One of the most iconic game series that set 80’s gaming alight was the Mega Man series. A tough as old boots platformer that combined shoot em up elements with platforming sections that pushed your skills to the limits. Always copied, and never surpassed. Until now that is. A new game on the horizon by the name of 20XX has made it to console, and immediately I saw the Mega Man influence just by casting my eyes upon the main character. Could it be? Could we really have a clone that’s up to the challenge? Let’s find out.
Unlike Mega Man, 20XX is a roguelike platformer, which if you’re not fully aware, means that once you die, it’s a case of starting a new run from scratch. Personally, Im not a huge fan of this genre. Not that I won’t play roguelike games, but it irks me that once you die, you lose everything you’ve earned or collected. It’s very much the case with 20XX as well. Not only that, but it’s also insanely hard to boot with death awaiting you at every turn.
The levels are set out in a similar fashion to the iconic blue hero, in that you have levels packed with tricky platforming sections and enemies galore to thwart your every move, followed by a boss fight. Power ups can be collected, but due to the difficulty and slightly awkward controls, you’re in for a hard time.
Not that it’s of great importance to the actual game itself, but if you like to unlock achievements then you’re probably going to steer clear of 20XX. Not only is the half a dozen achievements for completing the game in several different ways, but if you play on easy difficulty, then you won’t be able to unlock a single one. It’s a list that’s definitely aimed at hard core gamers who like to punish themselves.
As for the game itself, it looks very pretty, runs smooth with no FPS issues to report either. Every level is colourful and a joy to look at. Various enemies with their own attack pattern and design is spot on too. It provides a hefty challenge that will remind you that games can indeed be hard as hell and a pleasure to play. I would go as far to say that being a Mega Man wannabe, it shouldn’t have been a roguelike game. If the story had been fleshed out a bit more, it could well have carried the game better than having to repeat the same few levels over and over again. Which is what my time with 20XX was spent doing. Not saying I don’t like the game, but darn it’s hard and as a roguelike, it just feels wrong.
There’s plenty of content to keep you busy should the campaign be of annoyance, and that’s in the form of daily challenges to test your mettle in some equally infuriating challenges all available from the main hub in the game. One way to show off to your friends as to just how good you really are at the game.
Verdict
20XX is going to appeal to a small niche of gamers that like to punish themselves to the extreme, all while enjoying the gorgeous graphics. The lack of a real story to engage players is a shame, but I wouldn’t expect a deep narrative in a game like this, but it feels like an afterthought. If it’s a challenge you want, go and buy it. If you prefer a more relaxed game, then it’s probably not for you.
Overall Score 7/10
Developer: Batterystaple
Publisher: Batterystaple
Release Date: 11th July 2018
Price: £
File Size: 1.41GB
Xbox One copy provided for review purpose.