SteamWorld Heist 2 is out now for PC, PS4, PS5, Switch, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X and it may just become your new strategy obsession if you aren't careful. The seventh installment to the SteamWorld series landed on August 8, bringing with it the sort of turn-based tactical combat that engages the brain and eats through spare time. Whether you're a veteran of the franchise or a new player just looking to break into the genre, as we noted in our SteamWorld Heist 2 review, there's plenty here for everybody to enjoy. So keep on reading for five reasons why you should play SteamWorld Heist 2 today, or you'll run the risk of your friends finding it first and talking your ear off about it for the rest of the year.
Play anywhere
When SteamWorld Heist made its debut in 2015 – a surprise sequel to exceptionally popular SteamWorld Dig – it landed on Nintendo 3DS, before eventually migrating to iOS, PC, PS4, PS5, and Nintendo Switch. For the 2024 follow up, Thunderful Development has gone all-in on modern platforms right from the get go. That means SteamWorld Heist 2 has been specifically designed to deliver awesome turn-based tactics no matter where you like to play – PC, PS4, PS5, Switch, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X. This marks a stark change from the way previous SteamWorld games have been positioned, but ultimately works to broaden the appeal of the series.
Turn-based thrills
SteamWorld Heist 2 is designed to bring brand new players into the turn-based tactical carnage. Thunderful Development has made that clear from even a cursory glance at the game in action, with the setting shifting from outer space to the great sea. The new setting acts as a grounding for expanded play, where you must assemble a ragtag crew of Steam Bots, venture out across an overworld in search of sources of rusty corruption, and then battle smartly against robotic threats to minimize damage to the surrounding ecosystem. If you played the first game you'll feel right at home, but if this is your first time with a SteamWorld title you shouldn't expect to encounter any friction.
Think tactically
One reason the original SteamWorld Heist curated such a passionate audience is because of the ways in which it positioned its tactical shootouts – tasking you with manually aiming the guns of your crew, pulling off complex bullet-bouncing skill shots to take down any aggressors. SteamWorld Heist 2 builds on this framework, expanding the scope of the handcrafted maps and increasing the smarts you'll need to connect projectiles with an intended target. SteamWorld Heist 2 is all about gaining mastery over ricochets, and outfitting your crew with the right weapons, abilities, equipment, and outfits to get the job done without suffering massive losses.
Get creative
Planning strategic shots in fast-paced Steambot combat isn't the only thing you need worry about in SteamWorld Heist 2. Thunderful Development has widely expanded the scope of play, introducing a robust jobs system – allowing for increased specialization with your favorite crew members – and the opportunity to engage in real-time naval combat between core turn-based missions, a palette cleanser while you reset your brain after all that careful planning and execution. SteamWorld Heist 2 features a wider world to explore, with plenty of opportunities to forge new alliances with your crew, sit back and relax to the delightful soundtrack, or upgrade your gear for the missions ahead.
Take in the sights
More than anything else, SteamWorld Heist 2 is a pretty chill strategy game. There's enough depth hidden away here that genre experts will certainly be able to sink scores of hours into gaining mastery, but if this is your first time playing a turn-based tactics experience (let alone your first time with one of the SteamWorld games) then you can expect Thuderful to guide you gently into the mix. With an exceptionally smart, environmentally-focused combat system that lets you battle across increasingly complex maze-like levels to a robust character customization system which allows for a surprising amount of flexibility, SteamWorld Heist 2 has proven itself to be a strategy game that can grasp ahold of your attention with ease.
