![](/uploads/1/2/6/2/126290422/279681215.jpeg)
SteamWorld Dig 2 takes you on a platform mining adventure forged in Metroidvania flames. When an old trading town is struck by mysterious earthquakes, it’s up to a lone steambot and her unlikely companion to uncover what trembling terrors lie beneath. Dig your way underground and explore vivid worlds riddled with treasure, secrets and traps. Also lists all cave names and tube station locations, as well as a considerable number of secret areas. Click to enlarge.
Ideally a sequel should take the best of what came before and expand on it in ways that make it's core formula feel fresh and new again. Thanks to a myriad of new upgrades, systems and environments in Steamworld Dig 2 Image & Form has without a doubt made a worthy sequel to the one of the best Metroid-like games of the past several years.You take control of Dorothy who sets out to discover what happened to Rusty, the protagonist of the first Steamworld Dig. She'll soon find her way to the town of El Machino whose inhabitants are concerned with a series of mysterious earthquakes that threaten to destroy the town. With the help of a few townsfolk and in spite of the clueless mayor she learns that a mysterious miner has disappeared within the town mine and hasn't been heard from since. That's all Dorothyneeds to hear and she gets set to dig out the truth.The mines of El Machino are filled with riches, mysteries and danger and it won't take long before you're hooked by it's addicting loop of digging, filling your pockets and returning to town to spend your earnings on upgrades.
These upgrades will inevitably allow you to dig deeper, keep your lantern on longer and come back with more loot. That may sound a lot like the first game and that's because at it's core it is. The devil is in the details though and Dig 2 sports a much expanded upgrade system that encourages exploration and discovery of it's many hidden cogs and artifacts that are used to unlock equipment mods and new blueprints respectively. These mods can do everything from extra damage to resource tiles or become more resistant to fall damage and unfortunate landings in acid and lava. There's dozens of these mods and each takes a set number of cogs activate.
It's a system that encourages experimentation however as you can swap these mods out and get your cog points back any time you stop at the town work bench. This ensured I never felt agonized about how I spent my points because I knew I could get them back if I needed to use something different.
You can buy these mods at an ever increasing price but you'll probably find most of them down in the mines. Some are easier to grab than others but they're almost all tucked away in either hidden corners or behind some really clever and interesting puzzles and platforming challenges. I won't spoil them here as part of the fun is in discovery, both in their concepts and the tools you'll need to best them.This series of upgrades and even it's sparsely but effectively told story all served to make me want to keep playing. I was constantly rewarded with new upgrades or clues to what was going on with the earthquakes and it made it addicting to get to that next milestone that's just around the corner. The game is hard to put down and I finished it in 2 sittings of about 4 hours each. There's probably a fair bit more time than that to be had with it if you go for all the collectibles though as there's dozens of artifacts and cogs to be found. During your play you'll be treated to a game that has seen a noticeable upgrade to it's visuals and sound.
There are several distinct looking environments that expand past just the mine that's under El Machino and they all have layers of depth to them that are a treat to look at. There's a depth in both color and the way pieces of the background pan with your movements that ensure that you never feel like you're looking at static spaces. Lighting is critical to your exploration and fire from background torches and your lantern glow and dance in a way that has volume to it. It's equal parts beautiful as functional as more light means you can see what's hidden in more rock, helping you discover secrets, treasures and avoid hidden dangers.Metroidvania style platformers have become increasingly more common over the last few years but Image & Form has proved yet again that they are among the very best at delivering and expanding on this style of action and puzzle platformer. With gorgeous visuals, a story that ties to the other games in the Steamworld series and a positively addicting set of gameplay hooks, Steamworld Dig 2 is without a doubt one of the best games you can buy on the Nintendo Switch right now and soon on other platforms. Don't miss it.
![Dig Dig](/uploads/1/2/6/2/126290422/876156226.png)
SteamWorld Dig 2 | |
---|---|
Developer(s) | Image & Form |
Publisher(s) | Image & Form Rising Star Games(retail) |
Series | SteamWorld |
Platform(s) | Nintendo Switch, Microsoft Windows, macOS, Linux, PlayStation 4, PlayStation Vita, Nintendo 3DS, Xbox One, Stadia |
Release | Nintendo SwitchMicrosoft Windows, macOS, Linux
PlayStation VitaNintendo 3DS
|
Genre(s) | Platformer, action-adventure, metroidvania |
Mode(s) | Single-player |
SteamWorld Dig 2 is a 2D platformaction-adventurevideo game developed and published by Image & Form. It is the fourth installment in the SteamWorld series of games and the direct sequel to 2013's SteamWorld Dig. It was released on 21 September 2017 for Nintendo Switch in the Nintendo eShop,[1] on Steam for Microsoft Windows, macOS, and Linux, on the PlayStation Store for PlayStation 4, and PlayStation Vita,[2], on the Nintendo eShop for Nintendo 3DS, [3] and Stadia[4].
Publisher Rising Star Games released physical retail copies of the game for the Nintendo Switch and PlayStation 4 in 2018.[5]
Gameplay[edit]
Carrying on from its predecessor, SteamWorld Dig, SteamWorld Dig 2 puts players in control of Dorothy, a steam-driven robot searching for Rusty, the protagonist of the previous game who disappeared. Gameplay largely involves exploring a vast underground mine, coming up against enemy creatures while finding various resources as the player digs their way downwards. As the game progresses, Dorothy can gain abilities and weapons such as pressure bombs, a hookshot, and a pneumatic arm that can punch through rock. Any resources found can be traded in for cash in the game's hub world, where the player can upgrade their health, weapons, and abilities. Each of the weapons have perks that can be activated by installing Upgrade Cogs found in secret areas. More blueprints for upgrades become available to the player by either increasing their level by killing enemies or completing quests, or by finding artifacts hidden in the mines.
Plot[edit]
The story takes place in between the events of SteamWorld Dig and SteamWorld Heist.[6] Following Rusty's disappearance at the end of SteamWorld Dig, Dorothy, a robot who he had befriended, travels to the mining town of El Machino in order to search for him. Along the way, she comes across Fen, a remnant of the Vectron that Rusty had previously fought, who joins Dorothy as a navigator. While searching the mines for Rusty while also hearing rumors of him turning into a monstrous machine, Dorothy comes across a group of humans led by Rosie, who claims that mysterious machines are triggering earthquakes. Dorothy goes to destroy these machines, only to discover that Rosie had lied to her. In actuality, the machines were built by Rusty to prevent Rosie from harnessing a powerful energy source to get rid of all robots. Dorothy manages to defeat Rosie and rescue Rusty, only for the energy source to become unstable, prompting Fen to stay behind while she warps the two to safety, allowing them to escape on a rocket with the other El Machino residents before the planet explodes. As the robots explore space in order to set up a new civilization, Dorothy remains hopeful that she will one day be reunited with Fen.
Reception[edit]
Reception | ||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
The game released to positive reviews, with a score of 88 out of 100 on Metacritic.[7] Critics praised its improvements upon the original, as well as its world and gameplay.
The game was nominated for 'Best Portable Game' in Destructoid's Game of the Year Awards 2017,[10] for 'Best Switch Game' and 'Best Action-Adventure Game' in IGN's Best of 2017 Awards,[11][12] for 'Game Engineering' at the 17th Annual National Academy of Video Game Trade Reviewers Awards,[13][14] and for 'Best Indie Game' at the 2018 Golden Joystick Awards.[15][16]
References[edit]
- ^Guldbog, Julius (August 30, 2017). 'SteamWorld Dig 2: Release Date & Price'. Image & Form. Retrieved August 30, 2017.
- ^Guldbog, Julius (September 4, 2017). 'PlayStation Fans: SteamWorld Dig 2 hits PS4 & PS Vita on Sept 26'. Image & Form. Retrieved September 4, 2017.
- ^Reseigh-Lincoln, Dom (February 12, 2018). 'SteamWorld Dig 2 Will Dig A Path To Nintendo 3DS On 22nd February'. Nintendo Life. Retrieved February 12, 2018.
- ^Aguilos, Pia (March 3, 2020). 'Two SteamWorld Games Are Now Available On Stadia'. whatoplay. Retrieved March 3, 2020.
- ^Chau, Sandra (February 6, 2018). 'STEAMWORLD DIG 2 RELEASING AT PHYSICAL RETAIL WITH EXCLUSIVE DOUBLE-SIDED POSTER AND REVERSIBLE INLAY ON Nintendo Switch™ AND PLAYSTATION®4'. Official Rising Star Games press release. Retrieved February 12, 2018.
- ^https://www.destructoid.com/steamworld-dig-2-will-take-place-between-the-first-game-and-steamworld-heist-457454.phtml
- ^ ab'SteamWorld Dig 2 for Switch Reviews'. Metacritic. CBS Interactive. Retrieved September 19, 2018.
- ^'SteamWorld Dig 2 for PC Reviews'. Metacritic. CBS Interactive. Retrieved September 19, 2018.
- ^'SteamWorld Dig 2 for PlayStation 4 Reviews'. Metacritic. CBS Interactive. Retrieved September 19, 2018.
- ^Moyse, Chris (December 13, 2017). 'Nominees for Destructoid's Best Portable Game of 2017'. Destructoid. Retrieved February 17, 2018.
- ^'Best of 2017 Awards: Best Switch Game'. IGN. December 20, 2017. Retrieved February 16, 2018.
- ^'Best of 2017 Awards: Best Action-Adventure Game'. IGN. December 20, 2017. Retrieved February 16, 2018.
- ^'Nominee List for 2017'. National Academy of Video Game Trade Reviewers. February 9, 2018. Retrieved February 16, 2018.
- ^'Horizon wins 7; Mario GOTY'. National Academy of Video Game Trade Reviewers. March 13, 2018. Retrieved March 14, 2018.
- ^Hoggins, Tom (September 24, 2018). 'Golden Joysticks 2018 nominees announced, voting open now'. The Daily Telegraph. Retrieved October 7, 2018.
- ^Sheridan, Connor (November 16, 2018). 'Golden Joystick Awards 2018 winners: God of War wins big but Fortnite gets Victory Royale'. GamesRadar+. Retrieved November 17, 2018.
External links[edit]
Retrieved from 'https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=SteamWorld_Dig_2&oldid=951683238'
![](/uploads/1/2/6/2/126290422/279681215.jpeg)