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Steamworld Dig is a game with a wild west setting featuring a steam powered robot who partakes in a spot of mining. It isn’t exactly an attention grabbing setup for a game but thankfully it plays a lot better than it sounds.
Rusty has been sent the deeds to his Uncle Joe’s mine. Rusty is no miner so is a little puzzled by the gift and makes his way to Tumbletown to find out more. Unfortunately Uncle Joe is just scrap metal now so there is no explanation.
Tumbletown isn’t a thriving community of cowboy robots. The sign on Rusty’s arrival states the population is just 3. But a quiet town matters not as under the surface is where the majority of the action takes place.
Dorothy, the friendly metal face from the above paragraph, explains that there are some precious stones to be found in the mines and she will pay for the goods that Rusty retrieves.
Nobody in town seemed sure of what Uncle Joe was up to so you never, know, there might be more to these mines than meets the eye. Armed with Uncle Joe’s pickaxe (not part of Rusty’s inheritance but he wasn’t able to buy one) he descends into the mine for a spot of, well, mining. By hacking away at the ground, Rusty can carve a path vertically or horizontally. A clever miner will always take care to how they dig, remember you have to be able to get back up as well. Rusty can easily jump continually up a wall but he needs to be able to reach the wall to begin with. For the less careful among us, there is a self-destruct option which is not something your average miner has. The mini map at the side always helps plan a route into and out of the mine as well as indicating a destination when one has been set by the story.
The basic pickaxe is only good for certain stone so the path you can carve is limited. By finding gems and selling to Dorothy, you will earn money which you can spend at Cranky’s Upgrade store. Despite the name, Cranky is anything but and he is happy to let you get a better pickaxe. Dorothy suggested the town could do with some prosperity and sure enough, the more you money you make, the more you spend and you’ll notice a couple of extra shops open and the population flourish, almost doubling in size from its original 3.
Early in the game there is a lot of backtracking to the surface. Rusty has minimal storage space and it won’t take much before a trip back to the surface is required in order to free some space. Gems that are found remain there until you pick them up so there is no issue with leaving behind a haul for retrieval later. The storage space can be upgraded.
The deeper you dig the more there is to find and learn about the mines. Uncle Joe has left some torches about (the flammable kind, not the battery power) but a lot of the time you will rely on Rusty’s own light. Once it has run out, visibility is greatly reduced and it might be best heading back to the surface for a recharge. The lighting capacity can also be upgraded.
Caves are scattered about for exploration although you need to find them first. These can hold some gems or a power up. The power ups are vital for deep progression. Over the course of the adventure, Rusty will acquire items and abilities such as a drill, a boosted jump, a powerful punch and a fast run. Some are crucial for mining, others for survival. As Rusty is a steam powered robot, all of the abilities require steam and therefore water. Pools of water can be found by exploration and drained to replenish the water tank. And it may come as no surprise but the water tank can also be upgraded.
Rusty isn’t alone in the mines. There are some creatures down there too, some encased in stone and released by Rusty’s mining, others freely roaming about the space they have. The creatures are not a threat but contact with them does diminish Rusty’s health. Killing them will leave a boost to the health, the light capacity or the water tank. Further exploration into the mines will reveal enemies which are a threat to Rusty.
In addition to the precious stones, Rusty will discover orbs. These are also used to buy upgrade and extra items. There are a lot of items to buy which help with the task at hand. The mining can become quite treacherous deeper down or into other mines. As well as the upgrades mentioned, Rusty can improve his pickaxe, his drill, his health as well as the efficiency of some of these items. In order to buy everything, a lot of exploration is needed to get all the gems.
As well as the upgrades, there are some useful items to buy. Ladders come in handy to help with those early mining mistakes before you got wise to how to mine. Dynamite can help clear a space quickly or take out some enemies. Lanterns can provide some much needed light. And best of all is the teleport which will save you an enormous climb back to the surface. But unlike the pickaxe and the drill, once you use your stock of these items, you will need to buy more. The game certainly encourages exploration and it is well rewarded.
Visually the game is easy on the eye. It isn’t pushing the Vita to its limits but you wouldn’t expect an indie title to do so. The music is fitting with the wild west setting and quite atmospheric.
The game gets off to a slow start as you gain familiarity but it quickly picks up the pace as you power up and open more of the mine and gain access to areas you were previously unable to visit. Constantly digging to collect treasure isn’t the most absorbing of ways to spend your time but I actually found the exploration strangely addictive. The mines are surprisingly big and there is a lot of freedom to carve them up as you want. The exploration is entirely optional and there is still something for those who don’t want to dig too much, there is definitely much more to the game than it first seems. Trophy hunters will find a challenge in some of the trophies. It isn’t the longest game in the world but you’ll get more out of it if you explore and I found my adventure underground incredibly enjoyable and I plan to head back down on the PS4 since this is a cross buy title.
9
Rusty has been sent the deeds to his Uncle Joe’s mine. Rusty is no miner so is a little puzzled by the gift and makes his way to Tumbletown to find out more. Unfortunately Uncle Joe is just scrap metal now so there is no explanation.
Tumbletown isn’t a thriving community of cowboy robots. The sign on Rusty’s arrival states the population is just 3. But a quiet town matters not as under the surface is where the majority of the action takes place.
Dorothy, the friendly metal face from the above paragraph, explains that there are some precious stones to be found in the mines and she will pay for the goods that Rusty retrieves.
Nobody in town seemed sure of what Uncle Joe was up to so you never, know, there might be more to these mines than meets the eye. Armed with Uncle Joe’s pickaxe (not part of Rusty’s inheritance but he wasn’t able to buy one) he descends into the mine for a spot of, well, mining. By hacking away at the ground, Rusty can carve a path vertically or horizontally. A clever miner will always take care to how they dig, remember you have to be able to get back up as well. Rusty can easily jump continually up a wall but he needs to be able to reach the wall to begin with. For the less careful among us, there is a self-destruct option which is not something your average miner has. The mini map at the side always helps plan a route into and out of the mine as well as indicating a destination when one has been set by the story.
The basic pickaxe is only good for certain stone so the path you can carve is limited. By finding gems and selling to Dorothy, you will earn money which you can spend at Cranky’s Upgrade store. Despite the name, Cranky is anything but and he is happy to let you get a better pickaxe. Dorothy suggested the town could do with some prosperity and sure enough, the more you money you make, the more you spend and you’ll notice a couple of extra shops open and the population flourish, almost doubling in size from its original 3.
Early in the game there is a lot of backtracking to the surface. Rusty has minimal storage space and it won’t take much before a trip back to the surface is required in order to free some space. Gems that are found remain there until you pick them up so there is no issue with leaving behind a haul for retrieval later. The storage space can be upgraded.
The deeper you dig the more there is to find and learn about the mines. Uncle Joe has left some torches about (the flammable kind, not the battery power) but a lot of the time you will rely on Rusty’s own light. Once it has run out, visibility is greatly reduced and it might be best heading back to the surface for a recharge. The lighting capacity can also be upgraded.
Caves are scattered about for exploration although you need to find them first. These can hold some gems or a power up. The power ups are vital for deep progression. Over the course of the adventure, Rusty will acquire items and abilities such as a drill, a boosted jump, a powerful punch and a fast run. Some are crucial for mining, others for survival. As Rusty is a steam powered robot, all of the abilities require steam and therefore water. Pools of water can be found by exploration and drained to replenish the water tank. And it may come as no surprise but the water tank can also be upgraded.
Rusty isn’t alone in the mines. There are some creatures down there too, some encased in stone and released by Rusty’s mining, others freely roaming about the space they have. The creatures are not a threat but contact with them does diminish Rusty’s health. Killing them will leave a boost to the health, the light capacity or the water tank. Further exploration into the mines will reveal enemies which are a threat to Rusty.
In addition to the precious stones, Rusty will discover orbs. These are also used to buy upgrade and extra items. There are a lot of items to buy which help with the task at hand. The mining can become quite treacherous deeper down or into other mines. As well as the upgrades mentioned, Rusty can improve his pickaxe, his drill, his health as well as the efficiency of some of these items. In order to buy everything, a lot of exploration is needed to get all the gems.
As well as the upgrades, there are some useful items to buy. Ladders come in handy to help with those early mining mistakes before you got wise to how to mine. Dynamite can help clear a space quickly or take out some enemies. Lanterns can provide some much needed light. And best of all is the teleport which will save you an enormous climb back to the surface. But unlike the pickaxe and the drill, once you use your stock of these items, you will need to buy more. The game certainly encourages exploration and it is well rewarded.
Visually the game is easy on the eye. It isn’t pushing the Vita to its limits but you wouldn’t expect an indie title to do so. The music is fitting with the wild west setting and quite atmospheric.
The game gets off to a slow start as you gain familiarity but it quickly picks up the pace as you power up and open more of the mine and gain access to areas you were previously unable to visit. Constantly digging to collect treasure isn’t the most absorbing of ways to spend your time but I actually found the exploration strangely addictive. The mines are surprisingly big and there is a lot of freedom to carve them up as you want. The exploration is entirely optional and there is still something for those who don’t want to dig too much, there is definitely much more to the game than it first seems. Trophy hunters will find a challenge in some of the trophies. It isn’t the longest game in the world but you’ll get more out of it if you explore and I found my adventure underground incredibly enjoyable and I plan to head back down on the PS4 since this is a cross buy title.
9
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Steamworld Dig is a game with a wild west setting featuring a steam powered robot who partakes in a spot of mining. It isn’t exactly an attention grabbing setup for a game but thankfully it plays a lot better than it sounds.
Rusty has been sent the deeds to his Uncle Joe’s mine. Rusty is no miner so is a little puzzled by the gift and makes his way to Tumbletown to find out more. Unfortunately Uncle Joe is just scrap metal now so there is no explanation.
Tumbletown isn’t a thriving community of cowboy robots. The sign on Rusty’s arrival states the population is just 3. But a quiet town matters not as under the surface is where the majority of the action takes place.
Dorothy, the friendly metal face from the above paragraph, explains that there are some precious stones to be found in the mines and she will pay for the goods that Rusty retrieves.
Nobody in town seemed sure of what Uncle Joe was up to so you never, know, there might be more to these mines than meets the eye. Armed with Uncle Joe’s pickaxe (not part of Rusty’s inheritance but he wasn’t able to buy one) he descends into the mine for a spot of, well, mining. By hacking away at the ground, Rusty can carve a path vertically or horizontally. A clever miner will always take care to how they dig, remember you have to be able to get back up as well. Rusty can easily jump continually up a wall but he needs to be able to reach the wall to begin with. For the less careful among us, there is a self-destruct option which is not something your average miner has. The mini map at the side always helps plan a route into and out of the mine as well as indicating a destination when one has been set by the story.
The basic pickaxe is only good for certain stone so the path you can carve is limited. By finding gems and selling to Dorothy, you will earn money which you can spend at Cranky’s Upgrade store. Despite the name, Cranky is anything but and he is happy to let you get a better pickaxe. Dorothy suggested the town could do with some prosperity and sure enough, the more you money you make, the more you spend and you’ll notice a couple of extra shops open and the population flourish, almost doubling in size from its original 3.
Early in the game there is a lot of backtracking to the surface. Rusty has minimal storage space and it won’t take much before a trip back to the surface is required in order to free some space. Gems that are found remain there until you pick them up so there is no issue with leaving behind a haul for retrieval later. The storage space can be upgraded.
The deeper you dig the more there is to find and learn about the mines. Uncle Joe has left some torches about (the flammable kind, not the battery power) but a lot of the time you will rely on Rusty’s own light. Once it has run out, visibility is greatly reduced and it might be best heading back to the surface for a recharge. The lighting capacity can also be upgraded.
Caves are scattered about for exploration although you need to find them first. These can hold some gems or a power up. The power ups are vital for deep progression. Over the course of the adventure, Rusty will acquire items and abilities such as a drill, a boosted jump, a powerful punch and a fast run. Some are crucial for mining, others for survival. As Rusty is a steam powered robot, all of the abilities require steam and therefore water. Pools of water can be found by exploration and drained to replenish the water tank. And it may come as no surprise but the water tank can also be upgraded.
Rusty isn’t alone in the mines. There are some creatures down there too, some encased in stone and released by Rusty’s mining, others freely roaming about the space they have. The creatures are not a threat but contact with them does diminish Rusty’s health. Killing them will leave a boost to the health, the light capacity or the water tank. Further exploration into the mines will reveal enemies which are a threat to Rusty.
In addition to the precious stones, Rusty will discover orbs. These are also used to buy upgrade and extra items. There are a lot of items to buy which help with the task at hand. The mining can become quite treacherous deeper down or into other mines. As well as the upgrades mentioned, Rusty can improve his pickaxe, his drill, his health as well as the efficiency of some of these items. In order to buy everything, a lot of exploration is needed to get all the gems.
As well as the upgrades, there are some useful items to buy. Ladders come in handy to help with those early mining mistakes before you got wise to how to mine. Dynamite can help clear a space quickly or take out some enemies. Lanterns can provide some much needed light. And best of all is the teleport which will save you an enormous climb back to the surface. But unlike the pickaxe and the drill, once you use your stock of these items, you will need to buy more. The game certainly encourages exploration and it is well rewarded.
Visually the game is easy on the eye. It isn’t pushing the Vita to its limits but you wouldn’t expect an indie title to do so. The music is fitting with the wild west setting and quite atmospheric.
The game gets off to a slow start as you gain familiarity but it quickly picks up the pace as you power up and open more of the mine and gain access to areas you were previously unable to visit. Constantly digging to collect treasure isn’t the most absorbing of ways to spend your time but I actually found the exploration strangely addictive. The mines are surprisingly big and there is a lot of freedom to carve them up as you want. The exploration is entirely optional and there is still something for those who don’t want to dig too much, there is definitely much more to the game than it first seems. Trophy hunters will find a challenge in some of the trophies. It isn’t the longest game in the world but you’ll get more out of it if you explore and I found my adventure underground incredibly enjoyable and I plan to head back down on the PS4 since this is a cross buy title.
9
Rusty has been sent the deeds to his Uncle Joe’s mine. Rusty is no miner so is a little puzzled by the gift and makes his way to Tumbletown to find out more. Unfortunately Uncle Joe is just scrap metal now so there is no explanation.
Tumbletown isn’t a thriving community of cowboy robots. The sign on Rusty’s arrival states the population is just 3. But a quiet town matters not as under the surface is where the majority of the action takes place.
Dorothy, the friendly metal face from the above paragraph, explains that there are some precious stones to be found in the mines and she will pay for the goods that Rusty retrieves.
Nobody in town seemed sure of what Uncle Joe was up to so you never, know, there might be more to these mines than meets the eye. Armed with Uncle Joe’s pickaxe (not part of Rusty’s inheritance but he wasn’t able to buy one) he descends into the mine for a spot of, well, mining. By hacking away at the ground, Rusty can carve a path vertically or horizontally. A clever miner will always take care to how they dig, remember you have to be able to get back up as well. Rusty can easily jump continually up a wall but he needs to be able to reach the wall to begin with. For the less careful among us, there is a self-destruct option which is not something your average miner has. The mini map at the side always helps plan a route into and out of the mine as well as indicating a destination when one has been set by the story.
The basic pickaxe is only good for certain stone so the path you can carve is limited. By finding gems and selling to Dorothy, you will earn money which you can spend at Cranky’s Upgrade store. Despite the name, Cranky is anything but and he is happy to let you get a better pickaxe. Dorothy suggested the town could do with some prosperity and sure enough, the more you money you make, the more you spend and you’ll notice a couple of extra shops open and the population flourish, almost doubling in size from its original 3.
Early in the game there is a lot of backtracking to the surface. Rusty has minimal storage space and it won’t take much before a trip back to the surface is required in order to free some space. Gems that are found remain there until you pick them up so there is no issue with leaving behind a haul for retrieval later. The storage space can be upgraded.
The deeper you dig the more there is to find and learn about the mines. Uncle Joe has left some torches about (the flammable kind, not the battery power) but a lot of the time you will rely on Rusty’s own light. Once it has run out, visibility is greatly reduced and it might be best heading back to the surface for a recharge. The lighting capacity can also be upgraded.
Caves are scattered about for exploration although you need to find them first. These can hold some gems or a power up. The power ups are vital for deep progression. Over the course of the adventure, Rusty will acquire items and abilities such as a drill, a boosted jump, a powerful punch and a fast run. Some are crucial for mining, others for survival. As Rusty is a steam powered robot, all of the abilities require steam and therefore water. Pools of water can be found by exploration and drained to replenish the water tank. And it may come as no surprise but the water tank can also be upgraded.
Rusty isn’t alone in the mines. There are some creatures down there too, some encased in stone and released by Rusty’s mining, others freely roaming about the space they have. The creatures are not a threat but contact with them does diminish Rusty’s health. Killing them will leave a boost to the health, the light capacity or the water tank. Further exploration into the mines will reveal enemies which are a threat to Rusty.
In addition to the precious stones, Rusty will discover orbs. These are also used to buy upgrade and extra items. There are a lot of items to buy which help with the task at hand. The mining can become quite treacherous deeper down or into other mines. As well as the upgrades mentioned, Rusty can improve his pickaxe, his drill, his health as well as the efficiency of some of these items. In order to buy everything, a lot of exploration is needed to get all the gems.
As well as the upgrades, there are some useful items to buy. Ladders come in handy to help with those early mining mistakes before you got wise to how to mine. Dynamite can help clear a space quickly or take out some enemies. Lanterns can provide some much needed light. And best of all is the teleport which will save you an enormous climb back to the surface. But unlike the pickaxe and the drill, once you use your stock of these items, you will need to buy more. The game certainly encourages exploration and it is well rewarded.
Visually the game is easy on the eye. It isn’t pushing the Vita to its limits but you wouldn’t expect an indie title to do so. The music is fitting with the wild west setting and quite atmospheric.
The game gets off to a slow start as you gain familiarity but it quickly picks up the pace as you power up and open more of the mine and gain access to areas you were previously unable to visit. Constantly digging to collect treasure isn’t the most absorbing of ways to spend your time but I actually found the exploration strangely addictive. The mines are surprisingly big and there is a lot of freedom to carve them up as you want. The exploration is entirely optional and there is still something for those who don’t want to dig too much, there is definitely much more to the game than it first seems. Trophy hunters will find a challenge in some of the trophies. It isn’t the longest game in the world but you’ll get more out of it if you explore and I found my adventure underground incredibly enjoyable and I plan to head back down on the PS4 since this is a cross buy title.
9