Video: We've Played SteamWorld Build - Is It Any Good?

I've found the "SteamWorld" series to be a pretty lacklustre example of just putting a coat of paint, in this case Steam Punk western, onto existing ideas and hoping that's enough to make it stand out. None of the games are "bad", but they don't really have the unique feel that a franchise should give. This looks par for the course.

Steamworld Heist was great and did have its own unique mechanics, but they seem more intent on bouncing around to different genres with every new game rather than refining previous games.

Glad to see them expanding... I received Dig essentially for free as part of a Humble Bundle... had no interest in it, but played it and it was so great that I bought Heist.

SteamWorld Heist was also a wonderful surprise... and Dig 2 was also obviously great.

Would like to see a Heist 2, but not sure what they could do better.

Love the SteamWorld series and I am a big fan of them switching genres so often. Most devs would get beat up for that so I am glad they can get away with it.

@HeroponRiki They don't really need to refine the previous genres, Dig 2, Heist and Quest were all brilliant games

Dig was one of my favorite discoveries on 3DS, and the city-building+dungeon crawling of this one seems right up my alley. Really looking forward to it.

@HeadPirate Not sure what's lacklustre about the series. They're fun and polished to a sheen with a neat aesthetic. Even if they aren't groundbreaking, they're really good and that's all they need to be.

@HeadPirate I'm assuming you meant 'Steamworld' series.

I strongly disagree with your statement. I found Quest to be average but Dig 2 and Heist are some of the best games available on Switch.

sry if i missed it in the video, but does the game maybe have mouse + keyboard support on switch (like hypnospace outlaw for example)? would be great^^

@HeroponRiki - Well, they have had a few interviews over the course of time stating they want to expand on the universe of SteamWorld over characters. Paraphrased, of course, but jumping different genres assists in doing this.

And in case some want to challenge that, here is a link to one of them before Dig 2's release;

https://sourcegaming.info/2017/08/30/straight-from-the-source-image-form-games-steamworld-dig-2/

Of course, he is discussing why Heist was a focus at the time, but likely this has been applied ever since. Of course, this may not be enough for some people out there, there is plenty of other interviews in the same timeframe from others on the team echoing the sentiment. Just... Not gunna spam them all here.

@Indielink

So you're saying they are great, but they are not brilliant, or exceptional. Just great games that have no special merit.

Humm ... if only there was a word for that ...

lackluster

(figuratively) Not exceptional; not worthy of special merit, attention, or interest.

@HeadPirate I think SteamWorld Heist is a brilliant game though, by far my favourite in the series. SteamWorld Dig and SteamWorld Dig 2 are great too.

@KoopaTheGamer @Jey887

Great to hear you've found some games you enjoy! I liked them too. Even Quest was fine, it just lacked the "legs" of most CCGs.

But the I still say the series is lackluster. Compare it, as an example, to "Holy potatoes". The "Holy Potatoes" games are not nearly as good, but they also clearly aren't an existing game or idea "painted" with a potatoes astatic. They build on a feel for the universe and it's inhabitants and with every genre jump they build it from the ground up to fit that potatoes world.

Heist was basically Firefly but robots. That doesn't make it bad, but I'm less excited about a new game knowing it's going to be something else I've played, only robots again.

@HeadPirate Since when are great games not worthy of attention? They stand out by being expertly crafted, even if the gameplay isn't wholly original.

@Indielink

Look I'm really sorry you have decided the word I used means something different then it actually means. I understand you want to be angry with my comment based on the meaning you have assigned to that word! But sadly, I just can't oblige you, given what I said means something completely different.

Maybe go read some other comment sections for something worth being upset about?

@HeadPirate I haven't played anything quite like SteamWorld Heist. I suppose Codename S.T.E.A.M is pretty similar, and as an interesting coincidence, launched only a month before SteamWorld Heist.

I do think that the combination of X-Com style strategy and free aiming (with the mechanic of ricocheting bullets) is quite unique. Especially when combined with the side scrolling perspective which is not too popular in strategy games.

Of course, you don't need to like something (or find it unique) even if I do, that's completely fine. But might as well give SteamWorld Build a chance, considering there's a demo available.

@HeadPirate I used your definition. "Not worthy of attention or interest." I'm not angry or upset, I simply asked you how a very well made game isn't generally worthy of interest.

@HeadPirate I agree. I personally can't imagine anyone seeing this and going "Aaah the Steamworld universe! My favorite universe that i definitely have a clear picture of!" - i liked Dig 2, but i can't imagine perceiving the franchise as a universe that is characteristic and adds a unique flavor to the games. But that's just me. Other people loooove all their games and of course i can see that making the universe much more memorable to them, than it was to me.

I wonder if the game will have some sort of endless mode after dealing with the story. With these types of games I sometimes just want to see how far I can get before everything goes downhill and into chaos. lol

Very, very solid foundation for a great game mashing up two cult classics. Demo is extremely satisfying so I've got high hopes for the finished game.

@StefanN - To be fair, there is notable design choices for SteamWorld as a franchise to stand out, moreso than most Fire Emblem design choices.

Not knocking FE, but a good example of this is all the stages in Smash. None of them stand out as "Fire Emblem world" when in stark contrast of series like Kirby and especially Mario.

SteamWorld, in that regard, has something. It just needs to find that hook. Which I am willing to bet they will eventually find.

Very disappointed by this reveal! Was hoping for something different. Enjoy if it is your cup of tea though.

@Patendo What were you hoping for?

@jsty3105 not a building/sim game, its not my thing. I loved digs, heist and HoG. Love how they change it up but not a version for me this time lol

damn, not into sim type games at all.. i will keep an eye on this though as this studio is top tier. everything else they have done has been incredible imho. I love this studio!!

Steamworld Dig 3 please

@Patendo
May as well give the demo a try. It’s free and image and form always manage to surprise me with just how good their stuff is

The mining part just reminds me of Dungeon Keeper

@JohnnyMind - The structures in the background are also remiscent to multiple Castlevania games.

But, your comment it still, ultimately, true. Almost every game that aims for realism tends to blur reckognizability into forgetable.

Gears of War, Devil May Cry, God of War, even some Zeldas struggle as Nintendo explored different styles. But I wouldn't say Fire Emblem has had realism in mind. I think it's more a problem that focuses character art as opposed to world building.

I was using this as an example that SteamWorld has a thematic notability on its side, which can be a reason its brand grows ever more popular regardless the genre. They just need that "one."

@JohnnyMind - I understood, but there are exceptions to that.

Such as Warcraft, for example. The game itself is cartoony, but many of their cinematics feature architecture that is iconic to the series.

It's doable, but it is a pretty big challenge. Which cartoon styles have over realism any day.