To the delight of the first part, this is the old good SteamWorld Dig, just better, bigger and more colorful. A simple concept that involves digging in search of mining and jewels, with constant return to the city to make the local collector cash in on the fruits of his work, may seem repetitive at first glance, but after a few rounds, the recognizable one-of-a-turn turn effects on the scene.
Though the robotic settlement now looks much bigger and richer, it is essentially the two locations - the one where a trader sells a mining and a spinning workshop around equipment. Without tools there is no craftsmanship, so Dorothy will not go far without investing money into better tools. The Kramp, the light bulb and the water tank are replaying their roles, but there are several debutants that deepen the mechanics of the first part while making the new game easier to do. The first on the list is certainly a hook for climbing, allowing you to reach seemingly unattainable places and thus avoid situations in which self-destruction was the only solution. There are also sticky bombs, very useful for digging on high ceilings and places that your poppy can not reach. Apart from the cash position in the account, the level of equipment is limited by the experience level of the character, which you can again gain by collecting XP by eliminating opponents in the depths of the mine. Submarine remorse is now more diverse and far more active, so most enemies will not only look at their work but will be cautious to you as soon as you smell. A lot that many considered to be the biggest man of the first part, the lack boss type, is also corrected.
The orb system as a supplemental currency for the purchase of advanced upgrades is retired, and their place occupied the gears that function in a slightly different way. The new system reminiscent of gems that are embedded in weapons and armor in role-play games, with the possibility of simultaneously activating multiple upgrades on one piece of equipment. While most of them are available with a decent leveling of the equipment Dorothy carries with, there are also upgrades which can only be activated if you have previously received a drawing from a professor in exchange for a number of artifacts. Unfortunately, the improvements they make are mostly misleading, with a couple of very useful exceptions available in the second half of the game. You can freely experiment with the gear ratio, as you can take them out of the workshop without any compensation.
The mines are tricky with caves that function as stand-alone with hidden objects such as gears, precious or artifacts. These submissions are conceived as logical headsets, where you get a reward through the proper routing or manipulation of the switch. Cave exploration is completely optional, apart from those related to the main story and unlocking new equipment.
SteamWorld Dig 2 is a timely version of the first game, where surgical precision is used to eliminate any interruptions that disturb the flow of action. While in the first part you often have to stop and consider the consequences of the next move, this is not the case. If besides all the aids, you can block the way to the surface, it's enough to continue digging because you will be caught in the next instant of the instantaneous travel system, which is literally every step. If that is not enough, when you unlock a teleportation ranch upgrade, you only receive a couple of clicks from the surface.
By the third time in four years, the Swedes hit the middle of the game and slowly, but surely become a favorite development team for all retro game lovers. SteamWorld Dig 2 does not "invent warm water," but he starts to make a few changes with the proven concept and make it even more interesting and contagious.
Rate: 9/10
This game looks very fun, I was thinking about buying it but I didn't know if I would like it. Thank you!
Good review
This game sure looks like an upgrade from the first one. My only complain is the big whitespaces between paragraphs. Apart from that, it's good