SteamWorld Dig Reviews

a lot harder than the second game but still really fun

Steamworld Dig is the best game you haven't played

Even better than the console versions

its a good mining game. very simple and not too long. would recommend

Fun game. Effective, kind of a swift short metroidvania.

I have so many fun memories of playing this game on the wii u so coming back to this felt really nice the game is a fun adventure game and the mining is really satisfying

This game has the vibes of a flash game and as someone nostalgic to flash I feel like its only fair to compare it to the most famous flash game of similar style: Motherload. Gameplay/structure: You're digging in the mines, selling what you find and using you're upgraded gear to go deeper and deeper. Frankly, I think Dig just has a much better progression system that Motherload. It almost gives Metroidvania vibes in that you often want to keep areas in mind that you'll be able to access later. All the upgrades and consumables are straightforward and it gives a satisfying feeling of progression. Dig also has a slight amount of combat and its neat to see the different ways you can easily beat each enemy. It's not necessary for this type of game but its a nice little addition. One downside of dig's choice to make it more of a platformer is that you can get stuck and have to self-destruct. It's much more forgiving since you can simply come back and get you're stuff you dropped and luckily, you aren't too likely to get stuck unless you're deliberately trying to screw yourself over. There's also other great QoL like teleporters fuel drops from enemies that make the gameplay less tedious. Visuals: Personally, I really like the artstyle of Steamworld Dig, the western steampunk style works surprisingly well and the character and enemy designs are very fun. Motherload's artstyle feels more "real" while Dig feels more cartoonish, whichever you prefer I think both are good. Sound: I'd say Dig has a better soundtrack with the western songs and vibes. There isn't too much variety so it can get a bit repetitive but it wasn't too bad. What does sometimes get too bad is man the sounds the robots make can get real annoying real fast. Story: While you probably aren't playing this game for the story, it's better than you might expect. It's nothing crazy but I find the character dialogue endearing and the general plot to be entertaining, albeit mostly unsurprising. Overall, I think SteamWorld Dig is an incredibly fun game with good pacing and fun mechanics. The game is a bit short and I don't think there's a huge amount of replayability unless you're challenging yourself to complete it faster next time. I'd recommend buying it on sale but if this games your cup of tea, then spend the full 10$.

SteamWorld Dig successfully delivers its own unique style of subterranean gameplay thanks to a great balance between managing the mine, chasing upgrades and having just enough story to keep me curious.

Awesome game, great graphic, smooth gameplay.

[h2]TLDR:[/h2] Steamworld Dig offers a metroidvania-style experience that is simple, affordable, and reliable, though the gameplay can get a bit monotonous. [h2]GAMEPLAY OVERVIEW:[/h2] Dig is an inverse platformer (descending instead of ascending) with blocks that can be hammered away to create tunnels, caverns, and stair-step patterns in the soil. I played with a controller and the controls felt responsive; for example, the player will eventually have the ability to double jump, and temper the height of that leap by how soon or late they press for the second jump. Loose ores buried in the dirt can be mined and carried topside for cash, which can be used to repair health, upgrade tools, expand one's inventory capacity, and so on. Some upgrades require blue spirit balls, caches of which are also hidden below. Openings to smaller side caves lead to loot or specific upgrades. Some of these caves are optional, though the game's quest marker on the minimap is pretty good about pointing out the ones you need to visit to advance the story. I think digging up the ores, and finding better and more valuable ones the deeper you went, was my favorite part of the game. Sometimes they would be hard to reach or suspended over a long drop or a pool of acid, and figuring how to get those without losing them took forethought. Several times, I had to stop and ponder it for a few moments. In those cases, it was rewarding when you managed to grab one. Treasure and secrets are not the only things hidden in the deep. Creepy crawlies and lunatic cave-dwellers snooze in the depths and begin to awaken as the player gets close. Combat is pretty simple: don't get hit. Your robot miner doesn't start with any distance attacks, so some mobs can provide a challenge. After a point, you can hurl your own dynamite and there are opportunities to drop beasties long distances or undermine heavy rocks, which will fall and crush anything in their path, Dig-Dug style. That includes the player, so be careful. I didn't find the rock-crushing to be all that easy, since lining it up sometimes took as much planning as the difficult-to-reach gems mentioned above, and for the most part, I just melee'd, dynamited, or avoided the mobs. Even with the enemies present, I never found the game too hard and it can be approached at a calm, relaxed pace. And that's pretty much it. Dig deep, score lots of loot, dodge enemies, and repeat. And repeat, and repeat. I wish I had more to say but the gameplay is pretty basic, and unremarkable. As the player goes deeper, a few new wrinkles are tossed in but in general, the gameplay in the first five minutes is what you'll see all the way through. Meaningful upgrades are obtained in the sub-caves, with the ones purchased in the surface town mostly just tiering up the skills the player already has. You won't need to max out upgrades to finish the game, so don't sweat it if you run out of money or spirit balls before doing so. The layout of the mines—locations of sub-caves, mobs, and loot—is randomized each game but the experience will largely be the same, so unless a player is really loving the style, one playthrough will probably be enough. The game's final segment was an unpleasant surprise. The last location is filled with hard-to-avoid lasers, crumbling floors, and walking bombs that home in on the player. That's too bad, because most of the game is quite chill, and to that point, I feel like players of even limited skill level could enjoy it. The unexpected upswing in difficulty left a slightly sour taste in my mouth—not because it was too difficult but because it altered the vibe of what had been a very casual game. [h2]STORY / WORLDBUILDING:[/h2] There [i]is[/i] a story buried in the game—something about the player's robot coming to take over his uncle's mine—but it's not very important. In fact, there's not much story or worldbuilding period, though both are probably more relevant when contextualized against the other Steamworld games. The robots in town aren't NPCs per se, essentially serving as loot/upgrade kiosks. So basically, just expect to get into the action without much background given, or needed. [h2]TECHNICAL ASPECTS:[/h2] The game's visuals are serviceable, with "good-enough-for-the-job" graphics and a zippy, cheerful color palette. Dig is stable and runs quickly, and I didn't have any errors or crashes. Getting 100% on Steam achievements is going to require a lot of speed and not a little luck, so I wouldn't recommend this one for achievement hunters unless your metroidvania skills are strong. [h2]FINAL VERDICT:[/h2] When it comes down to it, I think how much the player likes Steamworld Dig will depend on their preference for platformers in the first place, and how much they enjoy seeking out the piles of loot buried deep in the ground. I'm picky on the first aspect but did enjoy the second. I felt like I got my money's worth but Dig isn't something I feel compelled to revisit. [h2]SCORE: 6/10[/h2]