I’m always very careful not to compare games to other games. I don’t want to offend the artists, programmers, and developers who put their best into a title, only to have it compared to an echo of a more recognizable title. Image and Form’s SteamWorld Dig harkens to many classics, but manages to keep a charm that is entirely it’s own.
Within the first half hour I was more than pleased to discover this game was probably going to be like the Metroids and Castlevania’s of my youth (Metroidvania, if you will). SteamWorld’s robotic protagonist Rusty must traverse the depths of the underground world in a post apocalyptic steam-punky Earth in order to provide his humble town of Tumbleton with supplies. He starts out with nothing but a pickaxe, but slowly but surely he gets shinier and more powerful weapons and gear.
Exploration is heavy. Most of the time, you’ll be going in one direction: down. Occasionally you will reach a room to solve puzzles, fight enemies, and gain new equipments that will help you go even deeper into the Earth’s crust. At times, I’m sad to say digging became a little tedious. Some rocks must be picked at more than a couple times to finally give way, making exploring more time consuming than it should be. However, unlike many of the eShop’s offerings, the visuals are more than polished. And get this: this is the first game that I played exclusively in 3D. Image and Form managed to make a 3D that was not only stunning but didn’t hurt my eyes after prolonged playing. They should sell their secrets to studio that will buy them.
After an hour or so, you’ll start to get into the motions of how the game handles. Dig, find treasure, sell treasure, buy new gear, lather, rinse, and repeat. Mind you, the pattern moves much quicker once you acquire more powerful digging tools such as steam powered drills. Speaking of which, I’m happy to see “steam” play a big part in this game. Most Steampunk themed movies/games/comics are typically light on that sort of thing.
SteamWorld Dig may play like Metroid, but it’s original mechanics, design, and characters make this gem (pun heavily intended) it’s own special animal. I defy you to put it down after an hour of play: this game is a testament to the sort of indie greatness that is possible on the eShop. [❤]