SteamWorld Heist II

The Steamworld Heist games are very very fun. I'm currently replaying this game for achievements, and I realize that interacting with the day tracking system provides a very engaging gameplay experience; it pushes you to your own maximum difficulty, trying to do the most with as little resources as possible to get the lowest day count possible on game completion. There is one very important thing I realized interacting with this day system: naval combat should not yield rewards, because the most strategically sound way to play is to traverse the entire map every single day sinking every single ship and recollecting every single treasure. Instead, just like in heist combat, enemy ships should provide nothing other than an interesting hinderance on your way to your objective. But yeah, I'm so happy for Steamworld Heist 2 being out. The new skill tree system, new loot, new character abilities, new characters, returning characters, visual style, sound, soundtrack (hearing honeybee for the first time was surreal that song is beautiful), new enemies, story, dialogue, world map. It's up there with best turn based games I've ever played, right beside Into the Breach and Slay the Spire.

Fun game. Everything a sequel should be. The first game was fun, and this one takes the ideas that one builds on, polishes them finely, and adds even more to the experience all around. Also, thanks for making it 4:3 compatiable. Looked amazing on my CRT setup I run for retro stuff.

Something just doesn't sit right with me. I kinda liked the first game better I think? It's been so long, but gunplay, mission design, characters, even graphics ... I preferred those, looking back at it. Heist 2 is, like most sequels, bigger, and more bad-ass ... supposedly, but I just find it exhausting. The submarine parts are the antithesis of fun to me, upgrading it felt like a chore. You're constantly out and about doing boring things, looking for things, finding stuff, revealing the fog of war, then you're backtracking again after a day of work, you recruit random idiots for your crew, and I just stopped after the initial 6 (one for each job), because I couldn't be bothered to level up even more guys. I think, at least on the harder difficulties, missions are basically meant to be replayed over and over again for resources and level ups. The new jobs system turns any bot into one of the 6 archetypical classes based on the weapon they're wielding, and in theory you can level them up to max. level with every weapon to unlock all the passives of those trees for free (I only got like 1 other profession for most bots). It's, again, another very anti-fun design philosophy. Instea…

After playing through it a while, it's a better version of the first game overall - with a phenomenal instrumental OST. There is less an emphasis on trick shots though (i.e. contrived ceiling shapes that intentionally make sniping impossible in a lot of situations). The main focus of this game, instead of trick shots, is team synergy with buffs and the 'Cog' perk tree system. Frankly, I didn't take advantage of the 'Cog' system ... until I was essentially forced to by the Final Boss' ♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥ - at that point, I needed to work up everyone, regardless of main class, with the 'Flanker' class's floor immunity effects and the 'Boomer' class's double shot buff. TL;DR If you liked the first one, you'll like this one but it's a different spin on the same formula. Recommended!

Heist my steamworld 2

This game is great.