SteamWorld II Heist dropped last year in early August and didn’t cause as many shocks as some of the other genre spin-offs in its quirky, robotic universe. Which is a shame, because the backbone of this tactical RPG is one of the strongest around, even if it’s sometimes hampered by the junk surrounding it.
A sequel to Image & Form’s 2015 3DS game, SteamWorld II Heist replaces its predecessor’s sci-fi setting with Pirates of the Caribbean– saturated high seas gameplay, but otherwise most of it still revolves around turn-based encounters on 2D side-scrolling maps, where shots ricochet and grenades blow up cover to create memorable disordered fights.
You’re still exploring procedurally generated levels and trying to escape as bullets and lasers fly past your crew’s mechanical heads, but there’s a major difference in SteamWorld II Heist. Unlike the first game, where each character was rooted in a specific class archetype, the sequel allows you to give any crew member any weapon and then start building your build from there. Equip yourself with a sniper rifle and you will become a marksman specializing in dealing critical damage from afar. Wield the hammer and you become a brawler who gains extra turns and other bonuses for smashing enemies at close range.
This gives a lot of flexibility and freedom, but SteamWorld II Heist goes a step further and allows characters to mix and match skills from different classes once they are unlocked, rewarding experimentation and encouraging the search for synergies that break up the game and aid you take no prisoners when breaking into maximum security bases in search of powerful treasures. It’s basically the opposite Final Fantasy Tactics a job system where skill trees were tied to classes rather than weapons. The result is a refreshing change that is more streamlined without losing too much depth.
I finished the game last summer on Switch (it’s also on PlayStation, Xbox, and PC) and enjoyed every minute of it as I analyzed bullet trajectories, blast radii, and the chances of success if I sacrificed one character to cover the rest of the crew’s tactical retreat. Even on procedurally generated maps, where any talking will quickly result in you being overrun by enemy forces, SteamWorld II HeistThe ingredients are the perfect recipe for tense moments, analytical duels and escapes by the seat of your pants. It cleverly repeats the best elements of the first game, making them even more solid and fun.
The only downside SteamWorld II Heist is that it lacks the first game’s concise 12-hour runtime. It’s almost twice as long, with the extra hours devoted to late-game grinding and a up-to-date world exploration system where you explore as a submarine firing at enemy ships in real-time in exchange for miniature rewards that quickly stop being worth the effort. Just like the rest SteamWorld II Heistthe shooting sections are elegantly designed and provide good control, but ultimately feel like unnecessary time wasters and frustrating distractions from the excellent 2D tactical combat at the core of the game.
Ultimately, SteamWorld II Heist it’s like a peanut butter and jelly sandwich with an extra piece of bread inside. Still delicious, but ultimately much more than you want to eat. Still, I finished the game because it was 2D XCOM– the shootings are so good that it’s worth going through the entire filler. SteamWorld II Heist is a great tactical RPG that fans of the genre would do themselves a disservice to miss.
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