Imagine an Earth that didn’t take the path that it did. Instead, imagine that steam was the major form of power for all devices. Yes, imagine a steampunk world where war desolated the planet and the only way to survive was to dig. Dig for treasure, dig for materials, dig for life. There have been several games made in the SteamWorld, but the most recent is a sequel to a fairly popular entry that involved a whole lot of digging.

Picture it, the year was 2014, and I was enjoying my first GDC (Game Developer’s Conference) in San Francisco. I was rubbing elbows with the likes of CliffyB while playing Goat Simulator, seeing the Burch siblings huddled around Towerfall and Crypt of the Necrodancer, and even got my picture with Keiji Inafune. PlayStation was giving out little cards with codes for free games, including SteamWorld Dig. I had seen the game at the conference and a bit prior to that, but never spent much time with it. When I got home, admittedly, I didn’t see much of it there either. I played a couple hours of the game, but felt I had seen all the game had to offer.

Three years later, the fine folks at Image & Form Games release the sequel, and while I didn’t love the first, SteamWorld Heist was certainly up my alley, so I figured I’d give it another shot. I’m not sure if I just wasn’t in the right frame of mind with the first one or what, but I was immediately enamored with SteamWorld Dig 2. The game is absolutely beautiful, and the western twang for the soundtrack certainly gives it character. I knew from the get go that the game wouldn’t just be about digging, as there is a decent amount of platforming and a boss fight within minutes. Well, not so much a boss, but a good indication of what was to come.

You play as a Dorothy (Dot), a Steambot looking for Rusty, the main character from the first entry. There are a series of mysterious earthquakes, and it’s possible that the rumblings and the missing Steambot are connected. Why and how are up to you to figure out. You’ll meet an assortment of characters on your journey, each with their own bits of amusing dialogue, as well as your own sidekick that would love for something bad to happen to anyone and everyone.

During your trek through the mines, you’ll come across varied enemies and landscapes. What starts off almost like a puzzle game soon becomes much deeper with the new equipment you receive, such as the luxurious hookshot and jetpack. It’s honestly amazing just how much the game opens up after a few hours – it’s almost as if it changes genres. Learning the best way to battle enemies, finding all the secrets that the game has to offer, and solving the story’s mystery is truly something that makes me consider going back to the original to give it another chance.

There is one major difference between the first and second game though. The first was procedurally generated, whereas the second is handcrafted. I don’t have any qualms with making a game either way – Spelunky is one of my favorite platformers, but that almost feels handcrafted the way Derek created it. It’s possible I felt a much stronger connection with this one from the start because of the love put into the level design. Outside of the digging that you’ll be spending most of your time with, there are some rooms with specific solutions that are checked off once you not only complete the obvious puzzle, but find all the secrets within. These will offer artifacts that can be traded for blue prints to enhance your gear, and you’ll also find cogs which are used to equip said upgrades.

Weapon upgrades are also made available as you level up your gear with the treasure you find in the mines to sell. Is your light running out too fast? Is the radius it lights up too small? Is digging with your pickaxe taking to long? Do you want to boost the distance your pressure bombs go before exploding? All of these things (and many more) are available to you as you upgrade your gear with cogs, and each one feels necessary. Don’t worry though, you aren’t stuck with your decisions. If you decide one of the upgrades isn’t for you, just respec. You’ll also want to make sure you’re killing enemies, as they boost your experience, and each level gained gives an added bonus to the amount you sell your treasure for, meaning more upgrades.

While spending time in the mines, you’ll come across tubes that you can open up that serve as fast-travel points. In some cases, these may mean life or death for your character. At one point I had run out of light and had mined down in a way that I couldn’t make my way back up. Luckily I was able to make it to a new tube without dying, as that would mean losing a good amount of my findings. The gameplay structure of traversing the mines for treasure, making progress to your next goal, and upgrading your gear is as rewarding as it gets in this type of game. And if you’re able to more or less 100% the game, you’re able to continue past the final boss, which will no doubt be the end of the game for many.

If you enjoyed the original, you’ll love SteamWorld Dig 2. As someone that thought the first was fine, I’m amazed at how much improvement there was in the second. There’s so much to do and so much to see. It’s been a great year for indie sequels; Image and Form continues that trend with this. Pro tip: if you have a Switch or Vita, this game is perfect for short bursts on the go.

9 out of 10

Pros

• Equipment and Upgrades
• Aesthetic
• Addicting Gameplay Structure

Cons

• Can be Repetitive

SteamWorld Dig 2 was developed and published by Image & Form Games. It was released on NS September 21st, 2017, PC on September 22nd, 2017 and PS4/Vita on September 26th, 2017 for $19.99. The game was provided to us for review on PS4. If you’d like to see more of SteamWorld Dig 2, check out the official site.

 

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