Terraria or SteamWorld Dig?

[idillicah]

Hello!

So, mining is upon us (thanks Minecraft!), but without the downsides (like clogged up lungs), of real mining.

With Minecraft set to release in August on the Vita (I'm the one person in the planet who hasn't played it yet), I was wondering what to get that's sort-of in the same vein.

Terraria was $15 on the Vita, while under $7 on the Google Play Store (yay for equality!), so I was on the fence about it, despite the raving reviews.

Enter PS+ and lo-and-behold, Terraria was free.



So I went in expecting indie gaming perfection, specially after liking the demo quite a bit. Sadly, the game didn't live up to my expectations. I got bored of it within a couple of hours, mainly due to the lack of direction from the game.

I like free-roaming as much as the other guy, as well as exploration, but the exploration aspect of Terraria didn't seem good enough to keep me on my toes, and the crafting felt like... "mbeh".

I was sorely disappointed (not necessarily in the game), but quite happy that I didn't pay the over-the-odds price for it.

Now...

SteamWorld Dig: similar digging mechanics, but apparently different gameplay? A lot of people are saying it reminds them of Metroid (which I never played.. I got a Sega Mega Drive instead of a SNES.. yeah, I was the ONE kid who did), and Dig Dug (didn't play it either).



So I don't really know where to go from here.

I like the idea of exploration, but it seems (from what I've seen), that SteamWorld has a bit more direction. Also, no crafting. In its place, there's an upgrade system (borrowed from RPGs?).

At the end of the day, though, there's no demo for it, so I'm appealing to this fantastic community.

Is SteamWorld Dig enough of a "directional" game with goals and "storyline" that it differs from Terraria? Or having not liked Terraria (which if you like, totally cool), should I stay away from SWD?

Thanks!

 

[jadkins89]

Steamworld dig does have a set of goals and a story is somewhat present. The goal is to dig towards the waypoints on your map so you can get equipment upgrades (derived from Metroid), and continue further through the mines. You collect gems and gold along the way so that you can upgrade the equipment you find even further. It's a fun game and the only thing it really has in common with Terraria is the 2D digging component.

The only issue I had with it is the length. It can be completed in less than 3 hours. Luckily, there are side caves and secrets to find that make it worth going back to. It's not expensive either (8 dollars I believe), so I'd say it's worth it.

Overall, it's not as addictive as Spelunky, and not as big as Terraria, but it's a fun digging-style adventure game to sink some time into.

 

[idillicah]

Hey!

Thanks for the response!

I actually own Spelunky (haven't played it yet), and didn't like Terraria, so this was the last within that trio that I needed.

As for the length, I'm OK with it being not-so-long (I really dug *wink wink* Limbo, for example). Plus, I was able to get it on sale on the 3DS, so $5 it was.

My motto is, as long as I can get at least an hour of gameplay per dollar spent, I'm good.

Thank you for your information. It swung me positively and I got it last night

 

[wolfehound22]

In love Steamworld Dig, and in fact have played through it 4 times. It can be beaten quickly, but on my first play through I took over 6, as i tried to get everything. My shortest play through is just over 2 hours.

If you want to see what it's all about check out Giantbomb, they did a quick look on it.

 

[idillicah]

Fantastic! Thank you for your input!

And yes, I've seen plenty of reviews, some walkthroughs, etc...

My main concern was whether the game was like Terraria (which I didn't like) or not.

Seeing as how it isn't, I bought it

 

[Big Head]

I gave Terraria a try at the free PS+ launch. Hated it. Went back to it tonight and I'm still wondering what the hell it is other than 'hold the right trigger and walk around'.

 

[idillicah]

I gave Terraria a try at the free PS+ launch. Hated it. Went back to it tonight and I'm still wondering what the hell it is other than 'hold the right trigger and walk around'.

Well, its focus is on crafting (it's been heralded as the 2D Minecraft). So, you build a bench, craft items there, build more crafting stations, rinse and repeat.

I've read that there are some markings of progress here and there, but after 2hs of playtime, I couldn't really say I encountered them.