[REVIEW] Steamworld Dig 2 (Switch)

Steamworld Dig 2
Played on: Switch
Genre: Action-adventure platformer, metroidvania
Developer / Publisher: Image & Form

I may be wrong, but i think the original Steamworld Dig was my first indie purchase on my 3DS. So, in a way, it's the precursor to the love for downloadable titles that has defined my gaming habits this decade. I guess one can only wonder how much stronger that effect would have been if that game was Steamworld Dig 2 instead, as this sequel takes an already addictive formula and goes completely nuts with it. In a good way, if you can't already tell.

You play as Dorothy (or Dot), who gets to the city of Tumbleton looking for Rusty, the player character in the previous game. The game's world is a post-apocalyptic yet colorful land, inhabited mostly by steam-powered Robots, and strange earthquakes have been worrying Tumbletonians about the city's future. As such, Dot agrees to enter the mines below the city, previously explored by Rusty, to investigate, while looking for her friend's whereabouts.

The gameplay follows closely in the footsteps of the first title, meaning it's got an extremely addictive loop. You go down the mine, dig around, collect minerals, find new weapons and upgrades, then comes back to the surface once your backpack is full. The main difference is that, quite literally, the entire world of the first Steamworld Dig is a single are in this sequel.

I know, bigger isn't necessarily better, but my goodness did Image & Form deliver the goods when it comes to gameplay progression. This is, simply put, one of the most satisfying metroidvanias I've ever played, by virtue of how it manages to keep giving you new abilities that seem overpowered in the surface, but feel just right in practice. They make traversing previous areas a breeze, but are integrated into new ones in smart ways, so that the difficulty curve never feels dampened. It's really a masterclass in open 2D level design.

Aside from the 'main' weapons and items found in secret chambers, Steamworld Dig 2 allows you to use cogs (which are found during your exploration) to upgrade various aspects of Dot's abilities. By going back to the surface, you can add new cogs to new slots, or even exchange old ones, and as such customize your own skill tree. This helps immensely in the exploration, which is the game's true meat, but also in bosses (which, sadly, are few and far between) and puzzle-solving.

If you manage to get 100% of the items in each of the game's various areas, there's also  post-game content in the form of a series of gauntlets. Those dial the challenge all the way up, requiring you to truly master everything you've learned during the game if you hope to succeed.

TL;DR:

The first Steamworld Dig was a lovely and unique metroidvania. This sequel is exactly that, except with an incredibly larger scope, featuring many more areas, themes, and mechanics. With a super addictive gameplay loop and almost perfect design in levels, puzzles, items, and abilities, Steamworld Dig 2 is destined to go down as one of the original gems in the Switch indie scene.