Consistent play leads to an array of perks, but most of them have only minor effects on the chance of success. This space station is also where you gradually upgrade your miner’s equipment as they climb through the levels. Or how about you just kick some barrels around? It’s all frivolous and amusing. You’ve got a place to dance a dwarven jig to the nearby jukebox, and a button to turn off gravity in the station for a time. Some drinks can even offer a buff for the next mission. You upgrade a beer brewing license with newly discovered materials, letting you toast each other before a number of silly effects take over, like lighting you on fire, or changing your size. In between work shifts, your time back on the space rig features some fun interjections, especially when shared with others. But the overriding sense of oppressive darkness can wear thin after a time, and the shifting light sources mean that it’s easy to get lost. Likewise, the game makes great use of light, as the dwarves send out rechargeable flares (or the scout’s longer-lasting flare gun blasts) to survey the area. However, at times the focus on freeform wandering can lead to a sense of aimlessness. That’s frequently a ton of fun, leading to moments of excitement as you smash through a dirt wall to find a massive crystalline chamber just beyond. The game encourages a focus on discovery and exploration – the mapping and objective markers are limited. Regardless, the procedurally generated cave systems are fascinating and expansive. Battles are intense and challenging, and demand constant teamwork. With a pickaxe in hand, there’s a satisfying balance in each mission between figuring out how to reach that elevated gold vein, and then switching gears to stave off a horde of attackers. And as you climb the ladder of harder missions, there are other secrets to uncover, from hidden cosmetics in long-lost collapsed caves, to challenging “machine events” that throw in an extra challenging combat exchange. Secondary objectives lend an interesting risk/reward dynamic, adding time and danger in the depths, but with significant boosts to your payout. Sometimes you’re just there to collect a particular type of rock, but other objectives keep things interesting, from eliminating particularly nasty foes to retrieving the goods left behind by a previous mining crew that didn’t make it out. In any given mining run, your space mining crew is sent hurtling into the depths of a mineral-rich behemoth of a planet, which also just happens to be overrun by hostile alien bugs. Taken together, each adds something invaluable to the group, and I enjoyed my time with each. And the engineer’s platform creation enables the mining of spots that might otherwise seem impossible to reach, even as his automatic turrets help hold specific control zones. The Gunner’s weaponry holds the line in any fight, and his zip lines make team navigation manageable. The Driller’s tunneling capabilities expedite any endeavor or escape, and his flamethrower is a crowd control boon. ![]() The Scout’s speed, flare gun, and grappling hook get him quickly to where he needs to be. ![]() The four classes are thoughtfully balanced and play well together, complementing each other’s skill sets. ![]() Thankfully, a fast and responsive backend allows for quick joining or hosting of sessions, so good grouping is possible even if your friends aren’t around. The game is at its best with a full four-person team of miners working together, ideally with a full spread of the available classes. Deep Rock Galactic may be played solo, with the help of an A.I. drone to aid in your mining efforts, but it’s profoundly less enjoyable. One big reason for that is the smartly structured approach to cooperative play. Yet as a stalwart space dwarf doing what he does best, you’re having a grand time, because the game’s systems contrive to transform that work into something magical. And your rewards are paltry compared to the risk you face, squaring off against massive alien bugs that hunger for your flesh. You are sent into dark caves to hack away small quantities of minerals. You work for a corporation that cares more about minor profits than your survival. The great triumph of Deep Rock Galactic is transforming drudgery into something thrilling, repeatable, and fun.
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