Defeating bosses unlocks new techniques, that are mapped to different button combinations, providing easy access to all of them at any time.

Nina is more about player customization, whereas Ace is a toolbox of possibilities.

30XX is still in active development. Currently the team is targeting a Steam release, but is exploring the possibility of console releases.