Despite a few flaws, we really enjoyed the original I Dig It and saw huge potential in that creative, craftily designed game. The developers clearly saw the same flaws and potential, and for the sequel have upgraded the gameplay with the equivalent of a titanium hull, liquid nitrogen cooling system, and diamond-tipped drill bit.
In I Dig It Expeditions, you guide a tunneling machine called a digger through three huge environments, set in Antarctica, South America, and the Indian Ocean. These new locations offer much more variety than the North American farmland seen in the first game. The Ocean level, for example, has you using up oxygen (which is free and plentiful at the surface and in special underground air pockets) instead of fuel, and the South American level introduces giant ants as enemies that can rip up your ship's hull.
Borrow the font from Indiana Jones!
In each stage, you can dig your own path, often guided gently by the game towards quest items like pieces of a pirate flag, Azetec pottery, and other unique treasures. Optionally, you can also haul up gems, minerals, artifacts, and strangely exciting objects like alien skulls and UFOs. Each item pays out cash when you bring it to the surface, and you can then upgrade your digger to go deeper and further than before.
The number one reason to buy this game is for the incredible value you'll get. While each mission plays similarly, there are three big expeditions lasting two to three hours each, plus a variety of side challenges. Overall, this game can last you around 10-15 hours, which is a huge amount of content for an iPhone game.
That will look great on the coffee table.
Several minor updates also streamline the gameplay experience, making this a much more accessible game than the first. A sonar map is a button press away, meaning it's much harder to get lost in your own tunnels. You can also quicksave every time you surface, and turning the phone off or receiving a call mid-mission will let you resume in the exact same spot you left off. The game also introduces consumables like dynamite for solving puzzles, and spare fuel to get you out of a tight spot.
We were extremely impressed with I Dig It Expeditions. Whether you're gassing monster ants or riding an underwater current, the game regularly throws in new twists on an already enjoyable formula. It's a lengthy experience, absorbing and addicting, making Expeditions less of a game for the bus ride and more for an afternoon or two. Without hesitation, we say buy this game.
5 Comments
is it the same as the original one in that you can just mindlessly strip-mine your way to victory, and several upgrades become pointless. And finally, miles before you win you have bought all possible upgrades? sorry to be a cynic but the original had absolutely awful play balance issues. I wonder if they actually tested it to see if it was still fun (a challenge) after 30 minutes.
I guess you could strip-mine your way to victory, I think that is kind of the entire point of the game. Quest items that you have to find to unlock certain upgrades help the progression a lot. Still this is a much easier (more accessible) game than the first because of the map and quicksaves.
This one is totally different in that aspect. The campaigns have specific missions throughout with a new objective system. Upgrades are usually capped out at first until you progress to certain points in the game. Also strip mining is much harder because the missions actually have real structure to them rather than being entirely randomized. The diggins are still random though. Overall this is a vast improvement over the original and definitely worth a try.
This is a fantastic game, I really enjoy the feeling of progression when I earn another upgrade.
Also, the new twists such as pressure and oxygen really add another dimension to the gameplay.
The graphics are fantastic, and the controls are much improved from I dig it, the first version.
I really enjoy this game and loved the original. It is a definite upgrade in the fact that you have specific objectives within each expedition. I'm actually to the point now though that I am getting a little frustrated at the current objective because I have gotten to a point that I can't figure out how to get to the object I'm looking for and have run out of ways to try. I haven't played it for a few days hoping to go back at it with a fresh start; maybe I will see something different. I wish there were some sort of clues when you have tried over and over without success. Has been really fun up until now; definitely would recommend it.
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