SteamWorld Dig 2 Review Summary

An excellent metroidvania that improves on its predecessor with fun gameplay, but clunky combat, weak bosses, and an abrupt story hold it back.

Better than predecessor: The sequel is widely praised as a significant improvement over the original, with many noting upgrades in gameplay, graphics, story, and overall design. Players feel it surpasses its predecessor in almost every aspect, making it a worthy successor.

Fun and enjoyable gameplay: The core gameplay is frequently described as fun, satisfying, and well-made, with a gameplay loop that keeps players engaged. Many find it a blast to play and worth the money.

Excellent metroidvania: Reviewers consistently describe the game as a top-tier metroidvania, highlighting its strong genre mechanics and seamless integration of exploration and ability gating. Many consider it one of the best examples of the genre.

Engaging story: The story is often called enjoyable, interesting, and well-told, even if simple. It adds to the overall experience and is considered better than the first game's narrative.

Improved upgrade system: The game features more numerous and meaningful upgrades compared to its predecessor, with a new upgrade system that greatly enhances character progression. Players appreciate the depth and variety of upgrades available.

Weak and lackluster boss fights: Boss battles are often described as simple, weak, and a low point of the game. This is compounded by complaints that the final boss is either frustratingly designed or far too easy compared to others.

Underwhelming and abrupt story: The narrative is considered banal and underwhelming, failing to engage players. The ending is frequently described as abrupt and unsatisfying, with many feeling it fell flat without explaining much.

Clunky and basic combat system: The combat system is frequently criticized as clunky, clumsy, and terrible, especially regarding melee. Many players also find the protagonist's combat abilities to be weak and the overall system to be very basic and uninteresting.

Missing Chinese language support: A common complaint is the lack of Chinese language support, which makes it difficult for players to understand instructions and guidance. Attempts to install unofficial localization patches on the Steam version reportedly cause crashes.

Overall game is too short: Many reviewers feel the game is fairly short, with the main story being completable in around 7-12 hours. This leads to complaints that there is not enough content for the price tag.

Core mining gameplay loop: The central loop involves digging for resources, returning to the surface to sell them, and buying upgrades to dig deeper. This loop is repeated throughout the game and is a key progression driver.

Metroidvania exploration and progression: The game features Metroidvania-style exploration with backtracking, ability gating, and upgrades that expand access to new areas. This genre blend is frequently mentioned and central to the experience.

Upgrade system: Players can upgrade equipment and abilities using resources collected during mining. Upgrades are meaningful and often required to access new areas or improve efficiency.

Secrets and caves: The game encourages exploration by hiding secrets, optional caves, and collectibles throughout the map. Finding these often requires careful observation or hints.

Puzzle-solving elements: Puzzles are integrated into the gameplay, often found in special caves or as part of the main progression. They add variety and challenge beyond mining and combat.

Excellent optimization and performance: Players consistently praise the game's smooth performance, absence of stutter, instant loading, and ability to run on a wide range of hardware including low-end systems. Multiple clusters highlight flawless frame pacing and minimal CPU/GPU load.

Crashes with Chinese localization patch: Two reports indicate the Steam version crashes after installing a specific 3DM Chinese localization patch. This appears to be a compatibility issue with unofficial patches.

Input dropping issues reported: One player experienced routine input drops, likely due to keyboard rollover limitations or software bugs. This can affect gameplay responsiveness.

Windows 11 sound issue: A specific sound problem on Windows 11 where digging produces low volume. A workaround is to disable audio enhancements in device settings.

Stable and bug-free for some: Some players report no crashes or important bugs, indicating a generally stable experience for many users.

Strong positive recommendation: Multiple clusters show players strongly recommending the game without reservation. They use phrases like 'definitely recommend', 'highly recommended', and 'wholeheartedly recommend', indicating broad satisfaction.

Wait for a sale: A significant number of reviewers suggest waiting for a sale before purchasing. They mention it can drop to very low prices, making it a great deal.

Worth the price: Several reviewers state the game is worth buying at full price. They consider it a worthwhile purchase and suggest it is worth considering.

Great for metroidvania fans: The game is highly recommended for fans of metroidvanias and exploration games. Even those new to the genre find it a must-play.

Play first game first: Many reviewers recommend playing the first game before this one to fully enjoy it. Some note it is not strictly necessary but enhances the experience.

Community fair range: $5.00 - $10.00.

Game completion: 20.0h.

Story completion: 10.0h.

Session length: 2.5h.

Endgame: 4.0h.

SteamWorld Dig 2 is often reported as a slow starter whose fun increases after players descend deeper and obtain mobility upgrades and new tools. However, some players find it fun from the start and others report later repetition, so the time-to-fun profile is mixed.

Friction: Slow start: opening-level gems do not pay enough.; Mining and combat feel clunky, especially the inability to swing the pickaxe mid-air.; Enemies are hard to handle safely without spending resources or taking hits.; Controls can fail to register button clicks, sometimes requiring double taps.; Backtracking can feel repetitive when unlocking new areas or upgrades.; Mining can feel boring and repetitive for some players..

Relaxed Loop Miner: Casual playthroughs, focusing on the mining and upgrade cycle, often playing for hours without stress. Motivation: Enjoy the addictive, relaxing loop of mining, selling, and upgrading while exploring at a chill pace. Stance: buy.

Completionist Achiever: Thorough exploration, multiple playthroughs, collectible hunting, and attempting no-death speedruns. Motivation: Achieve 100% completion, collect every artifact and secret, and unlock all achievements including hard speedrun goals. Stance: buy.

Metroidvania Series Veteran: Exploration, backtracking, comparing mechanics to other Metroidvania titles, and recommending play order. Motivation: Appreciate the evolution of the Metroidvania genre and how SteamWorld Dig 2 improves upon its predecessor. Stance: buy.

The Windows 8-11GB VRAM cohort reports smooth performance in the available evidence.

Windows 8-11GB VRAM: positive. The sole included review reports smooth performance on a recommended configuration.

Steam Deck: The audit finds that the base game performs well on Steam Deck and Linux, with users praising smooth performance, low battery drain, and generally good controller support. However, friction exists: some users must switch to Proton because the native Linux build fails to detect Xbox controllers, and Chinese-speaking users report that unofficial Chinese localization patches crash frequently on the Steam version. These issues affect specific configurations rather than all players, resulting in a playable but not fully seamless experience.

Linux and Proton: Consensus from the reviewed feedback is that the game has strong Linux support: multiple users report native Linux builds working perfectly on Ubuntu with controller support, and Proton also runs flawlessly including default configuration. The only Linux-specific issue is an isolated report of the native build not recognizing an Xbox controller, which was resolved by using Proton. Overall Linux/Proton friction is minimal.

Sequel Improves on Predecessor: Players consistently describe the game as a sequel that refines and expands upon the first title in the series. Many note it is bigger, better, and more polished than the original.

Sequel to SteamWorld Dig: Reviewers frequently compare the game to SteamWorld Dig, calling it a worthy successor that improves on the first game. It is seen as similar in style but larger and more challenging.

Longer and More Content: The game offers more playtime and content than its predecessor, with a longer campaign and a larger map. It is roughly twice as long or even 3-4 times larger in volume.

Playtime Around 10 Hours: Many reviewers report that completing the game takes about 10 hours, with some estimating 10-20 hours. The game length is often cited as around 10 hours.

Steam Deck Compatibility Praised: Several players highlight that the game runs well on Steam Deck and feels ideal for the platform. It is described as perfect and plays great on Steam Deck.