Nintendo handhelds have never been known as a bastion of strategy games but SteamWorld Heist proves once again that it’s possible to put a kid-friendly face on stellar tactical strategy gameplay.
SteamWorld Heist is a two-dimensional tactical strategy game from Image & Form; the Swedish studio behind SteamWorld Tower Defense and SteamWorld Dig. The game inherits a few design choices from its predecessors, the most obvious being its art style and semi-randomized content. But the turn-based action in SteamWorld Heist is a far cry from what we’ve seen in the studio’s other projects. Storytelling is still shallow, and the game’s plot isn’t exactly exploring new ground; however, SteamWorld Heist offers the most cohesive narrative of any SteamWorld release.
As Piper, a Steambot scavenger who happened to be in the wrong place at the wrong time, players lead a small band of steam-powered automatons on an adventure that stretches from the edges of explored space to the core of the game’s fictitious galaxy. Players travel from one location to the next, battling a variety of robotic adversaries while simultaneously scouring each new ship for loot. And an escalating series of alarms, which activate turrets and increase the flow of new enemies, give players a reason not to dawdle in each environment. It is, after all, a heist game.
Before each heist, players choose which member(s) of their crew to lead into battle. The maximum team size changes from mission to mission, based on what is waiting for Piper & Co. behind each airlock. A handful of challenge scenarios can also be unlocked over the course of the campaign. Characters take equal cuts of the experience gained in each mission; however, XP earned by fallen Steambots simply disappears. In the event of a team wipe, the layouts of each encounter don’t seem to change much, if at all, between attempts. But the item placement on each stage, from cover objects to loot, seems to change on repeat visits.
Unlike the game’s predecessors, which focused on individual heroes, Steamworld Heist introduces a visually diverse (if mostly forgettable) cast of supporting characters, many of whom can be added to your crew. Steamworld Heist even includes rudimentary character progression mechanics, along with the basic inventory and equipment management you’d expect from any strategy game. Each character has skills that emphasize certain play styles, like improved damage when flanking or healing abilities.
Weapon proficiencies also vary from one member of your crew to the next. Some prefer handguns or scoped pistols while others prefer grenade launchers and RPGs. Nine tiers of weapons are available, including rare items with increased damage and special abilities. Bags of treasure, a.k.a. Swag, offer players new weapons, armor or other useful items. Some contain water, the currency in Steamworld Heist, which can be used to purchase additional gear from shops throughout the galaxy. Some even hold rare weapons. Most encounters also include at least one box of loot, called Epic Swag, which improves your star rating for the corresponding heist.
To find success in Steamworld Heist, players will also need to master the game’s surprisingly intuitive cover system, the backbone of the game’s turn-based gun fights. Each ship you encounter during the Steamworld Heist campaign is filled with objects that can be used as cover from incoming gunfire. But some items offer decidedly better protection than others. A variety of crates and barrels can be used for cover, sometimes with explosive consequences, along with shields that automatically snap into place when a unit (friend or foe) is standing nearby. Some can even be used as traps, coating the ground in a flammable substance that can be ignited with a single shot. The game also includes health meters for objects, making it easy to know whether you have any chance of punching through an enemy’s cover.
In some ways, Steamworld Heist feels like a distant relative of Invisible, Inc.; the corporate subterfuge-focused tactical strategy game published by Klei Entertainment earlier this year. While there are some obvious design differences, like the 2D action in Steamworld Heist, both games offer players high-risk, high-reward scenarios that will ultimately bring fortune (or disaster) for the crew. Players will frequently finish the required objectives for a heist before they’ve collected all of the loot from the targeted ship. At which point you’re left with a decision: Do you make a beeline for the escape pod and appreciate what you’ve already taken or do you dive deeper into the ship and steal everything?
Fortunately, for those turned off by the permadeath aspect of Invisible, Inc., Steamworld Heist doesn’t make you start the campaign from scratch if/when your team is defeated. Wiping isn’t cheap, bringing with it a relatively hefty fee – which seems to be about 20-30 percent of your current funds -- for revival. To make matters worse, there don’t seem to be any items or abilities that revive fallen teammates in the heat of battle. So players must tread carefully when in enemy territory.
The game does have some rough edges. Tangible character progression is always appreciated in these sorts of strategy games, which feel as much like an RPG as a tactical combat experience, but the basic mechanics implemented in Steamworld Heist leave quite a bit to be desired. Players have no control over the abilities unlocked by Piper, or her crew, and weapon progression is mostly limited to a slight increase in base and critical hit damage at each tier. A few weapons have other abilities, like double-firing scoped pistols, but those only seem to appear on rare drops. The story driving the Steamworld Heist campaign probably isn’t going to win any awards, either; nor is it particularly gripping.
That said, Steamworld Heist won me over because it’s fun as hell. Unlike many tactical strategy games, which require a significant time investment for any/every play session, the average Steamworld Heist encounter can be finished in 10-15 minutes. Being able to shoot off and collect enemies’ hats offered an extra source of amusement during easier heists. Watching a bullet ricochet around the cabin of a scrapper’s ship, ultimately coming to rest in the frame of an enemy turret or fight, never got old. And frequent changes of scenery help keep Steamworld Heist engaging during longer sessions.
If you’re a fan of tactical strategy games, and looking for something new to play on your 3DS, take a chance on Steamworld Heist. It may not be the most complex entry in the genre but Steamworld Heist is perfect for those who need their tactical strategy fix on-the-go.
