Reviews Featuring ‘SteamWorld Heist II’, Plus the Latest Releases and Sales – TouchArcade

Hello gentle readers, and welcome to the SwitchArcade Round-Up for August 19th, 2024. It’s the beginning of a new week, and we’re doing our usual Monday thing with a couple of reviews for you to enjoy. I’ve got my thoughts on SteamWorld Heist II and… one second, I need to take a sip of water first… That Time I Got Reincarnated as a Slime Isekai Chronicles. After that, there’s a new release to have a quick gander at, and then the lists of new and expiring sales for the day. Let’s get to today’s business!

Reviews & Mini-Views

SteamWorld Heist II ($29.99)

I’m in a weird zone with the SteamWorld series, I think. I initially missed the DSi Tower Defense game and when I went back to it I found it a bit too intense to enjoy. I loved SteamWorld Dig, and the original SteamWorld Heist was right up my alley. SteamWorld Dig 2 was a big step up from the first game in many ways, but I somehow liked it a little less. SteamWorld Quest was interesting, but didn’t quite come together for me. And SteamWorld Build was a decent game, but the Switch just wasn’t up to running it the way it needed. I think all of these games are of good quality, with a lot of polish and plenty of care put into the designs. But I will admit that the shine has come off of SteamWorld for me to an extent.

So here we are with SteamWorld Heist II, which is the second time the developers have revisited a concept within the series. SteamWorld Dig 2 took a relatively simple game and built something far bigger from it, but SteamWorld Heist was already plenty big. And so instead of reinventing the wheel, what Thunderful has done here is to give us a new adventure with slightly refined mechanics and a few new twists. The ocean exploration is the biggest new feature, and it’s fine. A nice break from the turn-based combat, if nothing else. You also get a very in-depth job system, which is very satisfying to tinker with. With that said, all of this is no revolution by any means. I don’t see much space for someone to be blown away moving from the first game to the second as we saw with Dig. On the other hand, that means those who enjoyed what the first game offered can safely dive into this one.

One of the big differences with this game comes via its theme, which sees you sailing the high seas battling Dieselbots instead of rocketing through space. Part of the fun of the SteamWorld series has been seeing how the setting gets fleshed out with each installment, and you’ll certainly get some of that here. The humor and writing is as good as ever, giving these ‘bots plenty of charm whether they’re on your team or an enemy you’re going to blast away and never see again. Hats? Yes, you can still shoot off hats and collect them. The side-view turn-based tactical RPG gameplay remains engaging, with the desire to find that perfect shot driving every turn.

SteamWorld Heist II isn’t as novel as the first game, and it more or less keeps to what worked before. It can be a little difficult at times, and you’ll always have to be vigilant for gimmicks because some battles are fond of them. The job system is a treat for people who enjoy searching for broken combos, and the overworld exploration breaks up the action while helping to better establish the setting. If you enjoyed SteamWorld Heist and are ready for more of that gameplay, plus some more of that enjoyable SteamWorld lore, you’ll get what you’re looking for with this one.

SwitchArcade Score: 4/5

That Time I Got Reincarnated as a Slime Isekai Chronicles ($49.99)

I really am not sure what to do with this one. I’m somewhat familiar with That Time I Got Reincarnated as a Slime, at least in its manga form. I dropped off after a while because it was getting a little boring for me, but I stuck around long enough to know the premise and most of the main cast. So, familiar but perhaps not a fan. I don’t dislike it, mind you. I suppose the one thing I can say without doubt about this game is that it doesn’t run as well on the Switch as I’d like. There are some framerate shenanigans going on at times, and with how relatively simple this game looks that really shouldn’t be happening.

Alright, let me lay out what you’ve got here. This game retells the story of the series from the start up to the battle against Falmuth, though it speeds through the early stuff. A couple of new game-specific stories have been added, and thankfully they are from the hand of the original author. The gameplay is broken into three styles. There are visual novel-style scenes, sometimes with some animation mixed in. Then, side-scrolling action. You get some basic combos and dodge/counter mechanics here. Nothing fancy, but it’s fun enough. Finally, a very basic city builder. You have to build up the Jura Tempest Federation, after all. It gives you an excuse to grind for materials, basically.

And that grind is the key. The gameplay mechanics are a bit too thin to carry things here, and the battles get repetitive in a hurry. Nevertheless, you’ll have to engage in a lot of them. There are sub-quests to complete that can add a little extra spice, but you’ll fall into a loop very early on that never changes much. The fuel that keeps you going is the story, but if you’re familiar with this property you’ll already know most of it. You never really get the sense that you’re playing these stories, thanks to how limited the gameplay is. If you’re not a fan of the series, this is one way to get caught up to a certain point. I think it might be the worst way to digest this story for a first-timer, mind you. Well, this is a common problem with this kind of thing. I think in general, fans will enjoy it. Maybe that’s good enough.

That Time I Got Reincarnated as a Slime Isekai Chronicles is probably best enjoyed by those who love the property, but even they’ll find it a somewhat meager meal. The two new stories are interesting, and for a while it’s fun to see these characters in action and build up the Federation. Unfortunately, the gameplay itself never really expands out the way it needs to, so unless you’re in the mood for a whole lot of repetition you might find yourself getting bored fast.

SwitchArcade Score: 3/5

Select New Releases

Rack and Slay ($5.99)

A roguelite dungeon crawler? Boring! Wait a minute… wait a dog-gone minute! Is that hero a… billiard ball?! Well that’s a horse of a completely different color! So yes, this is a game where you’re launching your ball hero at ball enemies to knock them into ball pockets. There are plenty of items to find, and a surprising number of modes to enjoy. A cute idea that works out fairly well in practice.

Sales

(North American eShop, US Prices)

That outbox is very tiny. I like Super Lucky’s Tale a lot even now, though admittedly having an indie 3D platformer isn’t the novelty it once was. As for the new sales, nothing in the list is really speaking to me much. Not that there aren’t good games in there. Gynoug is a good shooter, Superhot is really fun, and Door Kickers has its charms. But all of these are on sale often, so it’s hard to drum up much excitement. Check the lists, do what you must.

Select New Sales

CounterAttack: Uprising ($4.49 from $14.99 until 8/23)
Gunman Tales ($2.09 from $6.99 until 8/29)
Within the Blade ($3.29 from $10.99 until 8/29)
Gynoug ($3.49 from $6.99 until 8/29)
Remote Life ($9.49 from $18.99 until 8/29)
Vera Blanc: Supernatural Mysteries ($5.59 from $7.99 until 8/29)
Cyber Citizen Shockman ($4.19 from $5.99 until 8/29)
Gematombe ($4.49 from $14.99 until 8/29)
Another Crab’s Treasure ($23.99 from $29.99 until 8/31)
Neodori Forever ($1.99 from $4.99 until 9/3)
Blade of Darkness ($2.75 from $14.99 until 9/3)
Door Kickers ($1.99 from $11.99 until 9/3)
What the Fork ($4.49 from $17.99 until 9/6)
Superhot ($9.99 from $24.99 until 9/7)
Dead in Vinland: True Viking ($2.79 from $27.99 until 9/7)
Tchia: Oleti Edition ($23.44 from $34.99 until 9/8)
Dormitory Love ($24.49 from $34.99 until 9/8)
Dying Light: Definitive Edition ($9.99 from $49.99 until 9/8)

Sales Ending Tomorrow, August 20th

New Super Lucky’s Tale ($7.49 from $29.99 until 8/20)
Road to Valhalla ($3.99 from $7.99 until 8/20)

That’s all for today, friends. We’ll be back tomorrow with more new games, more sales, perhaps some reviews, and maybe even some news. I have to visit the doctor again and prepare for a family event in the evening, but we’ll get something together. I hope you all have a marvelous Monday, and as always, thanks for reading!