Dig! Review

A lot like arcade classic, Qix, but prettier, Dig! is a fun if pretty challenging title.

Players control Douglas Chase, a struggling archaeologist, who must dig up various artefacts in order to help his local museum grow and save his job. Using a series of taps and swipes, it's possible to direct Douglas around each dig site, in order to pick out the relevant pieces of treasure. It sounds simple enough but, of course, there are obstacles to escape: Nigel the Mummy and some rather aggressive moles. These enemies prove rather difficult to avoid at times so it's fortunate that Douglas has the power of the hat to save him. Yes, the hat.

Throughout the game, it's possible to acquire new and improved hats that boost his skills in some way, giving Douglas a better chance of survival. Given he has to hang around on each dig site clearing 75% of the level, in order to progress, it's handy he has some kind of help. There are holograms and other decoys to buy, as well as the all too attractive selection of hats.

Coins are gained through completing stages, but they can also be bought with in-app purchases. It's a structure that fortunately doesn't require real money but can help those struggling. Given that one hit can knock Douglas out, it's immensely useful to have some defensive capabilities. More challenging of all, is the checkpointing system that means players have to survive a few levels before their progress is saved for next time. It's all quite old-school in its approach.

With such attractive presentation and a sense of purpose and progression, courtesy of unlocking new museum exhibits at regular moments within the game, Dig! certainly has charm. Re-using a familiar proposition seems a little cheeky priced at $2.99 rather than a lower asking price, but there's enough polish here to make it tempting. Don't forget though, arcade games were a lot harder back then and Dig! isn't ashamed to echo that.