Steamworld Heist
This strange genre mash-up about space pirate robots is tons of fun
$19.99 Developer Image & Form, imageform.se Requirements OS X 10.7 or newer, 2GHz processor, 1GB RAM, Intel HD 4600 or better with at least 512MB video memory, 320MB storage
On paper, Steamworld Heist sounds messy. The offspring of shooter and strategy with a bit of turn-based action thrown in, it stars a ragtag crew of steam-powered robot pirates.
In space. Despite the mishmash of genres and character archetypes, Steamworld Heist is a
surprisingly cohesive experience. Piper Faraday, leader of the bots, is trying to make a living in Royalist-controlled space, smuggling across the galaxy and avoiding bully Scrappers. The story is less compelling than the action, so suffice it to say there are a lot of robots fighting oppressive forces. It starts with a crew of three, but more robots can be recruited throughout, and each one brings his or her own abilities to the table.
Most levels are randomly generated each time you play, which is a bonus when replaying for extra experience or reputation. Even though you’ll eventually have a varied crew, you can only take a certain number of them to each level – so if you have four favorites and a mission that only allows three, you’ve got a tough decision. Levels can be replayed to get reputation stars you may have missed, level up crew members, and grab more swag. Inventory management is part of the process, so you’ll spend time choosing what to sell and buying extra slots.
Strategy and gunplay blend beautifully in Steamworld Heist. Despite the 2D world – full of sharp, pretty artwork – characters move a set number of spaces per turn. Aiming is manual, though, and the types of weapons equipped play into it – laser guided weapons make it easy to pull off ricochet trick shots, but you need to be careful of firing grenades near teammates. This concept is enhanced by increasing difficulty and varied objectives, leading to that “just one more” feeling that makes it hard to quit. In between missions, you scope out space bars to stock up on supplies – and listen to the fantastic original score at its best.
Despite the randomization, repeating levels can get a tad redundant, and on higher difficulty settings you’ll find your team levels up a little slowly, but it’s still a blast. System requirements for Steamworld Heist are minimal, and it ran smoothly, without a graphical hitch or stutter.
the bottom line. This indie charmer is a pleasant surprise and one well worth playing.