SteamWorld Heist II Is A Rag-Tag Naval Romp

The SteamWorld series has a special place in my heart. I vividly remember grabbing the original SteamWorld Heist on my Nintendo 3DS, and SteamWorld Dig and SteamWorld Dig 2 were two of the first indie games I picked up on my Nintendo Switch. They still remain two of the best on the platform to this day. Unfortunately, while Hand of Gilgamech absolutely seems like it would be my thing, it’s one that I’ve never found the time to play, and remains firmly lodged in my backlog.

While Heist probably isn’t as revered as Dig, it’s a really fun strategy game, and it’s no surprise a sequel was announced during the recent Nintendo Indie World Showcase. I got to go hands-on with the game at Summer Game Fest this year, and it’s shaping up to be a good time.

A Different Take On Tactics

I got to spend roughly 45 minutes playing SteamWorld Heist 2, and was instantly reminded of why I enjoyed the original so much.

SteamWorld Heist, and its sequel, take a different approach to tactical gameplay, with levels being played from a side-scrolling perspective. Starting with the tutorial, I began to assemble my army of steam-powered, morally ambiguous robots, and we began our adventures of looting naval bases and taking down our foes.

The game’s side-scrolling nature adds an interesting layer to the turn-based tactics in SteamWorld Heist 2. The missions I undertook saw me jankily, in the best possible way, head through the levels, taking on waves of enemies at different stages. With ladders adding verticality, slopes providing vantage points and various objects bestowing cover, my first job in each combat scenario was to effectively position my team.

That wasn’t the be-all and end-all though, as positioning is only part of the story in combat. Bullets can ricochet in SteamWorld Heist, meaning what felt like the perfect covered vantage point could swiftly be countered by one well-aimed enemy bullet. I found that this meant aggression was pretty key, trying to wipe out enemies before they could do the same to me.

Typically, I’d face off against four or five enemies at any given time, each often having different class types and weapons. I had to think about every move I wanted to make in detail before I made it, and often still, I made the wrong choice. There were various missions where I lost a metal brother in combat, but I had no regrets. Like most good turn-based games, SteamWorld Heist II can feel unforgiving, but it’s usually a case of simply not making the right choices or being wreckless, that leads to disaster.

Each mission had an end goal, be it to grab some loot, rescue a potential crewmate or defeat a specific enemy before extracting. However, each of the levels had typically well-guarded hidden areas containing rare loot, most often new weapons, which added a further layer of risk/reward to the game. I often had to weigh up whether to risk my crew’s vitality in order to grab a potential new weapon, or bypass it to complete the mission safely.

A Naval Adventure

SteamWorld Heist 2 expands on its predecessor in a handful of ways.

A new job system allowed me to build my party around the weapons I’d plundered, the crew I had and the next mission’s objectives. I could freely switch between snipers, melee users, medics, explosive experts and more as the opportunity arose.

Arguably the biggest change, however, is what happens after missions. Equipped with a submarine, you’re free to roam the open seas, searching for new missions, shops and NPC locations and partaking in real-time naval combat. While the combat was nothing mindblowing, the exploration was fun, and it offered something a little different to hopping straight from level to level.

With its release imminent, SteamWorld Heist 2 is a game worthy of being on any turn-based tactics fan’s radar. Unique mechanics, witty writing and fun environments leave me with no doubt that 2024 has another indie hit on its hands.

You can check out all of our coverage from this year’s Summer Game Fest right here.

SteamWorld Heist II

Developer(s)

Thunderful Development