SteamWorld Dig, Celeste, and Yakuza 4
12/30/2025
This is part two of my post where I talk about the games I have played as we approached the end of the year. I talked about three games last time, and I have another three now — this time including Yakuza 4. The Yakuza series is a big one for me, so I am excited to talk about Yakuza 4 and the series as a whole. It is kinda fun to talk about games in this way, it makes me feel like I'm not just mindlessly consuming media that is slowly rotting my brain. I'm thinking of making a page where I talk about movies, albums, books, and games that have resonated with me. I'm not gonna review anything critically, it would just be things that I like and why I like it.
First though, I want to talk about SteamWorld Dig
I'm sure we've all played a flash game where you mine for resources, which you use to buy upgrades, so that you can mine a little further in the next run. SteamWorld Dig is a very good but basic take on that gameplay loop. You play as Rusty, a robot who came to this small mining town, Tumbleton, after his father passed away in a tragic accident. As you get further and further down in the mine, you uncover more about what happened to Rusty's father and the secrets that were being kept below the town. The gameplay is pretty simple, especially at the beginning. You start with a pickaxe and a limited amount of health and light. It is slow going at first, but over time you unlock different items, mining tools, and abilities. You'll be able to stay down there longer, mine tougher rocks, and traverse the map faster. It's easy to accidentally make an ore inaccessible when mining, so mining does require some forethought and planning. It's also fun to plan a network of tunnels that'll quickly take you back to the surface without interruptions. One area I didn't really like too much was the combat. There are enemies in the mines, but there are only a couple different types of enemies and they aren't super fun to fight. I ended up avoiding most enemies or using dynamite to kill the bigger guys I couldn't avoid. Still, I think this is a great game if you're looking for a quick and casual "flash game-esque" experience. I played this game for 6 hours.
Secondly, I want to talk a little about Celeste.
Celeste is a game I've started a couple times before I finally beat it this last go around. "Beat" meaning I finished the story, not that I finished the harder optional levels at the end. I might go back and finish those levels one day, but not anytime soon. Celeste is a 2D platformer, and it's probably one of the most well known indie-platformers to have come out in the past decade. It's known for its challenging difficulty, charming music and pixel art, and a heartfelt story which has deeply resonated with so many people. I had a fun time playing Celeste. It's not my favorite game, or nowhere near, but I can see why it might be for some people. The game is very difficult, but it isn't punishing. When you fail a stage, you are placed right at the beginning and can try it again without any penalty. There isn't a checkpoint system or a risk that you'll lose your progress if you die. This makes the game very accessible to people who don't normally like playing difficult platformers, and kinda ties into the whole "climbing a mountain/overcoming challenges" motif that lays at the center of the narrative. Other than that, the game feels very smooth to play and is extremely responsive. The story is a little shorter than I thought it'd be, but I can't complain about the game length when I haven't played all the optional levels. I'm not sure how long I played this one for, but it had to be around 5-6 hours.
Finally, I'd like to talk about Yakuza 4.
I love the Yakuza series. I think I first played Yakuza 0 in 2022, after getting it in a humble monthly choice and letting it sit in my Steam library for a couple of years. I'm not gonna lie, the first time I played Yakuza 0, I kinda bounced off it. You start the game and you're thrown into this complicated gang war involving a plot of land and multiple Yakuza families. There is so much exposition at the beginning that it initially feels like you're playing a visual novel. If you stick with it though, the game really opens up. There is so much to do in that game. The story is suspenseful, the cast of characters are all memorable and likeable, there are a variety of fighting styles that you can use as Kiryu, and there are tons of mini-games/business management games that you can either totally ignore or spend dozens of hours playing. Some people have mixed opinions on Yakuza 4, and especially Yakuza 3, but in my opinion all Yakuza games are at least good, if not very good. Yakuza 4 is no exception to this. For the first time in the series, you play as 4 protagonists, which was interesting. I loved seeing how the different stories intertwined and I loved the dynamic between the four main characters, which is very much like a bro-y "we're all tough guys here" thing, but in a Japanese Yakuza way. I love almost everything about these games, they're such a joy to play. I love the contrast betwen the serious and dramatic main plot and the often ridiculous side missions. I love being in the city of Kamurocho, where most of these games take place. It feels almost familiar at this point. I loved my time with Yakuza 4 and I'm looking forward to playing the next one!