Info about SteamWorld Heist II:

Official game description:
  
All is not well on the waves— a water crisis is brewing! Mysteriously, this precious resource has become deadly, corroding metal limbs and mechanical hearts. As legendary Captain Leeway, it’s up to you and your ragtag crew of steambots to uncover the source of this threat and save botkind before it’s too late!
**TURN-BASED STRATEGY AT ITS BEST**
Dive into an upgraded tactical experience that builds on the beloved gameplay of SteamWorld Heist. Every move matters as you plan your turns, position your crew, and carefully aim each shot. Ricochet bullets off walls and use your surroundings to outsmart enemies, but remember—victory hinges on a well-thought-out strategy, not just a quick trigger finger.
**NEW WATERS, NEW ADVENTURES**  
Set sail across the vast ocean in your trusty submarine. Face real-time naval combat challenges and steer your crew through tactical ship-to-ship battles while discovering hidden treasures in every wave. Your decisions as captain shape your journey through the Great Sea.
**CUSTOMISE YOUR CREW, YOUR WAY**  
With over 150 weapons, utility items, and ship upgrades, the possibilities for crew customisation are endless. Equip your steambots for every strategy—whether you prefer a sharpshooting sniper or a hammer-wielding bruiser. Unlock new crewmates, jobs, abilities, and gear to perfect your team for each mission.
**DIVE INTO A HANDCRAFTED WORLD**  
Immerse yourself in a beautifully crafted world filled with unique environments, eccentric characters, and a captivating story. And yes, Steam Powered Giraffe is back with an all-new soundtrack that will stick with you long after you’ve docked your ship. Plus, with over 30 hours of gameplay, your adventure will be as vast as the ocean itself!
**FEATURES:**
*   Precision turn-based combat with satisfying ricochet mechanics
*   Discover a vast world filled with real-time naval battles and hidden treasures
*   Customise your crew with 150+ weapons, items, and upgrades
*   Explore the rich new job system to create a crew that fits your playstyle
*   A stunning new adventure set in the SteamWorld universe, with over 30 hours of gameplay
*   Music by the fan-favourite Steam Powered Giraffe!  
    The fate of botkind rests in your hands—are you ready to lead your crew through treacherous waters?

Release date: 8 Aug, 2024

Categories: Turn-based Strategy, Ship Combat, Open-World Exploration, Player Customization, Resource Management, Single-player Story, Character Progression


- Hardware Profile: No data
Feature extractions:
- Community Price: No data
- Playtime Metrics: No data
- Time-to-fun: No data
- Player Archetypes: No data


Below are summaries of things people say about the game per category.
Each point is assigned a weight that represents how often it is mentioned across all reviews.
What players like:
- Improved sequel; more content (weight 0.96): The game is a successful and worthwhile sequel that improves upon nearly every aspect of its predecessor. It retains the core gameplay while introducing enhancements, new features, and more content. Many reviewers highlight that fans of the first game will enjoy this one even more.
- Strategic, skill-based combat system (weight 0.67): The game features engaging and strategic turn-based combat with a unique aiming system. Players manually aim shots, often utilizing ricochets, which adds a layer of skill and tactical depth. This system makes combat feel rewarding and less reliant on RNG.
- Extensive difficulty customization options (weight 0.26): The game offers highly customizable difficulty settings, allowing players to tailor the challenge to their preferences. This includes options to adjust enemy health, damage, mission timers, and even rewind turns. The flexibility ensures an enjoyable experience for both casual and hardcore players.
- Deep, flexible class customization (weight 0.2): The game features a deep and flexible class system that allows for extensive character customization. Players can combine skills from different classes to create unique and powerful builds. This system encourages experimentation and adds replayability.
- Large, explorable world map (weight 0.2): The game features a large and explorable world map with secrets and hidden areas. The addition of open-world exploration enhances the experience, providing a sense of freedom and discovery. Reviewers enjoyed exploring the world and finding new content.
- Great art, graphics, and music (weight 0.16): The game features excellent art direction, graphics, and a fantastic soundtrack. The visuals are polished and charming, while the music enhances the atmosphere and immerses the player in the game world. The collaboration with Steam Powered Giraffe is a highlight for many reviewers.
- Fun submarine exploration/combat (weight 0.09): The game introduces naval exploration and combat, allowing players to pilot and upgrade a submarine. This adds a fresh dynamic to the gameplay, providing a break from turn-based battles. Reviewers found the submarine combat and exploration to be enjoyable and rewarding.
- Great steampunk setting, SPG music (weight 0.07): The game features a fun steampunk setting and the soundtrack by Steam Powered Giraffe is highly praised. The music is well-integrated and enhances the game's world and vibe. The collaboration with Steam Powered Giraffe is a highlight for many reviewers.
- Engaging story, likeable characters (weight 0.06): The game features well-developed and likeable characters with their own unique stories and personalities. The characters are memorable and contribute to the overall charm of the game. The story is engaging and emotionally impactful.
- Satisfying shooting and physics (weight 0.06): The game's shooting mechanics are satisfying and enjoyable, with ricocheting bullets and bombs adding a unique element to combat. Executing difficult shots feels rewarding and the game encourages creative solutions. The impact of hitting enemies is excellent.

Common complaints:
- Repetitive gameplay, enemy spam (weight 0.26): The game suffers from repetitive gameplay loops due to constant enemy spawns, recycled level design, and an over-reliance on timed missions. This diminishes strategic options and makes the game feel like a grind, especially in later stages.  Many reviewers expressed that the game overstays its welcome.
- Inconsistent, unbalanced difficulty (weight 0.24): Reviewers reported inconsistent and unbalanced difficulty, with some missions being too easy while others are frustratingly hard. This unevenness necessitates frequent difficulty adjustments and can lead to a grindy experience, undermining the strategic gameplay.
- Characters lack unique identity (weight 0.13): The open class system and gear mechanics lead to characters feeling homogeneous and less unique, diminishing their individual identities.  The need to grind for specific skills and equipment further exacerbates this issue, making character progression feel tedious and unrewarding.
- Unengaging story, pacing issues (weight 0.08): Many reviewers found the game's story, dialogue, and cutscenes to be tedious, unengaging, and disruptive to the pacing. Some reviewers skipped the story elements entirely to focus on the gameplay. Some reviewers also found the game to be too short, while others found it to be too long.
- Tedious map, no fast travel (weight 0.07): The lack of fast travel and a functional map makes navigating the large world map tedious and time-consuming. This issue is compounded by the absence of a zoom feature and clear map markers, hindering strategic planning and exploration.
- Lacking end-game content (weight 0.06): The game lacks a satisfying end-game experience, with limited post-game content and a rushed final act. The absence of a New Game+ mode further diminishes replayability and the sense of progression.
- Forced resting mechanic tedious (weight 0.06): The game's design forces players to frequently return to a bar to rest, which is seen as tedious and disruptive to the flow of the game. This mechanic, combined with limited crew usage per day, adds unnecessary busywork and limits team composition options.
- Frustrating hat collecting achievement (weight 0.02): The achievement for collecting all hats is frustrating due to the random nature of hat drops and the lack of a hat compendium. This makes tracking which hats have not yet been acquired difficult and tedious.
- Game is too expensive (weight 0.02): Some reviewers felt that the game's price tag was too high for the quality of the game. They felt that the game was worth less than its asking price.
- Random elements disrupt gameplay (weight 0.02): Random enemy spawns and difficulty spikes can ruin a perfectly planned run. The random distribution of difficulty feels janky.

Gameplay feedback:
- Overworld exploration and naval combat (weight 0.13): The game incorporates a dual gameplay loop with overworld exploration via submarine and real-time naval combat. Players navigate the world map, engage in ship battles for resources, and upgrade their submarine. This adds variety and a sense of progression beyond the turn-based missions.
- Varied missions and objectives (weight 0.08): Missions feature diverse objectives, enemy types, and map designs, encouraging strategic decision-making and adaptation. Many missions include timers or increasing enemy spawns, rewarding aggressive play. Players earn rewards and resources to upgrade their crew and submarine.
- Core gameplay similar to predecessor (weight 0.05): The core gameplay remains largely unchanged from the first game in the series. While new mechanics and features have been added, the fundamental turn-based combat and strategic elements are familiar to returning players. Some reviewers found this to be a positive, while others felt it lacked innovation.
- Overworld exploration provides gameplay break (weight 0.03): The game features an overworld map for exploration, providing a break between intense missions. While some reviewers found it enjoyable and immersive, others felt it became repetitive or lacked depth. The exploration involves navigating the sea, which can become challenging.
- Character fatigue encourages roster use (weight 0.03): The game features a bounty/fatigue system that encourages players to utilize their entire roster of characters. Characters become exhausted after missions and require rest, incentivizing the use of different team members. This promotes experimentation and prevents players from relying on a single team.
- Unique character abilities and synergies (weight 0.02): Characters possess unique unlockable abilities and can equip various utility items, leading to diverse and potentially overpowered loadout combinations. The game encourages experimentation with team building and skill synergies. New bots can be hired in bars, each with their own job style and level.
- Adjustable difficulty settings available (weight 0.02): The game offers adjustable difficulty settings, allowing players to customize the challenge to their preference. This includes sliders for both boat combat and missions, providing a tailored experience. Players can also change the difficulty level at any time during gameplay.
- Simple mechanics reward tactical play (weight 0.02): The game features simple mechanics that reward tactical play and strategic positioning. The core mechanics are easy to understand, with helpful tutorials. This makes the game accessible to newcomers while still offering depth and challenge for experienced players.
- Rewind mechanic allows undoing turns (weight 0.01): The game includes a rewind mechanic that allows players to undo the last two turns. This feature provides a safety net for mistakes and encourages experimentation with different strategies. It can also reduce frustration by allowing players to correct errors without restarting the entire mission.
- New content introduced gradually (weight 0.01): The game introduces new weapons, enemies, elements, and mechanics throughout the progression. Enemy spawn locations and types are randomized within pre-set parameters, shaking up each encounter while remaining manageable. This keeps the combat fresh and prevents it from becoming stale.
- Lighthearted hat-collecting element (weight 0.01): The game features lighthearted elements such as collecting items, defeating enemies, and knocking off enemy hats. Shooting hats off enemies remains an enjoyable and recurring activity. The game also includes backstabs, headshots, and the ability to wear collected hats.
- Unit shootouts with strategic positioning (weight 0.01): Combat primarily consists of unit shootouts, with occasional melee engagements. Short sessions of real-time marine fights provide a welcome distraction from the turn-based combat. The combat involves selecting characters and positioning them strategically, providing a challenging and fun experience.

Performance notes:
- Excellent performance on various hardware (weight 0.05): The game is well-optimized and runs smoothly on a variety of hardware, including the Steam Deck, ROG Ally, and even laptops. Many players report excellent performance, even at higher resolutions like 4K, with some specifically noting locked 90FPS on Steam Deck OLED.
- Stable with few bugs/crashes (weight 0.02): Many reviewers have reported a relatively bug-free experience, with few or no crashes or noticeable bugs encountered during their playthroughs. Some reviewers mentioned minor, non-critical bugs.
- Generally short loading times (weight 0.01): The game generally features short loading times on PC, with some reviewers noting exceptionally fast startup times. However, one reviewer experienced a significantly longer loading screen, indicating potential inconsistency.
- Fantastic controller support (weight 0): The game has fantastic controller support and optimization, eliminating the need for manual file re-editing. This provides a seamless and user-friendly experience for controller users.
- Nice audio (weight 0): The game's audio is generally considered to be of good quality. This point is vague and lacks specifics.

Recommendations:
- Highly recommend; play first game (weight 0.47): Many reviewers recommend the game, especially to fans of the first game or the SteamWorld series, citing improvements and expanded content. Some suggest trying the first game to see if you like the series. A few found the first game better or the sequel a re-skin.
- Great for tactics/RPG fans (weight 0.14): Reviewers recommend the game for fans of turn-based tactics, strategy, and RPGs, citing unique gameplay and accessibility. Some suggest it's a good entry point to the genre. The game is also praised for its story, atmosphere, music, and charm.
- Excellent game; highly recommended (weight 0.09): Many reviewers express overwhelmingly positive sentiment, calling the game excellent, a masterpiece, and a Game of the Year contender. They praise the overall experience and recommend it highly. Some reviewers consider the price perfect.
- Gameplay issues; wait for patch (weight 0.03): Some reviewers report gameplay issues, feeling the game is unfinished or boring. They criticize the level design, character building system, and performance. Some suggest waiting for patches or buying at a discount.
- Great on Steam Deck (weight 0.01): The game is reported to run well on the Steam Deck, making it a great option for playing on the go.
- Grinding can be beneficial (weight 0.01): Some reviewers recommend grinding earlier levels to strengthen characters, but caution against over-leveling, which can make the game too easy.
- Add fast travel option (weight 0.01): A fast travel option for the world map would improve the game by reducing the need for constant manual exploration.
- Anticipation for DLC (weight 0.01): Some reviewers are anticipating future DLC content for the game.
- Boring and exhausting (weight 0): One reviewer reports boredom and exhaustion after 10 hours and requested a refund.
- Negative review to counter hype (weight 0): One reviewer gave the game a negative rating to counter positive reviews from people who haven't played other games or consumed other stories.
- Cured 'electronic ED' (weight 0): This point is based on a joke and does not provide constructive feedback.

Other player notes:
- Expands SteamWorld universe, new story (weight 0.08): The game expands upon the established SteamWorld universe with a new maritime setting, characters, and story focused on a water crisis.  It maintains the series' charm and quirky tone while introducing new themes and steampunk elements.  Previous knowledge of the series is not required to enjoy the game.
- Soundtrack by Steam Powered Giraffe (weight 0.02): The game features a notable soundtrack, with significant contributions from Steam Powered Giraffe.  The music enhances the game's atmosphere and is a highlight for many players. Some reviewers noted that the music is a series gimmick.
- Charming, high-quality art style (weight 0.02): The game has a charming and high-quality animation style and art direction. The shift from space to a sail world is well-received, contributing to the game's lighthearted tone.
- Recurring hat theme/collectibles (weight 0.01): The game features a recurring hat theme, with hats being cosmetic items obtainable throughout the game. Some reviewers found the focus on hats to be odd or excessive.
- Explores various mature themes (weight 0.01): The game explores themes such as unrealized expectation, charismatic despotism, blind zealotry, and the importance of crew and family.
- Significant playtime (30-40+ hours) (weight 0.01): The game offers a substantial playtime, with completionists potentially spending over 40 hours. A quicker playthrough is estimated at 30-35 hours.
- Arctica: point of no return (weight 0): The game does not explicitly warn players that going to Arctica is a point of no return for a while.
- Fully localized in Japanese (weight 0): The game is fully localized in Japanese, including story and character dialogues.

Emotions:
No emotions}