The Good:
-Addicting central gameplay loop
-Fluid graphics
-Cool music
-Fun to explore world

The Ok:

-Too difficult endgame challenges

The Bad:

-Not much

Conclusion:
SteamWorld Dig 2 is one of my favorite games of all time. This is my fourth full playthrough, and it remains just as great as the first time. It looks and sounds fantastic still, even though it was originally on the 3DS. Every animation is smooth, and the music is catchy enough that you become immersed in the world. The gameplay is also phenomenal, and the loop of ‘gathering ore to sell to buy upgrades to mine ore better’ never gets old. You feel palpable improvement in the way you explore as you continue, and the world continues to open up in exciting ways. Even the story is interesting, if not the deepest thing in the world. I also really love the writing; the way the developers weave jokes into item descriptions is subtle, and yet hilarious. This game got me into metroidvanias, and to this day only a few of those have surpassed this one in terms of quality (Hollow Knight and Symphony of the Night mainly). Literally the only annoyance I have with this game is that there’s a certain endgame gauntlet of trails to do, and for the life of me I just can’t complete them. These trails are so hugely difficult compared to the rest of the game that I personally don’t think they should have been added at all. Other than that, I love this game, and cannot wait for a possible SteamWorld Dig 3.

Strong game. Wasn't a fan of the original but the sequel improves on the game dramatically, where the metroidvania and digging elements marry together to create this pretty relaxing, wanderous experience where delving into the mines and poking its crevices was...nice. And in addition to that, the game also packs itself with neat upgrades and equipment, including!, a really good grappling hook. Dorothy's loadout is pretty powerful and fun to use, they did a good job of just making moving around and punching dirt to be as good as it could be. The challenge rooms littered throughout also helps you make the most out of them, especially the end game hell dungeon. Also, shoutout to the OST for this game and having probably the best town theme I've ever heard.

Overall, it's ROCK solid. Some easy slouch day entertainment with an even amount of challenge to keep you arching your back every now and again.

Not gonna give it a rating because I honestly have no idea what it is about this game that doesn't click for me. It's objectively very well-made, it's got some interesting platforming, and it's got some interesting puzzles. Maybe it's the fact that I don't enjoy the digging, which is an extremely prominent aspect and also kinda what sets this apart from others in the genre. I also hate the combat, which you're forced to engage with on many occasions. I would recommend it purely based on the fact that most everybody else seems to have enjoyed it a lot more than I did.

Super tightly put together and paced Metroidvania and an unbelievable step up from the (pretty mediocre) first game. The screen is unfortunately a bit zoomed in on 3DS but the bottom screen clears up so much UI clutter that its a worthwhile tradeoff.

Out of this, Dig 1 and Heist, I would still say Heist is better on the whole, but I would still recommend playing this game first if you want to get into the series and its lore. Its a short-and-sweet game all the same thats really fun to try and 100% along the way: A guide is not ever needed.

An enjoyable sequel to SteamWorld Dig. The lack of procedurally generated environments means that the game feels a bit shorter (even though my play time was longer), but it allows for a more in depth and better paced story.

Your sidekick (Fen) is quite entertaining and doesn't always have your best interests at heart. Imagine Navi, but she's insisting that you jump into lava because she claims that Zelda must be there.

The cogs are a nice feature too. You'll still upgrade your tools but you can use cogs that you've found in secret areas or inside caves to select special powers that unlock as you upgrade your items. But if you don't like your special powers, you can get the cogs back and put them somewhere else.

At 9 hours maybe it's a bit short, but there's always the temptation to go back and try and do it faster and smarter. Or to go back and do those frustrating caves which I skipped.

I wish the story continued after it did (though it seems it serves as a bridge between Dig 1 and Heist). So maybe it'll get me playing Heist which is sitting in my Steam Library waiting to be played.