SteamWorld Heist 2 takes the beloved turn-based tactical gameplay of its predecessor and plunges it into a vibrant, cartoony underwater world. This time, you're commanding a crew of wacky robots aboard a submarine, exploring a vast overworld map filled with challenging missions and lighthearted side activities.
The story, while not groundbreaking, is a light-hearted romp about a one-armed captain named Quincy Leeway, trying to escape his famous mother's shadow and solve the mystery of a rust-infested corruption plaguing the ocean. While the characters might not be particularly memorable (they'd benefit greatly from fully voiced dialogue), the game's heart is undeniably in the right place.
A Musical Journey Beneath the Waves
One of the standout features of SteamWorld Heist 2 is its soundtrack, featuring 15 delightful original songs by the charming Steam Powered Giraffe. These tunes play in taverns between missions, adding a touch of whimsy to the experience. You might find yourself lingering longer than necessary just to soak in the catchy melodies.
Tactical Combat with a Side of Nautical Nonsense
The core gameplay remains familiar, with the 2D turn-based combat system from the original SteamWorld Heist. However, the controls are significantly smoother, although navigating with mouse and keyboard can still feel a little clumsy. You'll need to strategically move your team of one to five robots across side-scrolling levels, lining up shots and collecting loot within their two-action turns.
The focus on escaping a relentless wave of enemies while completing specific objectives adds a thrilling element to each mission. You'll also appreciate the manual aiming system, which allows you to adjust the angle of your robots' gun arms for precise shots, reminiscent of classic Worms games. It's a satisfying challenge to predict the trajectory of a shot and land a ricochet, but some shots might feel more like lucky guesses than calculated plays.
Customise Your Crew for Maximum Mayhem
Each character starts with a specific class that you can level up, but the game strongly encourages you to create hybrid robots by mixing and matching abilities from six different skill trees. This flexible system offers a wealth of customization options once you get going, although the unlocking process might feel a bit tedious. You'll need to have each bot run missions with the signature weapon type of each class to unlock their powers.
However, once you've combined the best skills with your robots' unique special abilities, you can unleash some truly devastating combinations. Beacon's teleportation ability, paired with a powerful brawler, can make short work of any enemy. Chimney's Tit for Tat ability, combined with the Pain Amulet, can create a barrage of retaliatory damage. And Hightower's Abs of Steel makes him an impenetrable shield, forcing enemies to attack him, buying valuable time for your team to escape.
A World of Watery Wonders
SteamWorld Heist 2 has made significant improvements on its predecessor, addressing some of the more frustrating aspects. The limited inventory system is gone, and the levels are now hand-crafted instead of procedurally generated, offering a more varied and engaging experience. You can also keep all your loot, although levelling up early-game items is impossible, leading to a lot of obsolete junk that needs to be sold.
The overworld map is a surprisingly large and open-ended world to explore, offering a welcome change of pace from the intense tactical combat. Here, you'll engage in side challenges like navigating currents, running obstacle courses, and unlocking new routes with your acquired abilities. While these activities are less complex than the main missions, they provide a few tense moments, especially when you're low on resources and facing a potential sinking. You'll appreciate the occasional encounters with enemy fleets, adding a touch of spontaneity to the otherwise static world.
A Timeless Adventure
With no real consequences for failing a mission, you can try again as many times as you need, allowing for a more relaxed approach to the game. You can also reload a checkpoint from two turns back, making it easier to recover from a miscalculation. This forgiving approach is particularly helpful since you can't always know which bot is best suited for a mission beforehand.
SteamWorld Heist 2 is a captivating blend of turn-based strategy, exploration, and light-hearted charm. Whether you're strategizing your way through intense tactical battles or cruising the open waters, this game will keep you entertained for hours. So, grab your nautical gear, set sail, and prepare for an adventure unlike any other.
