ANIMAL WELL 

The golden age of Metroidvanias continues to deliver modern classics, and Animal Well has surely joined that list. With no combat whatsoever and a striking pixel art aesthetic, it allows itself to stand out in a crowded genre, while its finely crafted and dense world, which remains a constant joy to explore from start to finish, is also a highlight. For fans of Metroidvanias, this one is unmissable.

Princess Peach: Showtime!

One day, Nintendo woke up, looked back on how underwhelming Super Princess Peach was, and decided to do something about it. The result is Princess Peach: Showtime!, with Peach harnessing multiple forms across various plays to stop the sorceress Grape and her Sour Bunch. With a fun story, enjoyable gameplay, and solid level design, there’s much to love, even if the performance would have been better.

NOTE: This interview was conducted prior to the game’s launch.

"To set a sequel on the high seas was actually planned for already when we made the first game. Well, it’s actually more of a big lake since it’s all set on one of the shards of the shattered Earth."

SteamWorld Heist was a great entry in the SteamWorld series, and fans have been waiting for a direct follow up for quite some time. What led to the long gap between releases?

We’ve been busy making other games! But ever since making the first game we’ve been talking about how much fun it was and how much we’d like to do another one, so it’s been simmering all this time. We also don’t want to make a sequel just to make more of the same; we want to make sure that it contains enough new great stuff to make both us and everyone else, whether fans of the first game or newcomers, excited about it.

What prompted the change from the space setting of the first game to the naval setting here?

To set a sequel on the high seas was actually planned for already when we made the first game. Well, it’s actually more of a big lake since it’s all set on one of the shards of the shattered Earth. We loved the shattered Earth setting that was established in SteamWorld Heist and SteamWorld Dig 2, and we knew we wanted to make games that were set on the actual shards as well instead of just looking at them from afar.

Besides that narrative reason, we also wanted to greatly expand on the exploration between missions. Having it set in a grounded environment, rather than the emptiness of space, provided a much more interesting world to explore. The lush Caribbean-like setting also fit the mood we were looking for.

The original Steamworld Heist had a lot of procedurally generated levels, while Steamworld Heist 2 seems to be going for handcrafted environments and characters. Are we to assume that this game will not have procedurally generated levels anymore, or will there still be some level of procedural generation involved?

There is still some procedural generation, but it’s more controlled and primarily serves to make it fun to replay the same hand-crafted missions by changing things around just enough that you don’t know exactly what will happen. So I wouldn’t call the levels procedurally generated, but they (and some other parts of the game) have carefully tweaked procedural elements. In fact, this is similar to SteamWorld Dig 2 which also has some procedural stuff in it; something I would assume most players do not know. Because after all, a good procedural system doesn’t feel procedural.

"There is still some procedural generation, but it’s more controlled and primarily serves to make it fun to replay the same hand-crafted missions by changing things around just enough that you don’t know exactly what will happen."

The original Steamworld Heist was made for the Nintendo 3DS originally. How has the scope of the game been impacted by the fact that even the weakest system of the ones that the sequel is targeting is several times more powerful than the 3DS was?

The 4K graphics would be the easiest thing to point to, but the graphical fidelity has been raised on all fronts: a highly dynamic lighting system that really makes the 2D come alive, gorgeous particle effects, more advanced animations and much more. There are also lots of gameplay changes with more things going on at the same time, especially with the naval exploration and combat on the world map, more advanced enemies and abilities, more and bigger bosses, and so on. Then there’s also the fact that we could now design the interface for a single widescreen from the start, instead of having to adapt the 3DS’ dual screen setup into something completely different for the other platforms; so that’s been a relief for development and it has allowed us to make a more cohesive and thought-through interface.

I wanted to talk about the job system. That’s always one of my favorite things in an RPG. You’ve introduced that to SteamWorld Heist 2, and also overhauled the gear system to go with that. Can you elaborate on the kind of character customization that might lead to?

We love job systems too! We’ve taken what we’ve liked in other games, including our own (you might recognize the cogs from SteamWorld Dig 2), and taken our own spin on it to best suit Heist. For players new to the concept, it should be easy to understand and use and you should be able to play the game on the lower difficulty levels without engaging much with it for the first half of the game to allow anyone to learn the game’s many features gradually. But once you do start to make use of it, you should discover a tremendous amount of depth; which you will need to master if you want to conquer the higher difficulty levels. Our goal has been that there should be as much synergy as possible between the abilities from different jobs, as well as with various pieces of equipment; any time you wonder if you might be able to combine ability X with ability Y, the answer should be yes.

Let me give two simple examples: Give the Sniper’s perfect aim ability to a Boomer who uses rockets; and suddenly you get to preview not just the path the rocket will take but also the size of the explosion to allow you to really finetune your shooting angle for maximum effect. Another example is the hammer-wielding Brawler job that has an ability that lets it move after making a kill. This is useful to let them get out of harm’s way after exposing themselves to make a melee attack. But then give them the Reaper’s “extra attack after making a kill” ability, and now the Brawler can move and attack after each kill; again and again and again.

"For most players we’ve seen an average of 35 hours, with more if you want to truly complete everything. And for those looking for even more, I can recommend replaying the game on the higher difficulty levels and using a different set of characters as you’ll likely find yourself enjoying the game in new ways."

Roughly how long will an average playthrough of the story mode be?

For most players we’ve seen an average of 35 hours, with more if you want to truly complete everything. And for those looking for even more, I can recommend replaying the game on the higher difficulty levels and using a different set of characters as you’ll likely find yourself enjoying the game in new ways. I’ve lost count of how much we’ve played the game at the studio but the many ways you can play it and customize your characters have kept it feeling fresh for us all this time, so I’m really looking forward to seeing everyone’s playthroughs.

While the first game had a space setting, SteamWorld Heist 2 opts for a vibrant, ocean-filled Shard. Unfortunately, something – or someone – is poisoning the water, causing Steambots to rust from its consumption. It’s up to the unlikely Captain Quincy Leeway to investigate while dealing with some confidence issues.

The tactical turn-based gameplay remains the same, with allies manually aiming their shots for maximum damage. However, you can now change a crewmate’s Job by equipping different weapons, mixing and matching abilities to devastating effect. If that weren’t enough, an array of new hats is also available.

SteamWorld Heist 2 will be available for Xbox Series X/S, Xbox One, PS4, PS5, PC, and Nintendo Switch on August 8th. Check out our review, where we gave it an 8 out of 10.

The story takes place on a Shard, a piece of the fabled destroyed Earth, full of extensive oceans. Its people have adopted a naval-focused life, which also means smugglers, scoundrels and pirates plying their trade on the waters. The irony of so much water after the crises other Shards have faced throughout the franchise isn’t lost on me, but trouble is brewing. A strange phenomenon is causing the drinkable water to go bad, rusting the innards of the Steambots.

"The plot is pretty straightforward, even if it’s fairly start and stop, sometimes leaning too much on building reputation in a region or gathering items for the next story event to occur."

Then there’s the Royal Navy, seemingly intent on keeping the Steambots down while serving the mysterious core. The cult-like Rattlers are also a problem, embracing the replacement of their parts with bones to counteract the rust. Other threats abound, as they typically do in a SteamWorld title, but none of this initially concerns protagonist Captain Quincy Leeway.

Sulking and missing an arm, he looks to retrieve his submarine and sail the high seas once more, hopefully living up to the legacy of his legendary mother, Krakenbane. His demeanor is bold and dashing in public but anxious in private, especially as he keeps failing upward due to his crew’s successes.

Other quirky characters also emerge, from the loyal Wesley Hotchkiss, who is strangely obsessed with dying heroically, and Daisy Clutch, the Oliver Twist-inspired, happy-go-lucky sniper to Sola Fathom, who cryptically hints at strange things in the depths. You’ll recruit various crewmates to join your cause, and they shine during some pre-mission briefings, cutscenes and conversations. Some missions also delve into their past, though it’s nothing too extensive.

Overall, I would have appreciated more focused development on each since their tales take a backseat to the water crisis and Leeway’s problems. They liven up the atmosphere, but there could have been some more scenes of camaraderie, celebration or just the crew living it up. A pirate’s life for me outside of the tactical heisting, sailing and outpost hopping, if you will. Otherwise, the plot is pretty straightforward, even if it’s fairly start and stop, sometimes leaning too much on building reputation in a region or gathering items for the next story event to occur.

"The naval combat is only one aspect of the gameplay – the other is the heists. Each heist requires a specific number of bots – the larger maps may necessitate four or five, while some challenge you to get through with only one."

A major new addition in SteamWorld Heist 2 is real-time naval combat. Exploring the overworld and fighting hostile ships is enticing, especially since it grants water and upgrade materials. It’s not too mechanically intensive in the opening hours – your guns fire automatically and have a cooldown while you manually pilot the vessel, attempting to evade attacks.

While those systems remain, the sub gains new features like diving underwater (necessary to defeat certain enemies and mines), boosting, and equipping different weapons. Torpedoes are good all-around, especially underwater, and cannonballs deal significant damage despite their slow projectile speed (making them ideal against big targets). However, gun turrets are better suited for nimbler targets.

With various ways to upgrade the sub, there isn’t too much thinking required when engaging in high-seas battles. Except for the tedious backtracking, the world map is fun to explore, laden with secret areas with light puzzle-solving or vendor-less locations selling hats.

That’s only one aspect of the gameplay – the other is the heists. Each heist requires a specific number of bots – the larger maps may necessitate four or five, while some challenge you to get through with only one. Since your crew has a cooldown, you must return to an outpost after every heist to rest. Recruiting more allies means more heists to tackle at a time, thus leading to more Bounty Points and better rewards. However, it can get tedious to return to an outpost, especially in the mid to late-game maps. You could end your day and return to the most recent one, but that means not being able to cash in any Bounty Points.

"It’s all standard fare if you played the original; the twist is that your crew isn’t limited to singular classes. By equipping different weapons, you can swap Jobs."

Like its predecessor, environments are presented from a two-dimensional perspective with various elevations, areas to take cover, environmental hazards, doors to open, and so on. Taking cover against enemy fire on the horizontal plane is a must, but you also need to keep the vertical plane in mind. Some walkways are open, which makes them fair game for shooting above and below. This can be turned to your advantage, especially when ricocheting rounds.

Each character has a turn with two action points – one to move, the other to shoot, though you can expend both for reaching greater distances. Some abilities don’t cost action points, allowing for more agency. Weapon aiming is manual, though – some have sightlines to indicate the direction of bullets alongside weapon sway; the risk vs. reward aspect can be sweet, especially as you bank a sniper shot into an enemy’s head after ricocheting off the wall beyond them. Be careful, as enemies can do the same, alongside flanking and intelligently using cover on higher difficulties.

It’s all standard fare if you played the original; the twist is that your crew isn’t limited to singular classes. By equipping different weapons, you can swap Jobs. Completing heists and garnering XP levels them up, unlocking new abilities. You can then switch and spend Cogs to keep passive and active skills unlocked from other Jobs.

Engineer plus Sniper allows for deploying cover at will, which meshes well with a passive that grants increased damage when you don’t move for a turn. You could also take a more passive approach as a Boomer + Engineer, deploying cover and, when an enemy rushes you, backing off to detonate it (which has unlimited range).

Of course, each Job has a starting passive only accessible if you use their associated weapon. Characters also have personal upgrades – as you progress and unlock new features in the submarine (including stat upgrades and extra crew slots), these can be purchased to add some more spice like Cornelius becoming invulnerable to all damage for a turn and taunting all enemies, which pairs well with Payback, a Brawler passive that deals damage to those attacking crewmates. It’s even possible to upgrade Job skills to make them more effective.

"Aside from some difficulty spikes, the mission design is pretty good overall. One level sees you battling several sword-wielding Royal Navy enemies while chasing after their cowardly boss."

While you get a hefty amount of water and Fragments for purchasing new weapons and upgrades several hours in, the Job progression can feel somewhat slow. The low amount of weapons initially available also discourages experimentation, and if you’re not satisfied with a Job’s abilities, it can be a slog to switch to something else.

Adding to this is the strange difficulty spike in some missions, particularly those against the Rattlers in colder environments since some areas inflict chill if you stand on them. The Rattlers themselves can eventually freeze you with their attacks and grow to exponential numbers, making for a miserable experience, especially if you’re 15 minutes into a relatively smooth sailing mission. Difficulty sliders are appreciated, but those mechanics and some of the alarm RNG can be annoying.

A system where each level-up grants Cogs for allocating to each Job’s skills – equipping their respective weapons can still unlock the previously mentioned passives – would go a long way towards alleviating this. It would also encourage trying different builds and set-ups, especially later in the game.

Aside from some difficulty spikes, the mission design is pretty good overall. One level sees you battling several sword-wielding Royal Navy enemies while chasing after their cowardly boss. Others involve surviving ambushes and even boss fights, whether it’s two conflicting factions going at it while you try to take them down and survive or a recurring nemesis who dons a giant mech. They’re pretty varied and enjoyable, with decent replay value if you want all the swag or to escape unscathed.

"SteamWorld Heist 2 is a pretty good sequel, offering a lot of the same strategic gameplay of the original with a brand new setting, likeable characters, appealing visuals, and excellent music."

The presentation is also incredibly solid – environments and characters are filled with details, and the SteamWorld aesthetic is still very pleasing. The music is the real star, though, with Steam Powered Giraffe offering an array of somber and epic songs that suit the pirating experience.

SteamWorld Heist 2 is a pretty good sequel, offering a lot of the same strategic gameplay of the original with a brand new setting, likeable characters, appealing visuals, and excellent music. Its hang-ups do sour the experience now and again, and long-time fans expecting a complete overhaul of the original might want to temper their expectations. However, this is still a solid turn-based experience with a wealth of customization and things to do in an appealing world.

This game was reviewed on PC.

The trailer focuses primarily on showing more of the game’s turn-based tactical combat, the returning ricochet mechanic, different characters and their abilities, and more in a mid-game mission. That, meanwhile, is followed by glimpses of upgrading your ship in the game’s hub after the end of the mission- specifically, a torpedo that you can then use against rival ships in real-time naval combat. Check out the trailer below.

SteamWorld Heist 2 launches on August 8 for PS5, Xbox Series X/S, PS4, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch, and PC.

The publisher has, for instance, unveiled a new and extended gameplay trailer that shows off over a dozen minutes of gameplay from the upcoming RPG. Starting with glimpses of naval navigation and combat, the video then shows a battle with its turn-based tactics mechanics, which fans of the first game will find familiar. The video also touches on ship and character upgrades, side quests and bounties, exploration, difficulty options (including new custom sliders), and more. Check out the full extended video below.

SteamWorld Heist 2 is set to launch on August 8 for PS5, Xbox Series X/S, PS4, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch, and PC. It will also be available with Game Pass at launch. Make sure to check out previous deep dive trailer for details on the combat, Jobs, world map, story, and more.

SteamWorld Heist 2 is set on the shard of a shattered planet, which is dominated largely by a great sea. Water from the sea is required by the shard’s resident Steambots to be able to operate, but with the sea having become poisoned, unrest is growing. In this setting, players will take on the role of Captain Quincy Leeway, who, along with his companions Daisy and Wesley, sets off on a journey that will see you expand your crew with new recruits, purchase upgrades, explore the world, and more.

Speaking of which, SteamWorld Heist 2 will present players with a large, freely explorable world map. Presented as an overworld, players will be able to navigate the map using their ship- which, of course, will bring plenty of additional mechanics. For starters, exploring the sea will also go hand-in-and with dealing with different sections of the map bringing different enemies, threats, and more.

Naval combat will be prominently featured, allowing players to, say, take on different kinds of Royal Navy ships in real-time encounters, as opposed to the game’s traditional turn-based tactics battles. As you progress deeper into the game and explore more of the world, you’ll be able to unlock and acquire upgrades for your ships, including better weapons or armour plating, being able to explore underwater areas, and more.

Check out the trailer below for more details.

SteamWorld Heist 2 launches on August 8 for PS5, Xbox Series X/S, PS4, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch, and PC. It will also be available on Game Pass at launch.

Each Job has a role to play, whether it’s the Sniper’s precise aiming, the Flanker’s ability to, well, flank enemies or the Brawler’s survivability and melee damage. However, depending on the weapon assigned to units, they can take on different Jobs. Completing missions earns Cogs, which can then be assigned to a Job’s respective skills, keeping them active even if you switch Jobs.

You can thus combine a Flanker’s speed with a Brawler’s tankiness or a Sniper’s precision with a Boomer’s explosive damage. With over 150 guns, utility items, and equipment, not to mention character abilities, there’s a lot of room for build-crafting.

SteamWorld Heist 2 launches on August 8th for Xbox Series X/S, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, PC, and Nintendo Switch, and will also be playable via Game Pass. Thunderful has more deep dives planned, so stay tuned for more details.

Thankfully, the wait for new details and “insights” won’t be long, as the developer has confirmed several deep dives to discuss features, gameplay and lore in the coming weeks. The first Feature Deepdive goes live on May 3rd and should hopefully shine more light on all the systems and mechanics.

SteamWorld Heist 2 launches on August 8th for Xbox Series X/S, Xbox One, PS4, PS5, PC and Nintendo Switch. It’s also launching day one for Game Pass and is confirmed to have over 150 items, guns, and ship equipment, and players can raid enemy strongholds to obtain “valuable loot.” Stay tuned for more details in the coming weeks.