Tiny Review: SteamWorld Dig

I did not expect SteamWorld Dig to be a good game. While the pitch for a “hardcore platform mining adventure” sounds like a beautiful combination of words, I didn’t find the initial Beta Gameplay clips compelling and let this eShop game fall off my radar. And I knew little about Swedish studio Image & Form, other than that they put out a Tower Defense game on DSiWare and are more known for their iOS titles. Really, it didn’t sound like Dig had much of a future at Tiny Cartridge beyond a few screenshot and trailer posts.

But it’s a great game, one of the 3DS’s best during a summer when the standards for a great game on Nintendo’s handheld are very high. I was stupid and wrong; it’s totally my jam. Put that deal on toast with peanut butter, and I will eat it all day errday.

It’s Mr. Driller meets Metroid, another marvelous mix of words. You’ll burrow your way down miles of earth, leaving a labyrinth of mazes behind you while collecting weapons/upgrades that let you progress further and make your mining life easier. Dig is as addictive as Namco’s cute platformer (I went through it in one sitting over the course of six hours), but with the depth (both in systems and Mr. Driller’s literal depth) and sense of isolation of Metroid.

Three things that are fab:

The effortless way Dig introduces you to new mechanics through its design, letting you figure things out and rewarding you for exploring instead of subjecting you to immersion-breaking tutorials. I didn’t expect this level of execution from a mobile game developer I’d never heard of (FYI, the last indie mobile studio that surprised me with the quality of its Nintendo portable debut was Capybara). The tension that comes from balancing resources, and weighing the need to return to town every 5-10 minutes. Backtrack to refill your water meter (used for several functions on your steam-powered robot), or keep digging to look for an underground pool? Use up your expensive teleporter to get back to town and sell all the minerals you’ve found, or venture on to see if you can find one buried in the mine, even though your health is low and your lamp is running out of juice? It will help you feel a little less jealous that Spelunky is releasing for PS Vita but not 3DS. It has the randomly generated underground world and even bombs/dynamite you can throw around — plus it’s also a wonderful and addictive game.

Two things that are butt:

Interactions with NPCs beyond buying items from them are minimal. They will comment on your progress and the mine’s past after you reach certain milestones, but they won’t offer much else. I would have appreciated a lot more humor in Dig’s script to make those NPCs more interesting or at least characters who you look forward to talking to. There is also a saloon for robots, but you never get to go in it or make any use of it. :o( I wanted more puzzles and boss fights. What’s in there is great and appreciated, but I wish Image & Form was able to fit in more. (it’s a tight game, one that will take you anywhere from three to eight hours to finish).

Score:

Robot Mustache





SteamWorld: Dig is available on the eShop right now for $8.99/£7.99. Credit to SteeloDMZ for the main article pic.