20XX Reviews
In summary, 20XX is a great game that nevertheless has a few rough edges. My only nagging complaints were that I wanted even more. More bosses (hidden or otherwise), more characters, even more levels. Given the inspiration for this game, I would have even liked some mini bosses that perhaps popped up mid stage and offered you Core parts when you beat them. And ultimately, I wanted more plot. Or any plot, really. The game is charming, but it would be more so if I knew what the hell was going on. That said, it’s still very addictive and I would highly recommend it to fans of platformers. It provided at least 10 hours of gameplay for only $17.99, and that’s without unlocking 100% of the items. If you love rogue platformers and want a Mega Man experience on your Switch right now, you can’t go wrong with 20XX. Just be prepared to scream at the game when you die of bullet hell.
If the procedurally generated levels were better, I'd wholeheartedly recommend 20XX to anyone, but with how it currently functions, I can only recommend it to Mega Man fans who need that itch scratched. With that said, Mega Man X Legacy Collection releases later this month, and Mega Man 11 arrives in October, so that window is already dwindling. 20XX is a game that controls nicely and surely felt needed and relevant back when it hit Early Access in 2014, but winds up feeling underwhelming in 2018.
20XX is clearly inspired by Mega Man games of yore, but it fails to live up to the intricate level design, memorable enemies, and clever bosses. The randomized nature means each play is different, which may appeal to some gamers, but I’ll take a hand-crafted experience over this any day of the week. There’s a lot to like here, but it never came together quite the way I had hoped.
20XX's physics are almost a perfect recreation of a certain blue bomber, but the roguelike elements don't always work as they should. The procedurally generated levels don't have the same spark as Capcom's offerings, and its permadeath is an acquired taste.
Ultimately a great soundtrack and immaculate controls aren’t enough to stop 20XX feeling like an overtly repetitive cycle of missed opportunities.
20XX does such a perfect job landing the feel of a Mega Man X game, and it adds in a heaping helping of progression and replayability that has had me coming back over and over and over.
20XX offers a great opportunity to play a game that takes the genre and adds value with the rogue-like game styles and the addition of multiplayer modes. If you enjoy platform action shooting games then 20XX is a great game to experience.