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SteamWorld Dig Review
Mixing the joys of Spelunky Metroid and Terraria, SteamWorld Dig is a mining-exploration game with added addiction.
For the first half hour to an hour SteamWorld Dig can be a little tedious. Constantly digging down looking for minerals to sell in order to purchase upgrades as well as rank-up definitely feels like the worst back-tracking game ever created. This is because until you rank up enough to unlock bigger inventory space you can only carry 3 types of mineral. Get this out of the way and WOW, you have a great game going on!
The story of SteamWorld Dig is thinner than an ant’s antenna, but it doesn’t matter. Your uncle has died and left the mine for your capable hands to explore and with exploration comes some wacky and great upgrades. You’ll find boots that allow you to run and even an upgrade that allows you to jump using steam. This is all very strange but part of what makes SteamWorld Dig so great.
In order to make life easier (and survive) you’ll need light, water and health pick-ups. Water allows you to steam jump as well as use the drill (which comes later in the game) light allows you to see what you’re doing and health, well, health ensures that you’re alive. Whilst exploring the deep, you will come across other caves that contain great loot but in order to get to them you must complete a puzzle. The puzzles are fairly hard which is great, but, on top of this, some areas can only be explored once you have the right tools, forcing you to make mental notes of where you need to go back to at a later time.
Dying can be a pain! When you die (yes WHEN) you are transported back to the top of the map without your gear and minerals. As long as you can get back to where you got smoked, you can reclaim your bits and continue. So, dying is a pain but only if you can’t get back to where you were.
You can sell the minerals that you’ve collected to a vendor at the top of the map. She gives you cash which not only allows you to purchase from the strange man next door but also helps you to rank up and unlock new items… Go next door and there is a gentleman more than happy to sell you ladders, lanterns, pick-axe upgrades and extra slots of health/water. This for me is where the game is at its best because looting and progression are stupidly addictive.
If you think that you’re going to get bored of the mine you descend, you’re wrong! On your travels you will see fossils and angry creatures that have nothing better to do than annoy you.And a little while later, you get to travel to another mine slightly different and most definitely eerie.
SteamWorld Dig is a great game and should be on the top of your eshop list. The only two problems for me are the slow start and sudden finish to the game but these aren’t enough to ruin the experience of what is offered at such a great price.You have to at least try this gem!
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8/10
Review By wicket2961
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