Platforms Xbox One, PlayStation 4, Wii U, 3DS, Vita, PC, Mac, Linux
Developer Image & Form Publisher Image & Form
Genre 2D Platformer Platform Played On Xbox One
After previously releasing on the PlayStation 4, Wii U, PlayStation Vita, PC, Mac, Linux and the 3DS originally (read our 3DS review here), indie 2D platformer SteamWorld Dig has finally excavated itself to the Xbox One.
SteamWorld Dig follows Rusty, a robot who received a claim to a mine from his uncle located in the middle-of-nowhere town Tumbleton. Rusty travels to Tumbleton and explores the deep mines to discover the riches and what happened to his uncle.
The story, which is all essentially a giant fetch quest going back and forth between the mines while talking to Tumbleton’s citizens, exists for the game’s premise more than anything else: Exploration, resource gathering and upgrading.
Armed with a pickaxe, players will spend much of their five-hour-or-less journey digging through the mines and making their own paths, essentially carving a Metroidvania style world. Creating your own path by digging may sound repetitious because it requires hitting each block of ground a few times, but having the power to literally make your own routes is neat. It often led to discovering a secret cave or a hidden area I wasn’t expecting to stumble upon. The pleasant cartoonish artwork in the environments with great lighting effects and character designs is easy on the eyes as well.
Rusty’s upgrades and abilities add to the fun of exploration. All of Rusty’s new abilities and gear are acquired by going through designated caves, ones often containing some decent puzzle elements. These items include speed boots, machines powered by steam and more.
Most abilities can be upgraded by gathering ores and mysterious orbs throughout the three distinct areas of the mine. Ore also becomes more valuable the farther the player descends from the surface. After the ore is exchanged for gold, both the orbs and gold are used to purchase upgrades. Contributing ore brings more upgrades and characters to the town, adding somewhat of a progression system.
The upgrades Rusty can purchase are some of the most well-balanced I’ve seen in a game in a while. Usually if I’m playing something like Diablo, there’s an obvious choice on what I feel should be upgraded while tailoring to my play style, but SteamWorld had me in a pickle on several occasions, and in a good way. “I may need a bigger pouch to store more ore, but I also need more water storage for my steam-powered weapons. The improved pickaxe or extra health might be better in the long run though.” I often found myself thinking these things as I progressed to improved gear.
While exploration is certainly a strong point in SteamWorld Dig, it’s also part of the game’s flaws, particularly with exploration near the genesis. Once a vast majority of blocks you dig through are destroyed, they are gone forever. Exploring with dozens of upgrades is hardly rendered a problem toward the game’s final minutes, but it’s a bit problematic at the beginning because major mistakes can be made in what you wanted to do, making the expedition less rewarding and more of a chore. It’s also a little tedious trekking back and forth from Tumbleton to the mine before teleporters and fast travel come into play.
Upgrades are also vital in fighting the monsters below. Enemies can kill you fairly quickly, especially in greater numbers. The underground foes were entertaining to fight, but I wished for a little more variety. Each of the mine’s three areas have two types of the same enemy with a different coating: A worm-like creature, and larger, tougher monsters that can launch some form of projectiles. It starts varying more toward the end when lasers and kamikaze robots are added, but enemy variety would have been better sooner than later.
Dying also does not come without consequence, which players will easily do at least a couple of dozen times by the end. You not only lose half your gold, but all the ore and orbs as well. Unlike the gold, however, your other commodities can be retrieved from the same spot you died in, so staying alive is critical, especially if you’re saving toward a particular upgrade.
If you somehow haven’t played SteamWorld Dig with all of the platforms it has already released on, it’s still worth a download. Shaping the mines starting with a blank canvas and digging my own paths is an interesting concept, and I loved exploring the mines to gather ore for all of the fantastic and addicting upgrades. Though the story doesn’t effect the game, the art of SteamWorld Dig adds an extra level of charm. The game may be harsh for players at the beginning with some minor nuisances in exploring, and more enemy variety would have been appreciated, but SteamWorld Dig is an entertaining downloadable title to play over the weekend.
The Good
- Satisfying upgrades
- Exploring the mines
- Charming world
- Making the paths for your own world…
The Bad
- … but is hindering for players near beginning
- Some nuisances in exploration
- Could use more enemy variety
