Steamworld Dig 2 Review

Steamworld Dig 2

Release: September 21, 2017
Publisher: Image & Form
Developer: Image & Form
Genre: Action, Adventure, Indie, Nintendo 3DS Categories, Nintendo 3DS Reviews, Platformer, Switch Reviews
PEGI: 10+
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Image & Form are one of the best Indie developers that create games for Nintendo Systems. So when they announced Steamworld Dig 2 for Nintendo Switch, I had no doubt that the game would be good. I just had to wonder how good it would be? Would the game be better than Steamworld Dig? Would it be better than Steamworld Heist? Better than both? I got to find out recently just how good Steamworld Dig 2 is. Here is my full review!

I like Steamworld Dig 2’s story, though I wouldn’t say that it was better than Steamworld Heist’s story. This game definitly has a better story than the first Steamworld Dig though. Together, these Steamworld games are starting to develop an excellent picture of the universe they take place in. If you’ve never placed the Steamworld games before, I highly recommend playing the two Dig games and then Heist! I think you’ll enjoy them best that way. But as good as the stories are in this universe, its really the gameplay that makes the Steamworld games awesome.

At its core, Steamworld Dig 2 is a lot like the first game. You play as a different character this time, Dorothy, but she still digs into the earth and brings jewels back into town in order to pay for upgrades. However, the new upgrades in this game are even better then the first ones and there is so much more underground in this game than there was before.

The places you’ll visit in Steamworld Dig 2 are much more detailed and full of secrets than the first game. You’ll really want to look around and search for stuff. Dig 2 also has tougher enemies than the first game, especially the bosses! The game’s new powerups definitly come in handy for digging and for fighting. I love this game’s upgrade system a lot. And thankfully, Dig 2 has great controls along with its great gameplay.

The jumping, running, digging and other controls of Steamworld Dig 2 work great. Some new options have been added to the game, but if you played the first Dig, you should be at home with this second game’s controls. There is some touch screen interaction in handheld mode for the game’s menus and this works well. You don’t really have to use it though. Steamworld Dig 2 does take advantage of the Switch’s HD rumble and it definitly adds to the experiance in a good way.

Steamworld Dig 2 is also an excellent looking game, both on the TV and in handheld mode.

Steamworld Dig 2 looks even better than the first game. The characters and enviorments in this game are so very detailed. This game is downright beautiful. You can tell that so much effort was put into the graphics. Every town, cave, tunnel, enemy, and ally look amazing. I thought the game looked great on the TV and the Switch’s screen. This game has fantastic graphics!

Steamworld Dig 2 has good music but I couldn’t help thinking to myself that it wasn’t good as Steamworld Heist’s music. Heist had a very unique, steampunk vibe to it. Dig 2’s music is good, with a nice western like flavor but its not special like Heists was. I do, however, think that the sound effects in Steamworld Dig 2 are very good.

Steamworld Dig 2, overall, is a great game.

Steamworld Dig 2’s basic gameplay is pretty much like the first game, but there’s so much more to see and do in the new game. Best of all? Steamworld Dig 2’s graphics are amazing.

I do wish this second game had a better soundtrack, though I’m sure some people will like it better than I did. Its pretty hard to beat Heist’s soundtrack in my opinion. I also wish Dig 2’s story was even better, though its definitly an improvement over the first game.

If you enjoyed the first Steamworld Dig, then I think you’ll like this second even more. You should without a doubt play all three of the modern Steamworld games. They are all great. I can’t wait to see what Image & Form does next in the Steamworld franchise!

Thanks to Image & Form for providing a review code of this game. Steamworld Dig 2 is now available on the Nintendo Switch eshop!

Update:

Steamworld Dig 2 released on the 3DS recently. Our editor-in-chief Adam Roffel took a look at the game:

Changes to Steamworld Dig 2 on Nintendo 3DS

The story and the gameplay of Steamworld Dig 2 on the 3DS hasn’t changed at all, but how you play the game definitely has. Unfortunately – although definitely understandably – the New Nintendo 3DS cannot compete with the graphical capabilities of the Nintendo Switch. So, although almost everything remains the same, you are getting a graphically inferior version when playing on the Nintendo 3DS. In these situations, you can usually argue that the 3DS is portable and therefore it deserves kudos there, but as we all know, so is the Nintendo Switch.

That being said, having two screens definitely comes into play here on the Nintendo 3DS, taking the mini map from the top right corner of the Switch version, and putting it down below on the Nintendo 3DS second screen. This frees up the top screen a lot more than I would have expected, and it is a huge improvement over the clutter that fills the Nintendo Switch screen. Also displayed on the bottom screen are all the collectables you managed to grab while on your trip into the mines. This is a great way to easily take stock of what you have found already, and whether or not you should abandon ship and head for the surface.

While I still prefer my Nintendo Switch version, this is a great alternative for people who don’t already own a Switch, or perhaps don’t want to take their Switch with them when on the go. Image and Form has done a great job of bringing this over to the 3DS, and should be commended for it!

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