SteamWorld Heist 2 was introduced again in April on the Nintendo Indie World Showcase, from Picture & Kind Video games (formally Thunderful Video games.) The SteamWorld collection as a complete is a collection that spans each style from platforming to metropolis builder and within the Heist entries, flip based mostly technique ways. Regardless of various genres, the general SteamWorld aesthetic of a steampunk robotic world stays constant all through. I used to be capable of preview SteamWorld Heist 2 at Summer time Recreation Fest and I used to be severely impressed on how nicely the sequel iterated on the unique, updating the general really feel whereas sustaining the spirit of its predecessors. Let’s dig into what made this entry an enormous improve.
The sport takes place in an enormous open sea you can discover along with your pirate ship and crew. There’s hidden treasures, transient sea battles and technique fight encounters to tackle. The fight progresses the story however there are many facet quests and facet encounters to seek out and assist bolster your ranks.
The SteamWorld Heist video games each play as flip based mostly technique akin to X-Com. Meaning transferring alongside a subject, hiding behind cowl and utilizing motion factors to assault your foes, then awaiting their flip to do the identical. There’s loads of nuance to this interaction although, corresponding to talents like overwatch that can look forward to an enemy to maneuver into vary, then auto attacking, or a participant that heals as they do bodily harm. What issues is {that a} recreation like this has loads of range amongst its moveset and Heist 2 has an ingenious means of doing this.
There’s a category system based mostly on weapons outfitted: a sniper rifle will unlock a talent tree with a plethora of lengthy distance assaults and skills. These might be unlocked the extra you utilize the weapon. Then in case you equip a shotgun, you unlock the shotgun quick vary talent tree BUT there’s additionally a cog system that happens as you stage up and discover the world. Upon getting cogs, you need to use a shotgun with its quick vary talents, however then use the cogs to hold over among the lengthy vary sniper talents you realized beforehand. This permits for a implausible combine and match system so you’ll be able to customise every character to be as nicely rounded or specialised as you want. My group composition might not be the identical as your group composition and that’s a brilliant thrilling prospect.
Moreover, factions have been added which introduces an attention-grabbing wrinkle throughout fight as a result of they are going to battle amongst themselves in addition to you. Which means throughout a selected fight encounter, a second enemy faction can enter the fray. You may go away them to wipe one another out earlier than getting in, or be a part of in the course of the chaos. It’s a ton of enjoyable and means no situation finally ends up being the identical.
Controls felt intuitive, transferring troops and taking turns was simple to do utilizing the Change Professional controller. There was even a rewind mechanic in case you made a mistake on a flip, you might rewind and take a look at once more. Even with that, failing solely meant returning to the world map to retool your technique or stage up some extra, earlier than taking one other try. I actually loved what I performed, particularly contemplating that failure was comparatively painless. A failure by no means meant the top, solely that I realized one thing and I eagerly await the time I can hop again in and work out extra that lies inside SteamWorld Heist 2 in terms of all consoles August eighth 2024.
