So I'm a huge fan of DRG and have been loving what they're doing with the franchise as a whole.
I ALSO recognize that Survivor is in the early stages of its run and to hold it to the standard that DRG is currently at (with its many updates, expansions, and content add-ons to flesh out its gameplay) would be unfair.

All this to say, in its current stage, DRG: Survivor is a bit of a disappointment for me.

The early stages are wonderful, with new weapons and unique perks unlocking to help give that progression feeling.
There is no greater feeling than leveling up your favorite weapon to god tier status and watch it melt the health bars of hundreds of bugs coming at you. The strategy of combining just the right main, secondary, grenade, and bonus weapons to work seamlessly together is an art that IS rewarding if given time and effort.

So why the bad review? Well, all of the above mentioned elements are perfect at levels 1-3 on any given biome with any given class. Level 4 can be a bit trickier and can have some fun still squeezed out of it.
Level 5 on ANY stage with ANY class is an absolute grind-fest nightmare. The random number generated roll system on upgrades is tolerable (and even fun!) in lower stages, but completely ruins any possible fun at stage 5. DOZENS of times now, I've killed a run because the RNG gods have decided my rolls will suck, several levels in a row. This is with my luck (and every other stat) absolutely maxed, btw. I have unlocked every perk, supply pack, weapon, and stat upgrade available in the game. Yet time and time again, I'll get to, say, stage 3 of a level (at difficulty 5) and have my entire run ruined because I get bad rolls.

This is a feature of the game, btw. You can re-roll for gold and have to weigh the risks of losing the gold for the reward of getting a better roll. I get this. Except, at a certain point after yet ANOTHER grindy run where the RNG gods dictated that, no, I wouldn't be getting any armor ever, sorry. I just sat back and realized it was just a slot machine.

I will ABSOLUTELY grant kudos to the devs for not including ANY kind of real-money to in-game currency aspect. They have been consistent in this throughout their games and I applaud the hell out of that practice. It's why I'm such a fan of DRG.

But a free slot machine isn't really a fun game when you've expended all the other skill-based avenues of progression.

I'm not saying I'm the best player at this game. Not by a mile. I just feel that even the most skilled player in this game could hit the same grindy RNG wall I've hit (over and over) which forces them to quit or get killed for stupid reasons.

I will gladly change my review and my opinion if this changes at all in the future.

I enjoy the game although I am not very good at it. I'm still stuck on the first area final boss. Hopefully more time playing it will help me git gud.

It's worth buying on sale.

The latest in the survivor-type games' evolution, and for me, this is the best the genre has to offer.

Unlike the bullet-hell that's often an integral component, your weapons' output isn't sufficient to clear the screen. You have to balance weapon skills (reload time, damage, clip size, damage type) with defensive/utility skills (armor, health, mining speed, movement speed) with the weapon type. With these skills mostly being rogue-like (aka. they disappear after you die), the perma-upgrades you can buy between runs are important too.

None of the above is particularly unique or new. It's their combination with the game-play that makes this game one of my favorites across all game genres. The graphics are good-isometric without being cartoony; similar to a blend between Starcraft II and From Space. The voice acting so-far doesn't annoy me, even though it can get repetitive, and is funny enough to make me crack a smile. You'll constantly be running, but good mining skills are essential to both mine materials and get you out of a corner where imminent death approaches.

There are (AFAICT) 4 unlockable classes, each with 3 build types. The number of weapons and artifacts is great, and I haven't yet found anything horribly under or over-powered; all can be viable when paired appropriately.

These days, this is one of the few games that makes me crave playing again (when I'm off doing RL stuff). It gets a hearty thumbs-up.