Checkup Steamworld Dig

Steamworld Dig: A fistful of Dirt for the PlayStation Vita is a mining game with a lot of platforming elements. It is created by Swedish indie developer Image & Form and initially came out for the 3DS. Does that mean that it is full of 3D gimmicks and sub-par graphics?

Steamworld style

In Steamworld Dig you are a robot named Rusty which goes to a mining town to get the inheritance of his uncle, which was a miner. What you inherit is a mine, with loads of loot and possibilities. The style of the game is Spaghetti Western Steampunk, a special sauce which fits the game very well. The mine is split up into three major depths, which look very different from one another. The visuals are very sharp and it looks like Image & Form really took their time upgrading the graphics from the 3DS. There are no gimmicky 3D moments in the game, which is a good thing.

Steamworld gameplay

In Steamworld Dig you can mine in two different ways, with a pick axe and a water fueled drill. The drill mines a lot faster, but consumes water which you can’t get everywhere. You also have to make sure your light doesn’t run out. If it does, navigating the underworld will become a lot harder. You always have to get back to the surface, where you can buy upgrades from various shops, with the loot you brought from the depths of the mine. There are teleporters you can place yourself and find in the underworld, which will transport you right back to the surface. Since you will be digging deep for loot, this is very convenient. You will also encounter the creatures which are roaming the underground and you can choose to fight them. In general I found engaging with them was a waste of energy and life, so I chose to avoid them or find smart ways to trap them. Rusty felt a little under powered for a robot in the fighting department. The controls of Steamworld Dig are tight as hell as well.

World of addiction

Steamworld Dig is very addicting. It’s so easy to pick up, even if you only have 5 minutes to play. It’s an ideal game if you have a lot of times of downtime during the day and want to fill it with a quality experience. It’s also good keeping you up way too late during the night. It’s absolutely a one more try kind of game. Due to the mine being created differently each play through, you can easily play this game more than once. It will probably take you about 5 to 6 hours to finish Rusty’s adventure down under. An endless mode would have been welcome to prolong the experience.