When SteamWorld Heist came out a few years ago, it really showed us that the SteamWorld games could be a mishmash of games by introducing us to the Steamworld Heists universe in a different way by letting us tactically maneuver through Maps while upgrading our companions in this really cool mechanical pirate-esque adventure. Now, it’s been a few years, and the sequel is on our doorstep. While SteamWorld Heist II is a more expansive Adventure, can it retain what made the first one so unique, original, and entertaining?
The answer to that question is a little two-sided. Yes, there are things that have been improved since the original game. Still, SteamWorld Heist II also relies on an overworld map that doesn’t exactly meet expectations when it comes to how solid the minute-to-minute gameplay of the first one was. That doesn’t necessarily mean that SteamWorld Heist II is a bad game; in fact, the tactical combat is still intact, and it is still incredible. If anything it is more refined with more skills, and each character feels more unique and more versatile at the same time.
My biggest problems with SteamWorld Heist II come from the overworld mechanics. They feel almost out of place, and their main purpose was to add to the length of the game rather than anything essential. The overworld is generally used for two things: one is to use your ship to travel around the world to get to new areas where your missions are, and the other is to attack other ships that are attacking you, which can net you salvage and water.
It’s not terrible; it just doesn’t feel great. There were also a few times when I got lost sailing around trying to figure out where to go next, and I never had too much of a problem encountering other ships at sea. Most of the time, they felt like fodder, and when pitted against the incredible tactical combat of SteamWorld Heist II, it doesn’t feel as well thought out.
“SteamWorld Heist II, just like its predecessor, is defined by a star-based mission structure that rewards exploration and precision.”
But those combat encounters in SteamWorld Heist II are still just so incredible. You will painstakingly think through every variation of how to approach a situation because of one wrong move, and just like other great tactical games like XCOM, you could potentially ruin that encounter. There’s a lot of precision, and thankfully, we do get the guidance arrows when we’re aiming some of the weapons, and most of the time, you can unlock the skill needed to use it even further. With this, we can see where our bullets are going to go and if they’re going to ricochet where they’re going to ricochet.
This generally doesn’t work across the entire room, only in the direct path of where the bullet will go. Character classes are much different this time around and can be swapped at a time. Each class is attached to a specific gun type, so all characters who are equipped with shotguns will be in the same class, along with pistols, snipers, etc. It’s an exciting way to build your team. It means that you aren’t set with certain characters; each character can do almost every class, and it is more along the lines of which characters you enjoy more rather than who is best suited for the job since they can all take on different jobs.
SteamWorld Heist II, just like SteamWorld Heist 1, is defined by a star-based mission structure. Each Mission can be completed from between one and three stars, sometimes more. The more stars you get, the easier it is for you to progress further in the game, but you also unlock more rewards, whether it be more cogs to level up more water to use in other upgrades. There is a vast amount of upgrading to do in this game, and it all generally relies on how well you complete the missions and how much water you find through your journeys.
However, the best thing about this star system, specifically in SteamWorld Heist II, is that it isn’t based on time and damage. Well, sometimes it is damage, but it’s more how well you explore the area. Most of the time, you won’t get three stars if you don’t find every single chest or if every single member doesn’t survive. There is never an actual ticking clock in the mission structure, as when they do come up, it’s all turn-based. These revolve around surviving a certain number of rounds, escaping the ship, or missions with NPCs you need to protect, which usually have these turn counters.
There is a vast amount of upgrading in SteamWorld Heist II. Whether it’s upgrading your ship to hold more materials, go faster on the overworld, or take more damage, player-based upgrades unlock specialized skills in each class or enable you to do more damage with certain weapons.
“While the story is important and does a passable job, the gameplay loop is where SteamWorld Heist II truly shines.”
They’ve also made it so that once you get far enough with a character class in which you specialize, the more you use; if you have specialized other skills from other classes, you can equip those as well, so it’s best to try everything out and come back to what you like. Using this new upgraded system allows for cross-classing in exciting ways by bringing skills from other classes and combining them to make a well-oiled team ready for any challenge thrown their way.
This time, our story sees Captain Quincy Leeway having to go up against the reputation of their heroic mother and trying to make a name for themselves. Not only that, but the Water Shard that keeps all these steam bots running has been poisoned, so it’s up to Captain Quincy and his rag-tag group of robots that he comes across to find out what’s going on and fix it so the world can be safe. I always found that the story is okay in the Steamworld Heist games, but it’s not the focal point of the entire experience.
It’s always been the gameplay. That’s not to say the writing isn’t excellent; it’s hilarious and genuinely good in places. Still, I found myself more interested in the gameplay loop than the story itself, as I felt that the missions you would go on would raise the stakes higher than any of the story beats. However, it should be mentioned that there are times when the writing is on point, funny, and really good at conveying emotional states in an otherwise robotic world.
My time with SteamWorld Heist II was a really good time. I had a blast with the mission tactical gameplay, and the upgrade system is more robust than ever. My issues come with the open-world design as it doesn’t feel thoroughly thought out. It’s just there. And even though the story isn’t my favourite, I don’t feel like it is truly intrinsic to the experience that you’re going through when you play a Steamworld Heist game; yes, the story is important, and it does a passable job it’s more that the gameplay loop needs to be on point and again in SteamWorld Heist II it is incredible.
