Steamworld Dig 2, perhaps more than any other game in history, is the shining example of what a sequel can and should be. Every single aspect of this game is improved up on from its predecessor. Gameplay mechanics, upgrade systems, characters, dialogue, economy, music, art, substance, emotional impact. This game is a perfect sequel. SD2 does directly follow the events of Steamworld Dig, but no knowledge of the previous game is required to understand the story or engage with the world. I do highly recommend that you play the first game though, I’d absolutely list it in my indie must-plays.
In SD2, you take control of Dot, a robot visiting the charming sci-fi western town of El Machino. The inhabitants of the the town are friendly, colorful, and memorable. The music is calming and yet exciting. The plot begins! You are searching for your uncle, Rusty, your voiceless protagoist from the first game, who disappeared at the end of Steamworld Dig. You team up with Fen, fire spirit/best boy, and together set off to the underground to dig, dig, dig.
In this metroidvania, you’ll dig down into the earth to find caverns, enemies, puzzles, challenges, and some pretty crazy boss fights as you progress towards the bottom. The great part about the game is that each tool you acquire and each skill you gain (by spending money back in town) serves a very specific purpose: to help you keep digging. Whether its an upgrade for more water (water is basically mana and makes all your gadgets work), a mobility tool like the hookshot, or an upgrade like the drill to bore through rock faster, each of these tools makes you just good enough, just fast enough to make it to the next checkpoint and unlock its mysteries.
Like many metroidvanias, there’s a hub world (the town) with a pipe that lets you fast travel to any of the checkpoints you’ve unlocked. You have a limited amount of light every time you travel to the underground, and must find places to recharge it for extended stays or else be lost in the darkness. Trips to the surface become less frequent as you progress farther underground and gain powerups and tools that help you keep the lights on longer. There’s plenty of collectibles too! Find all the cogs if you can. You’ll collect gems to sell for cash and use the cash to buy upgrades so you can dig for more gems. Feedback loop!
There aren’t a huge variety of enemies, but the fact is they’re not really there for you to fight, they’re mostly there to try and impede you from digging. Dig around them, fight them, whatever. Bossfights can get tough, I got stuck on the Prophet for a good while. It never gets overly challenging though, you can easily play on your switch while watching TV.
This game may not look like it has very much of a story, and it doesn’t, but what is there hits very hard. Dot and Fen have a great relationship, and the characters you meet around town and elsewhere all have something interesting going on. I don’t want to spoil anything, but the last scene of the game hit me so hard I teared up. You need to finish it.
Steamworld Dig 2 takes every aspect of the previous game and doubles, if not triples, its quality. The upgrade system is perfectly balanced so I was never over or under powered. The characters are fun, goofy, and memorable. The gameplay is smooth and satisfying, and use of mobility tools like the grappling hook feels like a natural addition to the formula. This is a perfect game to escape to while watching TV or listening to a podcast. Make sure you’re paying attention at the end tho — the last scene is well worth working to reach.
In SD2, you take control of Dot, a robot visiting the charming sci-fi western town of El Machino. The inhabitants of the the town are friendly, colorful, and memorable. The music is calming and yet exciting. The plot begins! You are searching for your uncle, Rusty, your voiceless protagoist from the first game, who disappeared at the end of Steamworld Dig. You team up with Fen, fire spirit/best boy, and together set off to the underground to dig, dig, dig.
In this metroidvania, you’ll dig down into the earth to find caverns, enemies, puzzles, challenges, and some pretty crazy boss fights as you progress towards the bottom. The great part about the game is that each tool you acquire and each skill you gain (by spending money back in town) serves a very specific purpose: to help you keep digging. Whether its an upgrade for more water (water is basically mana and makes all your gadgets work), a mobility tool like the hookshot, or an upgrade like the drill to bore through rock faster, each of these tools makes you just good enough, just fast enough to make it to the next checkpoint and unlock its mysteries.
Like many metroidvanias, there’s a hub world (the town) with a pipe that lets you fast travel to any of the checkpoints you’ve unlocked. You have a limited amount of light every time you travel to the underground, and must find places to recharge it for extended stays or else be lost in the darkness. Trips to the surface become less frequent as you progress farther underground and gain powerups and tools that help you keep the lights on longer. There’s plenty of collectibles too! Find all the cogs if you can. You’ll collect gems to sell for cash and use the cash to buy upgrades so you can dig for more gems. Feedback loop!
There aren’t a huge variety of enemies, but the fact is they’re not really there for you to fight, they’re mostly there to try and impede you from digging. Dig around them, fight them, whatever. Bossfights can get tough, I got stuck on the Prophet for a good while. It never gets overly challenging though, you can easily play on your switch while watching TV.
This game may not look like it has very much of a story, and it doesn’t, but what is there hits very hard. Dot and Fen have a great relationship, and the characters you meet around town and elsewhere all have something interesting going on. I don’t want to spoil anything, but the last scene of the game hit me so hard I teared up. You need to finish it.
Steamworld Dig 2 takes every aspect of the previous game and doubles, if not triples, its quality. The upgrade system is perfectly balanced so I was never over or under powered. The characters are fun, goofy, and memorable. The gameplay is smooth and satisfying, and use of mobility tools like the grappling hook feels like a natural addition to the formula. This is a perfect game to escape to while watching TV or listening to a podcast. Make sure you’re paying attention at the end tho — the last scene is well worth working to reach.