Combat issues are elevated somewhat in the latter stages thanks to some ranged offence, but this portion of the game never feels properly fleshed out. The combat is largely unsatisfying (run up to enemy, bash with pick/drill until dead) and better avoided, leading to much laborious circumventive digging. The thoughtful side of digging does attempt to become more apparent in the later areas, through larger obstacles that can and will shift of their own accord but cannot be mined directly however, in the main shaft it’s easy to ignore these altogether. Enemies are another questionable presence in such a free-form adventure. Then you realise that Rusty’s wall jump is a sticky, gravity-defying miracle that renders most traversal concerns mute, making careful digging far less gratifying. You can dig wherever you want here – within reason – and you’ll quickly adopt the mindset that you should dig carefully as you’ll need to navigate back up your tunnels (you’ll be returning to the surface every few minutes to cash in your spoils and refill your light source) so you’ll dig in sensible patterns. But SteamWorld Dig never truly finds its feet during its short adventure. Upgrades include traversal skills – such as the ability to run faster and jump higher – alongside extra mining tools, including a drill, that become necessary to cut through the more sturdy blocks deeper down. It’s a fun and quaint concept, and one that could surely produce a bona fide classic. After a brief natter with the towns-folk it’s into the mine with Rusty, where you must use your pickaxe to hack away at the dirt to carve a path deep underground in the name of retrieving precious minerals to sell to the aforementioned townsfolk.Īs you dig deeper and deeper you’ll come across more and more mysterious features, locating upgrades along the way. Rusty has just arrived in Tumbleton as he has inherited the town’s mineshaft from his uncle. The controls are responsive, and lurching around the mines has a wonderful gait as you wall-jump and fling yourself around the tunnels of your own design. It’s an unfortunate realisation, then, that despite all this good, Steamworld Dig is not that brilliant a video game.Ī brief preface: in SteamWorld Dig you play the role of Rusty. Sound effects do the job, too, with the metallic clunk and thunk of your character giving an impressive feeling of heft and adding personality to the atmosphere. The music only stays strong throughout, complimenting the various areas and environments found beneath Tumbleton. The Western jaunt and whistle of the over-world plays a tempting theme, tainted with minor twang and suspicious guitar plucking. The sprite work echoes some of the best in the business, feeling similar to Way Forward or SNK Metal Slug in quality, with a healthy dollop of impressive lighting making proceedings look even better. Gorgeous sprites, fluid animation, and a 3D effect that adds a delicious sense of depth to a 2D world.