Image & Form saw massive success on the Nintendo 3DS and Wii U (as well as other platforms) with their breakout hit SteamWorld Dig, so it was a great surprise when the developers revealed SteamWorld Dig 2 for Nintendo Switch. Destructoid got to sit down with a handful of the team to discuss the upcoming game, which revealed some surprising insights into what to expect with this sequel.
First up, Image & Form were a bit cheeky with the reveal of SteamWorld Dig 2, instead announcing an upcoming game called SteamWorld Quest. That turned out to be a red herring and instead, the team announced the sequel to their first hit game. When asked why, this is what Marco Podda said:
“This was the game [Dig 2] that everyone wanted to work on. The original means so much to us, and there is so much we still wanted to do with it that we didn’t have the chance to before.”
What’s interesting is that the developers appear to be going for a hand-crafted approach to the levels for SteamWorld Dig 2, so that it’s more a proper Metroidvania title with actual progression. That doesn’t mean that they’ll be abandoning some of the things that made the first game so popular, though.
“None of the levels in Dig 2 rely on procedural generation, though there may be some other elements of the game that do…”
It seems like procedural generation will still play a part in the game in some aspect, but the core gameplay will be much more focused on a hand-crafted experience that players who enjoy Metroid-style platformers will really enjoy.
There’s no solid release date for SteamWorld Dig 2, but it’s expected to land on Nintendo Switch this summer.