We have to thank the folks at Thunderful Development for the work they do with the SteamWorld franchise. This smaller series offers more depth and variety than many top mainstays, while also offering exciting and engaging experiences. Steamworld Heist II, as I outlined in my last impressions, is the continuation of that formula.
Picking up from the events of the first game, Heist II follows Captain Leeway and his crew of Steambots as they explore the Great Sea and discover why the fresh water needed for survival has suddenly become toxic and is a major cause of rust. This journey takes the crew in their mobile submarine to various biomes to face dangerous pirates, escape the Navy, and constantly improve and become more powerful through various upgrade systems.
Like the original game, gameplay mostly revolves around turn-based strategy combat, where you lead your Steambot crew into battles against various types of enemies. This is a very straightforward combat set, with each character having at least two actions per turn (more with certain skill combinations) to move and shoot, throw a grenade and use an ability, or move and do things like reload a weapon. The basic layout is very simple to understand, but it suddenly becomes more difficult to master when you add environmental hazards, additional challenges and objectives, different enemy types, unique class types and character abilities, etc. into the equation. Essentially, while you only need rudimentary strategy knowledge to enter Heist II, to get through some of the later levels and more challenging activities, you’ll need to take your time, move and strike strategically, and do whatever you can to prevent your Steambots from being scrapped in battle.
Of course, you don’t have to worry too much about losing a robot in action, as they’ll simply become available for selection again after a rest period following one of the daily game cycles, but since there are a number of stars to collect in each level, it’s not a problem – you don’t want to lose a star for failing to protect one of your robots in battle. It may seem simple, but when you also have to race against the clock, collect epic loot, or complete an additional challenge while completing the main objective, everything suddenly becomes a lot more stressful. On top of that, you’ll need stars, as new parts of the world map and world history are often hidden behind the number of stars you’ve earned in each region.
In terms of exploration outside of combat, this is the area where Thunderful seems to have taken a huge step forward compared to the first game. Now you can freely travel around a world map with your underwater vehicle to discover secrets, engage in real-time battles with enemy ships patrolling the waves, and easily move between levels. It’s a great idea that I feel has been a little underused, as the lack of a minimap means it’s easy to get lost and have to manually open the world map to determine the next course of action. A rudimentary minimap would do wonders here.
As far as the customisation and progression suite goes, Thunderful has once again done a pretty good job. The way you can improve a character’s skills in one class through experience gained in battle, then convert that character to another class by changing the main weapon equipped to improve their skills elsewhere, then combine the skills of both classes to get a best of both worlds approach is absolutely superb. You could combine the clear strengths of the highly mobile Flanker with those of the frontline fighter, or instead make something a little more oddball like a Sniper equipped with Engineer build items. The options in this game mean there are no barriers limiting the team you form or the characters you choose to recruit. This is reinforced by the fact that any character can use any weapon and equip any item/consumable. The team building in this game is so simple yet so extensive, which is really commendable.
Then there’s the aesthetic. Thunderful has been steadily evolving the SteamWorld theme for years, and in Heist II we have another example of how far it’s come. While there’s no spoken dialogue (which is a little disappointing considering how many SteamWorld games have been), all of the characters still have a lot of charm and deep personality. The world is similar, with plenty of detail and an atmosphere that feels incredibly alive, especially when you visit key locations and the latest Steam Powered Giraffe soundtrack starts playing, with squeaky, nautical tones adding an extra level of authenticity. You can’t help but fall in love with its aesthetic.
There are a few other growing issues, however, which are mostly minor elements that could refine the game a bit if addressed. The option to end a character’s move action before they attempt to deal damage or end their turn in combat would make the control system less frustrating at times. The aiming mechanics in combat could also be improved a bit, especially when using sniper rifles that allow you to fire off crazy ricochet shots, or at least if the aiming reticle didn’t frequently reset when you wander slightly off-screen. But again, these are minor inconveniences that only result in minor frustrations, as for the most part, Thunderful delivered a balanced, varied, and fun sequel in Heist II.
It might not be a huge surprise to many to hear that Steamworld Heist II is a pretty excellent strategy game, considering the first game was also fantastic. Thunderful has created a sequel that feels like an evolution of the format that made the first game so special, with rich aesthetics, great building and progression systems, engaging combat, better exploration, and that signature SteamWorld charm permeating every room. Whether you’re a SteamWorld fan or not, Heist II is worth taking a chance on.
