GamesStrategySteamWorld Heist 2SteamWorld Heist 2 plays like a perfect follow-up to a great XCOM-style tactics game, and it’s borrowing from Final Fantasy to add even more depthWhen you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission.Here’s how it works.
GamesStrategySteamWorld Heist 2SteamWorld Heist 2 plays like a perfect follow-up to a great XCOM-style tactics game, and it’s borrowing from Final Fantasy to add even more depthWhen you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission.Here’s how it works.
When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission.Here’s how it works.
(Image credit: Thunderful)
Back in April, I noted that theSteamWorld series had never seen a bad game, and after an hour of hands-on time with SteamWorld Heist 2 duringSummer Game Fest, it doesn’t look like that’s going to change any time soon. Heist 2 already has all the makings of an incredible XCOM-like strategy game, with just the right blend of tactical depth and pick-up-and-play mission design to keep you coming back for more.
Summer Games PreviewWe’re diving into the hottest upcoming games out of Summer Game Fest. To find all of our hands-on reports, visitGamesRadar’s What’s Hot 2024 hub.
Summer Games PreviewWe’re diving into the hottest upcoming games out of Summer Game Fest. To find all of our hands-on reports, visitGamesRadar’s What’s Hot 2024 hub.
Summer Games PreviewWe’re diving into the hottest upcoming games out of Summer Game Fest. To find all of our hands-on reports, visitGamesRadar’s What’s Hot 2024 hub.
Summer Games PreviewWe’re diving into the hottest upcoming games out of Summer Game Fest. To find all of our hands-on reports, visitGamesRadar’s What’s Hot 2024 hub.
Summer Games PreviewWe’re diving into the hottest upcoming games out of Summer Game Fest. To find all of our hands-on reports, visitGamesRadar’s What’s Hot 2024 hub.
Summer Games PreviewWe’re diving into the hottest upcoming games out of Summer Game Fest. To find all of our hands-on reports, visitGamesRadar’s What’s Hot 2024 hub.
Steaming up the seas
The SteamWorld series is a collection of games with a shared steampunk robot aesthetic that are spread across wildly varying genres, and Heist 2 is just the second direct sequel in that lineage. Like the first game, this is a turn-based strategy title played from a side-scrolling perspective. You get your characters into position, take cover, and line up gun shots that can ricochet off walls and bounce into enemies. You still explore an overworld map and take on missions where you’re rated based on your performance.
One of the biggest differences is that you now take direct control of your ship on that overworld map, piloting a submarine through the open sea rather than simply selecting a mission from what’s essentially a glorified menu. You can equip your submarine with a variety of weapons that each have their own fire rates and directions - meet an enemy ship on the field, and you’ll automatically shoot at it as long as you keep your facing aligned to point your guns at the bad guys. In practice, it’s a bit like an uber-simplified version of lining up for a broadside shot in a naval Assassin’s Creed game, and I found these breaks from the turn-based combat to be a lot of fun.
SteamWorld Heist II | Pre-Order Trailer - YouTubeWatch On
SteamWorld Heist II | Pre-Order Trailer - YouTube
SteamWorld Heist II | Pre-Order Trailer - YouTube
Probably my favorite part of the demo was a boss fight against someone in a giant mech suit. The mech had location-based damage so you could, say, smash apart the cockpit window to make the pilot inside vulnerable, letting you deal with the boss’s big health pool much more effectively. All the while, the boss keeps firing big AOE missile attacks that you have one turn to get away from, so you have to keep moving while maintaining cover against standard ranged shots. It was a perfect little morsel of everything that’s great about tactical strategy.
Heist 2 has charm to spare, too. As in the first game, you can shoot the hats off of enemies and collect them to wear yourself. Even though they’re all robots, the characters are lively and expressive. And there remains some very memorable music with full lyrics playing every time you visit the bar. And I’m already starting to imagine the possibilities of all those classes and powers, and how it’ll all work together. If you’ve ever enjoyed a tactical strategy game before, SteamWorld Heist 2’s launch on August 8 looks like one to watch.
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SteamWorld Heist 2 seems poised to stand confidently among thebest strategy games.
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1Nemesis review: “A magical sense of tension”
1Nemesis review: “A magical sense of tension”
1
Nemesis review: “A magical sense of tension”
2Arcs review: “A whole lot of game in a small package”
2Arcs review: “A whole lot of game in a small package”
2
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3Path of Exile 2 review: “A stellar start to a thrilling and brutal dark adventure”
3Path of Exile 2 review: “A stellar start to a thrilling and brutal dark adventure”
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Path of Exile 2 review: “A stellar start to a thrilling and brutal dark adventure”
4Indiana Jones and the Great Circle review: “The best adventure Indy has embarked on in over 30 years”
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2Mufasa: The Lion King review – “It’s no Hakuna Matata but this Disney origin story is a class above the 2019 movie”
2Mufasa: The Lion King review – “It’s no Hakuna Matata but this Disney origin story is a class above the 2019 movie”
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3Kraven the Hunter review: “The insistence on an R-rating helps save this, with a decent helping of bloodthirsty action”
3
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4The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim review – “An uninspired expansion of the most iconic screen take on Tolkien”
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4
The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim review – “An uninspired expansion of the most iconic screen take on Tolkien”
5Nightbitch review: “Amy Adams' disappointing dark comedy is all bark and no bite”
5Nightbitch review: “Amy Adams' disappointing dark comedy is all bark and no bite”
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Nightbitch review: “Amy Adams' disappointing dark comedy is all bark and no bite”
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2
Doctor Who 2024 Christmas special review: “Ncuti Gatwa is as magnetic as ever in this delightful festive treat”
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3Secret Level review: “An uneven experience with serious highlights that ultimately make up for the misses”
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5Creature Commandos review: “James Gunn’s heartwarming, R-rated tale about super-monsters proves that the DCU is in good hands”
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Creature Commandos review: “James Gunn’s heartwarming, R-rated tale about super-monsters proves that the DCU is in good hands”