SteamWorld Dig

[Ville]

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Edited September 12, 2021 by Ville

[are1981]

It is on my to-buy list! Looks very good!

[Rummy]

Anyone have this yet? It's getting great reviews plus compared to being a hybrid of Metroid, Minecraft, Terraria etc so I'm definitely considering buying this...

 

eShop generally flies under my radar so I don't notice until it's got some media exposure..you got a bit more info about the game and some of those reviews(preferably balanced)? We gonna get an N-E opinion? As much as I like reviews I also prefer opinions of people I tend to know.

[Ville]

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Edited September 12, 2021 by Ville

[Rummy]

I'd read one if you wrote it! Or even just your general impressions anyway. Not sure if there's a review in progress, think @Ashley's the man to ask about that?

[Dcubed]

Got this one last night and I'm enjoying it so far

 

It's pretty much Metroid meets Minecraft meets Mr Driller. The controls feel really great (tight, with a nice bit of depth with the jumping/wall jumping), while the format of the game is like an open ended Mr Driller minus the coloured blocks/combo scoring system. Instead there's loot that can be sold off for various upgrades and items (like stronger pickaxes that let you dig faster or lamps that you can place down as light sources).

 

The game is split up into two different types of areas. You've got your main digging area that is randomly generated when you make a new file (this is where you spend most of your time, digging down to the end of the earth in search of treasure) and along the way, you find different caves that you can enter - these are the other type of area, which are open rooms more akin to Metroid (and are NOT randomly generated I believe). These offer up platforming challenges, puzzles and enemies to fight and usually grant you Metroid style upgrade items.

 

It's an interesting mix of game concepts and works pretty well

[Kaepora_Gaebora]

So I take no-one's doing a review for this? I could try whipping one up, just finished the game.

 

I have taken up responsibility of the review, should be up in a day or two (sorry to disappoint )

[Ville]

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Edited September 12, 2021 by Ville

[Hogge]

I met the CEO of the company that made this game. Just an awesome guy! He even praised our game

Think I'll download this game, even thoug 2D isn't really my cup of tea,

[-Dem0-]

Next Steamworld Dig game coming to the 3DS

 

Brjann Sigurgeirsson:

"It is the next SteamWorld game, meaning that it is going to be in the SteamWorld universe. The next game is not going to be a direct sequel to SteamWorld Dig, it is not going to be SteamWorld Dig 2. It is coming to the Nintendo 3DS first, because we think it is a fantastic platform. If I have any updates on the game? The thing is that earlier, when we did SteamWorld Dig, the first thing I went out and said was that it was going to be released at the end of February 2013 and then I said by the end of March.

 

If there is one thing I have learned, is talking too much before everything is set in stone. It is very likely that I would have to eat my own words. So I sort of promised that the rest of team, that they sort of would kill me if I say too much. I will say a few things. Gameplay wise, it will have elements from SteamWorld Dig, you will definitely know in which environment you are. Then there would be other gameplay elements in there and the mix is very interesting. I have played the vertical slice, the very early alpha version of this game and it is fantastic. I tell you that much. It is just the brilliance of our lead game designer, he is a genius at mixing stuff that really fits well together. It was so exciting to just spend 30 minutes playing this next SteamWorld game that I was... yeah, I was happy to see it. So the update on the game is I don't have a release date for it, we don't have a date on when we will release the title for it, but euhmm... that it is going to be very cool. It is coming out in 2014."

http://www.nintendoworldreport.com/news/36017

[Grazza]

Finally got round to playing this!

 

I can't sum it up any better than @Dcubed or @Ville, but it is indeed a good game. Basically, you dig down through very large mine shafts, which have smaller caves within them. Along the way you dig ore, which is traded-in on the surface for better equipment. For example, stronger pickaxe (for earth), drill (for rock) or punch (combat), as well as more efficient use of water, fuel etc. These upgrades are very gradual and more about keeping the game balanced as you progress, rather than being particularly noticeable at the time.

 

The upgrades you get in the smaller caves, however, are much more important and similar to Samus Aran's upgrades in Metroid. It must be said, though, that most of them just help your movement and jumping. There is not really an "Ice Beam" moment where you suddenly feel your combat abilities have massively improved.

 

One issue I had was that, at least early on, your pouch gets full very quickly. You also run out of water (used for drilling, punching and larger jumps) and fuel (for your lantern) at a similar rate, which all mean you have to make your way back up the mine shaft. Early on in the game, this is very difficult to do, as your abilities are so modest. For a game that is so much about frequently returning to town, it makes it very time-consuming to do so. Teleporters are very, very rare. You can make your own, but it will cost precious orbs, so is not a good idea to do very often if you want all the upgrades.

 

Another issue is that large areas of mine shaft can suddenly collapse because of explosives, or simply the enemy's actions, making it impossible to get back upwards without the right equipment. If this happens, you generally have three options:

 

a) continue downwards until you find a teleporter

b) continue downwards until you are destroyed

c) self destruct

 

To be fair, I could have made far more use of the ladders (which you can buy). The biggest suggestion I could make, though, is that Steamworld Dig would be so much more enjoyable to play if there was a teleporter at the entrance to every cave.

 

As I neared the end of the game, I became concerned that I might not be able to afford all the upgrades from the shops. Not surprisingly, however, the ore becomes much more valuable towards the end, so as long as you're careful, you should be fine (I was destroyed 12 times and still managed to buy everything). I also wondered if there would be a "Screw Attack" moment, where your manoeuvrability vastly improves. Whilst there is nothing quite on that level, there's something very similar, so by the end of the game you have complete freedom of the mine shafts and can find most of the ore + orbs.

 

It's all finished off with a pretty satisfying final boss. As it stands, I'm not really sure how Steamworld Dig can be played at a fast pace, but it says a lot about the game's quality that I want to play it again and find out. I'm not sure if Steamworld Dig is the best Metroid-style game on the 3DS, but it's certainly up there with the likes of Cave Story etc. Hopefully it will inspire Nintendo to show us how it's done with a 2D Metroid of their own!

[Ronnie]

Sorry for the bump, I've just started playing this and can't put it down it's that good! Lovely blend of platforming, exploration and combat, with a fair bit of strategy too. Feels just like Metroid in its progression.

 

Any ideas how long this will take to complete? I've at the green acid dripping blocks in the Old World area. Hope I'm not too near the end.

[darksnowman]

Not sure how long it is Ronnie, but it was a well received game - glad you are enjoying it. Is there a demo for it? I'm put off by the Metroid comparisons but when something gets praised, its difficult not to take notice. It must have done well enough in the sales department too if its already been locked in as getting a sequel.

 

I've noticed @Patch playing it on my 3DS Friend List, so you aren't alone!

[Grazza]

Not sure how long it is Ronnie, but it was a well received game - glad you are enjoying it. Is there a demo for it? I'm put off by the Metroid comparisons but when something gets praised, its difficult not to take notice.

 

The funny thing is, it's really not that much like it (despite me comparing it to Metroid numerous times ). The only true similarity is the upgrades you get in small caves, which give you a better jump etc. Other than that... not at all. There's no backtracking, no 'missile doors' or anything like that.

 

As for length, it depends how thorough you are. I spent ages on my first playthrough (8-10 hours I think), but you can get through it really quickly once you know what you're doing.

[dazzybee]

It's nothing like Metroid, only similarity is the upgrading and opening up new areas. I absolutely loved this game. It's simpler and shorter than Metroid, so much more accessible.

[Ronnie]

Apparently this game is on average about 5 hours long, which is a shame as it seems I've done 4 already. Ah well.

 

Other than that... not at all. There's no backtracking, no 'missile doors' or anything like that.

 

There are 'missile doors'... they're the blocks that can only be broken when you get a certain item. There's also plenty of backtracking, that's all you do every time you need to get back to the surface every few minutes. But otherwise I agree the comparison to Metroid is only superficial really.

[are1981]

Apparently this game is on average about 5 hours long, which is a shame as it seems I've done 4 already. Ah well.

It took me eight hours to complete, so don't lose hope yet.

[darksnowman]

The funny thing is, it's really not that much like it (despite me comparing it to Metroid numerous times ).

 

It's nothing like Metroid

 

Shush you know what I'm like. Any mention of something being Metroid-like and I'm outta there like a dragon out of its den.