The narrative strikes a balance of light-hearted moments with serious themes. The playful banter among crew members and the quirky nature of the Steambots add humour, while the water crisis threat and personal struggles of the characters provide depth. Each character is well-crafted, with distinct backstories that enrich the journey.

Captain Quincy Leeway is the heart of the narrative. Quincy is a compassionate leader but also grapples with the pressure of living up to his legendary mother’s reputation. This internal conflict adds a relatable and humanising dimension to his character, improving an otherwise fairly straightforward story. The supporting cast, including the inexperienced yet enthusiastic Daisy Clutch and the explosive expert Wesley Hotchkiss obsessed with dying an honourable death, add to the variety of the crew dynamics and personalities.

Still, the story can feel second to gameplay. While individual missions are exciting, they don’t always connect to the overarching plot. This makes the main storyline feel like it’s advancing in fits and starts. Additionally, some side missions and character interactions, though charming, are just distractions rather than key to the main narrative.

SteamWorld Heist 2 includes a difficulty system that can be tailored. The story, easy, medium and harder tiers are available to switch between at any point and allow customising using sliding bars. While the game is impressively challenging on those harder difficulties, tuning down the tactical combat while maintaining other difficulties can help build personal enjoyment. It’s an inclusive feature with no consequence and improves the accessibility of the tactics genre which can be intimidating sometimes.

After missions, players must manage their crew’s energy and health. Resting at bars allows crew members to recover, repair, and prepare for future missions. This requires smart thinking about travelling far into the overworld and what missions are attempted each day. Be wary of delving too far into unknown areas with collected bounties and reputation or you may not make it back to the bar in one piece.

Bars scattered throughout the game world serve as hubs for upgrading gear, recruiting new crew members, and learning more about the world and characters. Each bar offers a unique selection of items and services, making them essential stops. Players can buy new weapons, utility items, and submarine equipment, each of which can significantly impact their performance in missions and combat encounters.

The series is renowned for its free-aiming mechanic. Players must manually aim shots with precise targeting. This mechanic is both challenging and rewarding, requiring consideration of angles and trajectories for ricochetting bullets. It also removes any failure due to an opportunity chance like in other tactics games such as XCOM xc– success relies purely on aim. Levels feel designed more than ever to set up complex shots that can hit multiple enemies or reach otherwise inaccessible targets. Those who love physics puzzles like these are going to find plenty of satisfaction in bouncing bullets and grenades off surfaces in creative ways.

Each crew member can be customised with different weapons, equipment, and abilities. The job system allows characters to specialise in various roles, such as snipers, melee fighters, or explosive experts. With over 150 guns, utility items, and ship equipment, an array of options to tailor are available for preferred playstyles. This variety ensures each mission can be approached in multiple ways.

Upgrading the submarine is a key to progress in SteamWorld Heist 2. As players collect fragments and other resources, they can invest in improvements that enhance the submarine’s defences, weaponry, and overall performance. These upgrades are vital for surviving the increasingly difficult naval battles and exploring new areas of the Great Sea. The ship can be equipped with various weapons and modules, allowing players to tailor their vessel to their preferred combat style.

Each character is visually unique, reflecting their personalities and roles. For example, Captain Leeway’s confident stance and detailed attire highlight his charismatic nature, while Daisy Clutch’s lively animations and bright colours capture her youthful excitement. The animations are smooth and fluid, making combat fun to watch. Actions like aiming, shooting, and special abilities convey a sense of weight and impact, particularly during critical hits and explosive attacks.

Featuring songs by the band Steam Powered Giraffe, the soundtrack is catchy, memorable, and thematically appropriate, blending steampunk and nautical elements. The music changes to match gameplay intensity, becoming more energetic during combat and more subdued during exploration or downtime, developing an engaging atmosphere to be a part of.

Combat sound effects are crisp and impactful, with well-crafted gunshots, explosions, and ricochets providing clear audio feedback. The sound of a successful ricochet or critical hit is particularly satisfying, all adding to the style of this excellent sequel.