At this point, Image & Form’s SteamWorld Dig has been released on just about every current and viable piece of gaming hardware. The game felt great originally on the 3DS, then again on the Wii U, PS4, and so on, and now that it makes its way to the Switch, it — surprise! — still feels great.
Though it’s not labeled as such, this is most obviously the Definitive Edition of the game. There isn’t anything new specific to the platform (no HD rumble, no real touch screen interaction or pointer control or anything like that) but it does combine the best of what’s already been released, namely that it’s a solid, great looking port both on a big screen TV and in hand held mode.
It’s buttery smooth visually, with the solid controls of the PS4/Wii U versions, and essentially combines and replaces all of the previous versions before it.
SteamWorld Dig‘s main draw is its Dig Dug meets puzzle-platformer meets Spaghetti Western mashup of genres. It’s great for bite-size experiences, allowing you to hop in and play for a bit, grab some gems and quit. For anyone that jumped into the SteamWorld series for the first time with Dig 2 last year on the Switch or PS4, this original game will feel mostly familiar. It’s less structured than the sequel, relying on procedurally generated levels instead of hand-designed ones. It makes every play through a new and unique one, though leaves opportunities for getting stuck or hampered by the placement of resources.
Dig remains fresh, even with its sequel and SteamWorld Heist already launching ahead of it, and still fits alongside the other games on the eShop. If you already have it on another console, it may not be enough to just get the Switch version. It doesn’t really offer anything new. However, it’s a must if you haven’t picked it up before, or are a fan of the franchise and want to replace the myriad of copies you probably have already with one.
SteamWorld Dig, even years old now, remains one of the shiniest indie gems in gaming today.
This Hot Take/Review is based on an eShop code for the Switch sent to SideQuesting by the publisher.
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