Steamworld Heist 2's launch trailer showcases folksy tunes, geometric gunplay, and a string of accolades

Steamworld Heist 2 has a new launch trailer, and it's all the seafarin', bullet-bouncin' steampunk you could hope for. Debuting as part of the Future Games Show at Gamescom Presented by Sid Meier’s Civilization® VII, Thunderful's latest entry in the beloved Steamworld franchise is takes us out of the more traditional dusty mesas and Wild West-flavoured carnage, in exchange for a salty pirates' odyssey.

• Play Steamworld Heist 2 on Steam now

Still, it doesn't seem as though the essence of the first Steamworld Heist has gone anywhere. The previous game was characterised by the thrill of breaking into enemy spaceships and effectively playing a game of billiards with bullets. You'd use ricochets and complex trajectories to bounce your shots around corners to hit enemies, then escaping with armfuls of loot at the end.

That very much seems to still be the case in Steamworld Heist 2, as we see all kinds of complex angles being played - though all these equations will of course end with a steampunk robot getting turned into so much scrap metal. But this time it's taking place on the high seas, with a watercraft that the players seem able to modify, upgrade, and directly control.

And by all accounts, people are enjoying it! The launch trailer is darn-near choked with accolades and positive review scores, meaning that now the game is playable, folks can leap into the fresh waters themselves and feel pretty assured of a good time - which might be why the trailer ends with a little showcasing of the Steamworld franchise's back catalogue. If you end up enjoying Heist 2, there's plenty of other entries to go back and try.

Steamworld Heist 2 is available now on PS5, Xbox Series X/S, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch, Steam and GOG, and you can follow the game on X on their official account, @SteamWorldGames. 

If you’re looking for more excellent games from today's Future Games Show, have a look at our official Steam page.