Steam World Dig 2 builds upon the foundation of the first game and expands the upon it in all most every way imaginable. You don't need to play the first game to enjoy this delightful platformer. For those new to the series this is a side-scrolling action adventure game where you explore mines, gather resources, upgrade your abilities, and dig deeper. Trust me the description doesn't really do the game justice but think of it more as an open world metriodvania if that makes it easier. Unlike the more scripted environments often found in metroidvanias; in this game you literally get to carve your own paths. Many treasures lie beneath so I hope you'll stick around as I bring them to the surface.
You play as a steam-bot called Dorothy in her search for Rusty, the protagonist from the first game. You end up in the mining town of El Machino where some residents report they may have an idea of where your friend might have ended up. Of course as you search for him they'll be happy to buy any resources you find as well as provide enhancements to aid your digging and survival. Thankfully you won't have to travel alone as you quickly befriend an AI named Fen who will help offer advice and commentary through out your journey. Turns out your new friends may be in trouble because of mysterious earthquakes rocking their town. Its up to you to find Rusty and the source of the quakes before the town collapses.
The entire world is made up of tiles and once you get beneath the surface many of them are breakable. Some tiles are harder than others and only a handful of tiles include the gems you'll need to earn for upgrades. Although the game shows your next objective how you dig to get their is up to you. You many try to collect a ton of gems, try to avoid enemies, take the shortest route possible, or the route of least resistance. Along the way the game highly encourages exploration as their are tons of secrets to uncover. You many hear the sound of churning cogs or see the exit to a hidden tunnel. As you progress through this world the game will always keep you on your toes by constantly mixing things up a little bit. You'll face new enemies, different traps, and you platforming ability will be tested.
As you descend down into the mines you'll find lots smaller caves which provides many fun and unique challenges. Usually each cave will either test a particular ability of yours or showcase a certain monster or mechanic. Some of the caves will give you new gear and abilities which you'll need to progress through certain obstacles. When you start you can pretty much just jump, swing the old ax, and leap off of walls. Later in the game you'll have bombs, grappling hooks, and powered drills. Other caves just offer you cogs which you'll need to equip for certain perks pertaining to your gear. The upgrades you buy just enhance the effects of your gear while the perks offer unique effects. Just a few examples could include bonus cash/experience, easy/greater gem collection, and special armor effects.
I loved the first SteamWorld Dig yet even I was blown away by just how much good content they were able to add for this sequel. Its takes about nine hours to finished this game at a normal pace and twelve hours for a completionist run! There is so much wonderful variety both just traversing the different sections of mines and in the multitude of caves to conquer. The amount of secrets to uncover is incredibly rewarding. I am so proud to say that I was able to find all the secrets with no walk-throughs; I just used the tools the game provided. Clearly the developers behind this superb game can now say that they've explored this concept in every possible way. I can't say enough good things about SteamWorld Dig 2. If you like exploration and platforming then you have to pick this one up.