reading modernism assignment

• Reviewing the New Fiction
• Looking Back . . .
• Who's Who?
• Style and Substance
• Reading Well
• The New Fiction Module Review
• Features First

Reading Modernism

Use the knowledge and skills you've gained during this module to complete this project.

The poet Ezra Pound uttered the rallying cry for the Modernist movement when he called upon writers to "Make it new!" In this module, you read and analyzed stories by 20th-century American writers who "made it new" in various ways. You also examined how these writers used new styles and themes to speak important truths about the challenges and changes of modern American life.

Suppose your town's public library system asks you to share your new knowledge of Modernist fiction. They are launching a Modern Fiction Book Club and inviting local teens and adults to meet online or at the library to discuss works of Modernist fiction like the stories you read for this module. The goal of the book club is to introduce readers to 20th-century American classics and to help them understand these works' role in shaping more contemporary American literature. Your assignment is to write a reader's guide for a 20th-century short story by a Modernist American author. The good news is that the library's program director is not picky about which author or work you choose as your focus. For the purpose of this assignment, though, you should select a story that you did not read for this module, although you may select one by one of the authors in the module.

Here's an example of the type of introduction and questions your reader's guide should include.

Reader's Guide for "The Black Ball" by Ralph Ellison

The main character of "The Black Ball" is a single father named John who works as a maintenance man at an apartment building, living in a small and shabby apartment over the garage. John's main concern is the well-being of his young son. He is careful to avoid offending the racist apartment building manager because John can't afford to lose his job. However, an unexpected visit from a stranger and a disturbing incident with the manager cause John to look more toward the future.

Sample Question: In the 1950s, discrimination against African Americans was a tragic fact of American life. By the end of the story, how does the narrator of "The Black Ball" decide to deal with the limits that racism imposes on him and his son?

You may select your story from the list below, or you may search online for other stories by the Modernist fiction writers you studied in this module: Ernest Hemingway, F. Scott Fitzgerald, Katherine Anne Porter, Carson McCullers, Ralph Ellison, Flannery O'Connor, or Shirley Jackson.

Regardless of the story you choose to introduce, your reader's guide should accomplish these objectives:

• It should focus on a short story written by a Modernist author.
• It should address an audience of contemporary teen and adult readers who will read the story.
• Its introduction should accurately describe the main character and setting and summarize the story's conflict without giving away the ending.
• It should include at least four questions, with each question introduced by 1 to 3 sentences that provide a historical or literary context for it.
• It should help readers recognize and understand the Modernist aspects of the author's style or themes.

As you work on your reader's guide, review the assignment requirements frequently so that you don't leave out any important elements. Study the steps below carefully—they are based on the objectives above and contain more information about each of the requirements of the project.

Your book club reader's guide will be evaluated according to the following rubric.

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The Routledge Encyclopedia of Modernism is developing a collection of teaching and learning materials, including assignments, bibliographies, reading lists, lesson plans, and more. Our goal is to curate dedicated database of resources developed by scholars working across the broad field of Modernist studies.

If you are interested in contributing please contact us here .

Teaching resources

Assignments

Reading assignment for Ernest Hemmingway’s in our time: the 1924 Text . Author: James Gifford. Editor: Lucie Kotesovska. Click to download.

Reading assignment for Mulk Raj Anand’s Untouchable. Author: James Gifford. Editor: Lucie Kotesovska. Click to download.

Reading assignment for Lawrence Durrell and George Orwell. Author: James Gifford. Editor: Lucie Kotesovska. Click to download.

Reading assignment for Lawrence Durrell’s Panic Spring: A Romance . Author: James Gifford. Editor: Lucie Kotesovska. Click to download.

Reading assignment for T.S. Eliot’s The Waste Land . Author: James Gifford. Editor: Lucie Kotesovska. Click to download.

Reading assignment for James Joyce’s A Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man . Author: James Gifford. Editor: Lucie Kotesovska. Click to download.

Reading assignment for George Orwell’s Nineteen Eighty-Four . Author: James Gifford. Editor: Lucie Kotesovska. Click to download.

Reading assignment for Periodicals and Films: BLAST, The Little Review, "Metropolis", “Modern Times”. Author: James Gifford. Click to download.

Reading assignment for Oscar Wilde’s The Picture of Dorian Gray .  Author: James Gifford. Editor: Lucie Kotesovska. Click to download.

Reading assignment for Virginia Woolf’s Jacob’s Room . Author: James Gifford. Editor: Lucie Kotesovska. Click to download.

Reading assignment for Introduction to Modernism, Modernity, & the Avant-Garde. Author: James Gifford. Editor: Lucie Kotesovska. Click to download. Reading assignment for Kate Chopin's The Awakening & The Southern Renaissance. Author: James Gifford. Editor: Lucie Kotesovska. Click to download . Reading assignment for F. Scott Fitzgerald's The Great Gatsby . Author: James Gifford. Editor: Lucie Kotesovska. Click to download . Reading assignment for Sigmund Freud's Civilization and its Discontents . Author: James Gifford. Editor: Lucie Kotesovska. Click to download . Reading assignment for The Harlem Renaissance: “Harlem,” “Yet do I Marvel,” & “Harlem Shadows.” Author: James Gifford. Editor: Lucie Kotesovska. Click to download . Reading assignment for Ernest Hemingway's The Sun Also Rises . Author: James Gifford. Editor: Lucie Kotesovska. Click to download . Reading assignment for Virginia Woolf's A Room of One’s Own . Author: James Gifford. Editor: Lucie Kotesovska. Click to download . A series of assignments on key film terms incorporating student use of the Routledge Encyclopedia of Modernism. Author: Aaron Tucker. Click to download . A flexible seminar exercise to reduce teacher talking time and encourage active student participation.Death of the Seminar Leader: Caleb Gattegno’s Silent Way in Small Group Teaching [ Handout ] Author: Gareth Mills. Click to download .  

Everything You Need to Teach Literary Modernism in High School English

• Instructional and Assessment Strategies , Reading Instruction

In my junior English class, we spend a lot of time focused on American literary periods. Literary modernism is one of the trickiest to define. In academic circles, there is great debate about what “modernism” even means. However, to keep that confusion out of the classroom, I focus on a few specific characteristics of modernism.

To guide our study of American literary modernism, we focus on a few key questions:

• What is the historical setting of the text?
• How does literature reflect the historical context in which it was written?
• In what way would the text be different if it had been written in a different period?

This post this post may contain affiliate links .  Please read the  Terms of Use .

Introducing Modernism

By the time my juniors reach modernism, they have studied the American Enlightenment , Romanticism , Regionalism , and Realism .

Based on the time period in which modernism begins, I ask students what historical event likely begins this period. For the most part, they can name World War I. Then, we skip to the end of this time period and see that modernism ends with World War II. Based on these two bookends, I ask students to think-pair-share how they think that much war and trauma will affect American literature.

Then, I write students’ brainstorm on the board before we turn our attention to “ The Death of the Ball Turret Gunner ” by Randall Jarrell (read it here ). I start with this poem because of its brevity, clear “plot,” and evident main idea. As a class, we read and annotate the poem. Then, we match the poem to students’ brainstorm. Which elements from students’ brainstorm appear in the poem? Which do not? What, if anything, do we need to add or remove from the brainstorm?

From here, I introduce this acronym to help students remember the elements of modernism. As we go along, we match the elements of the acronym to students’ brainstorm. Then, we look for each element of modernism in the poem.

To continue our study of modernism, we focus on war poetry. This collection of poems helps students build on their reading of “The Death of the Ball Turret Gunner.” It also helps students understand how the trauma of war affected and shaped modernist literature. War poetry also features isolated and alienated characters who are often rejecting tradition. Further, the psychological realism of war poetry helps students engage with the text.

• First, “ Anthem for Doomed Youth ” by Wilfred Owen does a good job expanding on Randall Jarrell’s work. This is the second poem we read because it has a clear perspective and voice. A lot of the poetry we read deals with the effects of trauma from World War I. Read it here .
• Similarly, “ Grass ” by Carl Sandburg focuses on the effects of war. This is a good upward scaffold because this poem has a more experimental structure. Certainly, the speaker is quite different from the speaker’s of Jarrell and Owen’s poems. Read it here .

Grab these poems plus four more in Synthesis Bundle #5: War Poems !

Increasing Text Complexity

In part, poetry is helpful because it’s easiest to see how modernist authors experiment with form in poems. The brevity of poetry also means that we can encounter more representations of modernism in quick succession. However, not all modern poetry is war poetry, and some poems are more complex than others. As our study of modernism continues, it’s important to continually scaffold students to more challenging texts.

• To begin “ i carry your heart with me (i carry it in) ” by E.E. Cummings is a good upward scaffold. From the start, Cummings’ structural choices instantly catch students’ attention. This poem is a clear example of how modern writers experiment with form and structure . However, it’s tonally very different from other modernist texts on this list, so it helps students see the diversity of modernism. Read it here .
• “ The Unknown Citizen ” by W.H. Auden introduces students to satire. The tone of this poem is so wildly different from previous poems on this list, and it uses a third-person narrator to such a jarring effect. Read it here .
• Similarly, “ Musee des Beaux Arts ” by W.H. Auden gives the modernist treatment to the story of Icarus . This poem really lends itself to the question: How would this moment be different if it were written in a different literary period? Read it here .

Find most of these texts in my Modernism Bundle !

The Great Gatsby

In terms of longer works and novels, The Great Gatsby is a quintessential piece of American modernism. To help students evaluate the text through its historical context , students may need to complete additional research about what America was like in the 1920s. To help students think through the text, consider the following activities:

• Engaging students with this free anticipation guide can help students to begin thinking about the issues involved in The Great Gatsby .
• Writing journals about the novel can help students evaluate the text’s modernism while also helping students make connections with the text. Check out my favorite journals !
• Keeping a symbol log can help students evaluate how the settings and symbols in the novel help Fitzgerald create class commentary.
• Using task cards can help students evaluate the text as a piece of modernism, but task cards can also help students apply literary criticism to the text.

Further Reading

Since literary periods play an important part in my junior American literature class, I’ve written a lot about the subject!

• How To Engage Students In Studying The American Enlightenment
• American Enlightenment Pacing Guide and Unit Bundle
• American Romanticism Unit Bundle and Resources
• Everything You Need to Teach Romanticism
• Everything You Need to Teach Regionalism
• American Literary Movements
• Regionalism Collection
• Modernism Collection
• Post-Modernism
• Realism Notes

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• Dr. William Donaldson

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As taught in, learning resource types, bestsellers: out for the count, literary modernism.

 Bradbury, Malcom and James McFarlane. Modernism: A Guide to European Literature 1890–1930 . Penguin, 1976. ISBN: 9780140138320.

Many commentators have treated Modernism as a consequence of cultural catastrophe, a violent breach with the past in terms of both content and style; others have seen it as a logical development of what went before. Since a number of writers on this course consciously reflected the Modernist style, it may be useful if we know a little of what this might mean. See how many of the following features you can trace in the texts that follow:

Bradbury and McFarlane’s introductory essay “Name and Nature of Modernism” speaks of “overwhelming dislocations, cataclysmic upheavals of culture, fundamental convulsions of the creative human spirit that seem to topple even the most solid and substantial of our beliefs and assumptions, leave great areas of the past in ruins, question an entire civilization or culture, and stimulate frenzied rebuilding” (pp. 19–20).

The word Modern is elusive and difficult of definition, and also very awkward for describing what is now a historical period. It covers a considerable multiplicity of styles. “The term has been used to cover a wide variety of movements subversive of the realist or the romantic impulse and disposed towards abstraction (Impressionism, Post-Impressionism, Expressionism, Cubism, Futurism, Symbolism, Imagism, Vorticism, Dadaism, Surrealism); but these are not…all movements of one kind, and some are radical reactions against others” (p. 23).

Bradbury and McFarlane see the unifying feature of the various branches of the Modernist enterprise as a case of manner rather than content whose distinguishing qualities are abstraction and highly conscious artifice, taking us behind familiar reality, breaking away from familiar functions of language and conventions of form. Definitions of “the real” are important because the common strand in modernist art is somehow to become independent of it or to transcend it. Qualities include:

• sophistication
• introversion (i.e. intense self-absorption on the part of the writer)
• technical display

Its characteristic forms are:

• anti-representationalism in painting
• atonalism in music
• verse libre in poetry
• stream-of-consciousness narrative in the novel. 
• a sensing of, an exploitation of, a celebration of, cultural disaster, an “immense panorama of futility and anarchy” (p. 27).

Bradbury and Mcfarlane identify amongst the leading Modernist writers Yeats, Joyce, Eliot, Lawrence, Proust, Valery, Gide, Mann, Rilke, Kafka, and Virginia Woolf. Dating is problematic but most accounts concentrate on the first thirty or so years of the 20th century, seeing Modernism’s “annus mirabilis” as 1922, the year of Ulysses and The Waste Land , of Brecht’s Baal , of Lawrence’s Aaron’s Rod , Woolf’s Jacob’s Room , Proust’s Sodome et Gomorrhe, and Eugene O’Neill’s Anna Christie . Nihilism, alienation, and angst are generally seen as the classic attributes of Modernist writers and Modernist artworks. A reaction against 19th-century Positivism introduced a corresponding interest in irrational and unconscious forces in thinkers like Sorel, Bergson, and Pareto.

Modernism in most countries was an extraordinary compound of the futuristic and the nihilistic, the revolutionary and the conservative [the politics of some leading Modernist artists was extremely reactionary], the naturalistic and the symbolistic, the romantic and the classical. It was a celebration of a technological age and a condemnation of it… in most countries the fermenting decade was the eighteen nineties. (p. 46)

Richard Sheppard’s essay, “German Expressionism”, pp. 274–291, traces its foundation to the second decade of the 20th century. Destructive in intent, and directed against the comfortable certainties of bourgeois platitude in art: “conviction that the institutions of industrial capitalism were maiming and distorting human nature by developing the intellect and the will in the service of material production and neglecting the spirit, feelings and imagination…Paul Fechter [writing in 1920 in Der Expressionismus ] spoke about’the shift of emphasis from inner to outer matters is victorious all along the line’” (p. 276). In his essay “Dada and Surrealism”, pp. 292–308, Robert Short says of this group “..they disputed whether, in the light of new knowledge about man’s psychology and the nature of the universe which was his environment, the production of works of art or literature was any longer feasible, morally justifiable or socially worthwhile” (p. 301).

“The Language of Modernist Fiction: Metaphor and Metonymy” by David Lodge, pp. 481–496, itemises the qualities which mark modernist writing:

First, it is experimental or innovatory in form, exhibiting marked deviations from existing modes of discourse, literary and non-literary. Next, it is much concerned with consciousness, and also with the subconscious or unconscious workings of the human mind…Lastly, modern fiction eschews the straight chronological ordering of its material, and the use of a reliable, omniscient and intrusive narrator. It employs, instead, either a single, limited point of view, or multiple viewpoints, all more or less limited and fallible; and it tends toward a complex or fluid handling of time, involving much cross-reference back and forward across the temporal span of the action. (p. 482)

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ENG 336: Modernism: Your Assignment

• Your Assignment
• Identifying Themes and Analyzing

Important Dates

November 7: Matrices Due for your research paper

November 17: Literature Review

November 24: First Chunk of Paper due

Dec. 1: Final Essay Due

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Final Paper Summary and Guidelines

Your eight-page research paper will focus on several texts unified through a single issue that answers the question “What was Modernism?” You can also draw on art and music. Whatever you do, you will need to make an argument. Your introduction will present some aspect of modernism and the texts you will be talking about during the course of your paper.

Criteria for Paper (page length 8 pages):

• Presents a well-organized, analytical paper that focuses on one major text (or several poems) that deals with at least one theme we generally associate with the modernist period
• Strong analytical thesis stated in first paragraph
• Sufficient support and development
• Topic sentences that guide us through your argument
• Paper is supported by a solid range of scholarly research in the field—this will include one to two scholarly journal articles and at least ONE book at the very minimum. I repeat, these are the absolute minimum requirements! You can also use your Norton Anthology and approved scholarly web sites. All documentation in MLA style
• Demonstrates a common theme
• Looks at that theme from different perspectives (comparing and contrasting how different writers respond to the same theme, for instance)
• Provides documentation for all source material in MLA style
• Demonstrates creativity in approach
• Demonstrates the ability to closely read texts as well as to offer breadth and historical context for that reading
• Offers an answer to the question, “What was modernism?”

Subject Guide

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• Last Updated: Feb 15, 2021 10:48 AM
• URL: https://libguides.westminster.edu/eng336

English/Language Arts 11

Unit 7: Modernism/Post-Modernism, Pop Culture, and the American Dream

During this unit students will  define the modern and postmodern periods of American literature by analyzing how authors defined the American dream based on the pop culture that surrounded their experiences. During these periods, the definition of the American dream was refined as values changed over time, and in this unit students will be able to explain those changes in relation to the literature that represents these time periods.

Ram's Head White Hollyhock and Little Hills,  1935  by Georgia O'Keeffe (Mother of American Modernism)

What are the skills needed to read and understand increasingly difficult fiction and nonfiction texts? What are the skills needed to read and understand increasingly difficult fiction and nonfiction texts? What strategies can a reader use to determine the meaning of unfamiliar words? How do ideas and/or events work together and change throughout a text to create meaning?

How do the philosophies of the modernist and postmodernist literary periods contribute to an author’s choices regarding purpose, style, and content in a text?

How does an author in the modernist and/or postmodernist literary period create an effective text that represents points-of-view and purposes relevant to its cultural landscape and ideas of the American Dream?

How does an author use and adapt language to fit the cultural values and norms important to a time period/region, how does pop culture influence modernist and/or postmodernist writers’ interpretations and responses to the idea of the american dream, how do contemporary readers choose the best digital tools to share their knowledge of the definitions of the american dream/cultural literacy established by modernist and/or postmodernist writers how do contemporary readers respond to and evaluate the relevancy of the definitions of the american dream/cultural literacy established by modernist and/or postmodernist writers.

University of Reading

En2mod: modernism in poetry and fiction.

Module code: EN2MOD

Module provider: English Literature; School of Humanities

Credits: 20

Level: Level 2 (Intermediate)

When you'll be taught: Semester 2

Module convenor: Professor Steven Matthews, email: [email protected]

Pre-requisite module(s): Before taking this module, you must have at least 40 credits of EN-coded modules at Part 1 (except for visiting students). (Open)

Co-requisite module(s):

Pre-requisite or Co-requisite module(s):

Module(s) excluded:

Placement information: NA

Academic year: 2024/5

Available to visiting students: Yes

Talis reading list: Yes

Last updated: 21 May 2024

Contemporary fiction as we know it is unthinkable without the formal and thematic innovations introduced by modernist writers. This module examines the concepts of modernity and modernism, and it relates them to the history of early twentieth-century poetry and fiction. Experimentation and innovation in poetic and narrative form are explored as responses to wider social upheaval and cultural movements in the period.  

By the end of the module, it is expected that students will be able to:

• Apply discipline-specific practices of close reading, interpretative analysis and critical argument
• Distinguish and evaluate different research methods, themes, and theoretical debates in current literary studies
• Undertake autonomous learning, enquiry and research within the discipline of English literature, applying their mastery of relevant knowledge, skills and methods
• Discuss and appraise published research, or equivalent advanced scholarship, within the field of English literature
• Respond creatively and imaginatively to essay questions and research tasks, for the purpose of devising and sustaining arguments, and of reaching decisive judgments.

The modernist period of the late 19th and early 20th century saw a revolt against Victorian values and ushered in profound changes in every aspect of life. This module charts the way these societal changes – in the religious, political, sexual and quotidian spheres – was reflected in modernist writing. Influenced by innovations in technology, science and culture (from the visual arts and music to film), and the growing importance of urban spaces and mass cultural production, the module examines a selection of writings by poets and novelists of the time. Writers examined may include Virginia Woolf, T.S. Eliot, Ezra Pound, HD, Mina Loy, Gertrude Stein, James Joyce, Jean Rhys, Katherine Mansfield and Samuel Beckett.  

Teaching will be delivered through weekly lectures and intensive seminar discussions (one-hour each). Each seminar will involve discussion of texts or special materials that have been set and prepared in advance. Module tutors will also be available for consultation with students on a one-to-one basis to discuss their work and their progress of the module as a whole. 

At least 22 hours of scheduled teaching and learning activities will be delivered in person, with the remaining hours for scheduled and self-scheduled teaching and learning activities delivered either in person or online. You will receive further details about how these hours will be delivered before the start of the module.

Please note the independent study hours above are notional numbers of hours; each student will approach studying in different ways. We would advise you to reflect on your learning and the number of hours you are allocating to these tasks.

Semester 1 The hours in this column may include hours during the Christmas holiday period.

Semester 2 The hours in this column may include hours during the Easter holiday period.

Summer The hours in this column will take place during the summer holidays and may be at the start and/or end of the module.

Students need to achieve an overall module mark of 40% to pass this module.

Penalties for late submission of summative assessment

The Support Centres will apply the following penalties for work submitted late:

Assessments with numerical marks

• where the piece of work is submitted after the original deadline (or any formally agreed extension to the deadline): 10% of the total marks available for that piece of work will be deducted from the mark for each working day (or part thereof) following the deadline up to a total of three working days;
• the mark awarded due to the imposition of the penalty shall not fall below the threshold pass mark, namely 40% in the case of modules at Levels 4-6 (i.e. undergraduate modules for Parts 1-3) and 50% in the case of Level 7 modules offered as part of an Integrated Masters or taught postgraduate degree programme;
• where the piece of work is awarded a mark below the threshold pass mark prior to any penalty being imposed, and is submitted up to three working days after the original deadline (or any formally agreed extension to the deadline), no penalty shall be imposed;
• where the piece of work is submitted more than three working days after the original deadline (or any formally agreed extension to the deadline): a mark of zero will be recorded.

Assessments marked Pass/Fail

• where the piece of work is submitted within three working days of the deadline (or any formally agreed extension of the deadline): no penalty will be applied;
• where the piece of work is submitted more than three working days after the original deadline (or any formally agreed extension of the deadline): a grade of Fail will be awarded.

The University policy statement on penalties for late submission can be found at: https://www.reading.ac.uk/cqsd/-/media/project/functions/cqsd/documents/qap/penaltiesforlatesubmission.pdf

You are strongly advised to ensure that coursework is submitted by the relevant deadline. You should note that it is advisable to submit work in an unfinished state rather than to fail to submit any work.

Draft essay toward the first written coursework assignment.  

Reassessment

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THE INFORMATION CONTAINED IN THIS MODULE DESCRIPTION DOES NOT FORM ANY PART OF A STUDENT'S CONTRACT.

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• Category: Games

SteamWorld Heist II: Upgrading Greatness

It’s rare to see a new idea nailed on the first try, but 2015’s SteamWorld Heist very much managed it. In an age where squad-based tactical games like XCOM were hugely popular, Heist asked a bold design question – how do you do that, but in 2D? The result was an experiment gone very, very right – a tight-knit strategy experience that saw turn-based tactics given a freeform twist, where you controlled the precise angle of every gunshot, performing outrageous ricochet trickshots, striving to achieve perfectly executed spaceship heists, and desperately grabbing loads of collectible hats.

Sadly, the original Heist never made it to Xbox consoles, but I’m very happy to say that its sequel will arrive on your console or PC tomorrow, August 8. SteamWorld Heist II returns with a new design question – how do you make a sequel to something that felt so complete? The answer is to keep the core of the action intact, and make everything around it bigger and better. Relocating the action from outer space to the sea, SteamWorld Heist II offers a more explorable world, more player choice, and new ways to tinker with your squad, all set amid a new robot-pirate aesthetic.

Returning players will immediately notice how much more expansive this seems – where the first game saw you travelling down a broadly linear map of missions, you now control a dinky submarine, physically guiding your vessel across the seas, taking down enemy ships in miniature real-time battles, and choosing where you want to head next. Missions are plentiful, and come in many forms – some will see a whole squad having to survive for a set number of turns, others will have you pitting a single character against a gauntlet of challenges.

Each mission still offers reputation (a currency that effectively unlocks your progress through the game), but also offers bounty points, which can be spent on a series of rewards. In a single in-game day, each squad member can only take part in a single mission – and you quickly realise there’s an art to making sure you squeeze in every mission possible, before sailing to a local bar for a rest, and a chance to claim all your bounties.

It’s a small mechanical decision with major ramifications – as you build your ragtag group of robots (hiring new ones along the way), you don’t just need to think about which set of weapons and abilities will go best together, but also which smaller groups can complement one another to allow you to take on as many missions as possible.

This leads us to another of Heist II ’s big changes – any robot can take on any class by simply equipping them with the requisite weapon, but they can also transfer abilities from classes they’ve already levelled up. It allows you to tinker with your strategies to a minute degree – aided by the fact that every new character comes with personal abilities that only they can use.

Once you begin digging into the possibilities at your metallic fingertips, you’ll realize there’s an enormous flexibility here. Personally, I’ve been a huge fan of turning a crew member with the ability to fire a giant laser that pierces multiple enemies into a Flanker, offering them bonus damage for hitting enemies from behind – there’s nothing better than travelling across the map to line up a perfect shot and taking out three enemies at once.

It’s another bold move from a bold series – SteamWorld games have come in many different forms in the decade and more they’ve been around – and its latest incarnation shows no lack of that same ambition. This is bigger, longer, and more open to your interpretation than any SteamWorld game before, but still shows the same spark of genius that powered the original Heist. If you didn’t play the original, now’s the time to take a dive into SteamWorld Heist II ’s perfect blue seas.

SteamWorld Heist II comes to Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One, and Windows PC on August 8.