When we played the original SteamWorld Heist, we described Heist to anyone who would listen (and many who wouldn’t) as the quintessential underrated indie gem. We thought everyone should play it. We were blown away by how skillfully Thunderful Games took all the satisfying turn-based action of X-COM and made it work in 2D: the tension builds step by step during missions; zen-calmness of analyzing the environment and the enemy and then implementing decisions; the existential finitude of commitment to choice and living by it.
Like a pinging sniper shot bouncing off multiple walls into the back of a steambot’s head, we were blown away by the USP of the gameplay – the need to manually aim shots during battles. The 2D style provided this extra mechanical twist that would be difficult to replicate in 3D. You aim carefully, like someone setting up a golf ball. you shoot. You bounce off the walls. When you succeed, you feel good and skilled. When you miss, you become frustrated and watch as your steam robot, now wide open to a counterattack from a supposed-to-be-dead enemy, suffers a blast of shrapnel that rips their happy robot body to shreds.
The story and character writing of the original Steamworld Heist also drew us in. The game’s space adventure featured a cast of well-written robots, each with different combat skills, who were shown through text boxes to be identifiable souls struggling and thinking their way through the adventure. And then there was Thunderful’s bold collaboration with the band Steam Powered Giraffe, who showered the game with original music that added to the sense of Steamworld Heist’s strong personality.
The sequel could have gotten away with more of the same, and in many ways it did, but an hour or two in we started to feel that something was a little different. Mastering Steamworld Heist took about ten hours. On the other hand, beating Steamworld Heist II ultimately took around 35 hours. This tripled length is matched by the increased ambition of the game, which is mostly found in the depth of leveling, tinkering and team management. You will need to devote some time to this. The sequel is a little less accessible as a result, but it’s still a great game.
True, Heist II frustrated us for a while. We struggled to adapt to the change in pace and scope. After playing through several long battles we died at the very end, and since the game only allowed us to go back two rounds, we found our fate more or less locked.
In multiple missions, we were absolutely baffled by a series of central twists – we felt like we were in control, but suddenly more and more enemy naval reinforcements appeared out of nowhere. We could not have predicted this. Still, round after round they came – one and two. As many drones with weapons appeared next. Then rifles erupted from the walls and fired from a distance. Sometimes it seemed unfair and overwhelming, and like we were wasting our time. We were beginning to wonder if Heist II was taking the tack of a smaller sequel like a ‘do the same but more’ movie. We died a lot.
We play a lot of games in this genre, but we realized that we needed to lower the difficulty setting. This wouldn’t be a big deal if the game didn’t then start to feel, conversely, too easy. Thunderful seems to have been aware of this problem. A timely pop-up solved the situation: ‘It’s important to find a level of difficulty that works for you. The game becomes frustrating if it’s too hard and less fun if it’s too easy.’
We ended up diving into custom difficulty settings to make the game work for us, which didn’t feel satisfying at first. We don’t play games like this expecting to invent the rules, but the truth is that we soon forgot our objections, and Heist II soon hit the familiar sweet spot. We also learned to anticipate these central turns.
The story is interesting – this time it is not set in space, but on the Great Sea. We followed Quincy Leeway, the captain of a submarine, as he embarked on a new adventure hoping to live up to the reputation of his famous mother, who killed a giant sea neman. Complicating matters, a ruthless navy looted and hoarded barrels of pure water, an essential resource, especially as a mysterious rust spread across the land. It’s a story of oppression and rebellion, with a little mystery sprinkled along for the ride.
This time there is an added variety in the game. In Heist II, you navigate the surface world in your submarine, which you upgrade over time until it becomes a real tool for going to inaccessible places and fighting naval ships. The plot here is never deep, but it’s a nice change of pace. In the tricked-out nautilus, you seek out quests or visit water-based bars, which serve as a place to meet important NPCs, buy weapons, or get upgrades.
As we hinted at earlier, to get the most out of Steamworld Heist II, you’ll need to spend some time collecting and tinkering with your characters. Making sure your equipment for each mission maximizes your offensive potential seems almost mandatory. You have to upgrade your characters. You need to experiment with the system of assigning different ‘jobs’ and make sure you understand and take the best advantage of the open skill tree. This takes some getting used to and may not suit casual players. There seems to be very little room for error, though thankfully there’s no permadeath and you can replay missions as much as you like.
But if you do all of this, and if you accept that missions are often full of twists and turns and that you’ll have to consider solving and stopping power-up sources, then suddenly Steamworld Heist II clicks. Earning star ratings for each mission to advance the story, collect items, fight your way out of tight turns, and enjoy the gorgeous visuals and solid sound design soon becomes incredibly satisfying all over again. The game runs perfectly fine docked and detached, albeit at a noticeably lower resolution in handheld mode.
Overall, Steamworld Heist II is a much more developed version of its predecessor. Heist 1 was a real joy to play. Heist II is a more challenging, though still rewarding beast by comparison. Ambition shines through every decision. Just don’t expect to rush without putting in the work.
Conclusion
Steamworld Heist II expands on the solid foundation of its predecessor, offering a more complex and ambitious experience that rewards patience and careful planning. While the increased difficulty and expanded mechanics may turn some players off, those willing to put in the time and tweak things to their liking will find the tactical adventure deeply satisfying.
